Erotic art for sale

What claims to be the world's first commercial gallery selling erotic art and design opens in London this week.

On Friday, a building covering 5,000 sq ft over four floors on Charing Cross Road - just next to Foyles - and dedicated to the erotic aesthetic opens to the public.

Called Charing X, it will stock only the most provocative works from artists including David Hockney, Sir Peter Blake, Damien Hirst, Marc Quinn and Jenny Saville. It will also have floors dedicated to erotic couture, burlesque, fashion photography and even furniture.

Charing X has been co-founded by the Eyestorm gallery's David Grob and Coco de Mer creator Adae-Elena Amats. Mr Grob said: "Every artist spends a large part of their lives painting nudes.

"I don't want people turning up in grubby raincoats but it's amazing that while eroticism has been a driving force behind art from Botticelli to Bacon, this is the first time it has been given a dedicated gallery space and the chance to be appreciated in its own right."

Photography from Man Ray, Helmut Newton, Greg Gorman, Robert Mapplethorpe and Bob Carlos Clarke will be on offer alongside older images -

18th-century Japanese woodcut prints, 16th-century Indian watercolours and prints of Roman torsos.

Furniture on sale will include the famous Sofa Bocca, based on Salvador Dali's Mae West-inspired lip-shape design - a snip at about £4,000 - as well as leatherwear and furniture designs from Whitaker Malem and bespoke

knickers by Strumpet & Pink. Other erotically minded designers whose work will be on sale include Emily Matthews, creator of the Bibikov brand of corsetry and weaponry bags, burlesque performer Immodesty Blaise and clothes that are "magical, exotic and most importantly,

desirable" designed by Julia Clancey. There will also be erotic hats, sculpture and animation on sale.

Mr Grob said: "As a gallerist this has been a unique opportunity to select works purely for their artistic and erotic merit.