April Flores: Big Lust, Big Ideas
Posted at 7:27 PM Apr 25, 2008
The effervescent April Flores (also known as Fatty Delicious) is a beautiful lady, full of positive attitude and just plain sexiness. She and her husband Carlos Battas collaborate a variety of visual projects, and Naked City editor Audacia Ray asked her about the naughtier of the projects.
Audacia Ray: You’ve taken a relatively slow and cautious approach to being an adult model and performer. Instead of just diving in and shooting with whoever wanted to shoot you, you’ve hand picked people who want to work with. Why have you taken this approach?
April Flores: This happened part consciously and part coincidentally. I started out shooting only photographs and only for Carlos Batts. Being in front of the camera was relatively new to me and it was a time he and I were growing as subject and artist, as well as a couple. Shooting was always very personal and done in a safe environment, so I was able to grow in my comfort and expression as a subject.
As time passed I met other photographers and performers first as friends, and later had the opportunity to work with them. I have been very lucky to be able to participate in their various projects.
It’s been a slow journey because I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to become an adult model and performer. I have evolved into the person I am today by taking advantage of opportunities that have come my way. For example, when Belladonna asked me to be in Evil Pink 2 it was something I had never done (or thought of doing) before. I decided to do it because I knew it would be fun and unique experience, and I like pushing my boundaries. I also knew that I would learn something about myself. I have evolved as a subject and woman by always challenging myself and using each shoot to grow.
I’ve only been in a few adult films, and each scene I’ve done has been with a friend. There is a huge advantage to working with a friend because there is already an established chemistry and trust. When Kimberly Kane asked me to be in the latest movie she directed, Morphine I was truly flattered and excited because we have an amazing chemistry together.
My motivation for continuing to do more adult modeling and performing is that I want to represent for us bigger girls. I want to show other voluptuous women that we can be confident and sexual regardless of our weight. I want more women to base their happiness from within, and not on the number on the scale or size of their jeans.
I think it’s kind of cool that my transition from adult modeling to adult performing has been at my own pace, with friends and my partner.
Three more questions and their answers after the jump.
AR: In the porn industry today, there’s such a massive output of content that it’s really difficult to distinguish your work from everything else. In the films that you’ve collaborated on with Carlos Batts, you’ve taken a lot of care in developing the aesthetics and ideas of the movies. Why have you taken this approach? What do you see as the relationship between your movies and the porn industry at large?
AF: We began working together only doing photography. After a few years of that, we became interested in creating moving images. Our first film, Alter Ego was done during that time of transition from photography to film. We started incorporating video in our shoots so the film looks like one of Carlos’ pictures come to life. Colors and mood have always been strong elements in his art and that carries over to his filmmaking.
Our second film, Voluptuous Life had a different idea behind it. We wanted to challenge conventional ideas of beauty and sexuality. There is a physically diverse cast in that movie and every woman in the film is a friend of mine. I really loved the idea of using several body types not only to show that all women can be sexual, but also juxtaposing the different bodies together creating shapes and forms of art.
The first two films we did were more like erotic documentary journals.
The latest film we worked on was Kiss Attack. It’s more of an independent erotic film but still heavily visual and beautiful. The costume design and styling were amazing, and the artwork created for the film is unlike anything else I’ve seen. I’ve only watched my scene with Claire Adams, and I have to admit it was pretty sexy! Watching myself on film is definitely something that’s taken me a while to get used to.
Our movies have been very personal and grown from a different place than other films. Eroticism is a natural part of art and we try to think of sex and sensuality outside of genres.
Carlos is a very creative person. He’s always working on at least 10 things and his ideas are constantly flowing. We both have projects outside of porn that we are working on. I have started taking pictures of women and been learning how to express myself behind the camera. We are also compiling our non-erotic images from the past 8 years of Carlos and I shooting together that will be featured in a book called Fat Girl by Powerhouse Books scheduled to come out in 2009.
AR: Do you think it’s possible for female porn performers to be good role models or educators for women who watch porn? Why/why not?
AF: I think female porn performers can be great sex educators if the viewer is open to seeing it that way. As with most things, it all depends on how you look at it.
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a role model; however I have heard such positive responses from so many women. All the encouraging feedback makes me believe that what I am doing can affect certain women in a positive way. I know that these women appreciate seeing a voluptuous girl who has a body similar to theirs represented in an erotic format.
AR: What are the elements of a hot onscreen sex scene, in your opinion? Are these elements that a director can create, or are they beyond the director’s control?
AF: For me, hot sex is all about chemistry and passion. I think the director can try to create these elements with casting and on the set, but I do also feel that some of it is beyond anyone’s control.
