Nude of The Week – Fanboy Vs Artboy Concept Render
This is the first of my concept renders for the upcoming exhibition I’m in at Artboy Gallery. The focus of this exhibition is games and fan art and I’m delighted to be a part of it! I will write more later, but for now this is the concept as it stands, it’s really fun to work on something so challenging and different. it will be painted in my usual style, but it’s so different from anything I’ve done!
I morphed all the characters from scratch, referencing the characters from their in-game art. I can tell you that some parts involved quite a bit of speculation! I don’t have a lot of experience with multi character pieces, but I love classic composition so I had a lot of fun, I went back to my art history roots for inspiration.
For those who don’t know, these characters are from my favorite game World of Warcraft. over the entire warcraft saga there has been a bit of a love story woven around the characters Jaina Proudmoore, Arthas Menethil and Thrall. I could write more about my feeling about these three characters, but you will probably be seeing this piece in development so for now I will focus on the render.
There were a LOT of products used in this! I spent a day morphing each character. that’s a day *per* Character!
Thrall is made with Freak 4 (FREE for a limited time!)
Michael 4 morphs++
Sol Elite Skin with custom coloring
Cuffed Tail 2
and the Beard (I was particularly proud of this as I don’t have any beards, fitting this was a challenge!)
Gabriel Hair
Arthas
Michael 4 *free*
Michael 4 morphs++
Sol Elite Skin
Reby Sky Elite Hair (sorry Reby)
Jaina Proudmoore
Victoria 4 *free*
V4 Morphs++
Eve Skin
Sienna Hair
Nude of the week- iPad painting
I still don’t have a studio, but that’s ok, because i’m consuming myself with learning to use my iPad as a serious medium. I’ve been drawing and painting on it every day, in multiple apps. It’s very interesting, they all have something to offer in different ways. This is painted in sketchbook pro and often feels like pastels to work with.
I really miss having a studio though! Soon, it’s progressing more and more every day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday nude quotes
A whore may be naked, but a mistress is nude.We are talking class.
-James Kilpatrick
Fine Print: Reflections on the Writing Art.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Nude of the week – iPad painting
I still don’t have my studio in a useable state at the present so I have been taking the time to refine my skills on sketchbook pro on my iPad. This is my first real painting on it that i’ve liked. I feel I am beginning to get a handle on using the different features such as layers and zoom to create good works. It’s not as awesome as the work the real digital pros are doing, but I’m feeling better and better about it as a tool. It still feels like finger painting though. It’s always Fun to learn a new medium!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Su Zizi – artistic purity through nudity
Nude modeling is a controversial career in China. Some think it is shameful, while others think it is brave. But for Su Zizi, a 19-year-old student from Beijing-based Renmin University of China, nude modeling offers her the chance to pursue pure art.
“In my eyes, nude modeling is a career that needs to be respected, and it is a kind of art I will explore in my whole life,”Su told the Global Times.
“Being a nude model doesn’t just mean wearing nothing for me, it also helps me to know my body better and express my attitude toward the world.”
Su has worked as a part-time nude model for nearly nine months. As a student from a poor family, Su decided to be a nude model to earn money. However, she gradually fell in love with the career and took it as a path to deeply examine herself and society.
there has been some heated debate online about the career and recent exhibition of Su Zizi. the original article on the Beijing News sparked a great deal of backlash online and off throughout China. Sadly, I cannot find the original article, it appears to have been pulled from the site due to the sheer volume of vitriol. this excerpt describes the original article, it’s the closest I could get.
A female college student is at the center of a heated debate over whether it is morally right for her to pose nude for artists or art classes to earn money for her tuition.
A recent commentary in “The Beijing News” suggests that people respect the fact that the student is trying to support herself through a legal job, which is more responsible than relying on money from her parents.
The commentary points out that there are still those who believe nude modeling is an unacceptable business and tend to criticize everything related to it.
But the commentary argues that because nude modeling for artists is just one particular type of modeling, there is no reason to single it out by questioning the morality of those who do it to earn to help themselves.
Moreover, the commentary says if people could change their way of thinking and view the issue from a “healthier” prospective, they would appreciate the student’s courage to be self-reliant through hard work.
The commentary concludes by pointing out that people should be more open-minded and tolerant, because the student did not do anything wrong by trying to be a responsible adult. If the public viewed the situation in this way, it would send a positive message to other young people and encourage everyone to learn more about nude modeling without making any snap judgments about it.
You all know my views on the nude, and on posing nude. what I think is interesting about this story is the way that Su is handling everything. her exhibition was quite successful and she has appeared live in an interview to discuss her views. she’s not shrinking away from the controversy, or the hype. I recommend her interview in the GlobalTimes above, it’s refreshing to hear such a love and appreciation for the nude and it’s power. Su Zizi appears to be a gal after my own heart!
Beijing is gathering steam as an art capital recently and Interestingly, nude photography is quite a hot topic at the moment in China with a trend towards nude photographs to celebrate weddings also making headlines and controversies. I wonder if the growing cultural center is bringing these things to the fore more, if it is the pressure valve for the community.
Nude of the week – Peace
Peace - A4 Watercolors and Pencil on Paper
The title of this piece is at odds with how I feel at the moment, I wanted to create an image of serenity to try and help myself feel more at peace. it worked while I was painting anyway!
I’ve been so busy. we’ve moved house so many times it’s not funny but this time it’s with a baby. once you have a baby everything seems to take three times as long. this time we are ‘doing it easy’ too. we’re getting all new furniture and having it delivered to the new home, only the most precious bits are coming with, and of course all our books, dvds, clothes, books, baby things, art, art supplies, oh everything! but not our old crappy furniture.
easy right?
except that of course there have been months of furniture shopping, planning our aesthetic, purchasing the furniture and arranging delivery, sorting out painting and colors, realizing the quoted delivery dates are going to be longer than expected. the usual packing, planning my studio, trying to get everything organized in time for a family celebration just before christmas – aarrrghh!
I thought everything was organized, then the closing arrived early and it all went to hell in a handbasket. but the first of the furniture has been delivered, and utilities are organized, netspace are trying to do our reconnection with a minimum of disruption and if only our old place would stop looking quite so much like a bomb hit it I would be much happier!
I don’t know how much I will be able to keep things updated over the next couple of weeks, bear with me and hopefully I won’t have to go to the looney bin!
now go buy some art so I don’t have to move it!
Rubbing Botero the wrong way
Adam by Botero – Photo by Dan Brinzac“I had a customer here who was laughing, saying, ‘You can see his peepee is a different color because people are always touching it,’ ” recalled a store manager who requested not to be identified.
A building worker, who also asked that his name not be used, said, “Legend would have it that when they put him in here, he wasn’t smiling.”
Justin Kugel, 28, a student who was shopping last night, said, “I’ve seen people rubbing it and having their picture taken. That’s kind of gross.”
There’s a Botero statue of Eve nearby — and some people pat her bountiful booty, another shop owner said.
David Benrimon, who owns a Manhattan art gallery with “one of the largest collections of Botero in the world,” said the artist was not aware of the personal attention “Adam” was getting.
“I was with him. I didn’t mention it,” Benrimon said. “It’s interaction in art. People like to touch.”
[From Shoppers at the Time Warner Center rub Botero statue's genitalia - NYPOST.com]
The sculptures of Adam and Eve by Botero are receiving some close attention at the Time Warner center, so much so that the repeated rubbing has changed the color of the bronze patina on Adam’s penis to a gold that helps it really stand out.
I can’t decide if I’m thrilled or horrified by all this.. on one hand people are interacting with art, they’re enjoying it and it’s making an impact in a positive way – so that’s all good. but on the other, they’re all seeing everything in the most puerile light! I guess it’s to be expected that the lowest common denominator will prevail, but must it always be so low? or should we be glad that nudes are being celebrated, that nobody seems to care that they’re nudes and in the public eye (and hands)?
What do you think? is this ultimately a victory or a setback? what would Botero think?
nude sean connery painting revealed
LONDON: A near nude painting of 007 star Sean Connery is up for exhibition. The oil painting, which was hidden in a little darkroom till now, shows Connery posing for an art class wearing nothing but a thong. The actor worked as a male model for art classes before becoming a huge star in Hollywood. The artist Robert Webster, known as Rab, painted the actor, who later played 007, in 1951. Webster was a student at the Edinburgh College of Art, and a 21-year-old Connery modelled for his class, the Daily Mail reported. Following Webster’s death last month at the age of 83, his family decided to stage an exhibition of his work including the previously unseen image of Sir Sean, now 80, and his bare back.
[From World Vignettes]
You may recall I wrote about Sean Connery posing nude quite some time ago. the online news are all over this item like it is news, however it has been known for a long time that Sir Connery posed nude when he was younger, it fascinates me that it is such a big deal. I mean, yes, he is a celebrity and looks like an outstanding model, but the focus seems to be ‘OMG he posed nude!’ (almost, he wore a thong) as if that somehow impacts on all his other work. I found this article to be a nice, brief delivery of the facts without the constant opinion (and “related” links about Keith Richards and his love child) and headlines like “Sean Connery had a really nice butt” (like we didn’t know).
I wonder how he feels about it now, personally, I doubt he cares! it’s a shame for the late artist that this is the photograph mainly used, that’s the part that I focus on, I imagine him turning in his grave seeing his work all over the web- but badly photographed! I’m glad that the exhibit will be going up, it sounds like an unappreciated artist may be getting some posthumous kudos. Even if it is more for the subject matter than the art itself.
David Miliband’s nude art under critical and political attack
David and Louise Miliband with the painting in their living room. Award winning photograph by Naomi GogginA bit like finding a severed head in the linen basket, a gun in the bathroom cabinet, a whip in the downstairs loo.’
Mr Bayley goes on to describe the painting as ‘middle-brow junk’, ‘bad bad art’ and ‘one of those decisions possibly made after lunch’.
‘It exists to confer sophistication – there are nudes! There is vigorous brushwork! We are worldly bohemians! – but in fact confers the very opposite.’
His final judgment: ‘Politicians shouldn’t mess with art.’
[From DAVID MILIBAND: My naked dancing women fill me with joy and damn snooty art critics! | Mail Online]
These words have set off a massive debate on art and nudity and politics in the best British tradition. An emerging photographer took a portrait of David Miliband and his wife in their living room for a competition. she got the idea from a frend and ran down, narrowly missing the scrum of reporters after Miliband announced that he was not standing for the Shadow Cabinet. the photograph was entered into a competition and won. wonderful news for the photographer Naomi Goggin, but unfortunately the focus has not been on her exciting win, but on the cavorting nudes behind her subjects.
On Thursday I got a text from a friend saying that the photo wasn’t the story. Instead, it was the painting that Louise bought for me (and a patterned cushion that I bought for her in Jordan) that are visible in the shot.
They were being used to prove how vulgar and lower-middle-class we were. Pathetic, really.
On Friday I read the article by Stephen Bayley in The Daily Telegraph. Bayley compared the painting to the revelation of a severed head in the laundry basket or a whip in the loo!
In other words, it was the equivalent of being found out as a murderer (Mr Miliband with the axe in the bathroom, in Cluedo speak) or a secret S&M practitioner. What is this guy on?
OK. The painting is not exactly a conventional still life of a bowl of fruit. It has a dozen nude women. They are dancing. The women look happy and free. They certainly don’t look as if they are worried about the prying eyes of Stephen Bayley.
They make us laugh. They make sure Louise and I look on the bright side of life. And when people say where did you get it, we tell them. Not Christie’s. Not the trendy Camden Market. Not any market at all, in fact.
Louise and I bought the painting for my 40th birthday five years ago. Mr Bay ley says that politicians shouldn’t mess with art. But what a give away! Sorry, Mr Bayley, I didn’t buy the painting as a politician.
[From DAVID MILIBAND: My naked dancing women fill me with joy and damn snooty art critics! | Mail Online]
This is a very eloquent response to the venomous comments of Stephen Bayley. click on the link to read more. I feel very sorry for the two artists caught in this political war, as they are the ones who truly suffer. Unlike politicians they don’t have the same armor and protection, they don’t expect this sort of attack. Naomi Goggin and the painter Michelle Dovey have been caught in the political crossfire. while they say all publicity is good publicity I’m sorry that their works are fodder in this political mashup. I particularly can’t believe this attitude of a country that still publishes centerfolds in their newspapers! I feel glad that Miliband has spoken out in defense of his purchases and on behalf of both artists. the line that makes me smile the most, however, is this friday’s nude quote…
Kaisa Two censored by city council
Kaisa Two by Malcolm Edwards
One entry — a photograph of a woman’s nude back and buttocks — raised the eyebrows of an unidentified city councilman, and Mayor Chuck Hunter removed the piece from the show.
The photograph, entitled “Kaisa Two,” is by Seattle artist Malcolm Edwards.
According to Anne Knapp, PAL president, art league members “are very concerned that the city, which does not have a written art policy in place, has made a decision to ban the piece from the show.”
[From City of Gig Harbor Removes Photograph from Art Show » Kitsap Sun]
Another example of the government intervening in the arts to the detriment of all. this is yet another ridiculous censorship with no basis other than the perennial ‘won’t somebody please think of the children?’
“This is a public building, and we get young kids coming through here and we don’t want to have anything that could be offensive,” Hunter said.
The issue is that the exhibition is in City Hall. oh big deal. the fact is that there is no policy addressing the arts, what may be shown or may not. the city apparently uses the Washington State regulations, but there is nothing addressing “obscenity standards” in art in those guidelines. a policy will be made up, but I am betting that it will err on the prudish side as usual.
As usual, I say if they were concerned they should have said something during the jurying process as the works were chosen. rather than letting the artist go to all the additional expense and excitement of exhibiting only to have their artwork pulled by a council member. there is nothing disturbing or sexual in this piece, it’s rather lovely (I enjoy chiaroscuro so I love the lighting in this one!). But there is good news, the work is now on display at For Art Sake Gallery in the Finholm District.
the effects of denying women artists the nude
From the 15th through the 19th century the nude was essential to art, especially to grand history paintings. Doing history paintings helped establish the stature of an artist. However, women were barred from studying the human nude regardless of gender; even when they were permitted to join the academies on quotas, they were restricted from such training. By the time the restrictions were lifted by the end of the 19th century, the nude was no longer central to painting’s subject matter. Nochlin discusses this issue extensively.
She writes, “I have gone into the question of the availability of the nude model, a single aspect of automatic, institutionally maintained discrimination against women, in such detail simply to demonstrate both the universality of this discrimination and its consequences, as well as the institutional rather than individual nature of but one facet of the necessary preparation for achieving mere proficiency, much less greatness in the realm of art during a long period.”[From Why have there been no great women artists? - Stabroek News - Guyana]
this sounds like an interesting concept, I don’t know if I agree with a central precept, however, that the nude is no longer central to painting. it’s a crucial part of training and still a key subject, from art history to now there is no single subject that has been covered as extensively as the human body.
it’s an interesting parallel to draw, that the lack of access to the nude for women artists impeded their growth as artists. but it is noted that other factors probably contributed as much. I look forward to reading more as this series continues but I find myself concerned that some of the logic appears to be a little scattered. I assume it will all pull together by the end. I also dispute the title, it’s an attention grabber (it grabbed me!) but there have been many excellent women artists of note, both in the periods mentioned and now. They have received less notoriety, but are not less ‘great’ -it all depends on how you define greatness.
I am interested to see if these conclusions about the history of women artists lead onto the current disparity between modern male and female artists.
Nude Jerry Hall by Freud sells for 600,000
Jerry Hall met Lucian Freud at a dinner in 1997 when she was eight months pregnant with her fourth child. He asked if he could paint her portrait, and she started posing the next day, three times/week, until she went into labor.
[From Eight Months Gone, Jerry Hall By Lucian Freud - Daddy Types]
I found myself wondering why this was such a big deal – £600,000 isn’t actually that much for a Lucian Freud, let alone one of a celebrity – but then I found out the size, 4x6in – a postcard size oil painting sketch. considering the size of Benefits Supervisor Sleeping and the price it set, this is consistent, even quite high.
I haven’t been following the sale of Jerry Hall’s art collection, but I wonder, along with the quoted author above, what else may have come out of all those sessions. this looks like a wet on wet sketch and probably quite fast. I wonder if there are any others lurking around. this sketch, even with it’s looseness show’s Freud’s wonderful treatment of skintones, gravity and luminosity.
breastfeeding inspires emotive sculpture
Big Mother - Further images at Patricia Piccinini's website
The Sierra Leone-born, Melbourne-based artist decided to give up in her failed attempts to breastfeed when her sister suggested she practise with her own six-month-old son.
“I thought, `I can’t do that. I’m not just an animal, and I am not a lactating animal for some other baby’,” she said. “But then this six-month-old taught me how to breastfeed, and how to breastfeed my own child.”
The work is confronting on many levels – from the stark, hairless nudity of the animal, its gorilla-sized arms and legs and baboon’s bottom and genitals, to the idea humans could engineer humanoid beasts as slaves.
A friend recently wrote about this work on his blog and I was intrigued by the concept. this piece is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful, saddest and disturbing sculptures I’ve ever seen. on Patricia Piccinini’s website are further detail images showing the depth of detail and emotion in this piece.
The story rings on a very personal note. as a breastfeeding mother myself I can relate to her struggles at the beginning, breastfeeding a newborn is a tricky thing and during such an emotional time it is very easy to give up. I remember how many times I would have killed for a wet nurse! I think her friend was a genius to suggest she try an older child, perhaps it’s something more new mothers should consider. I wonder how I would have felt at that suggestion, you do feel like an animal- we joke about being a cow but it is a very animalistic action, based in nature and going back to our most primal roots. how wonderful that this suggestion has spawned such an interesting work.
Transgendered nude art in paris vogue
Of course, that makes the nude all the more provocative. Her gaze is calm and direct, and the casual placement of her hand clearly reveals that she hasn’t had gender reassignment surgery. Unlike in the buzzed-about Givenchy ad, she doesn’t wear ostentatious makeup or strike any of the dramatic poses that usually mark high fashion editorials. She is simply, arrestingly bare. With her long hair draped over her shoulders, Lea looks straight out of the Garden of Eden — and that is perhaps what’s most subversive about the photo: its ability to make us re-conceive of what we think of as “natural.”
[From French Vogue's delightfully subversive nude - Gender - Salon.com]
There is a lot of strength in this photograph. I love the commentary in this quote, it is a natural portrait. it is unabashed, strong, challenging and surprising. she isn’t hiding who she is, she’s embracing it, embracing both sides of who she is. if the comments I’ve read and heard about it are any guide many people don’t see someone trans, they see a strong, nude woman.
I know a number of trans people, M-F and F-M. I’ve watched the journey of their transformations and the impact this has on themselves, their family and their friends. as a queer identified person with a great many queer friends I’ve sat in on discussions of gender identity and reassignment with great interest. gender is even something I am hoping to explore in an upcoming series. I love the power of identity in this photograph- gender seems to be almost an afternote in this photograph to the enormous strength of self.
Bill Henson: my impressions
millennial slippage is the term coined by Bill Henson to describe the current state of affairs worldwide. He emphasized that “The truth of art” should be exposed to our children, that we should never forget our artistic and cultural history. it’s on the basis of this that we can move forward rather than submitting to this millennial slippage.
The speech last night was excellent. Listening to Bill Henson discuss various cultural references, I looked around at a variety of young, blank, faces and I felt how true some of his statements were. we do need to expose our children to art, to history, to culture. art is the expression of history and the cumulation of our civilization. I was struck by Henson’s self effacing nature. watching him you would never know that someone so apparently shy was embroiled in such a shocking controversy that rocked the art world two years ago. It was interesting how little he cited his own work, preferring to discuss literature, composers and classic painters.
The political nature of the lecture was fascinating as he skirted any specific examples and avoided namecalling, calling instead for a return to statesmanship and common sense with more respect for the arts- both historical and current. I believe he feels truly wounded by Kevin Rudd’s insensitive and ill informed comments about his works, but rose above it to be the bigger person (as opposed to the way it was described in The Age).
I was particularly interested in the discussion about consent and censorship. His defense of the censorship board came as a surprise to some. giving credit where credit was due, he made it clear that the board were very supportive through the entire ordeal. The media have leapt on his comments about consent, afterall, Henson attacked a sacred covenant, contact sport for minors. this was a much more controversial statement than his research that life modeling for artists has no documented history of causing trauma to minors. The reverse appears to be true as so many previous models came to his defense during the scandal and remain solid friends.
I rose above my fear of public speaking to ask a question about the attitudes towards the nude in australia. his answer, in essence, was that he believes this is a wave and that most people are smart enough to realize the ridiculousness of the current attitudes, that the nude is a constant through these waves of attitude and censorship and will remain. I wish I agree that commonsense will prevail!
I wrote copious notes and will write about this further, I want to digest my thoughts more before I do. Needless to say, it was a pleasure to listen to such an articulate, genteel soul speak with passion and conviction. for further comments and observations please read Peter Ryan’s commentary at his blog.
nude nazi mickey enflaming viewers
The poster, which was unveiled a month back, is an artist’s take on what he calls the “horrors” of the American lifestyle.
“This art provocation is a form of violence
against the sensitivity of many people,” Norbert Napieraj told The Associated Press.The Prosecutors, however, claim that the poster is art which does not violate the country’s laws against glorifying Nazism.
The poster has been vandalised twice since it was put up but gallery director Maria Czarnecka said that she does not plan to remove it.Czarnecka told The Associated Press, “Art should be provocative and controversial.”
She insists that the poster does not intend to propagate Nazism but instead wants to explore “symbols and how they work.”
I admit that I find this work fairly unimaginative, it reminds me of the sort of thing you see first year art students creating as they rail against the status quo. it’s angry and designed to offend. the good news is that this time it isn’t the nude that’s causing the furor- thank goodness for that! I agree that art should be ‘provocative and controversial’, that is one of the many points of art, but there is a fine line between designing something to be provocative and creating it in order to offend people. The massive swastika does seem to glorify nazism – how can it not? it’s the first thing you see. it’s the primary focus. perhaps adding more symbols to reinforce their key concept may detract from the implied glorification, I don’t know, but it seems a little inflammatory to me.
I’ve always wondered about artwork like this. when the message is so blatant, and the intent is worn on it’s sleeve (frame?) what is there to ponder? what makes you return to the work? what makes it relatable to people?
Building Blocks in Michigan ‘Not a sex act’
Nonetheless, Miller says this week Chatterley will come to St. Joseph to disassemble the sculpture and re-assemble it inside the gallery. That way it will be out of the view of the general public.
“We are hearing their voices and because of the sensitivities of some, we’ll move it into the galleries,” said Metz.
“To have to drive back and move it because people are offended by the content, in my wildest dreams, I’d never expected that piece to do it,” Chatterley added.
“I want to be very clear. There is not a sex act happening in this work. There is no genitalia. If you look at it closely, there is not a sex act happening in this work. The Krasl would not put a piece of work on display in which the interpretation I’ve heard would be happening. We would never do that. I do empathize. I do see where people could have that interpretation,” says Miller.
The fallout from “Building Blocks,” however, is creating some unintended consequences.
“I’m both extremely frustrated and elated. I’ve seen more people stop and look at our sculpture than in the last two years,” Miller says.[From Sculpting controversy on the lakeshore | WSBT - News, Weather, Sports South Bend | Local News ]
I think it’s great that the arts center is receiving more visitors and notice as a result, that’s a great way to expose people to art. it’s a shame that the controversy is forcing them to move the sculpture. I agree with the Artist Mark Chatterley that it comes as a real surprise. I can’t help but think that if they move the piece the people who think that it’s a sexual piece will feel vindicated. even others will be wondering if there is something wrong. giving in to the great unwashed often makes them believe that they were right all along. this ends up being counter productive for the arts. take a look a the alt tag for this piece in the article- it;s titled and named “obscene_art.jpg” -does that tell you something? it might be for Google’s benefit or it might be their opinion but either way it seems to be very biased
What gets me is that these can barely be called nudes. they are so androgynous and stylized that they don’t have any details that might be offensive. it’s the positioning of these humanoids that seems to be the issue for everyone, get your head out of the gutter! the thing about art is that you bring what is in your mind to what you see.
Do you think this piece is dirty?
no Pride in censoring nude art
Many GLBT community members have become increasingly concerned that Pride seems less and less Queer friendly and more driven by the almighty buck. Jennifer Pritchett, owner of Smitten Kitten, states “When you let money make decisions for you, you run the risk of those decisions being antithetical to your mission.”
Debauch has been contacted via email by Dot Belstler, the current Executive Director of this year’s Twin Cities Pride. Belstler writes, “I am so sorry this has caused you and your colleagues such pain. It was certainly not the intent – nor was censorship. In the future, we will attempt to be more clear in the call for Art, but please understand that sexually explicit content must be handled with sensitivity.” She also addressed the issue of censorship in the following statement “In this particular case, I believe “Mansweat” may have been confused with the full frontal nudity pictured in “Morning on the Balcony.” Of course “Mansweat” is not too erotic, it is a beautiful painting and we would be proud to display it in the show.”
These comments have left many wondering what constitutes erotica in a digital age. Any search engine will pull up a flaccid penis photograph while searching for information about syphilis. As for art and nudes – sculptures of male nudes grace the entries of some of our most noted institutions including Westminster Presbyterian Church. In this age, why should an oil painting of a male nude without an erection be considered too hot to handle?
[From Too hot to handle: Pride drops artist’s work saying it’s too erotic | Twin Cities Daily Planet]
The issue of erotica and the queer community is a tricky one. there are the quite right concerns that the dollar is becoming too important, that the conservatives and sponsors are taking over and quashing expression. I hope this is not the case. there is also, often, a concern within the community itself that too much erotica can underplay the seriousness of queer rights, fostering and reinforcing the opinions that being queer is all about sex, that everyone GLBT are unrestrained hedonists. I don’t hear that in this article, but I have heard it voiced as a concern in other Pride style events and I can’t help but wonder if this so-called mix up is due to the dollar, to perception or just to plain fear. the email certainly smacks of frantic backpedaling.
When an artist is well known for their sexually explicit works it often becomes hard for them to gain acceptance for their non sexual art. combine that with the fact that the artist is (gasp) gay and there is a ticking time bomb waiting for a ‘misunderstanding’ like this. it’s unfortunate that it is so hard to straddle both sides of the fence in this respect. usually you have to be either one or the other. People always seem to want to put things, people, artworks, into a box, label it and put it away. Events like Pride should be about breaking out of boxes and away from labels- not reinforcing this habitual behavior.
no nude by kishin photo shoot under fire
If convicted, Shinoyama faces up to six months in prison or a fine of up to Y300,000 ($A3,861.25).The cemetery was one of a dozen public locations in Tokyo where two models posed nude for a photo collection titled, No Nude by Kishin 20XX, which was released in January 2009.
Shinoyama said in a statement on Thursday the models took off their clothes only briefly, ‘‘seconds or up to two minutes at the longest’’.
He was concerned about the definition of public indecency, which could discourage artistic expression, he said.But Shinoyama added,
‘‘I humbly accept the case as a lesson, and I will pursue my challenges to new forms of expression.’’
[From Kishin Shinoyama charged over nude photoshoot at cemetery]
Kishin Shinoyama is an iconic Japanese nude photographer. his work has gone a long way towards changing the attitudes towards nude art in Japan over the years and has certainly developed a following, I have found the unusual shapes he creates and interesting lighting rather fascinating. the photobook images were photographed in a range of locations, railway tracks, and most notably a cemetary. what is interesting about the charges here is that this case began in late 2009 for a book that was published i January and a shoot that took place in 2008. This quote is from an article from the original raid in November last year.
Police investigators searched the office and home of Tokyo-based photographer Kishin Shinoyama on Tuesday on suspicion of public indecency over the shooting of nude photos for his book of photos “20XX TOKYO.”
The investigators also raided the office in Tokyo of a talent agency to which one of the two models, a 21-year-old actress, belongs.
Shinoyama, 68, allegedly took outdoor nude shots of the models in Tokyo from mid- to late August 2008 in situations where anyone could see them, the police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department also plans to question Shinoyama, police sources said.
[From Tokyo-based photographer's office, home raided over nude photo shoot | The Japan Times Online]
Apparently it took this long to question him.
it should be noted that the fine isn’t actually that stringent, but the threatened jail time is. the basis for all of these allegations is purely on the photographs themselves. no witnesses or complainants have come forward, there appear to be no damages or issues, just a hearsay (see-say?) almost two years after the initial photoshoot. no statement has been made about whether any permits or permission was granted at the time. I think it is sad that Shinoyama believes that he should “pursue [his] challenges to new forms of expression”. I hope that doesn’t mean that he is planning to give up the nude altogether just because of this issue when there seems to be so little basis for a case.
rare Constable nude uncovered
A female nude sketch by John Constable has sold for £20,000 after it was covered up for 145 years by its prudish owner who thought is was too risqué.
The pencil drawing featuring the bare bottom of a naked woman was placed in an album of other work by the English artist, and had a dinner invitation pasted over it.
The owner, thought to have been a British aristocrat, decided to hide it as she didn’t want to offend people when showing off the album.
[From Rare nude sketch by Constable uncovered after being hidden away by prudish owners | Mail Online]
this is the kind of art find collectors dream about, a seemingly ordinary purchase with a delightful surprise like an artistic box of crackerjacks. Constable is well known for his landscapes mostly, beautiful classic realist works like the Hay Wain. This nude, however is so elegantly simple, the curves suggested in elegant sweeping lines. I’m thrilled to see it uncovered and going to a new owner who will treasure it.
I wonder, sometimes, if the pendulum is swinging back this way, if we are re-establishing victorian prudishness and attitudes. at times when I fear that I like to remember the proliferation of underground nude art, ribald cartoons and interesting pornographic and sexual paraphernalia. the surface of the victorian era was pristine but it had a delightfully seedy underbelly. true that the stuff that was considered shocking then is nothing compared with what we see today, but I think that there is a parallel between what people will admit to and what people actually do. we have the same two faced dichotomy today as we did back then.
would you like to come up and see my etchings?
world record set by Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust
Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Picasso
A rarely -seen Pablo Picasso painting of his mistress sold for $106.5million (£70.2million) at auction last night, a new world record.
‘Nude, Green Leaves and Bust’, which had a pre-sale estimate of between $70million and $90million, went to an unidentified telephone bidder at Christie’s in New York.
There were nine minutes of bidding involving eight clients in the sale room and on the phone, Christie’s said.
The final bid was $95million, but the buyer’s premium took the sale price to $106.5million.
[From Picasso painting 'Nude, Green Leaves and Bust' fetches record $106.5m at Christie's | Mail Online]
I think it is interesting that nudes consistently set records in sales at auction. it says something about the high end world of art collecting.
a lot of speculation has been made about this work and this auction over the past few days, I often wonder if the hype over an auction becomes a self fulfilling prophecy where the bidders seek to live up to the hype and create the records that have been the subject of speculation. I also always wonder, with high end art auctions, how much the art really plays a part. if a piece has been publicized this much isn’t the owning itself a status symbol? will the art be purchased and enjoyed or will it go into a vault somewhere to gather dust and ducats? will it be appreciated as a work of art or as a status symbol? or both?
there has also been speculation that this heralds the end of the dry art market and is a sign of the end of the recession. I think that we can’t read too much into it. in any market a Picasso is a good investment.
Live Nude Art at MoMA raising hands and…
Marina Abramovic’s “The Artist is Present”(NEWSER) – It’s not only spectators who are getting frisky at a Museum of Modern Art show featuring live nude models. One male on display in the Manhattan exhibit was so aroused by the experience that he was asked to leave, reports Page Six. The exhibit by artist Marina Abramovic features a nude couple standing in a doorway so that visitors have to squeeze between them. Some of the 38 nude models have complained that museumgoers are getting touchy-feely—but this is the first model asked to leave.[From Lusty MOMA Nude is Booted From Museum ]
I admit that at first I didn’t understand the point of this exhibit. it appeared to me to be structured to deliberately make the patrons and the models very uncomfortable. I found the idea of something that could put the life models potentially in harms way or make them very uncomfortable to be disturbing. In addition, most of the publicity center around the issues with the models being harassed, and one of the male models being fired for getting an erection, there has been very little written about the work itself.
Upon further research I found out more about the nature of the exhibit itself..
The exhibit features 38 performers in rotating shifts of eight facing each other at a doorway or lying under a skeleton or posing in other pieces, mostly in the nude. …
All the performers went through a mini-boot camp at the artist’s Hudson Valley hideaway in a bid to prepare for anything. For five days, they led a monk-like existence — fasting, not speaking and not reading — while doing exercises designed to help them develop self-control, including bathing in an icy pond, walking in slow motion and counting grains of rice, said MoMA’s Erica Papernik, whose job is to make the performers’ rotations as smooth as possible. A clothed Abramovic is also on display in the exhibit. Visitors can sit across from her. Elke Luyten, a 35-year-old performer, called the show a welcome test of self-discipline, even if she occasionally cries while lying under the skeleton. “I never feel awkward. I never feel strange,” she said. “Even when teenagers laugh, I never feel laughed at. Because Marina is there on the second floor, you feel you’re part of something bigger.”
[From Naked models at MoMA "The Artist is Present" exhibit are getting groped - NYPOST.com]
the artwork appears to be just as much about the discipline and discomfort of the models as the reactions of the patrons. as a living artwork it encompasses the emotions of the players into the piece. I didn’t understand what was artistic about getting people to stand in doorways, but the creation of the work began with the bootcamp and was clearly very well thought out. I find myself very sorry that I won’t get to experience it. the artist being a part of the exhibit, but clothed is an interesting touch.
as far as the difficulties go, I still find that uncomfortable to deal with. the idea that the models have to cope with being groped and be unable to react sends shivers down my spine. I am glad that they have been prepared and that there are such security measures in place. the model being ejected for getting an erection is a different matter. I realize it changes the nature of the rating as it were, but it’s a natural and uncontrollable reflex and I don’t believe the model should have been held responsible and fired, just allowed a brief respite until everything was back under control.
nude art causes mass suicide scare in NYC
Oops.. this is a really interesting concept, and it probably says a lot about the way people interact. it’s nice to see people caring and reporting their concerns for others, but one also has to wonder if this project was that well thought out. the artist Anthony Gormley intended to play with the city and people’s perceptions, but I wonder if he anticipated this sort of issue. I know if I were him I would have been prepared for the usual controversies, but to create a mass suicide scare, well, it certainly drew attention to his art!
Nude art for the blind
Tactile Mind by Toronto artist Lisa Murphy
Ms. Murphy, a photographer who has been working with nude images for years, says the artwork breaks new ground. While editions of Playboy magazine have been produced in Braille, Ms. Murphy believes her work is the first that allows blind people to explore naked images through their sense of touch.
“There are a couple of racy phrases in there, but not too much,” she said.
The images are first developed as traditional photographs; Ms. Murphy convinces her friends to pose as models. She then enlarges the images and builds them up with clay. She melts individual plastic pages on top, one at a time, with a Thermoform machine. The pages conforms to the image’s shape.
Each book takes a few hours to assemble and bind. Each is approximately 15 centimetres (six inches) thick. Ms. Murphy began producing her work in full colour last fall.
“It’s a very expensive book. It’s certainly functional, but it’s also an art object,” said Cory Silverberg, a co-owner of Come As You Are, a sex shop in Toronto that has been carrying Tactile Minds for a year.
“When you run your fingers over it, you really feel texture, you feel what’s rough and smooth, you feel the ridges of someone’s well-chiselled chest, for example.”
Ms. Murphy learned how to make tactile graphics while volunteering for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, for whom she produced educational diagrams of animals. She later decided to apply the skills to her own art projects.
This is an interesting concept, I know a couple of blind artists and I think it’s wonderful that something is being created with the blind in mind, more art should be accessible in different ways.
I am disappointed however by the way this article seems to portray the book as porn for the blind. something handcrafted that has taken that long to produce is an art object. there are a selection of nude styles, some are more explicit than others but it is sad that the article feels it needs to dwell on that aspect. it’s also sad that the book seems to be taken up mostly by sex stores, although the artist may not agree with me there- if they sell there who am I to judge?
I’d love to get my hands (heh) on a copy and see how it’s done. it sounds like an experience of nude art, something that doesnt always happen with paintings.
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