The Eye of the Beholder
A critic could argue that it doesn't show, but I regularly attend a life drawing workshop where artists work from a nude model. In a world that passed through the explosion of public nudity that was part of the so-called sexual revolution back in the 60's and wound up in this young century with the horror and outrage that greeted a brief, barely glimpsed "costume malfunction," an outrage that extended to the Halls of Congress, life drawing is a delightfully staid anachronism. Even if one doesn't draw, they should attend one of these sessions, if for nothing else just to understand how normal, natural, and unsexualized nudity can be. I marvel at the unselfconsciousness of the models, who strip down to the buff and pose motionless with a nonchalance matched only by the artists who draw them.
posted by John M Crowther @ 6:59 AM
15 Comments:
This was the one that started it all... Great cartoon John!
We seem to have more male models here of late. It makes a nice change... men being slightly more challenging... as the shapes are not so familiar! In my fortunate experience... life drawing has always been nothing more ...nor less... than professional.
Thanks, Jean. Actually it wasn't the first, but one of the first.
Oops... sorry!
This is probably a totally inappropriate questions, but I've wondered this since I first saw this cartoon. Don't "life drawing" models wax?
I thought everybody waxed.
Some do, some don't. (A word of explanation, this cartoon was posted about a year ago on an Internet site devoted to art and artists, but has not previously been seen here on the "journey." It was one of several that were part of a challenge having to to with artists and opera glasses.)
OK, I'm imagining things, then. I clearly remember this!
I'm SURE I do!
But anyway, I don't think I've ever known any woman with body hair. Of course that's not something that would come up in everyday conversation, But still. Body hair. Yuck!
You're absolutely right, Kate. It was posted April 22 under the title Opera Buff. I keep looseleaf binders with all my cartoons, with a notation on those that were posted. Somehow the notation was omitted on this one. My bad.
If by "body hair" you mean pubes, where have you been? And what about underarms and legs? Good heavens, there's an entire industry devoted to razors for women, depilatories, waxings, etc.
And with hair removal being a multi billion dollar industry in this country, there is no reason why a woman need have a single unwanted hair on her body.
And I've been at the local spa getting a full body wax.
(I'm not sure what you mean with "where have you been?")
I'm of the mind that hair belongs on the scalp of a woman, and on her brows. Period. A woman's body should be smooth and soft; the kind of body that entices a man to caress. Who wants to caress a lumpy, hairy body? How yucky is that? Well, a woman's body, that is.
Men waxing is kinda creepy.
Total body wax? Can't image anything more lumpy or hairy than when it all starts to grow back! Double yuck! :-)
You've never waxed? You should try it. It's amazing. I have stubble for about 3 days, but trading that off for almost a month of worry free, hair free smooth as silk skin is more than a fair exchange.
It's not cheap, but it's well worth the expense. It's about what dinner in a nice restaurant costs. Treat yourself to one sometime.
Not a chance... I am soft and silky already... why fix what isn't broken? Soft (and natural) is the only way to go. Just me I guess.
Holy coos, isn't this more info than the average reader needs, Ladies? To hairy or not to hairy, that is the question. Each to their own and no, any hair or non hair on my body is my business (grin). I am only teasing so no offense meant to either of you.
John C, the opera glass joke that made me fall out of my chair laughing and still makes me chuckle when I think of it, was the 'Peeping Tom' joke, not that I am inferring that this one is not funny. Don't think that you have placed that one on this blog but could be mistaken.
You're right Lee... it IS totally inappropriate (and unecessary) I guess I was goaded into defending the right to choose... don't like to be told I SHOULD do anything! The right to choose is the issue here... not whether or not a woman should (or should not) have body hair. It's a totally ridiuclous question and one I should not have been drawn on. Shutting up now.
Gosh, Jean, I don't think Kate ever said anyone should do it, nor did she challenge anyone's right to choose. "You should try it," is the quote, the intention, I believe, being a recommendation not a demand.
Funny John... that's the way it reads to me... oh well... whatever. It was a silly topic anyway.
Post a Comment
<< Home