Art: TOTALLY NAKED
I like to paint and draw.
I like to paint and draw the human form, amongst other things. In a highly stylized way.
I like to paint and draw the human (especially female) form in a highly stylized way that does NOT involve clothing for the most part. Because of how I draw them. Because of the curves I want. Because my figures are important, and other than the ocassional dancers, their costuming and clothing is rather secondary to their poses and who and what they ARE. I was going to do a lot of links to individual pieces, but I've been attacked by lazy, so really, if you aren't familiar with my art, just go here, and know that 90% or more of my art doesn't even need nudity warning tags on Deviantart and is considered very worksafe by... well, at least all the "cool kids" I hang out with.
This love of drawing figures without drawing clothes may get me into trouble where I live some day. Hell, this blog post might.
There are a lot of very cool people in this small town. There's a lot of folks who dream of this small town becoming known farther afield for the arts, who understand that the desert is an inspiration to a lot of people, and that beauty comes out of it.
But when the beauty coming out of the heads of us desert dwellers involves, well, NAKED... there's some trouble brewing. I've been warned by several folks, including those who are quite supportive, of an underlying current in this little town... everything has to be family friendly. Which means... no nudes. Also no suggestive stuff. Pinups are out, even if they're dressed. Unless there's some kind of really iconic thing going on, like the postcard books of Mexican Calendar Art Girls from the 40's and 50's you can buy all over the place. But if you're not going for something that 'normalized' you're in trouble.
And if you show nipples or other bits of anatomy, you're in trouble. And the thing is, I know it's not just a small town Texas thing. It's a US thing.
Despite the fact that everyone with vision is going to be seeing at least ONE body naked over the course of their lifetime, unless they perfect the art of bathing and dressing while blindfolded (ooh kinky), nakedness is verboten. It's something to gasp about. It's something to be shocked about. It's something to protect the children from. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.
In my case, as an artist, I always have this huge urge to make a little list o' arguments/statements:
1) Art galleries should not necessarily have to be G-Rated because the emotions art should and can stir up are not necessarily for children, or for all children, or whatnot. There are some rare cases like I was, where the kid really loves art and could look at galleries all day. For very young kids, bright colors and shapes are often awesome. But for a lot of these ages of children we're supposed to think about, the ONLY REASON they'll notice an artistic nude as nude and go into fits of "OH WOW NAKED!" is because... the adult with them is or has in fact pointed out to them that they should react that way.
2) No, I'm not saying actual sexualized naked people necessarily need to be everywhere, but goddamn, we've got sexualized CLOTHED people everywhere anyways. Look at adverts, look at tv shows and movies. Sure some people shelter their kids from all that, but not all that many, so gallery owners/show staff/fellow artists, if Hollywood and such is doing FINE even with these people boycotting them, why do you think that it's so utterly important that we all listen to them and don't argue with them.
3) You can have naked without it being naughty. I do not furiously masturbate myself every time I wind up undressed for whatever reason, or any time I walk near a mirror when undressed or scantily dressed. I've been perusing nude reference photos, and while ok, sometimes there's ones that make me giggle (damm, speaking as an unsexually active woman, dicks look awkward as hell to have...) I am not instantly filled with carnal lust and rendered uncontrollable in my passion (brief giggle fit, maybe, passion no)*. I'm fairly positive that doctors do not spend every moment of their day fantasizing about all the naked bodies- even ones attractive to them- they see. People who are giving their little kids a bath aren't all pedophile incest-mongers. Naked is just a state, and if you really can't see naked without having thoughts you are uncomfortable with, the answer is PROBABLY not to just make sure everyone's always totally covered up from fingertips to toes.
4) Why are these hypothetical parents, bringing their children into art galleries, so damn afraid to be parents and answer questions, and teach their kids how to appreciate bodies- or NOT appreciate bodies and be afraid of them- without hysteria and overreaction?
It's not just OMG CHILDREN either, I heard there were complaints in the local hospital when my work hung there. The people passing it on to me are amused and bemused, because they don't think my nudes 'go too far'. They're abstract! They are just shaped lines and color!
But I wind up wondering... what the hell WOULD make the nude go too far even for them? Now, I can understand tastes differ. Not everyone wants naked people on their walls, or even scantily clad fetish people on their walls, or what have you... but where, exactly, is this magical moment where it not only becomes "Well not something I'd decorate with or look at for long" but also becomes "OMG THERE IS NAKED AND IT IS SO OFFENSIVE HOW DARE AAAAANYONE SHOW/PAINT/PHOTOGRAPH/SCULPT NAAAKED PEOPLE?!!!"
And I grumble and worry, because damn, I like painting my naked people. And I actually want, for MY OWN SAKE, and for people who like what I like, to start painting ocassional sensual and even erotic things ( want to try doing stylized portraits of rope play and bondage and stuff OMG how I want to try this). But apparently those will only be able to be shown on my website, or very Special Galleries Far From Where I Live, which is irksome.
*Ok, so maybe I'm just really weird and inhuman for being able to see so much naked and after the first time studying penises so I could try at some point painting or drawing more anatomically correct men, I stopped even snerking (often), but... I can't imagine I'm THAT abnormal and that all other people do always, even when the pose is stupid and awkward, look at naked and go "OH SEX NOW!"
I like to paint and draw the human form, amongst other things. In a highly stylized way.
I like to paint and draw the human (especially female) form in a highly stylized way that does NOT involve clothing for the most part. Because of how I draw them. Because of the curves I want. Because my figures are important, and other than the ocassional dancers, their costuming and clothing is rather secondary to their poses and who and what they ARE. I was going to do a lot of links to individual pieces, but I've been attacked by lazy, so really, if you aren't familiar with my art, just go here, and know that 90% or more of my art doesn't even need nudity warning tags on Deviantart and is considered very worksafe by... well, at least all the "cool kids" I hang out with.
This love of drawing figures without drawing clothes may get me into trouble where I live some day. Hell, this blog post might.
There are a lot of very cool people in this small town. There's a lot of folks who dream of this small town becoming known farther afield for the arts, who understand that the desert is an inspiration to a lot of people, and that beauty comes out of it.
But when the beauty coming out of the heads of us desert dwellers involves, well, NAKED... there's some trouble brewing. I've been warned by several folks, including those who are quite supportive, of an underlying current in this little town... everything has to be family friendly. Which means... no nudes. Also no suggestive stuff. Pinups are out, even if they're dressed. Unless there's some kind of really iconic thing going on, like the postcard books of Mexican Calendar Art Girls from the 40's and 50's you can buy all over the place. But if you're not going for something that 'normalized' you're in trouble.
And if you show nipples or other bits of anatomy, you're in trouble. And the thing is, I know it's not just a small town Texas thing. It's a US thing.
Despite the fact that everyone with vision is going to be seeing at least ONE body naked over the course of their lifetime, unless they perfect the art of bathing and dressing while blindfolded (ooh kinky), nakedness is verboten. It's something to gasp about. It's something to be shocked about. It's something to protect the children from. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.
In my case, as an artist, I always have this huge urge to make a little list o' arguments/statements:
1) Art galleries should not necessarily have to be G-Rated because the emotions art should and can stir up are not necessarily for children, or for all children, or whatnot. There are some rare cases like I was, where the kid really loves art and could look at galleries all day. For very young kids, bright colors and shapes are often awesome. But for a lot of these ages of children we're supposed to think about, the ONLY REASON they'll notice an artistic nude as nude and go into fits of "OH WOW NAKED!" is because... the adult with them is or has in fact pointed out to them that they should react that way.
2) No, I'm not saying actual sexualized naked people necessarily need to be everywhere, but goddamn, we've got sexualized CLOTHED people everywhere anyways. Look at adverts, look at tv shows and movies. Sure some people shelter their kids from all that, but not all that many, so gallery owners/show staff/fellow artists, if Hollywood and such is doing FINE even with these people boycotting them, why do you think that it's so utterly important that we all listen to them and don't argue with them.
3) You can have naked without it being naughty. I do not furiously masturbate myself every time I wind up undressed for whatever reason, or any time I walk near a mirror when undressed or scantily dressed. I've been perusing nude reference photos, and while ok, sometimes there's ones that make me giggle (damm, speaking as an unsexually active woman, dicks look awkward as hell to have...) I am not instantly filled with carnal lust and rendered uncontrollable in my passion (brief giggle fit, maybe, passion no)*. I'm fairly positive that doctors do not spend every moment of their day fantasizing about all the naked bodies- even ones attractive to them- they see. People who are giving their little kids a bath aren't all pedophile incest-mongers. Naked is just a state, and if you really can't see naked without having thoughts you are uncomfortable with, the answer is PROBABLY not to just make sure everyone's always totally covered up from fingertips to toes.
4) Why are these hypothetical parents, bringing their children into art galleries, so damn afraid to be parents and answer questions, and teach their kids how to appreciate bodies- or NOT appreciate bodies and be afraid of them- without hysteria and overreaction?
It's not just OMG CHILDREN either, I heard there were complaints in the local hospital when my work hung there. The people passing it on to me are amused and bemused, because they don't think my nudes 'go too far'. They're abstract! They are just shaped lines and color!
But I wind up wondering... what the hell WOULD make the nude go too far even for them? Now, I can understand tastes differ. Not everyone wants naked people on their walls, or even scantily clad fetish people on their walls, or what have you... but where, exactly, is this magical moment where it not only becomes "Well not something I'd decorate with or look at for long" but also becomes "OMG THERE IS NAKED AND IT IS SO OFFENSIVE HOW DARE AAAAANYONE SHOW/PAINT/PHOTOGRAPH/SCULPT NAAAKED PEOPLE?!!!"
And I grumble and worry, because damn, I like painting my naked people. And I actually want, for MY OWN SAKE, and for people who like what I like, to start painting ocassional sensual and even erotic things ( want to try doing stylized portraits of rope play and bondage and stuff OMG how I want to try this). But apparently those will only be able to be shown on my website, or very Special Galleries Far From Where I Live, which is irksome.
*Ok, so maybe I'm just really weird and inhuman for being able to see so much naked and after the first time studying penises so I could try at some point painting or drawing more anatomically correct men, I stopped even snerking (often), but... I can't imagine I'm THAT abnormal and that all other people do always, even when the pose is stupid and awkward, look at naked and go "OH SEX NOW!"