Painting, drawing classes cast nude models for pay (3/13/08)
Marissa DeCuir
Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: Campus Beat
To view a soundslide about nude modeling at the University click here.
Dressed in only a white robe smudged from black chalk, Phil Russo walks into a Foster Hall classroom with 16 art students eager to begin drawing.
Without a hint of modesty, he drops his robe and sits on a box.
Naked.
His left hand holds up his stiff torso, his right hand rests on the middle of his right thigh. His left foot lies in front of him, the other - blackened from the dirty floors - arches to his right. His head tilts left.
It's 1:40 p.m., and he's been modeling since noon.
He's only done this twice. And Russo says he's still getting used to fully-clothed people drawing him nude. But the philosophy junior enjoys art - and the $12 an hour with a $1 raise each year. It's hardly a white collar job, but it's more than double the minimum wage. And for the average college student, that's not too bad.
The School of Art has hired nude models since its inception, allowing 20 inexperienced students of all shapes and sizes to earn quick cash. The models say posing nude for three hours isn't glamorous, or easy.
THE HUMAN FIGURE
Pencils start moving and blank canvasses fill with circles portraying each curve of the model's body.
It's 1:41 p.m.
His breathing is barely visible. If it wasn't for his blinking, one may think he were a piece of artwork.
Then again, he is. At least to the 16 students circling him.
"Before you can paint somebody with clothes on, you have to realize what their body looks like underneath," says Shannon O'Keefe, another nude model.
The history sophomore began modeling nude her first semester at the University.
"It's art serving art," O'Keefe says. "It's just for educational purposes."
Nudity in art dates back to at least 3,000 B.C.E., says art professor Rick Ortner.
Dressed in only a white robe smudged from black chalk, Phil Russo walks into a Foster Hall classroom with 16 art students eager to begin drawing.
Without a hint of modesty, he drops his robe and sits on a box.
Naked.
His left hand holds up his stiff torso, his right hand rests on the middle of his right thigh. His left foot lies in front of him, the other - blackened from the dirty floors - arches to his right. His head tilts left.
It's 1:40 p.m., and he's been modeling since noon.
He's only done this twice. And Russo says he's still getting used to fully-clothed people drawing him nude. But the philosophy junior enjoys art - and the $12 an hour with a $1 raise each year. It's hardly a white collar job, but it's more than double the minimum wage. And for the average college student, that's not too bad.
The School of Art has hired nude models since its inception, allowing 20 inexperienced students of all shapes and sizes to earn quick cash. The models say posing nude for three hours isn't glamorous, or easy.
THE HUMAN FIGURE
Pencils start moving and blank canvasses fill with circles portraying each curve of the model's body.
It's 1:41 p.m.
His breathing is barely visible. If it wasn't for his blinking, one may think he were a piece of artwork.
Then again, he is. At least to the 16 students circling him.
"Before you can paint somebody with clothes on, you have to realize what their body looks like underneath," says Shannon O'Keefe, another nude model.
The history sophomore began modeling nude her first semester at the University.
"It's art serving art," O'Keefe says. "It's just for educational purposes."
Nudity in art dates back to at least 3,000 B.C.E., says art professor Rick Ortner.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Sandra Wilkinson
posted 3/13/08 @ 8:49 AM CST
Wow... talk about a job that would take some guts...
Carol
posted 4/08/08 @ 10:44 PM CST
The world is full of surprises and the secret naturist, who tends to explore country side and other areas not usually explored by 'normal' people and who also present an attractive target by being naked, tend to attract all manner of interesting creatures, many of which are intend on biting, stinging, eating and generally making life a misery for any unfortunate who passes by. (Continued…)
Post a Comment