Revision as of 23:22, 26 January 2017

Nude modelling in India

Fewer models willing to pose in the buff/ 2016

Kamini Mathai & Saranya Chakrapani, Where have all the NUDES GONE?, Nov 07 2016 : The Times of India

A painting by L. Subramanian

A painting by L. Subramanian

A painting by Raja Ravi Varma

Artists, Teachers And Gallerists Say With Fewer Models Willing To Pose In The Buff, Painting And Sculpting Of The Naked Form Have Shifted From The Eye To The Mind

As he poses semi-nude for the students at Life & Art Acade my , V Kathick is relieved that he managed to squeeze in a workout at the gym before the session. And, of course, he can't wait for the next break when he can stretch a little.

It doesn't bother him that he is standing almost in the buff, because to him, posing is as much an art as what the artists do on canvas. “I look at it like I would at a selfie, except that it takes two hours. I work hard on maintaining my body so I don't have a problem posing,“ says Kathick, a 22-year-old content writer, who decided to become a part-time art model when artist-sculptor Dewakar Chandran, owner of the academy , explained to him that it was one of the aspects involved in the study of art.

Kathick admits it was difficult for his parents to come to terms with what he was doing, but now, after several sessions, there are no more questions. “I've slowly become more comfortable posing for the class and my parents are more understanding,“ he says. “When we started, I would pose for just face portraits. As I got comfortable, I found it easy to go semi-nude, and now, I think I am ready to pose fully nude.“ But Chandran is quick to add, “The institute is not ready for that as yet.“ He admits that while learning to draw nudes with live models is a part of art courses all over the world and in government colleges elsewhere in the country , in Chennai, the subject is almost taboo. And being a private institute, he says, bringing in nude models may be colouring too far outside the line for may be colouring too people to accept.

It seems to be the case even at Chennai's Government College of Fine Ar ts, where ever since the millennium, the concept of using nude models seems to have disappeared into the Dark Ages, with students being asked to use works of old masters such as Rembrandt, Da Vinci and Raja Ravi Varma as reference points to drawing nudes. “We cannot find people willing to pose nude,“ says the college principal D Mathialagan.

P Pandian, professor at the Government institute, says years ago nude models who were willing to pose came mostly from poor families residing near the college, and needed the extra cash. But now even they are hard to find. Art director M Jayakumar, remembers that even when he was a student at the College of Fine Arts many years ago, sometimes when models failed to show up, students would step in. “I remember an art exam where the model cancelled at the last minute. I posed nude but was asked to put on my underwear because there were girls in the class,“ he laughs. “I was not self-conscious and looked at it just as a reference point for an art class.“

Today , students at the college have to make do with old textbooks and internet images. “You would think that as society progresses people would be more openminded but it is not so,“ says Pandian, adding that his students have begun leaning towards making their nude forms more abstract or surreal.

N Subramanian, who paints nudes inspired by Pudukottai's Sittanavasal cave paintings, says the principal component of this style is the human form, so the presence of a live model lends more credence than internet images. “The colours are real, unlike the Photoshopped images online. For instance, I would use only natural light or a small source of indoor light,“ he says. But Subramanian admits that when he cannot find a model, he resorts to interpreting photographic prints.

Gallerist Sharan Apparao says there's a small market for classical academic work and nudes are a part of it. “I would welcome nude art in my gallery . But the few artists who do them today, create them as abstracts,“ she says. “In that context, nudes have shifted from the eye to the mind.“ Sharan believes the change of perception is not because artists are facing resistance, but because the form itself has evolved.

Professional models, says Sharan, are available but can charge as high as a lakh per day , which many institutions cannot afford.Pandian admits his budget for nudes is `500 a day , while Kathick gets a nominal `700.

To artists like N Ramachandran, this style thrives on the unique appeal of each model. “Painting nudes is a personal experience. Professional models may be mentally and emotionally distant while posing,“ he says.

“Sharing a connection with the artist is necessary for any form of art involving a live model. I preferred using family members or friends when I painted nudes.“