The human body is God’s most glorious creation. I am struck with a sense of awe at dramatic vistas such as a chain of snow-capped mountains, an expanse of perfectly blue sea, or a forest of trees in full Autumn splendor. Rolling grassy hills billowing in a cool breeze still inspire me, as do glowing expanses of pure white fallen snow. Plants of all varieties fascinate me, as a tiny seedling grows into a vast oak with its Herculean branches, or a delicious fruit springs from a thin, dainty vine. Animals are wondrous creatures, with their unique bodies crafted perfectly for their role in life – the strength and majestic power of a lion to the delicate fluttering of a tiny humming bird. Nature carries on in perfect harmony in a symphony of biologic reciprocity, with biochemicals serving as notes while weather sets the key. And all the static and dynamic beauty of our small planet is but a drop in the unending magnificence of the universe with its astounding physics and masterwork of light.
Indeed, God’s creation is overwhelmingly good, but the crown jewel of nature is the human. The perfect harmonic inner workings of the body support its external beauty brilliantly. Is there anything more captivating to behold than the human form? The male body, with its iron latticework of muscle and sinew represents beauty in strength and grace. From the smooth blocks of the chest to the intertwining muscles of the arms and shoulders, to the rippling abdominal muscles and taught inguinal tendons, to the bulging buttocks and bulky thighs, the male form is an ode to beautiful strength. Not to be outdone, the female form is equally beautiful and even more inviting. A woman’s shoulders gracefully slope to firm, round arms to the side and soft, curving breasts below. The breasts protrude and then dissolve into a smoothly contoured abdomen that undulates again to form the arching hips and buttocks, supported by elegant, delicately firm legs.
Yes, I love creation in its entirety, but the human body is most intriguing to me because it is infused with a soul. Plants and animals and dramatic views and outer space all have undeniable physical beauty, but none are fully infused with a soul. Human being possess an essence than transcends the mere physical components. We are not mere collections of biomolecules and cells and DNA. Rather, we are permeated by something much more substantive, something that expands our beauty magnitudes beyond our mere physicality. When we see and touch a naked human, we are not simply touching a variation of a tree or the fruition of a lab experiment. When beholding a person, we see an individual utterly beautiful externally but even more fundamentally magnificent because of what underlies and permeates the facade.
That is why, for me, figurative art is the most wonderful form artistic accomplishment. I enjoy inspiring landscape and still life works as much as anyone, but for me a painting with humans is transcendent. An abstract sculpture may be though-provoking and interesting, but I would much rather see the dynamism of the human body. The reason is grounded in that fact that not only is the human body beautiful, it is also soulful. We see their form – clothed or nude – but we interact on a much deeper level. We see them not only as a form splashed on canvas or carved in marble, but as a representative of a person, a body combined inexorably with a soul.
Which brings us to the models. For every magnificent male nude sculpted by Michelangelo or female figure painted by Bouguereau, an actual living, breathing person served as inspiration. Raphael did not simply conjure up the image of La Fornarina in his mind – he painted her based on a living human being sitting partially nude directly in front of him. He did not view her as a mere object akin to a bowl of fruit or a stunning landscape; instead he saw her as a person, with all that entails; what makes the painting great is the successful depiction of her essence beyond the simple figure.
Art models engage in a profession wholly unlike any other. Standing nude in front of a room full of people to have every aspect of my body scrutinized and detailed is, on the surface, a harrowing experience. Artists and students analyze every inch of my form as I stand, sit, or recline before them, completely exposed. They note the pulsations of the veins in my neck, the heaving of my chest as I breathe, the strain of my arm as it supports my body, the sustained flexion of my leg muscles as I stand with one legged propped on a stool, the way my penis lies in a reclining pose.
Yet despite the intense physical exposure, the real trick to art modeling is a willingness to expose my soul. I pose physically nude, but I bare my essence to them as well: all my emotions at a given moment, the elation at a promotion, the disappointment and sadness of a broken friendship, the physical fatigue of a long day at work, the spiritual battles I’m facing, and the sexual tension of one of the artists being attracted to me, or perhaps me to them. As a model I open my essence up to them, so that when I pose the good artist will not only successfully render lines and proportions, but the underlying soul as well.
So, you ask, what does this mean for the blog? In my mind, Figuratively Speaking will serve as a celebration of the human figure in art and an ode to the models who supply the inspiration. I aim to relay my experiences as an art model, and discuss the implications of what we do as models. I’ll discuss present and past experiences, and welcome other models to comment and relate their experiences as well. And hopefully this will serve as educational and informative for artists, current or prospective models, and lay people who are simply interested in the topic. And of course we’ll enjoy art together. Figurative art will be our focus, and I have a particular love for classical figurative art.
Above all, I want this to be an open and welcome place for everyone. Please feel free to comment as you like – there are no foolish ideas and all opinions are appreciated. With you, the reader, I look forward to starting this exciting celebration of God’s most magnificent gem in all creation: the human figure.
La Jeunesse de Bacchus, by William Bouguereau.
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