WE'RE ALL JUST THE SAME SILLY PRIMATES
Last fall in Paris the Musee D'Orsay's exhibition "Masculine / Masculine. The Nude Manin Art from 1800 to the Present Day" was a visual ode to the nude male form captured in paintings. The landmark exhibition was the first of its kind and raised questions about artistic representations and societal perceptions of the nude male form. Taking a page from the Musee's book, we wanted to explore body politics at the Academy. And since we are equal opportunity figurists, we sought out the naked truth from one of our many male models to see if their experience differed from a female's. While this interviewee shall remain nameless, his body and face are quite familiar to our Academy artists in residence. The insight he shares reflects the Academy's viewpoint that all nude forms are beautiful and not gender specific.
Q: Tell me about the start of your
modeling endeavor. How did it start? How long have you been modeling? What
was your first experience like?
Q: Can you describe your typical day as an Academy model? How many hours do you pose? For how many students? Which classes?
Q: Anything out of the ordinary happen
to you while modeling? Any funny anecdotes to share?
Q: Finally, how does modeling fit in
with your other work?—(a chance to promote yourself here)
To learn more about modeling, please contact Jessica Augier (jaugier@nyaa.edu), our model coordinator.
Q: Tell me about the start of your
modeling endeavor. How did it start? How long have you been modeling? What
was your first experience like?
A: I've been modeling on and off for a
few years. The first time I modeled in a professional setting, I was
filling in for a girlfriend on a morning when she was violently sick! It
was a morning of short poses (which I prefer!) at Janus Collaborative. I
became a regular there, and other jobs came along through various connections like this one at the Academy. I enjoy the energy here so I stick around.
Q: Can you describe your typical day as an Academy model? How many hours do you pose? For how many students? Which classes?
A: A typical day for me here is like a
9 - 5 working day - which means I'm commuting with all the day-jobbers, which
is very strange for me, since as a freelance artist I'm able to avoid rush hour
under other circumstances. The morning session and afternoon
session are both three hours - I mostly do multiple week long poses, where I
pose for 20 minutes at a time. The monitors are very good about keeping
track of my breaks. I've mostly done painting classes here but I've done
a few drawing classes as well.
Q: While you are posing, do you think
of anything in particular? What thoughts run through you mind during a
session?
A: At the best of times, I practice Buddhist
meditation. At the worst of times, I silently shout at myself about my
physical discomfort. At the medium times, I write entire shows in my
head, and jot them down in notes during my breaks. I prefer the medium
times.
Q: Anything out of the ordinary happen
to you while modeling? Any funny anecdotes to share?
A: Oh goodness, I imagine my sense of "ordinary"
has changed a great deal while modeling. One of my favorite gigs though
was getting to model at Will Cotton's drawing party at the Academy. It was very
glamorous, with music playing and great catering and wine. It was a
lovely party where I just happened to be getting paid to stand very still and
naked. I definitely spent that gig thinking "can every day be like
this?"
Q: Have you ever tried being on the
other side and drawing/painting a model?
A: I never have. I've always been
very interested in drawing and the visual arts, but my passion for performing
has always taken up all of my time! I really barely know anything about
the visual arts, and not much about anatomy for that matter, so it's
interesting for me to listen to the instructors - most of the time I have no
idea what they're talking about, and occasionally I'll get a flash of insight
like "ohhh he's been talking about my shoulder."
Q: How do you maintain a sense of
privacy? In your opinion, what’s most beautiful about the human
form?
A: My sense of what is private and what
isn't has changed over time. In regards to nudity, it's become a
non-issue to me. Nudity just feels like another costume! I've performed
in burlesque shows, and my clown character loves trying to take his clothes off
at every opportunity he has. I think the most beautiful things
about the human form are the things we have in common. When you see
people naked, you realize we're all just the same silly primates.
Q: Are you interested in the outcome of
the work? What advice would you give to artists about capturing the
delicacies and beauty of the body?
A: Oh, yes, I like to see drawings and
paintings of me progress. Advice to artists? Um, I like
it when your work is flattering!
Q: What do you consider the breakfast
of champions? What do you/can you eat before you model?
A: The breakfast of champions is
remembering to eat! I need to eat, drink coffee and be well rested before
I model. Otherwise I am very unhappy!
Q: Finally, how does modeling fit in
with your other work?—(a chance to promote yourself here)
A: Since I'm a freelance performer,
modeling fits very well into my schedule, since I can accept gigs on a
case-by-case basis! I'd like to think I have a very high kinesthetic
awareness from my training as a performer, and I bring that physical awareness
to my modeling.
###
###
Are you an Academy student or alumnus looking for more opportunities to work with a model? Join us for Friday Night Modeling Sessions on April 18th, April 25th, May 2nd, May 9th and May 16th from 6:00pm-9:00pm. You bring materials, we'll have a model set-up and ready to pose for you. Please contact Katie Hemmer (khemmer@nyaa.edu) for more details.
To learn more about modeling, please contact Jessica Augier (jaugier@nyaa.edu), our model coordinator.
IT FEELS AS THOUGH EVERY MINUTE YOU HAVE TO TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH
Zoë Suenson-Taylor was one of two Academy students to try
her steady hands at stone carving last summer. Part of the Carrara, Italy
residency, Zoe created a sculpture that will make its American debut tonight at ABC Stone's
Brooklyn headquarters. Hours before the unveiling we caught up with Zoe
to get an insider's view of the residency and experience in Italy. This
is part one of the two part post.
NEGOTIATING HISTORY in CARRARA by Zoë Suenson-Taylor (MFA 2013)
Every morning we were expected to be at the Corsanini Studio and stone yard by 8:30-9:00am, so we were up for breakfast by 8:00am. After changing into work boots and a respirator, ear defenders and shaded safety glasses, we got to carving. The set up was perfect. The stone yard is outdoors and is open on all sides so there’s always a breeze. There is a spectacular view up to the quarries and a grand sense of space. There were cranes and forklifts and lots of strong muscles that made the stone seem weightless. After working for a few hours, all the artisans from the studio ate lunch together upstairs. Lunch was always a gorgeously, simple Italian meal of pasta and sauce, a salad picked from Massimo’s garden, sometimes cheese and meats or a home cooked meat dish, a small glass of red wine, occasionally chocolate and a shot of grappa to conclude the meal. I always left the table with a spring in my step. We then carved until last light, about 7:00-8:00pm. Marina de Carrara is very close to the coast so we’d refresh in the sea with the very last rays of sun and then sample a pizza place with their own special secret family recipes for dinner until going to bed from sheer exhaustion. This was my routine, six days out of the every week, for the two and a half weeks I was there. Needless to say, it was the most demanding art experience I’ve had.
Many people have said how hard they believe
stone carving to be. I have always revered
it and treated it with such respect that I was almost afraid to try. I needed
to get better at everything else before I could manipulate a precious piece of
marble. In Carrara there is so much marble they pave the streets with it.
Marble as big as a suitcase can be thrown in the dumpster as an offcut. The
very first day, we sourced and heaved a piece out to become our
first fledgling attempt at carving. We bumped and stuttered and fumbled through
the first steps. I was in a state of constant
perplexity. How do you keep your eye protectors from fogging up while wearing a
dust mask? I was always readjusting my mask placing it higher or lower on my
face. I ate a lot of marble dust and got a lot in my eyes. But then
with the right tools held in the right way, it became almost effortless, like a
hot knife through butter. This was immensely satisfying. On that
random offcut we were free, not afraid of
making an error and making things up as we went along.
Working on the primary piece for our
time here was different; it was much harder!
The greatest challenge
was measuring. Using the huge angle grinder while shifting so much heavy material. It
took a while to wrap my head around trigonometry again. I had to
translate the bozetti (Italian for maquette) to the
marble block and match up the four cardinal points. At
that stage, there was so much to learn and we were also holding the carving
tools for the first time. We came to learn that the angle of the point you are
trying to reach needs to have two known points at a 90-degree angle on the same
plane as the point, and the cala, or depth measurement, should be as perpendicular
to the point as possible. That information is vital and it didn’t sink in
easily. I really freaked out when the very first point we went for was
the tip of the nose, the center of the face. One day I took the whole day to
get two points. Another huge challenge was just negotiating the position of the
head. The head is slightly inclined to the right, and turned to the right and
tilted upwards. Your eyes always want to correct this and level the face. I
wish I could have tipped the 300lb block right up to the bozzetti face but I’m
not that strong. After
removing what felt like mountains I was only
half way. 
Having the head on the angle and the right arm raised meant
it was also extremely hard to get access to the neck and clavicular region. I didn’t
start with a very good bozzetti. I actually took two maquettes
to Italy, as I thought they both had accents of the idea I was trying to
reach; An idea of a sneeze and what controls it. I enjoy the ambiguity of the
lost yet hopeful moment one has to resign all control in an anticipation of the
impending relief. We began putting mastic points on one bozzetti
and I’d say, “Oh, that needs to come out”, “There’s actually going to be a bit
more there”, “Yeah, I don’t want it to quite be like that." I saw all of the imperfections amplified as I went.
I thought after ten days on the residency my carving was
really looking like my model. Two days later I stopped measuring points and steadily unified masses blocking out the larger
forms and constantly drew on the piece. By the end of our time in Carrara my
fat head with a sock on it was almost
finished. An educated estimate proposed it might take another three to five
weeks to complete. I'm sorry not to have completed it in Carrara. Before coming home, I was already dreaming of when it would be shipped back to the States so I
could finish it.
For the last four days, Heather and I decided to visit
Florence and Rome, a hard decision because
we wanted to keep carving. But not visiting
would have been sacrilege. After our experience, we had a new and amplified respect for all things carved in
stone. Literally EVERYTHING becomes incredible at the Borghese; my master of sculpture, Bernini had us in
awe. Somehow we were not asked to leave and stayed sketching throughout
the staggered entry times. They must have seen how inspired we were.
With my next stone carving I will start from a fully
realized piece. Something that is ordered in it’s dimensions, thorough in its
proportional relationships, designed to the smallest degree the formal
relationships and completely evoking a
soulful style complimentary to the idea. I now see how
important it is to be committed to the
formal construction, so accurate points can
be taken as it is scaled up. The sculpture will naturally evolve with the
amplification of size so there is more space, more area of possibility and more
decisions. Once the key structural positions have been reached in the carving,
I think it is important to work freehand. By having a fully investigated
guide in the form of the fully realized bozzetti, I
will save so much time!
Stay tuned for the second part of Zoe's reflection on her
experience in Carrara.
To learn more about the Carrara residency please visit the Residency page on the Academy's website
Class of 2015 Interviews Part 2: What are your inspirations?
Looking at the Inside - Class of 2015 Interviews (part two)
How is it already March?! It’s amazing to
think how quickly this first year is going at the Academy. We’ve got lots of exciting things happening
in the next few months as we wrap up our first year. But before it’s over, I wanted to introduce
you to a few more of my classmates – to share their oeuvre and the interesting
background that each of them come from.
I asked them a few simple questions:
What inspires your work?
And who are you inspired by?
And who are you inspired by?
Washington, DC
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
An artist
that has constantly been on my mind since first seeing his paintings is
Caravaggio. Before seeing his work I
had my mind set out to become an abstract painter. Caravaggio’s compositions
pulled me in, the way the shapes fit together and activate each other. I have always been fascinated with the slight
ambiguity that is in his paintings, which is hardly noticeable at first. When
looking at his paintings one is never quite sure what is happening, it is
always on the edge. As art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon noted, Caravaggio’s paintings “border between the sacred and profane.”
Maryland Institute College of Art
I talk about
existence by painting the figure. Before
I came to the Academy I was layering the figure over itself as a way to discuss
the various levels on which we experience our lives and ourselves. Now that I'm here, I've decided to pursue
that same topic by other means.
 |
| Work by Shaina Craft (MFA 2015) |
I don’t like
the word ‘inspiration.’ To me that word
conjures images of artists sitting around waiting to be struck by lightning so
they can have a great idea and make work.
The body of work I made before starting at the Academy came by looking
hard at the work of other painters, figuring out what I wanted, and
experimenting with my medium and process until I came up with something that
worked for me. Starting in 2011, it was
a year of research and trials before I made a decent painting. I suppose that’s why these pieces are titled
as ‘Experiments.’
 |
| Work by Shaina Craft (MFA 2015) |
 |
| Shaina Craft (MFA 2015) |
An artist
I’m currently looking at a lot is Justin Bower. Bower is
painting about all of the things I'm interested in; The state of human beings
in this age of technological evolution and pop culture overload and what a
slippery subject that can be. It’s a new
phenomenology, not what is being, but what have we become? I love his loaded
brush strokes and crazy bright colors. My favorite painting by Justin Bower (it
was really hard to pick just one) – “Architecture of Infection,” 2010.
Istanbul, Turkey
Ringling College of Art and
Design
 |
| Work by Gokhan Gokseven (MFA 2015) |
 |
| Work by Gokhan Gokseven (MFA 2015) |
 |
| Work by Gokhan Gokseven (MFA 2015) |
Houston, Texas
Maryland Institute College of Art
 |
| Work by Gabriel Zea (MFA 2015) |
 |
| Work by Gabriel Zea (MFA 2015) |
An artist
I’ve been interested in for a while is James Jean.
Originally an illustrator, he transitioned into fine art several years ago and
his work has since walked a line between an illustrative and fine art aesthetic.
While his style can vary a lot, I admire his way of combining wonderful
draftsmanship with very expressively and boldly applied chromatic colors. His
use of color effectively imbues a sense of madness over the controlled elegance
of his line work. One of my favorite paintings of his is entitled Lovers,
2011. It aptly combines an overwhelming
superficial beauty with clear themes of anxiety, chaos, and violence. The four
round panels and overall circular composition evoke the idea of beauty and
suffering being components of a circular process.
##
Camila Rocha (MFA 2015) will be blogging here throughout the year
about her first year at the Academy and moving to New York City. Check
the label "First Year Experience" or "Camila Rocha" for more
posts about her first year at the Academy.
If you have any questions for Camila or her classmates, please
leave them in the comments section of the blog.
All images are courtesy of
the artists.
THE TA LIFE
By Megan Ewert (MFA 2013)
I knew I
wanted to be a teacher the first time I walked out of critiques in my Painting I class in undergrad. Fairly
shattered by the less than stellar feedback, I remember asking my painting teacher,
“Am I just not cut out for this?”
I wanted to go above and beyond what was expected of me. I set out to build relationships with students and extend my participation outside of class. I set up one-on-one meetings, edited research and thesis paper drafts and gave personal studio critiques. For each course, I committed an additional four hours a week to further interact with students and create resources for their benefit. One of these projects included the creation of an online image data base: ART and CULTURE: Images (Art and Culture I: IMAGES and Art and Culture II: IMAGES). To help expand students' knowledge of artists, both historical and contemporary, I compiled every artist’s name mentioned during each class and uploaded images. This database is an art historical resource that also helps students discover new artists to reference in their studio practice.
As a side
project to a class I am currently TA-ing, I am developing an online community
that would act as a resource and forum for information regarding studio/group
critiques (http://critique-critic.tumblr.com/). CRITIQUE-CRITIC (CC) will be a resource for information about
different approaches to art criticism while examining institutional art
critiques. This website will not only be a compilation of different
perspectives but a place to post student work—in progress or otherwise—to get
feedback from other students in programs nationwide. As a direct outcome of
this project, I hope to create a platform that showcases emerging artists and
writers.
To date, my
work as a TA has allowed me to work with several amazing artists including John
Cichowski, Bonnie DeWitt, Catherine Howe, John Jacobsmeyer, and Jean-Pierre
Roy. Being a Teaching Assistant has not only helped me improve my ability to demonstrate
and communicate the knowledge I acquired at the Academy, but also to create connections with current students, faculty, and alumni outside of the classroom. It has allowed me to pursue my goal of
becoming a teacher while also allowing me to give back to the Academy community
post graduation.
##
Interested in becoming a TA at the Academy? Please contact Katie Hemmer in the Academic Office khemmer@nyaa.edu.
To learn more about Megan Ewert visit her website www.megan-ewert.com
To which she
replied, “There are all kinds of artists.”
There are also
all sorts of teachers, whose outlook on art is shaped by their education and
experiences. I decided that I wanted to
be a teacher capable of offering my students a variety of ideas and
perspectives about contemporary art theory and practice. During my undergrad years at Kansas City Art concept was king and my studies focused on the expansion of the idea of painting often through interdisciplinary means. When it was time to choose a graduate school, I
chose the Academy knowing it would be drastically different than my
undergraduate education and I wanted to be a part of a community of artists
that valued not only a figurative tradition, but also its community of painters.
During my
time at the Academy, I was determined to gain teaching experience. I started out as a Teaching Assistant (TA)
for Continuing Education (CE) classes assisting in beginner courses. At the beginner level, I was able to offer
practical demonstrations, give feedback on the CE student’s work while
observing the instructor’s teaching techniques. After graduation, I decided to
continue to pursue teaching and gain more experience by becoming a Teaching Assistant
in the MFA Program. I signed up for a variety of courses ranging from studio to
seminar classes, expanding my repertoire of subjects I would become qualified
to teach.
I wanted to go above and beyond what was expected of me. I set out to build relationships with students and extend my participation outside of class. I set up one-on-one meetings, edited research and thesis paper drafts and gave personal studio critiques. For each course, I committed an additional four hours a week to further interact with students and create resources for their benefit. One of these projects included the creation of an online image data base: ART and CULTURE: Images (Art and Culture I: IMAGES and Art and Culture II: IMAGES). To help expand students' knowledge of artists, both historical and contemporary, I compiled every artist’s name mentioned during each class and uploaded images. This database is an art historical resource that also helps students discover new artists to reference in their studio practice.
To date, my
work as a TA has allowed me to work with several amazing artists including John
Cichowski, Bonnie DeWitt, Catherine Howe, John Jacobsmeyer, and Jean-Pierre
Roy. Being a Teaching Assistant has not only helped me improve my ability to demonstrate
and communicate the knowledge I acquired at the Academy, but also to create connections with current students, faculty, and alumni outside of the classroom. It has allowed me to pursue my goal of
becoming a teacher while also allowing me to give back to the Academy community
post graduation. ##
Interested in becoming a TA at the Academy? Please contact Katie Hemmer in the Academic Office khemmer@nyaa.edu.
To learn more about Megan Ewert visit her website www.megan-ewert.com
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