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For
centuries men and women have been stripping off for art. Without
this group of willing nudists great art just wouldn't have been
- well - interesting.
There
would be no David, no Venus - none of the bare bottomed and breasted
beauty we marvel at every day in galleries and studios the world
over.
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| The
David - body beautiful |
But
what of modern day artists? They still have to learn the aesthetic
of the body. They have to study every anatomical detail if they
are to truly understand their subject matter.
For
this they need life models and considering how many art courses
there are throughout the county they need quite a lot of them.
The
trouble is it's not exactly a high kudos profession. You don't hear
young people bragging about their fab new life modelling job down
the pub.
In
fact as any life model will tell you people still respond to the
profession with the kind of response that is confined to a handful
of jobs that engender the 'ooh matron' look.
Other
jobs that fall into this category are Swedish masseuse, window cleaner
(occasionally) and colonic irrigation therapist.
Cheltenham
life model Mez Packer however believes that nudity can be very powerful.
In
an interview with BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Anna King she said:
"What people don't realise is that a lot of the people drawing
you may never have been confronted by a naked woman before and they
are so much more embarrassed than the model.
"If
you're comfortable with your body then this can be a very powerful
experience."
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What people don't realise is that a
lot of the people drawing you may never have been confronted
by a naked woman before and they are so much more embarrassed
than the model. If you're comfortable with your body then
this can be a very powerful experience.
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| Mez
Packer |
Life
models explain however that the job is far from glamorous. The hours
are long, it can be painful and you don't always end up with a flattering
image of yourself at the end.
"My
biggest problem was the cold," said Mez. "You're often
in big old rooms in Victorian colleges and in the winter it's awful."
Along
with the cramp the pay can also be a a real pain. The National Register
of Life Models recommends £10 an hour but many FE colleges
pay less than that and considering that the job can sometimes be
as physically demanding as being a cross between a prima ballerina
and a contortionist £10 an hour doesn't seem a lot.
So
next time someone tells you they're a life model - save the sniggers
and forget images of languorous reclining nudes in Mediterranean
locations and think cramp and water retention. And the time of the
month - don't even go there!
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