#life modelling

When you go to a life drawing class, please never take a photo of the model unless you are absolutely certain they are being paid extra for their likeness and have signed a release form. In the Victorian life modelling community, where the minimum hourly rate for a life model is $50, we recommend $85 an hour at least for work that will be photographed for private reference use. If those photos are going to be shared outside the studio/classroom, the model should be paid at least 3x more than that. Their image is their livelihood.

You might think it's okay as long as you ask the model first, but please consider the pressure that arises in a situation where:

You are working alone, naked, among a group of clothed people who don't know you;

You haven't yet been paid for the labour you have performed/are performing;

This is an unregulated industry and a job that may be under-the-table in cash;

Your livelihood may depend on positive impressions of artists and session convenors.

There are a ton of reasons why in this situation a model may say yes while feeling strange about the request. To be honest, many models may have no compunction about having their image used freely online, but that doesn't take away from the reality that many more will be pressured, and that every time you participate in this behaviour you are contributing to a community-wide culture that is categorically unsafe for life models.

Please don't post or reblog these images unless you are 100% certain that the model was freely consenting and adequately compensated, which, frankly, you're not. Life models are workers. They are entitled to basic workplace health and safety standards. They work an underpaid, vulnerable, physically taxing and very precarious job, and it is a real and really underappreciated gift they are giving you as an artist.

Compromised on the king of the sea, he has 7 or 9 limbs, objectively the wrong number of limbs.

Meanwhile claylizabetta is coming along!!! I do find torsos boring so idk I need to make a head. Thinking of doing something interesting after I've hollowed her. Like make a strawberry planter:

Most of the time I love my work - I’m an artists’ model and it’s a fascinating job, albeit tiring and not very well paid.  But today I had the first of ten days working for a guy I hadn’t met before, for a portraiture workshop.  Other models I know who’ve worked with him all told me he’s a lovely guy; but he and I are a mismatch, personality-wise, and we’ve been rubbing each other the wrong way all day. 

He micromanages, and I loathe being micromanaged.  He likes to decide exactly how the model will be posed; I dislike being denied control with regard to issues like whether my seat is comfortable.  He asked me to bring an assortment of outfits tomorrow, for him to choose something I will then wear for the rest of the workshop; and the clothes have to be “smart, but not patterned or any shiny fabrics, no velvet please, and plain colours, no patterns” - which rules out almost every smart thing I own! - and when I said that might be awkward because it will mean carrying a lot on public transport, he looked at me as if I was stupid and said “put them in a bag” as if it would never have occurred to me to do that.  Guess what, I don’t like being patronised either! 

I’m working for him again tomorrow and Wednesday, and then Monday to Wednesday again for the next two weeks.  Trying to talk myself out of being really depressed at the prospect.  It’s work, I need the work; but I do hope things improve over the next few days.  I can’t change the guy, so I need to change my attitude.  Sigh.

Le nu au salon était une revue de la Belle Époque, largement emmenée par l’écrivain Armand Silvestre. Comme on peut le deviner, elle portait exclusivement son regard sur les représentations de nus au Salon annuel des beaux-arts (qui eut plusieurs noms successifs). Cela montre l’importance persistante du thème à l’époque et, comme vous le devinez, il s’agissait de ne parler que de nus féminins.

La couverture ci-dessous nous rappelle aussi la popularité du duo artiste-modèle dans les représentations collectives.

Cette autre couverture nous rappelle que ces nudités présentaient aussi des enfants et adolescents et que, ce faisant, les modèles posaient dès leur prime jeunesse.

Ces deux dernières couvertures, dont les fées Clochette aux charmes pulpeux se laissent deviner derrière des feuilles de vigne déchirées, soulignent combien cette revue ne se souciait pas que d’enjeux esthétiques (et les textes à l’intérieur le confirment).