Appleblossoms by Sheila Pringle
Another PG-13 post today, but with art, the point is to be risky, daring and thought provoking.
The hallmark of achievement for an artist in the olden days was how well he or she could paint a nude. Leonardo da Vinci went so far with trying to capture the human form that he dissected human corpses to understand how muscles and bones work together under our skin. Over time, the advent of photography led to greater admiration for nude painting. Photography made nudes more accessible to the public. Eventually, nudes became boring, or at least they were everywhere and the media made them “overexposed” if you forgive the pun.
Where does that leave the nude in art now? Many galleries tell you flat out when you inquire for wall space, “No nudes.” Nudes are tough to paint and tougher to sell. Depicting them requires practice. Many artists who are competent in all sorts of artistic media, draw mushy or incorrect figures. Graphic novel artists, known formerly as comic book artists, draw dynamic and exciting figures. Highly talented artists are bringing back the nude to its proper place in art, and I am proud to count myself among them. Nudes can be dazzling in perfection or depict the wretchedness of the human state.
In short, nudes are a lot more than Nakeditity.