Nudity In Art

[JP2Iloveyou]

IMO, I would not participate. I would tell your teacher that you are exercising your First Amendment rights to the free practice of religion (I'll bet (s)he wouldn't force your classmates to look at Catholic paintings and artwork). I mean, here's the question you have to ask yourself. What would my spouse think? If you were married (maybe you are, I don't know) what would your husband or wife think of you going to a class where naked people are going to be parading around? I would wager to say that your spouse would not be too comfortable with that idea. So, if you're not married, I would not do this out of respect for your future spouse. I realize that the human body and sexuality are not bad things, but I just think this crosses the line. This happened at my old college as well. Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with it. While the intention may not to be to sin, you still are intentionally putting yourself in the occasion of sin. My advice, just avoid it all together. If you can be in a romm with a anked member of the opposite sex and not sin in thought, word, or deed, you are a MUCH stronger person than me my friend.

[Don John of Austria]

Well my father is an Artist professionaly he supported his family his whole life as an artist, for years he went every week to practice life drawing( thats an artsy name for nude drawing) my mother neve3r thought anything of it, she encouraged him to go, if you want to be able to draw or paint or sculpt the human form well then you must practice drawing the human form. He still goes 20 or 30 times a year to a class that a friend of his teaches and helps hime out, and sculpts nude models. I can't see that it has ever been anything but art to him. Nothing is wromng with nudes there on the sistene chapel for God's sake.

Now Cmom is right about anatomy, I can remember my father going and taking classes at the mogue with the doctors to be, he got to learn abot muscles and such by feeling them and actually seeing them in there appropriate layering. It did help him as an artist( but I think it also increased his wonder in the human form and there by increased his faith).

The question you should ask are you there to learn art or to see nude people, and of course remember don't assume models are going to alwayss be of the opposite sex.

Edited September 27, 2003 by Don John of Austria

[cmotherofpirl]

IMO, I would not participate.  I would tell your teacher that you are exercising your First Amendment rights to the free practice of religion (I'll bet (s)he wouldn't force your classmates to look at Catholic paintings and artwork).  I mean, here's the question you have to ask yourself.  What would my spouse think?  If you were married (maybe you are, I don't know) what would your husband or wife think of you going to a class where naked people are going to be parading around?  I would wager to say that your spouse would not be too comfortable with that idea.  So, if you're not married, I would not do this out of respect for your future spouse.  I realize that the human body and sexuality are not bad things, but I just think this crosses the line.  This happened at my old college as well.  Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with it.  While the intention may not to be to sin, you still are intentionally putting yourself in the occasion of sin.  My advice, just avoid it all together.  If you can be in a romm with a anked member of the opposite sex and not sin in thought, word, or deed, you are a MUCH stronger person than me my friend.

Have you ever seen David by Michelangleo?

Or been to a great museum?

Louvre, the Met, the Smithsonian?

God made the human body and He made it well.

To appreciate beauty is not to sin.

When we get to heaven we will be only wearing our good deeds and a smile. :)

[PedroX]

I once read that the church had given its approval of nude art. See Cmom's post on "David" by Michaelangelo.

I agree with the rest that your internal motivations and thoughts are the key to this question. I also agree to seek protection through prayer,or holy water, or whatever you normally use to avoid temptation.

C'mom, your point on older people is right on target. Once again, you rock!

peace...

[JP2Iloveyou]

cmom and others, don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that the human body is bad or that sex is bad. Sex is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given us. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. To say that they are eveil would be the heresy of gnosticism I believe. What I am saying is that it is irresponsible to put yourself in an occasion of sin. For me, that would be an occasion of sin. I personally am far to weak to see a naked woman and not have lustful thoughts. If that's not an occasion of sin for you, then I suppose it might be OK. Read Theology of the Body to be certain though. I think it would be comparable to me going to a place where alcohol is served. I've never struggled with alcoholism, so that would not be an occasion of sin for me. It would be though for a recovering alcoholic to stop by the local bar. We have to know our weaknesses and not tempt them. Satin knows our weaknesses better than we do and he will use them against us. I am just saying that if that is an occasion of sin for you, don't do it.

[Dave]

Nyquil and Pibb xtra.

Nyquil and Pibb xtra? Naw, you gotta be lying! I think you're smoking that funny stuff again! :lol:

[jess]

:) Thanks everyone! We might not actually have a nude model in class if our prof can't find one around here, but we do have to look of photos (not pornography) from books or whatever, like an art history book. I feel better about the situation now. God Bless!

In Christ;

Jess

[geetarplayer]

Personally, nudies make me uncomfortable. But that's just me.

If you think you are going to be able to look at a naked body and not have lustful thoughts, then go right ahead. If you are unsure that you will be able to study a live, naked person without having any sexual thoughts, then I wouldn't take the chance if I were you.

-Mark

[ThereseFlower]

I am an art student at an all-female Catholic college, and we have female and male nude models in our drawing classes.

Because we are professionals in training, we NEVER behave in a way that would be considered disrespectful or to remove any dignity from the model.

The professor provides a space heater so that the model doesn't get cold. The doors are shut and the windows into the classroom are blocked out/shaded. The last thing we would want to do is provide a rude "show" to other classrooms in the building.

As for our thoughts, (at least for me) I have no time to think of anything sexual--we are told, "You have 2 minutes for this pose." ::teacher sets timer:: I'm not thinking of anything but how I can capture the form of this person in under two minutes before the professor changes the model's pose again!

It is a body, an object (not removed from dignity but reverent of it), but also God's creation. As Cmom has discussed, nudity in art happens all the time, and it is an occasion of beauty. It has been replicated a bajillion times over in art for hundreds of years in religious and secular art, and there has been nothing sinful about it.

Personally, I cannot agree that it is an occasion of sin--it is beauty and a celebration of the goodness of the Lord.

trust in Him,

~TF~

[Deeds]

I'm no artist but I remember my art teacher telling us that drawing nude models is one of the least 'sexy' things ever because you just see the model as a series of shapes to be drawn. Plus I'd imagine the atmosphere in the classroom would be very businesslike and not conducive to lustful thoughts. ;)

[cmotherofpirl]

Its just like A & P class. You are sitting there scrowling because you cannot find a certain muscle and you silently wish all models were body-builders so you could start outlining.

You don't want to lust over them.

You want to get an "A".

[ThereseFlower]

Very well said. I'm not thinking anything sexy, it's all about "Oh geeze! I have 30 seconds left and I think my drawing looks crappy!"

Anything but lustful. Businesslike and focused.

peace,

~TF~

[VeraMaria]

This is a very ineteresting thread. Answers a couple of questions about art and nudity.

Wow, I'd forgotten what it was like to be able to have a civilized discussion without people insulting each other....unafortunately that's been the case in many other threads..... :(

[Chastisement]

I'm quite frankly one of the prudish people on the planet, but even I have see nothing wrong with nude drawing. Porn, is by it's very nature, "material with intent to cause sexual arousal", so in essence, anything can be porn, it depends what "turns on the person", a pile of poo could turn someone one and be called "porn"... as sick as that is.

But I think the human body is an amazing thing and if respected and dignified nudity can be an amazing thing. I've seen some beautiful nude art works. I actually have books with classical art and nude art which is so amazing.

Anyway, I work at a hospital in a rest home, and I was really worried about seeing the male form in life, mainly cos I thougth I'd get all embarrassed and faint or something, anyway, now I just do my job without giving them a second thought.