It is a bare problem that has not been addressed for long. The students of the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Chennai have been demanding younger female models who would pose in the nude for their art classes.
However, college authorities have not succeeded in replacing a 45-plus year old model who has become a fixture on the campus in Egmore for more than two decades.
‘‘Our problem is this. We are so used to the anatomy of the elderly model that we do not find variety, which is the lifeline of an artist. Unless we get younger models, mastering portraits and painting becomes difficult for us,’’ complained Saravanan, a third year student of painting. Students find it odd that they have to study the same anatomy year after year.
The model is old and her’s is an ‘‘out of shape’’ anatomy, which does not bring out the feminine beauty, said Sargunan, a fellow student adding that it affected creativity in art.
‘‘We need normal anatomy for our study but the college authorities are not able to pay the young models who charge a heavy fee per session. On some occasions, they managed to get amateurs who could not pose in a particular posture for a session. Mid-way through, they would change the posture affecting our concentration,’’ pointed out Saravanan.
Fresh models, who would have the patience for the job are difficult to find. A model has to pose in a particular posture at least for three hours at a stretch.
‘‘To that extent, our elderly model has been very cooperative. She knows the job well and even if she takes a tea break during a session, she would come back and sit in the same posture as was directed,’’ said Madan.
There is also so much inhibition about posing in the nude that not many were willing to come forward to present themselves as an living object of study for the arts students.
There is another model related problem at the college. Male models are equally in demand among the students of painting. ‘‘In the absence of professional models, we hire rooms and pose in the nude for our classmates to study our skull form,’’ said Saravanan.
Professors acknowledged that the problem with nudity was an old one. Funds crunch and lack of professional models were the stumbling blocks they said.
However, college authorities have not succeeded in replacing a 45-plus year old model who has become a fixture on the campus in Egmore for more than two decades.
‘‘Our problem is this. We are so used to the anatomy of the elderly model that we do not find variety, which is the lifeline of an artist. Unless we get younger models, mastering portraits and painting becomes difficult for us,’’ complained Saravanan, a third year student of painting. Students find it odd that they have to study the same anatomy year after year.
The model is old and her’s is an ‘‘out of shape’’ anatomy, which does not bring out the feminine beauty, said Sargunan, a fellow student adding that it affected creativity in art.
‘‘We need normal anatomy for our study but the college authorities are not able to pay the young models who charge a heavy fee per session. On some occasions, they managed to get amateurs who could not pose in a particular posture for a session. Mid-way through, they would change the posture affecting our concentration,’’ pointed out Saravanan.
Fresh models, who would have the patience for the job are difficult to find. A model has to pose in a particular posture at least for three hours at a stretch.
‘‘To that extent, our elderly model has been very cooperative. She knows the job well and even if she takes a tea break during a session, she would come back and sit in the same posture as was directed,’’ said Madan.
There is also so much inhibition about posing in the nude that not many were willing to come forward to present themselves as an living object of study for the arts students.
There is another model related problem at the college. Male models are equally in demand among the students of painting. ‘‘In the absence of professional models, we hire rooms and pose in the nude for our classmates to study our skull form,’’ said Saravanan.
Professors acknowledged that the problem with nudity was an old one. Funds crunch and lack of professional models were the stumbling blocks they said.
