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In the Nude |
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The nude has been, and continues to be, a controversial subject. The way it is presented often reveals as much about society, psychology, and history as it does about sexuality. In essence, the nude is more than skin deep. The human body inevitably contains volumes of history, emotion, and possibility. The current consideration of gender roles and body image further complicate, the discussion. The aesthetic of the human body is as continually changing and diverse as our responses to it. Rebecca Wilkinson felt Kansas City had an unfulfilled need for more representation of art in the tradition of the nude. Acting on that feeling, she organized a call to artists. The only requirement was that the subject of the work must be related to the nude. Everything else was left open, encouraging a variety of media and styles ranging from traditional to contemporary. The call was open to all residents of greater Kansas City. It culminated in a juried exhibition, with Kate Hackman, Adam Jones and Rebecca Wilkinson selecting 60 pieces out of 325 slides submitted. The show opened in the first floor of the Hobbs Building in the West Bottoms on December 1, 2000, just several months after Wilkinson put out the call. The Grand Nude Show brought together an eclectic group of works by amateur, emerging, and established artists, ranging from traditional figure drawings to the abstract, from charcoal on paper to bright and vivid oil paintings. It featured pieces in various media, including sketches, paintings, collage, and three-dimensional sculpture, from small to large in scale. The intentions behind some of the works were conceptual in nature, providing an obvious contrast with others based on the physical representation of model-oriented detail. As a whole, the show seemed a testament to the diversity in the genre of the nude subject, with references to past to present trends. Several pieces included reflect upon the connection between the body and its role in myth. Mark Westervelt's blending of bird and woman in Little Birds has such a quality. His Like a Swan is an evocative scene with the position and shape of a woman resembling that of the swans surrounding her. In Cutting Through Boundaries, by Antonia, there is a sense of the sorceress: a red-headed, round-breasted woman stands with a white (magical?) ball in her hand. In the scene above her, a flickering castle is reminiscent of a fairy tale. In Eve, by Brent Watkinson, the title figure holds the apple over her navel. Hair and fruit are orange -red over neutral flesh and muted green background. The bulbous fertility of the goddess idol is represented in the charcoal drawing Goddess by Phillip Michael Hook. A more modern story is powerfully expressed in Hoodoo Rain Doll by Michael Allen, a painting of a woman executed in primary colors with neon-like hues. Her wild hair and weary eyes reveal the impact of experience, creating an aura of endurance and semblance of modern woman warrior. A smaller female image, a cutout with platform shoes, is placed at her side. A large scale piece by Lori Raye Erikson, Pinky (Driving Miss), is a conceptually intriguing blend of body, objects, and language. A sleeping woman lies curled above an old steering wheel, a flat pink target over her middle. Neon spells "Pinky", but our attention is drawn to the unsuspecting female figure. The most striking work in the show is also perhaps the most timeless. Untitled by Lonnie Robinson is not only a portrait of the model's body, but goes further to capture the essence of the woman herself. There is a sensual quality throughout the work, enhanced by a rippling intensity in the curves within her dark skin, pared with the firmness of the curves of her external shape. Thick shades of rich browns enhance the earthiness that her body exudes. The painting, like its study, possesses an eloquent combination of strength and elegance. The Grand Nude Show was on exhibit at the Hobbs Building December 1 through December 14, 2000. <Hallie Smith> REVIEW - January 2001 Edition
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