In the wake of a heated debate Down Under on the line
between art and child pornography, thanks to Jezebel for pointing out a fascinating
piece by Guardian writer Kira Cochrane on the power dynamics at play in the
relationship between model and artist. The discussion was launched by the
recent sale (for 17.2 million Pounds) of Lucien Freud’s “Benefits Supervisor
Sleeping” (pictured). Although the painting obviously involves a male artist
depicting a female nude, Cochrane argues that this is hardly a case of
exploitation. Even the model’s posture depicts unself-conscious ease.
But Freud’s teenage daughters posing nude for him? That
could be a different story, though both of the women report nothing but fond
memories of the experience. We can all guess what Sigmund would say….
Cochrane further points out that almost every well-known muse/artist
relationship involves a female muse and a male artist, which inevitably puts
the male in a position of power and fame, while the woman passively supports
his work behind the scenes. I would not argue that this relationship is
inherently exploitative—many women have surely reveled in the role of muse—but
it definitely has the potential to be so. In several infamous cases, this
relationship has destroyed the lives of potentially great artists (Camille
Claudel and Elizabeth Siddal, to name just two examples).
Most interesting to me was Cochrane’s citing of stats by the
feminist artist group the Guerilla Girls, who found that less than 5 percent of
the artists represented in the modern art sections of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art are women, but 85 percent of the nudes are of females. At the risk of getting
booed out of the feminist blogosphere, here’s my take on these stats: while the
dearth of female artists represented at the Met clearly indicates a female
disempowerment that is too far-reaching to get into here, I don’t necessarily
see a problem with the fact that the majority of nudes are women. I’m a
straight woman, and I would rather look at naked women than naked men any day.
I know I’m not alone in finding their bodies far more aesthetically
interesting—and pleasing. Whether or not this preference is a result of
cultural conditioning, I can’t say. I just know that I would not be pleased if
half of the breasts in the Met were replaced with pectoral muscles.
Photo: Martin Goodwin
