I need to preface this discussion with the clear disclaimer that when I refer to the nude figure in art; I am not in any way talking about depictions of gratuitous or explicit sexual activity. This discussion relates to the classical nude and its contemporary expressions.

The history of the nude figure in art reaches back through the millennia. As liberated as we are in the western world, when it comes to art, we can be incredibly prudish. Travel the world and you will find everything from erotic carvings adorning ancient temples to reverent statues like Michelangelo’s David. From cave drawings to the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and onto paintings by contemporary masters, the nude figure, male and female, has been a prominent subject. No doubt, some of the fascination with the nude, the female nude in particular, has been driven by erotic desires. However, to suggest that is the primary motivation would mis-characterise an entire genre of art. It has been and will continue to be, part of storytelling.

No one was born with clothes on. Clothes are unnatural, albeit it necessary for survival in many climates. Take away the protection of clothing and in many parts of the world we would cease to be at the top of the food chain. Arguably, the ability to weave fibres and take the skins of other animals has allowed humans to venture into habitats that would otherwise kill us. But that is not our natural state. Our dependence on covering ourselves has opened the door to other problems. How we dress conveys status, power, and economic prowess. What keeps us warm can also oppress us. I’m not suggesting we all run around au naturel, but we do need to understand the darker side of covering ourselves.

Prudishness toward the human body, the pinnacle of creation according to the Christian creation story, arguably created a fertile environment for the over sexualization of our bodies, and by extension, for much of the modern porn industry (an oversimplification to be sure). It is ironic that in early western art nudity conveyed purity (only the impure needed to “cover their shame”). In ancient Greece, nude sculptures were reserved for heroes and gods. In North America, we treat the nude as “unseemly” and profane. We are okay with seeing people murdered on prime time TV, but a “nipple slip” will raise the ire of the moral majority.

I find it hard to separate our North American shaming of nudity, in particular female nudity, from patriarchy. This is too big of a conversation for here, but the status quo too often says women’s bodies are dangerous. Hide the nipple under a scrap of cloth and a woman can join the topless males at the beach, but expose the nipple and civilization will crumble. It’s absurd. Of course, the modern fashion industry makes a fortune on those scraps of clothing. The economics of women’s fashion is another bizarre topic.

Back to art. For my part, I see the nude figure, implied or otherwise, as the great equaliser. Strip away the Armani suits and greasy coveralls and we are all ‌the same. No rank. No socio-economic status symbols. No hiding. We still might judge one another’s body shape or colour, but that fades quickly when our own warts, scares, and flaws are exposed. To be naked is to be vulnerable and authentic. It is to celebrate the common beauty and rich diversity of humans, as opposed to the fashion that adorns them.

Yeah, yeah, but do you need to paint nudes you ask? No…but yes. 

Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, nude art challenges the status quo in a world that prefers being entertained by gratuitous violence. It pushes back against oppressive attitudes and hyper sexualization of our bodies, in some cases by exposing those attitudes in us. While a few paintings I have done over the years have suggestive erotic overtones (we are sexual beings), I avoid that in my compositions. My goal is to celebrate the human body, not exploit it. In many cases, the use of implied female nude is meant to evoke an overcoming of oppression and emerging freedom. Male or female, it is about being our authentic self.