When most people are asked to describe an artistic genius, Picasso is often cited as an example. In addition to his undeniable creative talents and the large body of excellent work produced in his lifetime, his whole career appears to have been a successful strategy of exploration and risk-taking at just the right moment in history.

Picasso moved through many periods during his career; some of them depending heavily on the use of the figure, and others where the human form is broken down into nearly unrecognizable shapes. The widely varying phases of Picasso, if positioned anonymously next to each other, could easily be seen as the works of completely different artists; not only aesthetically, but in tone and subject matter as well. His life’s work reflects the desire to understand the essence of humanity and to relay it back to us.

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Blue Nude. Oil on canvas, 1902

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Oil on canvas, 1907

Crouching Nude. Oil on canvas, 1954

Forum Gallery is a favorite gallery to visit in mid-town for lovers of the figure, and it’s current exhibit does not disappoint. The Platonic Ideal, running October 1st to November 28th, includes almost thirty painters, sculptors and artists, with many pieces offering contemplations on humanity through the figure. The works fall into three main categories, paintings, sculpture and on paper works.

Of the paintings in this exhibit, several artists working directly with the figure are well represented. Reflection by William Bailey welcomes the viewer into the gallery. A female figure gazes at us, toying with her hair, her figure framed by the balance in the lines of the room surrounding her. Nearby, Prelude by Alan Feltus is similarly infused by lines, yet the tense figure in this painting is an echo of the surrounding chaos of objects surrounding this figure. Suite for Piano by Carlo Maria Mariani is a musical number - so to speak - the floating woman in this painting radiating a creative energy and physical motion.

William Bailey, Reflection. Oil on canvas, 60 x 60 in.

Alan Feltus, Prelude, 2008. Oil on canvas (47 1/4 x 39 1/4in)

Carlos Maria Mariani, Suite for Piano, 2008. Oil on canvas (50 x 31in)

Of the sculptures shown in The Platonic Ideal we saw a nice selection of early 20th century figurative sculpture. Torso by Alexander Archipenko is a wonder of simplicity, the smooth flowing lines of the the form moving into each other. Other works in this show were Female Head by Elie Nadelman and the monumental Centurione Petrificato by Igor Mitoraj, a large antiquated head, of seemingly Roman origins, and clearly heroic. Hugo Robus‘ The General, Dawn, and Elie Nadelman with Woman Dressing Another Woman’s Hair, make complete use of the figure, depicting scenes and emotions that show the expressive nature of figurative arts.

Alexander Archipenko, Torso, 1948. Terracotta (24 inches high)

Igor Mitoraj, Centurione Petrificato, 2008. Bronze (44 x 24 1/2 x 18 1/4 in)

Hugo Robus, The General, 1922. Polished bronze (19 x 19 1/2 x 7 3/8 in)

Edie Nadelman once again gains our attention with her ink sketch Untitled, showing a rough depiction of the form in motion. Philip Evergood’s At Nebuchandnezzar’s Court, a mixed media painting showing multiple figures strolling about, is a light-hearted tangent to the show’s other, more seriously contemplative works.

Philip Evergood, At Nebuchadnezzar's Court, 1927 Watercolor over pencil on paper.

Elie Nadelman, Untitled, 1912. Pen and black ink on paper (17 1/2 x 12 1/2 in)

Forum Gallery is located at
745 5th Ave # 503, New York, NY 10151

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The Jenkins Johnson Gallery has always featured wonderfully talented figurative arts and the gallery’s themed shows are always popular openings. Their upcoming show titled On Paper is no exception, and we are thrilled to see so much attention given to art works created by hand the old fashioned way. Many of the nicest pieces in this show are simply drawings - ink washes or graphite on paper featuring the human hand at it’s best.

Several works from the talented hand of Juliette Aristedes are worthy of attention, her atmospheric sketches feeling quite like old master works. These are very expressive drawings, the model nearly comes alive out of the looseness. Michael Bergt’s dreamy compositions are very interesting, evocative of Persian/Eastern erotica from the 19th century. His lounging, longing, twisting figures are set against black backgrounds that modernize these familiar scenarios.

In a quieter vein, Kim Frohsin’s sketches are loose, free, open-hearted expressions of the female form in various states of activity. And Philip Levine’s seated nudes are simple, linear compositions that present a contemplative, quieter view of the figure. In contrast, Kimberly Trowbridge’s slashing style evokes the energy of psychic motion to the figure. Finally, Wade Reynolds presents several figures “as landscapes”, in his signature technique, which has become a standard of quality for many fans of the academic approach to the figure.

The Jenkins Johnson Gallery is located at 521 W. 26th St, New York, NY
To see more of these images online, visit Jenkins Johnson Gallery online.

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Juliette Aristides, Back, 2007, charcoal on paper 26" x 16.5"

Kimberly Trowbridge, Two Figures, 2006, graphite charcoal and collage on paper, 16'' x 18''

Kim Froshin, M.Y. with Jug, 1994, graphite on paper, 15.75'' x 11.25''

Wade Reynolds, Figure as Landscape #1, (preliminary), 2003, prismacolor pencil on tone board, 19'' x 24''

Gallery Henoch, known for the diversity in its representational artists, is currently featuring Sharon Sprung, a prominent figurative artist in New York. Her work stands beside numerous other approaches to the figure, but commands the attention of the room with her pensive nudes. This Chelsea gallery always has wonderful painters of the figure in their stable, so make sure to visit this gallery regularly.

Gallery Henoch
555 W. 25th St. New York, NY

See our previous Post on Sharon Sprung from 2008.

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The Sari, Oil/Panel, 38'' x 48''

CC, Oil/Panel, 40'' x 48''

[This is the first Post in our new series on TheGreatNude.tv exploring the use of the Nude Figure in Advertising. Check back for more posts in several days.]

The cover of Time Out New York’s recent Museum Issue featured a modern take on the famous statue, Discobolus of Myron. Also known as The Discus Thrower, the original work has been lost but numerous recreations have been made since the original’s creation in 450 B.C. The earliest known copy now sits in the Natural Museum of Rome. Discobolus revivals have altered in medium (the original was done in bronze), size, and in some cases with variations on musculature and facial features. In all of its incarnations, The Discus Thrower is still one of the most recognizable art works in Western History.

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Discobolus of Myron. Also known as The Discus Thrower

This being the closing week of the summer show NAKED!; the figurative arts show TheGreatNude.tv wanted to take the opportunity to make sure this show was not missed. The Paul Kasmin Gallery, located in Chelsea, is showing a series of figurative works spanning a time period of over four hundred years. Although finding a commonality between the classic and ultra-modern works might seem unlikely, the gallery accomplishes it with a range of fun, serious and inspirational works.

The gallery is located at 239 10th Avenue New York, NY. Hurry to see this show though; it closes September 19th.

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Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson Le Sommeil d'Endymion, oil on canvas 14 7/8'' x 18 1/4''

David Lachapelle, Nature's Naked Loveliness, digital color c-print 97'' x 72''

Duncan Hannah, Crazy Horse Revue Dancer, oil on canvas 18'' x 14''

Mel Ramos, Rita Ritz, oil on linen 39 1/4'' x 28 3/4''

Theodoor van Thulden, Time Revealing Truth, oil on canvas 58 3/4'' x 42 1/2''