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''

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''

Alice Neel: Self-Portrait, 1980

This being the 40th anniversary of the “Summer of Love”, and of the concert known as Woodstock, The Great Nude felt the need to highlight the nudes of Alice Neel, one of the most independent figurative artists of the twentieth century, and an artist who’s work at this time (1960′s) reflected some of the social changes rippling through our culture.

By the end of the 1960′s Neel’s work as an artist was well known and her acceptance by the critics assured. Her career was reaching it’s crescendo, with museums and galleries lining up to exhibit her paintings. But it’s important to consider that Alice Neel started out as a woman in a man’s world under emotionally difficult if not tragic circumstances. And being a female artist who felt compelled to explore the boundaries of gender and politics, she shocked many of her peers and broke taboos with her direct and honest depictions of the nude. Her early life (and her career as an artist) was filled with many obstacles and difficulties.

We saw some of her work here in New York this summer in an exhibit at the Zwirner & Wirth Gallery. The paintings Neel produced around the 1930’s were dark and moody, a reflection of her experiences. Neel’s work at this time clashed against the social mores of this period, even by New York standards. Her paintings were often drawn from her personal experiences, where Neel’s nervous breakdown, suicidal tendencies, and subsequent internment in a mental asylum were the context from which her work as an artist began.

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Well Baby Clinic. 1928

Ethel Ashton. 1930

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Like The Spice Gallery
Brooklyn, NY
June 2009
Review by: Scott Goodwillie

Reuben Negrón‘s recent exhibit of watercolors at Like the Spice Gallery is a strong display of figurative work seen in a modern, fresh light. Negron’s use of the medium is masterful, and he uses figures to creat intimate scenes filled with a warm humanity.

For a young artist, Negrón may have found a genre he enjoys and portrays well. I look forward to seeing how else he challenges our voyeuristic nature in the future.

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I recently saw a small exhibit of delicate male nudes by of Paul P that were holding their own down in Chelsea, NYC earlier this year. Canadian born  of Paul P (1977) lives in Paris and is gaining attention as an artist. He has done numerous exhibitions since his first in 2001. Paul P’s works make excellent use of his media, blurring the line between charcoal, pencil sketch and water color, conveying movement and strong color to subject relationships throughout his pieces in the process.

Untitled-2007

A byproduct of the late twentieth century and prominent in the gay art community, his work is characteristic of those genres. Many of his figures, generally nude males of disputable age, are posed in overtly sexually posed that are dark and somber in nature. The claustrophobic undertone, seen through facial expression and body language, creates an overall sense of oppression. His ‘Untitled’ shown below suggests two persons in a sexual positioning – but no one looks happy here. I often look for universal qualities of the human condition in figurative works, but Paul P’s work seems aimed directly at/to the Gay Community.

There are of course romantic elements in Paul P’s work. However, even where Love is concerned, the artist seems to be catering to a cultural fascination; at the very least showing a strong attention to the young male form, beautiful even though the use of the figure seems politicized in the case of Paul P.

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New York based Jacob Collins is now showing at the John Pence Gallery in San Francisco. Collins, a popular realist, is known for large bodies of work in several traditionalist genres. But Collins creates beautiful figurative works that seem timeless while feeling fresh and honest. A prominent member of the Figurative Arts community in New York, Collins is involved with many projects, having founded the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Water Street Atelier, where he holds classes with an intimate selection of students.

Collins nudes are strikingly realistic, intimate portraits that show the figures in intimate settings. Often in dramatic poses are naturally lit, his work always seems to glorify the human form as dignified conduits of human grace. His technique is not over-elaborate, his focus on emotion conveyed through body language and the pensive nature of his subjects. By being true to the human form and focusing on the precise details of each composure, Collins is able to create strikingly beautiful works, complex only through the communication accomplished through their simplicity.

Candace 2006

Collins not only works in nude painting but landscapes as well, conveying the same tranquil beauty and elegance as his human forms. To see an additional article with more information on Collin’s Water Street Atelier and home life from The New York Times, click here.

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Male Nude 2006

Reclining Nude 2006

Adult Drawing
A Zoppa Brothers Production

April 18th, 2009
Video Posted: May 1, 2009

The Zoppa Brothers’ Adult Drawing event features a collection of eclectic and exotic models posing for artists in a hip setting with excellent house music. This is not your grandmother’s Art Student’s League sketch class! Featuring the Girls of Burning Angel & Special Guests!

TheGreatNude.tv was there as director Jeffrey Wiener sketched the night away, producing several drawings that will be featured in upcoming Sketch Session tutorial videos.

Adult Drawing: A Zoppa Brothers Event

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Blush, on view at the Florench Lynch Gallery

Guess whose coming to dinner? She’s big, she’s bold and she’s beautiful and has a way of staring at you that you don’t mess with. The new painting “Blush” by Australian artist Annette Bezor at the Florence Lynch Gallery in Chelsea just might prove the axiom that size does indeed matter. When you stand in front of a large Bierstadt or one of Frederic Church’s paintings, they take you in with an all encompassing embrace. Being in front of this work is a more disquieting experience – what the shows catalog describes as having your voyeurism exposed.

In the process of lifting her leg to reveal her genitalia she stares out at the viewer in a manner which tells you she’s done this plenty of times before and doesn’t care what you think. There’s a difference between nude and naked and this is absolutely the latter! A comparison has been made to the hollow gaze of Manets’ “Olympia” Looking at the two works, yes the eyes are hollow, but that’s where the similarity ends. Olympia seems tired of us and covers herself with her left hand while Bezor’s gal is more catlike. The pose of the foot and the clasped hands tell us this, maybe she’s waiting for us to make a move, but her movement has already begun. Her look is not as benign, as if anyone with hollow eyes can be benign.

The title of the work is “Blush” and I’m damn sure it doesn’t refer to the model in her outsized nakedness, but rather how it catches us off guard when first encountering it. Do we come in close to take it all in, inch by inch? Or maintain a polite distance while being ever followed and dared by those judgmental eyes. Bezor succeeds in pulling the rug out from under our feet.

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One of Pearlsteins transitional works from 1965

A rarified handful of artists in history are known for full variations in personal style and technique, think Picasso, which style fit him best? All. Most of us go through experiments and variations while only having one which publicly defines us and by which all our other work is judged. So it’s nice to see this new offering of Philip Pearlstein’s work in such an encompassing way. I’ve always liked his “signature style” even though it often felt claustrophobic and gave me pangs of anxiety. Where do I start to look in one of his paintings and where the hell can I rest my eye?

Interesting how what seems so common now was initially viewed as a daring step in his career. He was already in his late thirties by the time he settled on depicting the nude – stripped bare if you will – of all encumbering luggage and meaning. Certainly no intimacy, no matter how close you are to the figure. It was a body in the age of Minimalism. Not classically painted, but in a definitive way which was unmistakably his. His figures were arranged in a closely cropped rectangles, and the flesh handled with layers of painted tone – like strata examined in a geological survey. His use of color never varying much in tonality – a red rug has as much validity as the model seated upon it. This is the Pearlstein as we know him.

What’s so enjoyable and surprising to see in this exhibit are the paintings that show Pearlstein experimenting with various styles, such as his intense expressionist depiction of superman with such turbulent brushstrokes. I’m ready to attach my carriage to it and go for a ride. Always have been more a fan of realism, but some of these paintings just feel fun, not just in subject matter but the way they’re rendered.

So while I understand the critics need to point to the singular contribution he has made to art history, I’m happy to see the many roads he could have taken but decided not to. Its a process all artists can understand. Intimately.

On view at the Montclair Art Museum , Montclair, New Jersey – through Feruary 1st 2009

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The Great Nude Presents Sketch Sessions: Miami

South Beach, Florida
Friday December 5 and Saturday December 6 from 7 – 11 p.m.

FIGURATIVE ARTISTS!

Join us for an evening of drawing and painting from live nude models during the Art Basel Miami festivities. Professional models will be posing in a tropical set accompanied by music, drinks and a hot Miami vibe. Guests can sketch or paint with art supplies provided by The Great Nude.

For more information and to RSVP please contact [email protected] or subscribe.