The Naked Truth ....

.... here there is one of my recent work on dry pastels, most often when people see my paintings , they either cringe or flip them .Is it any form of transgressions to create a naked or nude  painting .

“It is an artist  responsibility to educate and art illiterate , that if an  artwork is created for the viewer’s pleasure, it is termed a ‘nude’. And if the artist uses the body as a storytelling device to depict emotional , social, political and gender conditions, then it is termed a ‘naked’ depiction of the body.”

Conversationally, naked and nude are pretty much interchangeable. However, many people, especially in the artistic community, do say there are differences. The differences are ....

Nude: To be without clothes, or bare, in a setting that the subject feels safe and comfortable, and they are not being represented in a sexually accessible manner. They are unclothed bodies that are intended to represent natural beauty, not to create impulses. Naked on other hand is to be 

without clothing, or bare, in a setting that the subject would be embarrassed, left feeling exposed and defenseless, or to be presented in a sexual manner.

If anyone who would  have visited visited the temple of Khajuraho or seen miniature Kangra paintings could not have missed the depiction of men and women in amorous scenes, Though naked ,nude art is ubiquitous in india an element or realism is always  dismissed

Naked art has even  created controversy for great masters.Art is always ahead of time. Tomorrow they will understand it,” said MF Husain

 Once (2010 ) i had an argument with an unknown  person who saw my paintings on orkut. she was accusing me has being obsessed with the Bosom. Nude art is a part of academic teaching in art , 

"Who decides what is vulgar or not. It is a very important question, a art lover would admire the nuances and intricacy in an art work and a pervert would bend the deciphering to his or her convenience with a nefarious agenda.

In my humble opinion  people should appreciate art with sensibility to discriminate between Nudity and Pornography.

For me art is for art sake. I was inspired by a female artist who had once exhibited her male nude painting.Can i brand her lascivious or nymphomaniac ? I witness my fellow female artist who potrays female nudes receiving controversial comments on social platform.

I am a health care professional i have come across medical literature with human structural antomy , would any one shun it by branding it nude or naked?

  Nude, naked art is a visual art form , the nude dates to the beginning of art with the female figures called venus figurines  from the late stone age.

 Nude and naked art has always been facinated by artists of all generation and they have handled it in different ways. Nudity wasn't acceptable during christian era only men were allowed to pose in the  disguise of a women. For me, I portray feminism in my art and bosoms are the straight forward emotion of feministic portrayal , it can portray motherhood , it can portray love, it can portray lust and it can portray passion.It can also be conveniently used as a metaphor. To me  nude is like a convenient form of mediation and as an artist i  embrace the peace from it. When it is divinity its just worship and nude is an art ..celebrate it.

 Just appreciate  the art in it without categorising and dissecting it morally.

When we respect the nude, we will no longer have any shame about it.

                          - Robert Henri

கோயில் சிற்பங்களில் நாம் விரசம் கொள்வதில்லை , அச்சிற்பிகளை மதி கெட்டவனாக பார்ப்பதில்லை.ஏன் துகில் நீத்த ஓவியங்களை மட்டும் புறகணிக்க வேண்டும்.இவைகளும் ஓவியமே. ஒரு சராசரி மனிதனை சலன பட செய்வதும்,சிலர் என்னை சாட செய்ததுமே இவோவியங்களுக்கு கிட்டிய வெற்றி என்று பெருமிதம் கொள்ள நினைகிறேன்.

-Artist Amal mohan