March 5, 2008
“Ten Naked Men”
Susan Singer returns to the Friend House Gallery with her series “Ten Naked Men” (formerly “Twelve Naked Men” — a few of the men are now otherwise occupied), which delves boldly into the world of the male nude, on March 14. The ten gentlemen are headless and mostly limbless, allowing the viewer to gawk at their torsos unimpeded. Drawn with pastels in strong and startling colors, they are meant to provoke reactions. Aware that female nudes are the norm, Singer wondered what would happen if males were depicted in their birthday suits. Displayed in a small room, the drawings surround the viewer with their silent yet moving stances: graceful, awkward, stolid, frail, athletic, hefty. Each is a tribute to the specific model as well as to maleness and humanity in general. There will be an Artist’s Talk at 6pm on the 14th, at which time Singer will answer questions and explain how she came to draw naked men.
Read below for the artist’s statement and to preview some of the work from the series.
Artist’s Statement
The naked body, presented straightforwardly, openly allows the viewer to gaze into its soul, to guess at its mysteries, to glean its wisdom, unhidden, unbound by the conventional mask clothing can provide.
Yet these men are not fully present despite their complete nakedness, for they have no heads, no faces, and are missing limbs. What effect does this have? Does it strip them of their soul? Or does it allow the viewer unrestricted access to their souls since there are no eyes returning their gaze to distract them? Does the viewer use this opportunity to look at the naked bodies with reverence, searching for the wisdom and mysteries within? Conversely, does the viewer want to dominate the model because he can see everything and easily judge him? What is seen firstÔø?flaws or beauty?
Adding to the curious effect of these pieces is the unusual use of color. What purpose does it serve? Does it underscore the personality of the model? Or does it alienate? Is it tied to the way Singer sees her models? Does it evoke other associations?
Should these pictures be considered pornographic because they contain male genitalia? Judy Grahn calls pornography “the poetry of oppression.” Are these men being oppressed because of how they are portrayed? “The pornographer reduces a [person] to a mere thing, to an entirely material object without a soul, who can only be ‘loved’ physically.” Is this happening in this exhibit? For us as viewers, are we voyeurs, simply curious, or awestruck? When is nakedness dehumanizing and when is it an opportunity for feeling reverence?
Friend House Gallery is located at 27 & 29 Bollingbrook St. Contact Friend House Gallery at 804-931-1370 for more information.
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