Thursday, December 25, 2008

Women

I am caught like so many, by the beauty of women. All the work I am currently planning involves a beautiful woman. I cannot help myself. This is after all a universal and timeless obsession for artists. Although the work smattered across the pages of art history books is dominated by men painting women, today the female artists of notoriety are often as inthralled by their own forms as their homo and heterosexual male counterparts. The female body is art. It just is. I won't be tiresome and attempt to explain or explore why women embody artwork, let's just accept it as true, and let me say in passing that I am grateful to get to be a part of such a renown gender.

I've always been more interested in drawing women, I think it's because the female form was much more popular in the drawing books I taught myself from, breasts are easier to get published than penises, I suppose, and of course, my own figure was always the most available for study. I've always thrown in the token male figure, some pieces need a yen and a yang, I have even attempted a few pieces with men as the sole subject, but they're pitch has always been a bit flat. the form of a woman inspires me, I identify with what or who I am creating, perhaps. Or perhaps... I don't have a good answer, and I am just tiresome in my justifications. It is tiresome to me. Justification was shoved down everyones throat at school and I'm damn sick of it. I love drawing women just because. It seems to be what I need and desire without any good reason at all. So there.

A note on the subject of men, i.e. a counter argument of the above:
I fine men delicious. I am one straight lady and I am bonafided and certified boy crazy. I love being boy crazy too, I think it's healthy and entertaining. I love to look at men, and I love to take them apart... yes in the emotional way of course, but I'm talking figuratively here... I literally mean figuratively... The male body is fantastic, I am particularly fond of mens hands and forearms, also shoulders. I could look at the male form all day, taking it apart and putting it back together. Muscle structure is always much more wonderful and easy to study on a man. But, perhaps here-in lies the problem... I'm attracted to men, I covet and attach hopes and desires to them. Women seduce me esthetically. Women seduce me the way a beautiful sunset does, only better, because this landscape contains within its gloaming light, innate sex-appeal. Men are more like joyous 2x4's to the back of my head than sunsets... the last thing I'm thinking about while examining the esthetic grace of a mans hand and forearm exposed underneath his cuffed sleeve is drawing it.

Bottom line, I'm going to be drawing women, because they keep inhabiting my ideas, but I haven't given up on getting past my twitterpations and expectations to capture the form of a man, it's a challenge with winning possibilities.

These are some of my current favorite images of women from my reference stash of online finds. Enjoy!

Also, if anything you see here infringes on copyright law it was found on public forums and likewise believed to be for public viewing. Upon notification any copy-righted material will be removed.

Image Credit:

  1. Autumn Whitehurst
  2. Coby Whitmore
  3. Raphaelite Harpies (credit unknown)
  4. Nude with spear (credit unknown)
  5. Amy Adams
  6. Sylvia Ji
  7. Kris Lewis
  8. Chiara
  9. Jean Giraud
  10. Tamara de Lempicka
  11. Tank Girl by Jamie Hewlett
  12.  Kevin Francis Gray
  13. Fashion Photograph (credit unknown)
  14. Harajuku Girl
  15. Philip Hale
  16. Adam den Haene
  17. Hashiguchi Goyo
  18. Maggie Gyllenhaal
  19. Owl Mask (credit unknown)
  20. Natalie Portman
  21. Factory worker at realdoll (adult content at this link)
  22. Egon Schiele
  23. Image from: ffffound
  24. Image from: ffffound
  25. Image from: ffffound

























3 comments:

hissingfauna said...

You should be on We Heart It if you aren't already.

http://www.weheartit.com

Unknown said...

Interesting post JP... just 20 minutes prior to reading this, I was talking with my friend and biz partner in L.A., Adam, about this... not in a lascivious way, mind you...

Yeah... we're guys... straight (but not narrow) guys. So we're biased and sometimes kinda wolfie... We were remarking on what a beautiful creation women are, artistically speaking. I said to my friend, that I hope our forms are at least 50% as interesting to women, as women are to us.

You spoke to that... but certainly didn't settle it... I have always told you, you have great taste and style. So maybe it isn't just my male bias after all regarding you and your genders pleasing countenance...

Artistically, could it be that we men are like so many boars rooting for truffles in the woods? I hope not, although we certainly can be pigs. I guess being a 2 x 4 may be better than being a wild pig. anyway... I have seen guys that are certainly remarkably attractive... aesthetically speaking. But that don't have "it"...(although, like I said, I'm biased)

It is the "spirit of woman", in women that is so interesting and attractive it seems. Not all women have it... or know it enough to know they do have it... not all women (or men) really have themselves I suppose. Not all women OR men are open to exploring who and what they are without fear of what they'll find in the way of unvarnished truths about themselves.

...and so... thank the God(s?) for artists and their explorations.

The physical form of a woman who is anchored to the power and beauty of being a woman absent the fear of what that means... very very beautiful... regardless of shape and size. I guess that is true of men and women both, if they be courageous explorers of themselves... but self exploration seems more likely to be trained out of us men folk.

I hope you will share what comes of your fascination with the forms of your sister folk-en.

You women have an extraordinary embodiment of artistic expression, unlike anything else.

Yuse guys are beautiful :) ... and yes, I am biased.

Some great pics in your roundup of images...

I hope Santa Claus brought you lovely loot, candy and good times JP

Dave

King of New York Hacks said...

Very thought provoking pictures , many more than others. Nicely done.