Untitled

On the 7th day god created camera!

Amen

I do not like the realisation: the crop and the tone.

Well done and apresented.

Of course male nudes can be every bit as artistic as female nudes. The number of nude male Greek and Roman statues far outnumber the female ones. The thing is, though, that women in general don't seem to feel the need to expose their "artistic nude" selves to passerbys the way that some men do, nor do they sexually molest children or commit rape with the same frequency (<-understatement). And don't tell me those activities are statistically insignificant- I've had all three happen to me.

First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for hijacking this critique and the length and tardiness of this post. I felt compelled to write it, nonetheless.

For those who view some things as art and others not, keep this in mind: a 2004 survey of British art professionals listed Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" (a urinal, mind you) as the most influential piece of art of the 20th century. It's not really up to the viewer to deem whether or not a particular object is art, but rather is determined by the creator's intentions. If the artist intends a piece "to be appreciated primarily or solely for its aesthetic content," then it IS fine art. Furthermore, who are we to decide whether a piece of art is "good" or "bad?" Perhaps it was the artist's intention to present something that would create dissonance when viewed. However, I think that the viewer is fully within his right to express his views of art in regards to his personal tastes. Personally, I don't particularly care for modern art. That said, I find it amusing that there is a Museum of Bad Art near Boston.

Knicki:

You took the words out of my mouth (or fingers, as it were) in pointing out our reluctance, as a society, to use the proper words for a person's genitalia.

Regina:

I agree that the male body is no less beautiful. After all, each - being represented in the artist's chosen medium - is nothing more than a variety of values suggesting form which is accentuated, in some way, by light. I've always thought of Weston's "Pepper No. 30" as one of the most sensual images I've ever seen; it's definitely the most suggestive pepper I've seen.

As for the disparity between the number of nudes represented by each gender, I think it boils down to statistics. Generally, artists create works of various subject matters that appeal to them. Given that men, in some ways, tend to be affected more visually than women (read: men are "turned on" more visually by the female form than vice versa*) and are represented here in higher numbers than women - a large majority of whom are heterosexual, it doesn't really surprise me that the number of female nudes far outweighs male nudes.

Geri:

I can think of one sculpture that's pretty in-your-face, so to speak: "Iris" by Auguste Rodin.

Rev. Brent:

I completely agree that "open-mindedness is a state of being, not a religion." However, those most zealous in their beliefs of the shame of the human form also tend to be the most outspoken about the "taboo" of nudity. I would venture to guess that a majority of them are speaking on behalf of their understanding of their religion. Consequently, it appears to many, myself included, that those of strong religious convictions are usually the same people who speak vehemently against the naked form. As an aside, I always thought it was funny that one of my art professor's older brothers (both of whom are Baptist ministers) told her as she was leaving for grad school that, "No nudes is good nudes."

Bill:

Bravo!

* I had an accounting professor in college who told her class that she was "turned on" by tax, so I don't use that in a sexual context, per se.

I'm so disappointed in the comments regarding this photo. It's actually wonderful! The juxtaposition of the skin and the fabric causes just a slight delay in recognizing the penis. The viewer is confronted by the soft folds of both. The soft focus and the slight grain give a dreamlike quality to it. It's really challenging, and then beautiful. Yes, everyone likes to look at nude women, blah blah blah. I've seen many gorgeous photos of women's labia, and all the men just love them. But let's look at the photographic value rather than the sexual stimulation. We don't have to be "turned on" by it in order for it to be good art. Bill, this is a great image. Congratulations.