The female form has long been a source of artistic inspiration. Picasso, Rodin and countless other artists have used live models to create masterpieces, so it’s no wonder that the process of creating a drawing from a live nude model striking a pose is such a timeless tradition. Many art students will confess, however, that studio drawing classes with live models in art school are generally quite cold and clinical. It’s quiet, there are bright lights and the models are usually very ordinary looking amongst very ordinary backdrops. To even get this type of experience you have to be enrolled in an art school or seek out special classes.Thanks to Alex Zoppa and Mitch Fontaine and Joanna Angel’s Burning Angels.com, that’s no longer the case. I came across an invitation that discreetly advertised an erotic drawing event with live models who happened to be XXX film stars. You were to bring your own drawing materials and two glasses of wine would be provided with the $20 entrance fee. I was intrigued for many reasons, but mostly because I couldn’t imagine that an adult film star could sit still long enough to be turned into a piece of art.
The event was held last Friday at Alex Grey’s center in New York City--a truly magnificent space. Alex’s spiritual and psychedelic artwork adorn the walls and the moment you walk through the door your mind shifts to a very peaceful state. It seemed an unlikely location for this event, but that made it all the more fascinating.
The room where we were directed was quite large and dimly lit with a very inviting bedroom scene setup with some unique lighting fixtures, candelabras and tables. The vibe was hip and relaxed with the music of Portishead playing. Three very attractive Burning Angel models came out completely nude and struck and held various poses, including some that looked like they were stopped mid-scene in one of their adult movies. The packed-house of artists in attendance started blissfully sketching away. Alex Zoppa created Adult Drawing as an extension of his website www.mywhitewall.com, an online artist community. He wanted to bring artists together, but give a jolt of energy to the art scene with an irreverent event. He feels that the alternative models of Burning Angels work so well because of their unique look, which doesn’t represent the old porn cliché.
Burning Angel January Darling, the host for the evening, said that she had posed for art classes in college but enjoys “Adult Drawing” because she can add sensuality with a dominating attitude, mixing beauty with sex.
The combination of the girls, the art and atmosphere worked incredibly well and was a unique and refreshing way to spend a Friday night. I saw some beautiful sketches, including Alex Grey’s, who allowed us to reproduce one of his here.
The next "Adult Drawing" will take place on Friday, March 14th, at CoSM, 542 West 27th Street, NYC.
(Drawing by Alex Grey)
