U N D R E S S E D - take off one’s clothes, the state of being naked or only partially clothed. Oxford dictionary online
N A K E D - without clothes, without the usual covering or protection, expressed openly; undisguised, exposed to harm; vulnerable: Oxford dictionary online
"Ruth Barcan, a scholar engaged in gender studies, recorded the musings of a female nude model in her book Nudity: to the model, nude sounded more "proper and artistic," and the word naked meant "earthly". She went on to say that, nevertheless, she preferred the word naked, as she viewed it as closer to her physical body and nude was a more of a mind-based concept." Lamp Dress, Undress, Clothing, and Nudity
I agree with Barcan's statement of preferring the use of naked because she affiliated this state with her own personal relationship to the word. There is a certain element of relation to the words naked and nude its through this relation that confusion occurs, we as humans can not avoid being naked we must partake in daily cleaning and dressing etc.
When thinking of clothing for the body that communicates nakedness I can't help but use the word nude and I think this comes about due to my processes lacking an actual human through research, I work in a way that I only include the form of the female only her torso, I have no need to personalise it by including a face, faces become to much a focal point and the respect in relation to the clothing is lost in a personalisation of it.
The confusion in Art comes about through the inclusion of a figure, a face, and thus the assumed personality of the female. It's like porn, what makes porn? Is porn still as shocking when you take away the face of the model? I believe porn has a stigma due to the nature in which it is viewed but if the same image was viewed in an art gallery it would be seen as Art. I feel like most of the time people only consider some things as Art because they are told it is such. People lack their own identity and confidence to reject the idea's that are given to them. This blindness is what gives shrouds Nakedness in such a negative light. Parents protect their children from it, we have ratings on movies to warn us of it and yet we are all allowed to walk into an art gallery to view 'Art' of which is of the Naked and Nude human form.
Are we embarrassed of our own bodies and is that what makes up scared of others, are we scared of this truth, or are we scared that the masks we wear everyday will be removed for ever if we reveal ourselves?
Lamp explains how nudity is viewed as an embarrassing state and is often seen as "primitive". If we as humans in western society deem nakedness as primitive the act of making love must also be viewed as primitive the act of conceiving and bearing a child must also be seen as primitive because these are all things that we must do in nakedness. I understand however that this idea of nakedness being primitive comes about through the need to dress and how in to days society the means in which to acquire clothing is easy and there is no need or reason to be naked because it is so easy not to be so.
"Adam and eve entered the world naked and unashamed-naked and pure-minded. And no dependent of theirs has ever entered it otherwise. all have entered it naked, unashamed, and clean in mind....'Modesty' has no standard, and cannot have one, because it is opposed to nature and reason and is therefore a artificiality and subject to anyone' s whim" Mark Twain, Letters from Earth
Modesty is a topic I haven't yet even considered but the idea is so crucial in understanding nakedness and nudity. I don't actually know know why i keep referring to these words as two different things essentially they are the same but I would prefer to use the word Nude in my work as apposed to referencing the naked human being.
Modesty is a personal, social, cultural or religious view on the state of nakedness.
Gustav Klimt Nuda Veritas 1899
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton
Can these Images be seen as PORN or ART, considering both Newton and Klimt are artists.The images below are considered Porn because they are positioned on playing cards from a sex shop, but if placed in a different environment are they really still Porn or can they be considered as Art?
Lovely Porn card provided by Condom Kingdom
Lovely Porn card provided by Condom Kingdom
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