Paradigm Shift

The nude, or the naked body, is something natural.  We all have experience with the naked body.  We are born naked.  When we bath, we wash our naked bodies.  Some admire their own form in the mirror.  Others are ashamed by it.  Regardless of how we feel about our own nudity or that of others expressed through art, the human nude is completely natural, pure, and a part of who we are.  It is our society that has clothed the body.  It is our society that has blinded us from our natural form.

Society’s reaction to the nude can at times be shortsighted by the simple fact that it is a nude.  The installation Michael McGrath’s sculpture titled “Paradigm Shift” earlier this year caused controversy for some due to its nature. The bronze sculpture of a nude woman crouching was installed on June 12th at the Burien/ Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) in Seattle Washington.  The primary concern seems to stem from the fact that the art space is outdoors and easily accessible by anyone including children.  The art space is adjacent to a new library which further concerns parents.

The nudity of this sculpture is very tastefully done.   The work is exquisite.  I have a particular soft spot for work of this level of accuracy and detail.  There is no attempt to idealize the female nude.  Instead, the sculpture is honest in its representation.  The woman is crouched with her legs apart not to expose herself but to assume a more naturally balanced position.  Her right arm drapes down and covers her sex.  Her left arm is bent, her elbow resting on her thigh and her hand touching her chin in a very pensive manner.  The statue reminds me of Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker” not because it mimics the iconic nude male thinker, but because like Rodin’s statue, McGrath has powerfully depicted an emotion or cognitive process we can all relate to, i.e. being lost in thought or thinking.

Art is interesting and powerful in its ability to provoke emotions and reactions.  The nude has long stood at the center of controversy.  I would hope that as we progress in our understanding of our very nature that we can come to not only accept but cherish works that reflect and celebrate our physical selves.