Modeling for Rotterdam based artist
As a visual artist I am interested in the interaction with other people; in the confrontation with the person standing (naked) in front of me, in empathically interpreting what I see (a body in a certain position) and in trying to understand what cannot be understood: how the other person is different.
I like watching people, I like the anatomy of the human body and to try to draw the tension in a pose. I like looking at a person and trying to capture their energy. I love the creative process; the endless search for the essence of what I experience, for what seems important to me and for how to represent it. I never work ‘from photos’, but only with live models. Male and female nude models fascinate me.
Collaborating on a shared creative research
I invite life models to explore their own interests and themes. What makes modeling interesting to you? What do you want to express or what would you like to discover in working with me? Together with my models I look for themes and subjects that interest us both. By looking for shared interests and by continually giving each other feedback about what we see, feel and experience, we try to make and keep our collaboration relevant for both of us. If this collaboration ultimately produces a work of art that is interesting to others, that is a bonus.
I don’t have a standard working method; this may differ from model to model or even from drawing to drawing. Just as I try to adapt my (drawing) technique to the subject and the energy I experience in my model, I want my model to be able to search for the best way to evoke that energy and keep it alive during the session.
As an artist’s model you therefore are not a passive object that comes to life through the artist’s gaze, not just a body that carries out what the artist asks, but rather a muse. I try not to impose a working method on my models, but try to look for a way of working together that allows us both to focus on the subject of the session or of the drawing, photo or sculpture we are working on.
I hope modeling can be a physical and/or emotional exploration; that while modeling you can meditate on your posture, on the sensations and micro movements in your body and on the feelings this evokes. I also hope that modeling can be a creative activity; that by modeling you can gain a deeper understanding of theme or subject discussed and that you can (together with me) look for the best way to represent our subject and express it in your body.
After each session we discuss how we experienced the session, the modeling, the creative process and the results (the progress made, the drawing, sketches or otherwise). We also discuss what we want to investigate and depict in the coming session or in a next project or piece. This way we can learn from each other and align our goals.
What kind of models am I looking for?
I love drawing male and female life models, but I always look for inspiring people to collaborate with to create art. I hope for life models with relatively good body awareness and body control, but think it is at least as important that models can think creatively themselves, can make themselves vulnerable, and want to challenge themselves physically or personally.
I don’t ask young people or students for experience, but I do ask for enthusiasm to use their body to make cool things, and for the ambition to work on that. Would you like to model for drawing, painting or for sculpture? for photography, video or live performance? Do you want to explore the physical possibilities of your body in posture and movement or are there specific feelings you find interesting, and would you like to express those emotions? Are you proud of your body and do you want to show it off or are there things you are ashamed of and wish to accept or overcome? Do you want to experiment with or shape your identity(s) or are there other physical, social or psychological themes that fascinate you? I am curious to learn about your motivation for modeling and about your ideas about what to create (with me).
When you are a bit older, I expect you to have developed physically and mentally. You know what you are capable of, what you need and what you want. You know your personal interests. You can express which themes or topics you would like to explore further as a model. I assume you have experience with creative movement (like dancing, bouldering, gymnastics, yoga, etc.) or with performing (theatre, acrobatics, ‘art performance’ or ‘modeling’). I also hope that you have a relatively slim (low-fat) body, so that the subtle (muscle) tensions in your posture are clearly visible.
Procedure
If your registration makes me curious, I will invite you for a no-obligation trial session. We will get acquainted, talk about our interests and ideas, but also get started right away. By trying out what it feels like to work with each other, by modeling and making some first sketches (or snapshots), we experience each other’s energy and atmosphere and can determine whether we want to continue working together.
Sessions usually last half a day (up to 4 hours). I can afford to pay my permanent models. At the end of each session we evaluate the session, discuss what we want to work on in the next session and make a follow-up appointment. I meet most models once a week. By collaborating over a longer period of time (months or even years), we gain more control over what we are doing and the work become more and more meaningful.
Registration form to work with artist
If you (also) wish to model for the life drawing club I organize, please visit Life Drawing Club Rotterdam. There you’ll find a separate registration form.