The Wild Highlander

Contains Nudity but only Classic Art

It is only fair to point out that even though it would be verging on the perverse to find these images titillating, if you have an aversion or prohibition, for any reason, concerning the  viewing of artistically naked female bodies, then this post is not for you. Before you ask… we  have no problem with our children seeing them.

I have been interested for many years in addressing some form ideas I have had for taking images of the naked female form. It was inspired by images I fell in love with 30 years ago by Edward Western of Sweet Peppers. The smooth contours and non-geometric shapes that contrast with everything that we humans bring to the world. To learn a bit about the trade I was lucky enough to be accepted on to a one day seminar with Trevor and Faye Yerbury – legends, heroes and all round nice people. If you did  not know – they are the most famous classic nude photographers functional in UK today.

Edinburgh-based, they have a meeting of minds that gives comfort where ever they go. Trevor is a multi-award winning, fourth generation photographer and Faye is a creative force who has won her own photographic credentials as well as lecturing on hair styling and make up. They have been shooting fine art editions of nudes for over 30 years and have their work in galleries and private collections around the world. So who better to introduce one to the …so not …very simple art of the classic female form.

Female form is a part of all our visual heritage in the West. From middle european objects of strength to west european objects of beauty – who knows where it will develop next.

Photography has certainly led the vanguard in presenting  an equality in form as a social norm. Mapplethorpe might have been shocked yet delighted, to see how main stream he has become. But we are not setting out to shock here – just to share…

We met at the Travelodge on a cool and windy Tuesday and drove to Maunsel House, a popular location for the Yerbury Education programme. I have to say – a perfect venue – It feels at once homely and exotic. The house is like one large film set with character built into every nook and cranny. Even the courtyard with its tatty brickwork, old slumping coach house and myriad flittering white doves all screams ‘FILM SET’ at the top of quiet country lungs.

We were a small group of strangers and to be honest, we largely stayed that way. Some beginners, some not so. One girl – whose name I forget as usual – had won her place in a national competition. Trevor did not tell us until the very end. He thought it would put her under pressure.

I have to say that she was modest and did not mention her win – but I also have to say that I was lucky enough to be in the same mini-group as her in the afternoon and I was very impressed. She just had a gentle knack of working with the girls that was focused and determined. She hardly wasted a shot and created some poses of note.

I mention this as I have to confess I was struggling.

There is something of a suspension of disbelief required for this type of photography – not as a viewer but as a photographer. T

he girls were amazing and  are professional and fun – beyond embarrassment. It is just that this stupid thought kept popping into my mind – why?  It just does not compute (you can see that I am obviously I am an artist mired in logic!).  Why would a person stand naked against a tree or in an empty hallway?

It is kind of counter intuitive to suggest that it is erotic as there is little erotic about it for any of the parties concerned either in the making or the wiewing.

It rarely acts as a frozen moment full of clues to some fascinating, erudite or saucy story. It is just what it is.

And that makes it slightly confusing. For many of us art is a triumph of our abilities to explain our belief and our talent over our self-belief.

Visual Form, of itself,  is often a tantalising race against understanding – a shape ,or part thereof, that reveals eventually (depending on your individual visual prowess), the underlying nature of the object. At its very best it manages this whilst removing obvious signposts. But this medium does not even do that…

So I found myself without any of my common markers and none of the bricks and mortar I use to compose,  struggling with the bones of Nude FineArt : Tree, Girl, Camera – Shocked looking postman driving past – No idea of direction and a conundrum of purpose.

How many ways do I ask her to wrap herself around, over, under , around, through, around, up, beside, along this tree before we both get bored or submit to chatting and not shooting.

It is not that I don’t know what to ask her to do next. It is because I don’t know why I am asking at all!

So ( and despite these unvoiced anxieties – is it possible that I think too much), we started shooting and no-one could have been more un-judgmental and kind than Trevor and Faye.

But some things remain the same. If you have been in a scrum of photographers on a course you will know that there is always some selfish twat who takes the obvious prime spot and sits there clicking away until all the poses have finished.  We had one of those but annoyingly he was not a twat. He was a charming Irish press guy who just naturally moved to prime every time. It was in his blood. So apart from a few snipes about road hogs I left well alone. It was not deliberate.

We had great weather, shot inside and out and had a light but sufficient lunch before the afternoon challenge which brought all my personal issues to a head. Choose your own location for a shoot.

Now if you are remotely indecisive you will find Maunsel House a nightmare. Me – I could not make my mind up until doomsday so I was on the back foot here.

However, my take away from this session was keep it simple – so simple you don’t even know why.

I tried to make a little story, adding a smidgeon of sauce and a hint of derringdo by setting up the natural light bath shot. You know – the old stumbled across a willing chambermaid  and could not resist her wiles, type of fantasy. It worked ok but I was now straying from the path and it does not look like a fine art nude – it looks saucy and edwardian – more titillating and personal.

So we went outside for the second half of our ‘find  a location’ task and found myself in Hell.

What do I do now.I am in the Arbour and I can only see real life in my head. I cannot see the image at all.

I can see this as a great area for potting bulbs, of standing outside with a pal lucky enough to still smoke while he drags the rough edges away from his life and lets nicotine keep him from floating too close to reality. But why would a girl stand here nude?

So I finally realised by what a huge margin I had missed the point. This is not about life, it is about pure form.

Life loses its meaning and reduces to form.

The Fine Art Nude photography is simply taking one of the most atavistic examples of natural and desirable form. A form that contrasts comfort, succour and purpose with the randomness, angularity and hardness of structure and environment.

Ulorin Vex knows that. She put body and soul into creating this image. In this last shot I was just the recorder. She created the pose, she held the pose. I just pottered about until I could make sense of it.

If you are thinking about going on one of Trevor and Faye’s courses I recommend it. You will learn alot and their skill is letting you learn from yourself as much as from them. It is a fascinating way to learn and I am greateful for the experience.

3 Comments to Contains Nudity but only Classic Art

1. 

   What a wonderful account of the day! And the images are beautiful! Thankyou!
christiane on June 5th, 2009
2. 

   Just caught up with the Ross. Delighted that you enjoyed the day but more importantly what you discovered for yourself which is almost as important as making great images.

   Hope to see you again.

   Kindest regards

   Trevor & Faye
Trevor Yerbury on August 24th, 2009
3. 

   Self- discovery is on-ongoing. Looking forward to next steps.
   Thanks for the comments
   Ross
wildhighlander on August 24th, 2009

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