Spirited Bodies

Workshopping Stoke Newington

So long South West and we had been due North of the Thames. In Stoke Newington I mooch with my boyfriend and his pooch, and one of our breakfast spots offered an art space underneath. Spirited Bodies’ first date in N16 was Valentines Day and I had attended a talk on legal reform to improve the rights of women. It was part of Eve Ensler’s initiative – One Billion Women Rise to end violence against women. Jude Kelly, artistic director at Southbank Centre was speaking to Yvette Cooper, shadow minister for women and MP Stella Creasy who had both arrived hot from speaking in parliament about the need to push gender equality up the priority list. Violence against women is still too acceptable and needs to be addressed in schools, starting with the curriculum they argued.

I was not much of a Valentines date, rushing to my boyfriend’s then for a south Indian meal he had prepared before racing over to the workshop. Various hitches awaited – the furniture that had to be moved, the security camera to be covered up, the draft from the backdoor of the restaurant, and the heating which was not warm enough. Lucy was at a friend’s memorial service and most of the restaurant staff did not speak English. The space was good though, and regular participants were waiting for me upstairs and ready to help out. A couple of minutes after 7 we were ready for the first pose.

The theme was opposites; expansion & compression with 2 figures, each embodying one of these qualities. Then there was growing and dying, lightness and weight, falling and rescuing. This last match turned out to be 15 minutes of near agony for the models gripped as they were in a tight stretch so I felt more lenient for the next pose. The joy of connecting was the theme so that relaxed and happy expressions were evident. Finally a miniature recreation of Degas’ Young Spartans gave all the models a chance to try a 20 minute pose together. A thoroughly good evening, and as we wound down, the band was warming up in the restaurant above, surrounded by candle lit couples and unusually busy waiters.

Here are some pictures from the workshop;

There are 2 more workshops scheduled at Cafe Most Art on Stoke Newington High Street for this month; Thursdays 21st and 28th, the latter of which will be women only. We explore different types of pose and the theatrical way they may connect with others, whether with the viewer or other models. We look at the practical considerations for holding the body in various states, as well as the aesthetic value of posture. Modelling is an individual practise which must be discovered by each model for her/himself and we are here to facilitate and support.

In the Family – Spirited Bodies 10 at The Mall Feb ’13, some photos by Gil

Our recent event returned us to Spirited Bodies’ beginnings in 2010 in terms of the venue. My personal beginning in terms of my parents were also present; they were modelling for portrait.

At The Mall Galleries, most of the artists knew what to expect, though since our last collective visit we have evolved and are now entrusted to take over the whole evening’s models – not only those for shorter poses. We provided models for a long pose – recreating Michaelangelo’s ‘Pieta’, as well as a group of 7 models for some group poses, and my parents to hold the portrait pose for 2 hours.

4 models took on the long pose, recreating a classical Michaelangelo sculpture

a clothed 2 hour portrait pose is standard weekly fare for artists at Hesketh Hubbard life drawing at The Mall Galleries – but they do not normally have 2 models (& a fiddle)

I had worried in advance about the long pose – we have never asked our models to hold such a long pose before, and felt like it might be a bit much. The idea to recreate a masterpiece however I think incentivises models and adds a sense of purpose. Group posing does not happen very often, and such iconic themes, well it’s like performing Shakespeare if Shakespeare wasn’t on all the time. The models for this pose need to have some experience, and preferably a longer term interest in life modelling. It’s more than a one-off and their aptitude must be clear. A model from Nottingham was down for the session and I knew he had years of experience. For the females in the tableau there did not seem to be anyone suitable booked already so I looked among previous Spirited Bodies who I knew were taking it further. Then for the last male, the Jesus figure in fact, a late entry came in the form of a male model from Birmingham. He had contacted me about drawing at an event as he is an artist. Then it transpired he had a model who is an 82 year old woman who is keen to join us. I immediately went for her! She had a cold this time though, but he offered to step in himself, also being a model. The timing was right, and he blended very well.

this tableau has beautiful connections between the figures

For the group poses I wanted it to be simpler than in the past when we did quite a few quick poses; there were just 2 half hour poses and one hour pose. I wanted to orchestrate them as well so that everyone had an idea what they would be doing in advance. There was a pose inspired by a Poussin painting – ‘A Dance to the Music of Time’, with several figures dancing in a chain, and a couple of reclining figures, basically to create levels and leave a couple of models with well rested legs and feet for the pose immediately following. This was a scene of a king and queen addressing their court (the artists) and the other figures holding office on the bench or floor, balancing the space. After the break, this group constructed a more sculptural pose, a sort of pyramid of models. Two stood back to back on the bench, with two more sitting at their feet, and the remaining lying or leaning on the ground close by.

one of several dancing figures for a Poussin inspiration

My sister kindly stepped in to help set up the pose for my parents. It was thought that Mum would fare best lying down as she would have been sitting for the journey in the car. She has advanced MS and cannot move from the neck downwards. This gives her an immediate headstart for holding a pose, but she must consider like anyone, what she can hold for the duration. My Father sat by her, and his violin was in the picture. Playing the fiddle is very much a part of him.

We invited Gil Limor to take photographs of models, as well as with some art works. He had been with us last year in Telegraph Hill, and I had a feeling this occasion would be too good to miss photographically. He took some superb shots; all the pictures in this post are his, and we await approval for many more.

More of the artwork from the evening can be seen on our Facebook page

With thanks to all the models, artists and fellow organisers for a spectacular evening! My parents have been overjoyed with the experience, and their friends have loved seeing the pictures too.

A Little Assymetry & a simple twist

Workshops are progressing smoothly and the machine rolls on steadily. I have decided to spend more time at my home (to centre my female energies!) and am reading a book about altars that women make at home. It is apparently a long tradition that has helped to maintain women’s spirituality throughout masculinely charged times. Women from the oriental East, South America and Northern Europe have all arrived at similar practises as a means to survival of the soul. In church , mosque, temple or synangogue, only men have the divine connection (apart from a little leeway recently), women often being kept away from sacred rites. At home, however women are free to exercise their instinctive spirituality.

A collection of favourite objects, mementos of friends, loved ones and dead relatives; symbolic images both personal and universal, amassed and arranged to inspire deep connection. An entire room may be given up to being an altar, or there may be several altars in a house, each for a different purpose; or else a single altar may suffice. I started to realise that without being aware of it, I had the makings of a few altars in my home. On the mantle piece a framed photograph of my Mother on her wedding day, an old Chinese carved wooden box taken from my Grandfather’s office after he died, and lower down on the woodwork, art postcards from a Great-aunt, my Grandfather again, and by Klimt and Schiele – 2 of my Mother’s favourite artists. Then resting by the gas fire the walking stick from 2 of my plays, beads from (when I took over) my sister’s squat, and crystals and candle sticks on the hearth.

By the computer a postcard from my sister with a painting that my Grandmother embroidered and hangs in my parents’ home, a small plastic polar bear to remind me of someone I call ‘Bear’, and a chipped mug given to me by theatre directors of a show I starred in a few years back. Small shiney stones and pretty shells, a pressed sycamore wing and a found lamp from my first home away from home. Some people like to put the past completely behind them, get rid of the old and start afresh. That can be healthy too, but I see a value in all my experiences and relationships and want to cherish the love and warmth they have given me, may still give me through memory. In my bedroom another two altars await activation! The dressing table beckons, as does another fire place bedecked with choice memorabilia.

In this evening’s workshop I want to bring attention to the beauty of a little assymetry in poses, and as well the way a subtle twist can add the right amount of complexity.

Here are some images from last week’s workshop, by Rade, and further down are some memories from the beloved Mortlake Christmas experience courtesy of one of the models.

imaginary cards in a tense game to the left, and a woman in mourning (at a nude funeral)

the artists are mirrored by the models in sketching poses!

a selection of Mike's paintings in Mortlake — a selection of Mike’s paintings in Mortlake

The Last Supper where some of the diners got to lounging

Women Only Life Modelling Workshops

In response to an overwhelming majority of applications we receive to model coming from men (at last night’s workshop, 13 out of 15 new models were men), we are going to drive an initiative towards finding more women. To do this, we will programme some Women Only Life Modelling Workshops. The first 2 will lead up to International Womens’ Day – March 8th, and our event at Women of the World Festival, Southbank which will be on Saturday March 9th, 3 – 5pm in the Blue Room, Spirit Level! We can confirm that you will need a vagina to attend.

Possibly our most exciting event to date – it’s been 2 years in the making. At the 1st WoW festival I told the celebrity panel about Spirited Bodies in a bid to suggest the best way to improve womens’ lives (i.e. make them happy with and in their bodies). At this time in Spring 2011 Spirited Bodies was still just for women as it was when we started it. Jude Kelly, the artistic director responded immediately promising to host Spirited Bodies at Southbank. Annie Lennox however thought it ought to be for men too, as they had lots of pressure on them as well to look a certain way. Sandi Toksvig felt nervous about modelling herself, being in the public eye, and suggested other celebs would also. I had possibly confused the matter by stating that ideally we would find famous artists to draw so that we could auction their work to raise money for women in developing countries. Too many ideas all at once… I had 5 minutes to speak to some very influential people and I didn’t know how to contain myself.

So it’s finally happening. We are inviting some of our female Spirited Bodies who don’t mind talking about their experiences and demonstrating the modelling before we invite the audience to strip off too. We discussed the possibility of having men present and decided this is the one most appropriate place to try out just having women – and we mean artists as well this time. Men have become a big part of our events and we love it that way. But there needs to be a space to redress the imbalance. Lots of cultures segregate sexes at certain times, and sometimes this is empowering for each.

On Thursday 28th February in Stoke Newington will be our first Women Only evening (see Events) followed by a second in Brockley on Tuesday 5th March. You might want to have a go to practise in time for Southbank, or you may just fancy a friendly, comfortable place to explore femininity in all its glorious form without the distraction of the male gaze. Lucy and I cover a vast female landscape between us; please join with us to expand our womanly horizons with all your uniqueness. We welcome existing Spirited Bodies and especially new recruits. You don’t have to get your kit off, but you will be stuck with the task of drawing curve after curve, bump after buttock until your arm aches if not. Female artists are of course requested, and joking aside, posing with clothes on is fine too. We normally charge £10, but in Brockley as we are part of the Telegraph Hill Festival, we operate a ‘pay what you prefer’ system; in any case if money is a problem, do ask for an alternative. We will for example need assistance at the Women of the World Festival in (wo)manning a stall for the duration (this could actually be done by guys equally).

Here follow pictures of artwork created at yesterday’s workshop.

we spread the pictures on the floor at the end

I take the 1st pose to warm people up. Luckily the room is very warm as well

Iain captures Gil's complexity — Iain captures Gil’s complexity

group pose improvisation given theme of 'family', and using levels including one of Richard's cane's for Grand-ma — group pose improvisation on theme of ‘family’, and using levels including one of Richard’s cane’s for Grand-ma

the penultimate pose saw several of the guys creating this pose simultaneously, inspired by a Greek vase. With just a few minutes, it was very hard to capture, but looked impressive

it happened that the two female models were not dissimilar to me physically

Models Drawing Models

This is what happens in the workshop: people try modelling. Before that they try drawing. They get addicted to both. Sometimes. That’s what happened to one couple who keep coming back for more. And more. Last event they came to draw (see results below). I wanted them to pose as a couple for our next gig at The Mall, but 5:30 on a Friday in Central London was unacceptable to them. We will get them on a long pose at some point this year!