Ideally for a nicely balanced life drawing group, the organisers and models should not outnumber the artists 4:1. That’s how it looked fleetingly when Esther and I arrived at The Finborough Arms for an afternoon of duo modelling. We were welcomed warmly by Aless and Mandy, who run the group, and said ‘hi’ to the then-lone artist seated in one corner. Happily, more joined us.
While many groups hold sessions every week, this one is monthly and perhaps loses a little momentum between times. If so that’s a shame because the basement setting is excellent: a small spotlit stage for models, candles on tables, atmospheric crimson décor, plus cheese and wine for the peckish. There’s always an intriguing playlist too, heavy on 60s and 70s counterculture this time around.
We provided five poses that began with 10-minutes standing, followed by 20-minutes of Esther seated on a bench with me by her feet, my hands upon her; to end the first half, I sat upon the bench with my arms wrapped around Esther as she stood in front of me for 20-minutes. After a break we both straddled the bench for half an hour, and finally Esther stood while I looked up to her for the closing 20-minutes.
It was a gentle, comfortable afternoon. Esther and I continue refining our duo poses to keep them interesting, tastefully intimate and sustainable without pains, numbness or imbalance. The Moon and Nude team, who organise the session, remain a pleasure to work for. Any artist who missed drawing us this time around can catch us when we return on the last Saturday in October, from 3pm. See you there!
“GO NUDE OR GO HOME” shouted the sign, adding provocatively: #getnudenow. The innocent barista at Nude Espresso who chalked those words on a board outside their Soho Square café probably didn’t anticipate that guerrilla naked-art performers might be passing that day, but when photographer Matt Granger invited volunteer models to join him at the square, there could be only one outcome…
Ropemakers Field
I’d begun August 2015 in the Netherlands as part of Matt’s group poses outside the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Come the middle of the month, he’d returned to London for photography workshops and two further mass nude urban shoots. These would be his first in the capital since the previous year’s gathering on the Millennium Bridge. Shoot number one would be early on 14 August, at Ropemakers Field.
“SHOOT 1: Friday 14 August 2015, 5:45am at Ropemakers Field, Westferry. Meet at the entrance off Brightlingsea Place – Street View. Timeline: 5:45 to 6:00, meet and complete image consent forms; 6:00 to 6:30, shoot in a few locations; 6:30, expected completion.” Seven of us answered the call and mustered beneath pale misty skies in the deserted park. We bantered, building in anticipation, and then we undressed.
Our merry band included my friends Natansky and Nefretari, who had both been part of the Millennium Bridge shoot – plus Mike and Stan, with whom I’ve shared many a project. We spaced out in a line on a path around the field to begin, and then ranged similarly across the grass. It wasn’t a cold morning and, despite the emergence of a few passers-by, we were happy to take our time.
In due course, we moved to the main walkway through the space and posed in three pairs, chatting, while the seventh nude either sat on a bench or rode a bike between us. These were my favourite set-ups. Finally, we regrouped in a bandstand for poses as a V-formation. Passers-by continued to be non-plussed by our nakedness – such is life in London – but there would be no ignoring us in three days’ time.
Soho Square
“SHOOT 2: Monday 17 August, 15:00 at Soho Square. Meet at the entrance off Frith and Greek Streets – Street View. This will involve some body paint – nothing heavy, more like finger paint. Timeline: 15:00 to 15:15, meet and complete image consent forms; 15:15 to 15:30, very basic body paint – I will bring wet wipes; 15:30 to 16:00, shoot in a few locations; 16:00, expected completion.”
We assembled and waited to see if others would join us. The call-out had generated a lot of interest among nude-art enthusiasts yet disappointingly only ten of us turned up. Natansky, Mike and Stan were back; my good friend Louise came too, also Steve and Ian from the Millennium Bridge; Paula the Nude Nomad and two photo pros completed us. The square was packed so we stripped, painted and posed in a side street first.
Tucked away in Sutton Row, we were observed only by remote pedestrians and a site full of delighted builders. The stakes increased considerably, however, as we marched out into the heart of the square. It doesn’t get much more public, but I don’t think any of us gave a thought to dropping out. Matt was not alone in taking photographs as we arranged our poses – mid-afternoon in the middle of London.
Nobody challenged us and, despite the city being flooded with CCTV, police could not be bothered to investigate. That’s how it should be – we were merely making art. With this shot, our work here was done… till someone saw the Nude Espresso chalkboard. It was simply too tempting. Matt went inside to get permission, other customers were cool with it, so we went ahead and followed the instruction: #getnudenow!
It seemed our permission may not have come from the senior ranks as in due course a flustered manager emerged, pleading for us to cover up. We obliged, and all bought coffees or cake as a show of goodwill. It could have been great publicity for them, but sadly the café is no longer there. All that remain are our memories of two great photo shoots, and the striking images that Matt captured last summer. Wonderful times.
In the autumn of 2014, ahead of my first guerrilla-style nude urban photo shoot with Matt Granger, I posed the question: how far should we push it?
“Those of us who gladly shed our clothes for art, or for the causes in which we believe, or simply for the joy of it – how far do we take our nudity in public? We don’t set out to cause offence, and we don’t believe the naked human form is intrinsically offensive anyway, yet we know people get upset at the sight of it. This can be felt at a deep personal level, not merely the reflection-by-rote of religious or societal conventions. So how far should we push it?”
When Matt announced his return to Europe in 2015 for a series of photo shoots and workshops, my question had simplified to: how far should I travel for it? He would be shooting in Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Manchester and London. For me, now, there is almost no limit to how far my enthusiasm might carry me. I said I would participate happily in each and every one of them.
The plan
Confirmation emails were returned to me for both Amsterdam and London, with the Amsterdam shoot set for 1 August 2015. This being a Saturday, I worked out I could put in a full shift at the day job on Friday, then take an overnight coach from London, arriving at the Dutch capital the following morning; do the shoot in the early evening, stay at a hotel for one night, and get a return coach on Sunday. Simple.
Matt emailed: “about the group nude shoot I have planned for Saturday 1 August, from 9pm. I ask that everyone meets at 845pm at the front of the water fountain […] I want to shoot it at the Rijksmuseum, having people standing like statues in the water, just at sunset […] once the light is right and there is no security nearby, everyone strips, runs in, we shoot in under 10 seconds, then clothes on and leave.”
The journey
There were delays from start to finish on my journey to the Netherlands. The 9pm coach from London didn’t depart till nearer twenty to ten. When it boarded a Dover ferry for a 2-hour crossing to Dunkirk, the departure time was a quarter to three in the morning. Only in France did I yield wholly to slumber, sleeping right through Belgium and waking just before Utrecht. Arrival at Amsterdam came a little after 9:40am.
Pavement art in the red light district.
Feeling the love at Dam Square.
Body art busking in Dam Square.
I made my way to the central station, from where I would drift slowly southward to the Rijksmuseum. As I meandered from the red light district, to Dam Square, through the Begijnhof, and on to Amstel Canal, I noticed the city seemed to be in particularly festive mood. Unbeknownst to me – and, as it transpired, to Matt too – we were in the midst of Amsterdam Gay Pride.
The colours were out and, on this glorious sunny day, the atmosphere was fantastic.
Celebration worthy of Champagne ice cream.
Canal pride…
…doesn’t get much prouder than this.
When at last I wrenched myself from the party, I headed direct to the Rijksmuseum and located the fountain where I was to meet Matt later. As children were playing in its waters, I assumed at least this part of our shoot wouldn’t be an arrestable offence. Rather than wait around too long, I strolled through the Vondelpark and onwards to find my hotel; to check-in, freshen up and rest a while before returning.
In the shadow of the Rijksmuseum.
A very public fountain.
Entirely random, with a nearby Miffy.
The shoot
It was 8:20pm when I found Matt and half a dozen others gathered near the museum. Bathed in the natural light of a bright summer’s evening, the whole public space remained busy with people. Matt had been hoping to stage a smaller nude shoot ahead of the main event but, to everyone’s great annoyance, a policeman persisted in loitering a short distance from our spot.
With the light beginning to fade and no sign of our vigilant officer leaving his post, the pre-shoot plan was abandoned and we moved to our primary location. Others joined us, yet still we numbered just seven participants. We became eight when a chap arrived with his girlfriend and stripped to a mankini so she could photograph him in the fountain; Matt asked if he would like to go the whole way with us, and he agreed.
Come 9pm the light was right, the policeman had gone, and we could begin. One of our number took off his shoes and stood in the fountain so Matt could get his settings. Next we all followed suit so he could organise us positionally. It was a little slippy underfoot but we were only shin-deep in water. We practised two simple set-ups then waded ashore, ready for the real thing.
Matt gave us his final assurance that there would be no hard feelings if anyone wanted to back out. Nobody did. We all stripped naked and splashed back to our places. First we were photographed looking directly into the camera; secondly we turned 45° and stood with our eyes closed; and finally, as a bonus shot, we raised our arms and gave a big cheer.
The conclusion
By twenty past nine we were done and dressed. We’d signed model release forms before we started but Matt collected four more from some young British lads who’d been sitting in shot on the fountain’s edge throughout. They even joined us in the arms-up cheer at the end. They’d added another dimension to our shoot, and we’d added another dimension to their weird weekend in Amsterdam.
Matt invited everybody for beers afterwards but lack of proper sleep, at last, had the better of me. Although at any other time I would have accepted gleefully, this night I retreated through the wreckage of the city’s big party to crash into my much needed bed. Next morning trains took me back to the coach station, and I was on my way to London a bit after 10:30am.
There were stops at Utrecht, Antwerp, Gent and Bruges, plus a couple at motorway service stations before the coach boarded its Eurotunnel train exactly ten hours after leaving Amsterdam. The journey ended at London Victoria coach station around half-past eight in the evening, and I was home within another two hours – a lot of travelling for a 20-minute shoot.
Of course it was worth it! Even without the shoot, just to be back in the Netherlands for the first time in more than 14 years, and to stumble into that wonderful hedonistic spirit, was superb. Plus, after Sion in 2013 and Berlin in 2014, I’m starting to enjoy the idea of participating in at least one art project abroad each year. Those 20-minutes will sit well among a lifetime’s recollections.
And the London shoots were still to come…
“Devour her!” hissed the Devil. Momentarily, from behind my white half-face mask and long red tresses, I must have stared blankly at this monstrous black figure. He hissed again with greater urgency: “Devour her!” and pointed at the broken figure of Misumun, her clothes torn away, crawling slowly from the evil freaks. As his acolyte I was bound to obey. I sprang naked from the stage and feasted greedily upon the fallen geisha.
This was but one weird moment amongst many at The Underdog on 27 August 2016 when Club Hell took residence for the night as part of Come to the Sabbat Festival of Dark Arts. I was among the cast for a performance of Monsterlune’s Tales of Lunar Madness. When I arrived at the venue a little before 6pm, Starsha Lee – the headline band – was preparing a ferocious rehearsal.
Tales of Lunar Madness was scripted and designed by Estelle Riviere Monsterlune: “monstrous hermaphroditic phantasmagorias, excreted by the cavernous mind of Mme Monsterlune; a surreal hallucinogenic tale of geishas, human sacrifice, demonic black magic, mutant babies and brephophagy.” There would be fourteen of us performing the tales. First, however, came Suri Sumatra and the Flaming Nuns from Sapphos…
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
The Flaming Nuns had left us in wimples and piety; when they returned to our chaotic carnival backstage they were topless and dripping with sugary blood. Meanwhile, Ben Hell – psychotronic sound and vision maestro of resurrected Club Hell – was preparing for forthcoming Monsterlune madness, with the Winter Quartet finely strung and ready to perform a live Danse Macabre. Our swelling audience massed blackly.
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
Anticipation was rising. Our backstage area was comfortable enough, but served as a foyer for public toilets so we had a constant stream of curious visitors. There was also a tiny attic space stuffed with drum kits, plus our deluxe rider of wine, crisps and nuts. Soon enough the freaks got into costume, while Adam – my fellow acolyte – and I got out of ours. Estelle was somehow holding it all together.
© Lou Looby Love
© Lou Looby Love
At last: show time! Adam and I seethe onto stage first; next comes Joe, the bondage human table; then finally Estelle as geisha Misumun beneath a veiling black umbrella. Behind us Ben projected the blood and flowers film we recorded two months earlier. Estelle performs black magic, selling her soul to the Devil for eternal youth. Enter the exotic demon Suri Rangda – there is evil dance… Misumun is to be flayed.
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Lou Looby Love
© Lou Looby Love
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
We leave the freshly flayed Misumun alone in her torment, hallucinating a succession of nightmarish visions. Now the freaks will enter, one or – in the case of the conjoined twins – two at a time. This is a superb showcase of Estelle’s extraordinary costumes and the imaginative talents of those inhabiting them. Finally the demon returns… with a hermaphrodite… who gives birth to many children… for Misumun to eat.
© Lou Looby Love
© Lou Looby Love
© Lou Looby Love
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Philip Seargeant
© Lou Looby Love
Upon conclusion of the dark parade and sacrifice of babies, there is a second-coming for me and Adam, this time escorting the Devil himself. With measured ceremony, the Devil takes his throne and calls for Misumun to be his wife. She enters once more, an outrageous bride accompanied by a shower of freaks. The marriage is celebrated, but the Devil’s hunger is not sated by a mere soul…
© Lou Looby Love
© Lou Looby Love
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Lou Looby Love
© Philip Seargeant
© Philip Seargeant
“Devour her!” hissed the Devil. Geisha Misumun, stripped and torn by the multitude of creatures, is to be eaten. I am first to jump upon her; others soon follow. Chaos reigns yet our hitherto silent audience knows this feasting is the denouement. They drown us in enthusiastic applause; as an unchoreographed rabble we quit our meal and stagger from their presence, leaving Estelle abandoned semi-naked on the floor.
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
© Satanic Mojo – Facebook gallery
Backstage it was party time. Everyone could let down their hair, masks, tentacles and umbilical cords. It’s been a pleasure to immerse in the weirdly fantastical Monsterlune world this year and gradually get to know its inhabitants a little better. This night I was due elsewhere, however, so whilst Estelle was still outside being shibari rope-bound, I began dressing in readiness for an early exit.
I got into my clothes, Estelle got out of her ropes and I was able offer congratulations and farewells before leaving. Farewell, too: Delphine, Elodie, Erika, Joe, Sarah, Steve, et al. On my way out I passed Ben in the doorway and shared a final fleeting moment of laudation and reassurance. He’d presented a stupendous environment within which Estelle fashioned truly fabulous tales. Bravo, les freaks magnifiques. Bravo!
I have to stop losing umbrellas. For years I had relied on those little fold-up umbrellas available from pound shops, but when exposed to anything greater than a stiff breeze they would succumb forever. Deciding this to be a false economy I began investing in more expensive ones. The problem now is I keep leaving them at life drawing venues, as was the case after a recent long pose session at the Garrett Centre.
I was returning for the Friday night group run by Adrian Dutton. Upon arriving, I went backstage to change into my gown, leaving my umbrella beside my clothes. We were soon underway with quick poses: 5-minutes standing, another 5-minutes standing (as above), 5-minutes kneeling, and 10-minutes sitting on the floor. Then the first half-hour of the standing pose that would carry us through the evening.
Our tea-break overran but I wasn’t complaining. Upon resuming after the interval there was an hour to go. I remained on my feet throughout and was invited to take a stretch every 20-minutes – an invitation I gladly accepted. When the session ended, I quickly dressed and hurried back to the main room to take photos of the artworks. And in my haste I forgot the brolly. D’oh! It had been a good evening… but not profitable one.
It was the day after France’s highest administrative court suspended a ban on ‘burkini’ swimsuits, which was imposed in a Mediterranean coastal town. Two days before that came the nauseating sight of armed French police forcing a Muslim woman to remove clothing on the beach at Nice. I am against any State telling women what they can or can’t wear; I am also against cultural, societal or religious tradition pressuring women to dress in ways they might not otherwise choose. Meanwhile, in Hackney…
…Esther and I had been invited to be one of two demonstration duos modelling at the Hackney Down Free Festival – an event run by The Star by Hackney Downs pub, where I’ve been a Tuesday night life model on many occasions. It seemed unlikely we could be nude in the centre of an outdoor family fun day so Catherine Hall, who runs Drawing the Star, suggested we pose in our swimwear. Esther stripped to her bikini and I kept my trunks on. No problem… or so we thought.
We were a long way from the French Riviera, yet even in laid-back liberal Hackney we were caught by the swimsuit police. While Esther and I both limbered up, a black-clad festival functionary had button-holed Catherine, who then relayed to us their insistence that we cover up. We were dumbfounded; in a park, on a warm day, dressed in normal swimwear to promote the life art group hosted by the festival organiser – yet somehow we were inappropriate.
For Catherine’s sake we obeyed without protest. Nonetheless, in all my time working at various events, I’ve never come across such a sad, pointless, unwonted restriction. Specifically their demand was that I wear a T-shirt and Esther wear a skirt; it beggars belief. I’ve been outside wearing just swimming trunks in countries across the Middle East and southeast Asia without causing any concern. In Hackney, however, it could not be tolerated. Quite astonishing.
But anyway… to work. We were on the 1pm to 2pm shift, with fellow models Leo and Ian following us from 3pm to 4pm. We began with a back to back pose for 10-minutes, then turned about to face each other with an arm outstretched for 15-minutes. For our third pose, lasting 20-minutes, Esther stood whilst I sat on the floor holding one of her legs. We ended with Esther reclining and me sitting by her side for 10-minutes. Apart from the cover-up nonsense, it was a lovely session on a pleasant day.
The forecast had warned of rain as the afternoon progressed, and indeed there was a short shower before 3pm. Leo and Ian could easily have faced a washout, but instead nature smiled upon them and the sun emerged, bringing with it yet more people to try drawing. Esther and I joined in too, and enjoyed a relaxing hour of al fresco art, whilst Catherine introduced newcomers to the practice. My drawings are below – not strong on proportion, but fun. I hope others enjoyed it too and will try Drawing the Star.
Two great institutions of the British life art scene combined to present a very special one-off spectacular this summer. All The Young Nudes runs life drawing groups as club nights, complete with bar and ultra hip playlist in cities across Scotland. With the added consideration of very reasonable ticket prices, their gatherings are always hugely popular. On 23 August, they joined forces with Spirited Bodies in Edinburgh to coincide with the Fringe Festival.
Spirited Bodies has been organising large scale multi-model events for first-time and experienced life models – primarily in London – since 2010. Artistic Director, Esther Bunting, last worked with All The Young Nudes in 2013 so this would be an exciting return foray. For me, however, it was to be a debut collaboration north of the border. I travelled up with Esther as her partner, roadie, photographer, and participating model. Our setting for the evening would be an alternative music venue: Studio 24.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Esther had booked ten models about a month in advance, but individual issues right up to the afternoon before meant this figure went down, up, down, included me, then reached ten again when, with serendipity, an experienced male model unexpectedly joined us on the evening itself. We were: five female, five male; five experienced, one with a little experience, four with no experience, a good variety of ages and physical characteristics. Best of all, the models hit it off and bonded warmly from the outset.
Before artists started to arrive, Esther briefed everybody on her plan for the evening’s poses. We practiced eight tableaux; each with a specific theme but within which the models had complete freedom for self-expression. Esther adjusted our positioning to create overall balance and interesting sightlines from all angles. Soon enough, Charli and Keira of All The Young Nudes began welcoming artists. Charli set the playlist to shuffle and, come eight o’clock, the drawing commenced.
Pose 1 – connections
Our opening 5-minute pose encouraged the models to create connections with each other. Ironically, this probably happened to a greater degree in our subsequent poses but nice shapes were made nonetheless. I was on photography duty for this one, but the others all posed.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Pose 2 – circle of movement
I was photographing this pose too – the other nine models arranged themselves into a circle and, one at a time for 10-minutes, each took a turn to move very slowly for a few seconds before touching the model clockwise from them and freezing while that model took over moving. I love this format, which we’d last tried at Lewisham Arthouse.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Pose 3 – someone walks in
Esther took the camera and said she wanted me in the next tableau. For 10-minutes we were to imagine that a relative, friend, or work colleague who didn’t know we were life models, had walked into the room. Our reaction to the surprise was the pose that we held. This one was both a lot of fun and created personal relevance for each of us.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Pose 4 – gangsters
In the last pose most of us had been shrinking violets, so to rebuild our confidence we followed it with 15-minutes posing as gangsters. I raised a finger gun and shielded my eyes as I was sitting directly in line with the primary spotlight. Before starting, Esther had wondered whether heaters would be needed, but – no – these lights were hot.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Pose 5 – bacchanal
In our last 15-minute pose before the interval, we were all to relax as if participating in a Roman bacchanal. The theme potentially allowed for some wild orgiastic interaction, but our tableau was mostly post-debauchery lounging about. As per each group pose, the models combined very well in the space, mindful of all our artists’ sight lines.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Pose 6 – growing
After the drinks break we resumed with short poses. I was back on photography duty for our next two tableaux, the first of which was a 5-minute movement pose. All of the models were to start low down like small seeds and then very gradually grow upwards to become flourishing flowers or trees. They paced it beautifully.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Pose 7 – witches
For our penultimate work, we conjured up some good old fashioned clichéd witchcraft. There were sacrifices, spells, familiars, fear and fantasies. Again, Esther had provided the theme and adjusted the overall balance but self-expression came from within each model. I think this may have been a favourite for several of them.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Pose 8 – the beach
And so to the beach. Our final pose was also our longest at 25-minutes, so the beach format gave a valid reason for models to lay down and make themselves comfortable. I had missed the previous two poses so remained upright for this one – as if perched on a bar stool, sipping cocktails. Under the burning spotlight we might even have tanned.
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
© Spirited Bodies and All The Young Nudes
Art
It had been a fantastic session. The models had been superb, every one of them, and the artists seemed to have enjoyed it greatly too. No fewer than 47 had crammed into the space, and found sufficient room to draw or paint in reasonable comfort. They had certainly risen to each of Esther’s challenges and been integral to a good atmosphere throughout the evening. After the last pose, artworks were set out upon the floor for all to admire. I photographed as many as I could – a selection are reproduced below.
Works by Linda Kosciewicz and Colin Dunbar are among those shown – apologies to the artists whose names I did not catch.
In time models dressed, artists packed away and people began drifting from the venue until eventually only Charli, Keira, Esther and I were left. Charli and Keira had ensured everything was organisationally perfect, such that all Esther need concentrate on was the tableaux, the timings, the models’ well-being and how well they were visible to the artists. When the space was reasonably tidy, Esther and I said our fond farewells too, and disappeared into the night… celebrating with delicious Kurdish pizza.
Extra curricular
As a warm-up for this event, we’d whiled away the afternoon hiking to Arthur’s Seat, overlooking the city. Our recent trip to Venice seems to have established a tradition that at some point on our travels one or both of us will strip off for a nude photo shoot. Esther suggested it be me on our way down – a bit risky but it all added to the fun of our Edinburgh adventure. We loved every part of our visit and would very gladly return to Scotland… hopefully to include working with All The Young Nudes once more.
steve ritter 