Exquisite Arts Magazine Vol 7: Fall Issue- Oct/2017 | Page 53

AROUSING IN OFFENSE
Some people find offense in any of its representation.
Some find the nude, particularly female nude as one
impacting their mind in a way that obsesses their
medulla towards sexual arousal. This is considered the
most offensive of all complaints towards nudity art.
Even when contrived in sexual unappealing form the
complaints linger. The idea of ‘clean’ thoughts when a
nude person, in art or not, is perceived is said to
dissipate without notice. Religious zealots and
conservative minds are unable to distinguish between
pornography, for instance, and Kerri-Anne Mesner's
nude drawings. To them, both have the same outcome
of arousing the viewer.
questions whether a child who strips to their birth suit
and peers at themselves on the mirror is offended by
what they see. It doesn’t really matter.
THIN LINE BETWEEN NUDITY AND SEX
Nudity and sex are said to go hand in hand in our
current world, whether you live in downtown Alberta,
work in eventful New York or tranquil Nairobi in
Kenya. Sex is shameful, sexual thoughts evil and nude
figures on TV, online or magazine are to be shunned.
Yet, the African in his peace went practically naked
save for a piece of cloth or pelt around the waist for
both men and women, breasts of all cup sizes
unashamedly thrown out. No man or woman was
aroused or found that offending.
NUDITY IN ART AFFRONT ON WOMEN
Rather than the female nude being the strength of the
woman as created by her maker, it’s contrived as an
affront to her. Feminine nudity in art is seen as
transmuting the woman into a sexual object of men,
the stuff of male ecstasy, desire and evil thoughts and
not that of a complete human being. Is the world in a
perpetual power struggle between men and women?
Which is the most effective power between a
woman’s and the brawn, raw, primitive disposition of
man? By the virtue of who she is behind closed doors,
the woman can take men to war as in the case of Helen
of Troy and antique Israel in the form of Delilah
through her soft power. Nudity in art or otherwise is
her strength not a vehicle of objectification or
weakness.
Maja Borowicz
NOT FOR KIDS
As such, nude art is offensive just by the fact that only
adults are allowed to see it. Most parents would not
even allow their children to peruse art magazines,
browse museum websites or art e-zines with glossy
images of ancient nakedness. The impact of the images
on kids once they start seeing dishabille in art is seen as
another chief offense of nude art. No one actually
Nudity in art, like change, is inescapable. Its offensive
nature like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It can
be an article of high beauty, philosophically contrived
and innovatively done figurine, photo, video or paint
with all the merits of intelligent proportions, ratios of
geometry and mathematics or a simple object of male
or female lust that should be shunned. Whatever the
comportment, nudity in art in any of its form displays
men and women as being full of life, not corpses; the
perfect peek at what it means to be human with a soul.
Written By: Benson Mwang
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