The Museum of Contemporary Art showcased artists of a different sort last week when it hosted a burlesque life-drawing class.
Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, which originated in New York as an antidote to “boring life-drawing classes”, held a cabaret and drawing session at the museum’s Foundation Hall on Friday night.
Burlesque dancers posed for students, protecting their modesty with sequins, fishnets and feathers. One of the dancers, Rachel St James, based her performance out of an over-sized champagne glass.
The museum’s curator of public programs, Christine Morrow, said modern burlesque performers continued an artistic tradition that dated back more than 100 years.
“Edgar Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec used to draw showgirls and dancers so it’s something very traditional but because burlesque is going through such a resurgence at the moment it’s also very contemporary.”
A trained artist, Morrow said a clothed (or semi-clothed) figure wasn’t as easy to draw as a nude. “As soon as you put a sequined G-string or feather boa on, it’s much harder. There’s all this extra fluffy stuff going on.”
Dr Sketchy’s also runs fortnightly cabaret and life-drawing sessions at the Arthouse Hotel.
Article courtesy of SMH
http://www.smh.com.au/news/stay-in-touch/inspiration-from-cabaret/2008/02/17/1203190648150.html
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