Although art galleries are often full of joyous and beautiful pieces, it’s not uncommon to see something unconventional and abstract. And no, that doesn’t just apply to your local underground art scene. Long gone are the days of the Renaissance and the appreciation of human anatomy as something sacred and inherently good-looking. In the second half of the 20th century, Postmodernism brought us all kinds of surprises and subverted forms.
Today, freelancers in art gallery modelling don’t need to be Naomi Campbell to get work. Somewhere along the way, weird became beautiful and beautiful became boring. That means artists are on the prowl for unordinary looking people to become their models.
Photographing bare skin is a somewhat black-and-white situation. In the eyes of many, there’s a thin line between erotic high art and simple pornography. It’s an unfortunate mindset most people have, but either way, erotic art accepts all kinds of body types nowadays. Furthermore, there’s money to be made no matter how you look.
But how do you do it? Where should you start? Well, let’s delve a bit deeper into the world of nudes and gallery spaces. So, without further ado, join us on this artsy journey through the world of camera lenses and bare skin models.
Is Nude Modeling All About Erotic Visuals?
Even if erotic visuals have a long history with nudes, depicting bare skin doesn’t always have that as the motive. There’s more to nude photography than lust and passion for beauty. Like we’ve said, this art style often causes some conflicting opinions among the public. It’s either high art with deeper meaning or rude pornography meant to satisfy the primal instinct. That, of course, does not have to be the case.
Sure, naked bodies make us think of sex, and that’s fine. But nude models aren’t only here for pure sexploitation. There’s a lot more to it. Firstly, erotic visuals are more about the appreciation of the human body and form. Nude models are often used for figurative drawing in art schools or studios.
Nude models are often seen in various product placement campaigns. From cosmetics to bikini and underwear advertisements — they’re everywhere. Therefore, it’d be wrong to accuse this particular style of playing the sex game. And even if they were, would that be that morally wrong and unacceptable?
The human body’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s as natural and honest as anything else in the world of art. So, if you’re not sure whether you should pursue a nude model career, don’t hesitate. It’s not unethical at all.
Nude Modeling Situations
Like we’ve said, nude modeling is featured in many art forms. It’s not just about painting erotic poses and lustful scenes. The market is full of media that can use nude models and bare skin photos. Therefore, let’s talk a bit about the overall need for your naked body on the set.
Although it’s not as lucrative as other lines of work, artists are always on the lookout for someone ready to take their clothes off for the camera. The pieces they create can get pretty erotic, but they mostly rely on abstract, artsy ideas. You’ll surely have fun, though, seeing how crazy and far-out artistic ideas can get.
Further examples include cosmetic and clothing brands. Yup, the photos will probably be cropped most of the time, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be naked on the set. You’ll either apply a product on your face/body or be interacting with underwear or swimsuits in front of the lens. And no, you don’t need to be a stud or anything, there’s a big market of ordinary people looking for something relatable.
Also, you can always go into pornography. No worries, though — it’s a business like anything else if you’re ready to go into something more explicit. And if you are, you’ll be looking at all kinds of different sets and scenes that require everyday people.
Does It Pay Well?
Although it doesn’t pay as much as being Gigi Hadid, nudes can be pretty lucrative. Of course, it all depends on the amount of time and the type of photoshoot you’re working on. Therefore, if you’re at an art school as a drawing model, you’ll be looking at around $20 per hour. But you can always negotiate your rate with the employer.
When it comes to sessions that require you to be more explicit, you can expect the pay to be from $150 to $300 per hour. The thing is, not many models will show off their full potential in front of the camera because of societal stigmas and taboos. But you shouldn’t agree to something you don’t feel okay with, especially if you didn’t agree to it while negotiating the shoot.
Anyway, it’s a solid pay if it starts being frequent enough. The more you do it, the more you’ll gain traction, and your cost will rise. So don’t hesitate to start as a still life drawing model for some art students at first. It’s important to begin somewhere, no matter how much money you’ll get from it.
How to Protect Yourself From Scams and Exploitation
Like in any business, the risk of scams and exploitation is also present in the world of nude modeling. Some would say it’s more prominent here, but in reality, it’s mostly the same as anywhere else. No matter what you do in life, you’ll end up in contact with someone willing to rip you off at least once. Therefore, it’s important to be careful when choosing your work and employer.
Joining a modeling agency is the best way to start your career. Not only will you be looking at frequent job opportunities, but you’ll also be safe from exploitation as you’ll have someone looking out for you. Unfortunately, modeling agencies don’t hire everyone that comes walking through their doors.
Therefore, you can always talk to other people who’ve done work with certain artists and studios to find out if they’ve had a negative experience working with them. That doesn’t only mean sexual abuse — it’s also about the payment. You should never accept doing something you didn’t agree with beforehand. That way, you’ll keep your integrity and show others you deem yourself worthy of respect.