The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

Three weeks ago, I went to an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art called Naked Before the Camera. I was used to seeing mostly classic, “safe” exhibitions and paintings at the Met, so learning about such a controversial showcase triggered my interest.

Human body had always been viewed as beautiful – artists as far back as Ancient Greeks proved the fascination through their carefully done and detailed sculptures. Portraying naked body was always a sensual experience, both for the viewer and the artist himself (or herself). However, because of the intricate structure of our physical appearance, realistic portrayal of it was always seen as a challenge for both painters and sculptures – basically, not everyone could do it. The introduction of camera and photographs provided a new form of artistry, which gave the most realistic possible showcasing of any subject, including the body.

However, with the introduction of photography as an art medium, came the controversy. Photographs (before Photoshop) were a direct window into reality and portrayed the subject exactly as it is. Painting or sculpting, on the other hand, gave the artists the ability to idealize the subject they were painting – to perfect any imperfection, to make the reality dreamier.

Naked Before the Camera provided viewers with a historical aspect of both photography, as well as human body, in art. It seemed to bring up the raw images of human body – unaltered by means such as Photoshop – and portrayed their appealing and seductive nature. Even those aspects of the body which would be considered as flaws by the standards of modern society were beautifully portrayed and appeared sensual due to the setting of the entire exhibit.All photographs were done in

black and white or sepia (as there were no color photographs at the time they were made), making them appear more artistic and expressing their historical significance, and nothing alike any pornographic photographs made simply for the viewing pleasures that are present today. Still, they would not appear so attractive, sensual, and fascinating had they not been showcased a certain way. The room where exhibition was held was lowly lit, with the walls a darker color, contributing to the entire sensual yet artistic feeling of the entire situation.

I was somewhat surprised by the exhibition, especially as it was held in the Met. As I said before, something so modern and controversial in the world of art is not something I expected to be found here – I would more so expect it at a museum like MoMA. Because of this, I believe Naked Before the Camera was an attempt of the Met at trying to become a bit more modern, and more appealing to the supporters of modern art. Overall, judging on the topic of the exhibition, I would say they went towards the right direction, and hope that more of such unexpected events will be present at the Met.