by Wendy Gherity
I call it Karma. It will come back to bite you in the ass when you least expect it to? so, watch where you put it. My ass was just published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on March 9th for all to see in an article about figure modeling for artists. I don't feel it was my karma to pay that day, but rather to be paid back.
The article was to be a piece on this strange world of artist modeling and the dynamics that occur in the room with the artists. What a curious situation this may seem for most. What is it like and what does it take? In this case, being the featured model in the story, it became about what I wouldn't take. It became about self-worth, it became about respect. It's important for a human being to know when enough is enough in any given situation. Personally, I take it a notch higher when I'm modeling. My opinion is that when you're butt naked in front of a group of people, they had better be on their very best behavior! They better play nice! And for the most part, they are and they do. I want to tell this story one more time, but for benefit of the artists and models who are less experienced with each other in the studio. As models, we know you artists have expectations of us, but we also have some of you.
The story of the story?
Even before we decided to gather a drawing co-op for the reporter, Kay Miller, and a photographer to observe, she had heard the story of the day I walked out on the class of a local school. It was an example I gave of a rare situation that should've never happened, but it did and it does. The fact that the offender showed up at this impromptu drawing group was completely ironic. It was a perfect opportunity to get the story from the other side. I was in a comfortable setting with artists I admired and enjoyed and did not have to sweat anything. I was curious though, how was he going to act in front of a reporter? And as far as karma goes, I didn't have to say a thing about this kid that day. He played his part well. His quotes speak for themselves.
The story?
A year earlier, the day I walked out on that class, I was thwarted from the start. I remember the first words spoken to me on this particular day after saying "Hi I'm Wendy, your model", were "Good. You're here." Yeah, and 10 minutes early?but don't take a minute to relate to me or anything! He was apparently "in charge" that day. The room was filled with very serious people. Most seemed only interested in their work rather than the experience of anyone else.
Fine, I am there to work, so I put on my robe and waited for instruction. Plain and simple, the kid expected me to take a standing pose. Now, I had just come from New York City where I had modeled for very well-known schools and artists for the last 5 years. In all the time I had worked as a figure model no one ever expected, they always asked. So I am not happy at this point, the money alone wasn't worth an uncomfortable pose. Working for such low pay is a sacrifice you sometimes make when you're new in town and just starting to build contacts to better jobs.
?Wendy M. Gherity '02