Posing in the Nude

Notes about the self : VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The provincial nature of thought brings a rare innocence and humor to the listener. The word obviously originated from a reference to the ' provinces ' where such provinces of the kingdom were far removed from a worldly experience.

In a class for drawing the body of a nude, one encounters a confrontational moment for expressing in some way what the nude human is. The body is expressive of a certain dignity and pride in its shape and posture. This transfers to the face of the model where it captures a transient emotion that is shared by everyone viewing and painting the model.

The dictionary defines transient as a ' ( philosophy ) mental act that causes effects outside the mind.' That must be another way of saying that the thoughts in the mind are perceived to have a certain power of action, as if it is tied in with our will.

In the case of the nude model, such a thought in his mind may well be ' I am showcasing the human body as an object of aesthetic beauty captured by art.' The artists capturing the body on canvas are likely to experience a focus on getting it right and simultaneouly a stimulation of their own bodies in relation to their actions.

In a curious way such is the stimulation the average individual is expected to feel about the world as it relates to their physical selves. It would vary according to how young or innocent a person is or how willful or suppresive they are of their emotions. Its a natural born relation to the human condition and the cultivation of human insight into the nature of reality is refined from such a basic experience.

It begins with the provincial and knowledge adds to our experience to carefully untangle the false notions and substitute it with the understanding we have grown into. When encountering an error or a false expectation its effects reach deep into the self but mostly it is in the transient nature of the mind. In the normal course of our social activities, we come to deal with it in some clever way.

Inquiries into the nature of God, world, reality and the self occupy us in much the same way. It may take longer and it relates to us as the living perception of the experience. In association with the body, the pitfalls are many. But with a persistent awareness, it'll be surprising what it leads us to.