The most popular subject for French aertists has traditionally been the nude female form. This might be because of a liberal attitude to nudity or it might be because a Frenchman will do anything to get a girl’s clothes off. The fondness for nudity may not last for much longer however because the nude models of Paris are revolting.
Sick of working long hours in uncomfortable conditions for poor wages the models have gone on strike, not so much downed tools as donned clothes, mostly nice warm cardigans.
To raise support for their cause nude models staged a protest pose earlier this week, standing naked in the streets for hours they handed out leaflets outlinng their complaints which include:
Having to sit or stand quite still in freezing attics for long periods;
Low pay rates;
The skills involved in getting naked being under – valued;
A government proposal to tax the tips they make when posing for art classes;
Boggart Blog’s arts reporter Newton Windsor was on the spot to talk to representative of the strikers and the artsts who employ them. Newton has sent us this report direct from one of the street protests. He began by asking nude model Almi Kitoff what she hoped the strike would achieve. This is what she told him.
“Ze strahke ees about preufessoneul respect and fair paymeunt. Eveurybody think to take euff the cleuthes ees simpeul but there is meur to eet zan meets ze eye. Feurst we meust stay in geud shape, neubody wants a peinting euf a – ow you say – lardeearse, zen some euf ze peuses, zey are neut so easy to ’old for long times eef you are neut reguleurly deuing yeuga exeurcises. And to leurk sexee wiz big toe in yeur ear, zat is ’ighly specialised weurk and physicallee exheusting. Yet feur eul zis we are eunly paid ze sahm as les burgeur flippers.
Zen conditions are neut good always; why is it zat arteest think to freeze in attic add value to ’iz peintings? ’ow does it deemineesh ’is art to turn on ze ’eateur? Cold may inspire ’is meuse but it makes our nippeuls stand eut like ze coat pegs. Zis we deu neut mind seu meuch but when ze arteest ’ee ’ang ’is beret on eun, zat is juste demeaning.
On teup euf all zis now zey want to tax ze tips. Well we demeund preufesseunal recognition, weurm steudios and a cleused shop. Aneebeudy can walk in freum ze street and eugle us. Ze preufesseun ees being reuined by les amateurs. Zese women leurve to take euf ze cleuthes and stique eut ze chouffe; zey are exhibitioniste but zey ’av neu skill. Zey are takeing eur jeubs and it is wreung.”
Strong feelings amongst the models then. Next Newton sought a view from Everard Brosses, a leading French artist. When asked how he felt about the strike Everard drew furiously on his Gauloise.
“Yeu ’av seen ’ow theengs eur,” he said angrily, “witheut meudles to peint I ’av no income, I cannot eveurn affeurd a sketch beurk so I ’av to draw on my cigarette. But ’oo buys miniateures zese days? Last week my freund Artifice, ’ee draw ze bridges of Paris on ze margin of a fifty euro neurt but only sell it for forty five euros. We canneut affeurd for zis strahke to geu eun any longeur. It is stipping bare eur livele’ood”
A disturbing report there from Boggart Blog art correspondent Newton Windsor. Attitudes on both sides are deeply entrenched and it looks as if the plight of the Parisienne nude models will continue for some time. Now over to food writer Lanky Dunnockshaw for a report on the escalating pie wars in Wigan.
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Paris models make nude protest to demand respect and better pay
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