Raw Exposure 

24 June - 20 September, 2011
 
Our bodies are most often covered with materials and ornaments to help
conceal the scars, creases, and flaws that make us all who we are. In opposition to this
instinct to hide our bodies, Raw Exposure is an exhibition of work from the RMG’s
Permanent Collection that showcase the exposed body envisioned by various artists.
The nude is a prevalent subject matter in art as, dating back to the ancient western world,
artists have depicted it as part of their technical training, for pure entertainment and for its
sheer beauty. Despite the normalcy and commonality of the nude throughout visual history,
it still occasionally inspires feelings of outrage, discomfort, or even horror in many viewers.
This exhibition presents visitors with a diverse look at the ways in which our most natural
state is visualized in two- and three-dimensional works, aiding to create positive reactions
to the naked state through familiarity. The subjects in Raw Exposure extend from the meek
figure to the proud exotic, and from the slender to the voluptuous body.
The absence of clothing can display the subject’s true self, internally as well as externally,
such as his or her confidence or vulnerability. The message of each piece is simultaneously
created by the artist in his or her choice of medium, viewpoint and cropping preferences,
conveying the feelings the artists themselves have towards sexuality, gender, and nudity.
While the works in Raw Exposure share the same subject, each one conveys a unique
meaning or story, ranging from erotic moments shared between lovers to the fragmentation
of the body. Curated by Alyssia Nelson.