I got an interesting question from a head of department the other day. It had been suggested to him that 6th form students should not use the nude in their work. He asked what other schools were doing. Here is my reply:
"An interesting question which, to a certain extent relates to the cultural climate within the school rather than to any given set of rules or protocols. I know several schools that offer life drawing either in school or sometimes at the art school. These are usually done after school, or as special events and do include both male and female 6th form students and male and female models. These studies are used as the basis for paintings in some cases (as in Jenny Saville). In these cases the study of the nude is managed by the school and has clear references to normal art practice and to the practice of western artists for centuries. It involves a professional model and the session is carefully managed - parents are informed and it is not compulsory. In fact I have just talked to the head of art in an Upper school who has just finished an 8 week, after school, life class for the 6th form and a few invited, talented, yr10 and Yr11 students. He said it has been one of the most valuable experiences students have had and that it has made a significant contribution to raising standards. I would have thought a managed life class would be appropriate at 6th form level in most schools. However, in some schools, perhaps Catholic Schools or other faith schools, this might be deemed inappropriate although I have not found this to be the case in the church schools I know.
I think that care should be taken where students are drawing or working from non-professional models, themselves or friends for instance, and in all cases where this has happened the models are not completely nude and would be wearing the equivalent of a swimming costume. The same would be true of figure work based upon students own photographs. Often these are quite intense pictures which have a great significance for the students involved. They indicate great trust between the student, the teacher and the ethos of the art department and often they are some of the most moving and significant art I see in schools.
It is hard to see how it is possible to avoid looking at nudes if one is studying Western Art and by and large students at KS4, KS5 will be quite familiar with the notion. Sometimes they may draw on this art as a reference point in their own work. Although copying from artists is not good as an end product, there is certainly a place for studying and using the work of professional artists and this will involve practical responses at times. I guess the issue here is the context and reason the student might have for working from a Gaugin nude. The intellectual raison d'etre for studying the nude should be easy to articulate by older school students studying art. KS3 students may be exposed to nudes in western Art in their course of study but it is seldom a main focus - apart from highly stylised depictions of the nude form. They cannot, of course, visit Tate Britain, or Tate Modern, without seeing nudes and primary schools visit these galleries all the time.
As to Islamic students: I have worked on a working party to explore some of these issues including representatives of the muslim community in Wycombe. My understanding is that in Islam it is good to study and to study other cultures. So it is not wrong to study western art and this will include the realistic depiction of figures. Teachers should be sensitive and should not embarrass, female, Muslim students in particular, who may feel that they do not wish to study pictures of nudes. Some Muslims also believe it is wrong for them to portray the human figure as this is blasphemy because it emulates creation, which can only be done by Allah. It would clearly be wrong to require such students to paint/draw a figure: and certainly not a nude figure. They may also not wish to discuss the work of fellow students who are working from life.
Ultimately it is a matter for the school. However, with sensitive and professional handling (and noting the caveat about Muslim pupils beliefs and feelings) I personally see no reason why students at KS 4 and P16 should not learn about the nude in western art, use images of the human form in their own art and in managed circumstances study the nude model in life classes. This is managed sensitively in other schools and contributes to the learning of students - often by requiring mature reflection about art and its purpose in relation to the human condition."
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