Welcome to week three of Exploring Beauty! Through the past two weeks we have explored the mystery and taboos of body modification and the attraction to our cartoon (anime) fantasies. This week, we go a little bit further to explore the natural human form. That's right, boys and girls, this week we're going to talk about nudity.Shrouded in taboos and stigmas, the naked human body has always been of interest. Everyone has an opinion, whether to be naked is horribly filthy or an experience of freedom. It has been modified, whether to the extreme to the purely vain, it has been photographed, drawn, and painted and it is always the topic of many discussions. We are obsessed with the naked form and it usually comes down to ones beliefs and comforts on the subject.
We cannot deny that nudity is all around us. Since the beginning of time, art has been flooded with the images of nude men and women. Religious art depicting a nude Jesus hanging from the cross, naked cherubim with child faces and harps in full glory and the full frontal of a woman bathing in a spring or being baptized. There is also nonreligious art that explores the nude human form and celebrates it. Photographers use nudity artistically for a given effect or to emphasize a statement they are trying to make. People have even come to eat right off of the naked body. Certain eateries in Japan offer the service of dining on sushi from a naked body.
In Europe, it is not uncommon to find a person, or groups of people sunbathing topless or fully nude on beaches together. Their bodies come in all shapes, sizes and kinds and they are all comfortable in letting it all hang out in front of strangers. In countries like Germany and Finland both sexes often bathe together in bath houses. This is also a practice in some Asian countries where a person will bathe with the opposite or same sex. It is common to bathe with friends, family or strangers in either situation/country.
Various cultures all view nudity in a different light. In certain African tribes women walk around with exposed breasts or young boys fight in a ritual to attract their future wives while in the full nude. But in Islam, nudity for males is acceptable above the waist and below the knee while women should not be seen nude at all unless they are in the privacy of their own homes. Their bodies are covered from head to toe, only their eyes (and not even in all cases) visible. Even the slight skin showing between the ankle and shoes can be cause for a beating and even death for a woman.There are also times for non-sexual or non-necessity nudity. Fraternities have often employed a 'naked mile' for fundraising purposes, where participants run in the nude for a specific purpose. There are also nudists camps where one can go and be nude with a group in an acceptable location. These acceptable forms of public nudity are usually in rural areas or in specific buildings/facilities.
We also find that nudity can be a political statement or movement, such as naturism (or nudism). People advocate the right to be nude in public and/or in private and there is no age limit on this practice. It is usually a whole family lifestyle choice and they are perfectly comfortable doing all things naked and being in the presence of others that are naked. Vanity takes no place here and being self conscious of ones flaws isn't really recognized. Perhaps the last is something we can all take a note from.Nudity has also been used as punishment. Forced nudity can be used to cause humiliation or to increase the severity of a beating that would not be quite as bad on a clothed body. We are the most vulnerable when we are naked, so the use of this tactic as a punishment is very effective. Not always fully supported, but we cannot say that it does not serve its purpose.
Of course, we cannot deny that nudity is also sexual. We are nude or at least semi-nude when we engage in sex, making this a reason why many people view nudity as extremely private. The naked body should only be shared with ones beloved and no one else. It is very taboo to be naked for entertainment or personal fulfillment beyond exclusive sex with a partner. The body is a temple, and should be kept that way to many people, religions and cultures.
I ask, as I always do, where is the line? What is the line between the naked body being artistic or natural to being purely pornographic? Is it, as it was in the body modification segment, all in the eye of the beholder? Can pornography be artistic, beautiful and natural? At which point does the human body stop being a temple and becomes a means for grabbing attention, entertaining the masses and aiding those in a more sexual nature? Can sex be artistic or educational? Please leave a comment here with your opinions! We love the feedback!But I leave you with this; the human body really is a temple and you should do with it as you see fit so long as you are safe. And remember, there is always someone out there that will find your most natural form beautiful.
Links:
Deep End Dining (Naked sushi dining)
What is 'Naked' Sushi
Nudity Wiki
Depictions of Nudity
Nudity in combat
Nudism
godartist.com
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