More Than Life Drawing: Agency and the Creative Process

Behind every work of figurative art there is a model whose own artistic skills were essential in that work's creation. However, despite being visible as the subjects of these works, life models are nearly always overlooked in their role as active agents in the artistic process, and are seen instead as "mercenary drawing instruments."

More Than Life Drawing will feature 90 minutes of drawing time with live, discussion-style interviews with participating figure models. Bring your charcoal, pencils, and paint, and join us for a lively night of drawing, learning, and fun!

Each of the three events will feature two models who hold one or more marginalized identities, including People of Color, and individuals who are Fat, Gender-Expansive, and/or Disabled. More Than Life Drawing is held in concert with PAFA's groundbreaking exhibition Joan Semmel: Skin in the Game.

To conclude our series, we want to explore the ways in which our identities and lived experiences inform our artistic practices, and examine the degrees to which models demonstrate agency in the ecosystem of figurative art-making.
Join us with guests Antoine Hunter and Yuka Tanaka in the final installment of our drawing/lecture series. 

Image by Yuka Tanaka, Untitled. 2021.