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| Mysti Vine poses for the Dr Sketchy crowd - photo by Miss Rain |
Dr Sketchy’s has landed in Nottingham; bringing with it some seriously sexy shenanigans. For those of you who are quietly raising an eyebrow and wondering what the bloody hell I’m on about, let me fill you in. Dr Sketchy’s is art with a twist; a fusion of life drawing and cabaret that neatly positions the study of the human form on a whole new pedestal. Hailing from New York, the Sketchy philosophy was created as a reaction to a seemingly stale, traditional life drawing formula. Instead of the usual ‘hush-hush’ of the artist’s studio, this offers a raucous blend of burlesque, theatrics and booze.
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| Pencils, pens and pastels at the ready - photo by Miss Rain |
Escucha proved to be the perfect venue for the event; not only is the space and layout ideal for ‘views-from-every-angle’, but the decor and ambience goes further to exude a decadent antiquity that beautifully complements the Chicago-esque charm of the burlesque theme. Add to that the mere-stones-throw convenience of the bar and it is not long before you are sipping a Manhattan Ice-Tea and looking for your red lipstick.
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| Diva Hollywood in the artist's sights - photo by Miss Rain |
In some respects, Dr Sketchy’s adopts a similar format to the more conventional life drawing experience: there are a number of models, who strike a number of poses for a number of minutes, while the people surrounding them draw what they see. The obvious difference is that these models are wearing clothes and don’t have to worry about the cold as much. Not only that, but they are professional burlesque performers and offer a welcome parody of the often ‘stiff’ life-draw participants. Indeed, they were all exquisite: a fantastic exaggeration of the glitz and glamour of 1940’s pin-up.
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| Emerald Ace poses - photo by Miss Rain |
The line-up included Nottingham’s very own Emerald Ace who donned a sultry pout and the best bust-enhancing corset I have ever seen. (Seriously girls, corsets are the way forward; they work wonders for your boobs). Joining Emerald on stage were Canadian burlesque comedienne, Mysti Vine, and Miss Diva Hollywood, who arrived complete with puppets and, well, a rather fetching mermaid tail. The latter two of our models spun a couple of turns and delighted the audience with their performances – notably Diva’s riotous ‘Black Swan Dance’ – whilst pencils, charcoals and brushes flailed widely around the room in an attempt to capture the magic on paper. Because of course, this is a forum for art.
However, although there were some formidable talents here and the work produced most definitely surpassed the charm of stick men, there really is something here for everyone; even if your artistic ability stretches no further than a post-it doodle. This is how art should be enjoyed; brazen, brash and a little bit lairy. I’ve got my ticket for the next show: I hope to see you all there, nipple tassles essential.
Dr Sketchy took place at Escucha on Saturday 22 August 2009.
Photos courtesy of Miss Rain (c)
