“I had just decided to photo-fix my body. I wanted to hone my abilities to draw the human figure; and, since no one was prepared to put his or her anatomy at my disposal for hours on end, I had to use my own. I worked out a number of poses in my head, briefed the boyfriend, and set off. It was a fine day, and we found a quiet spot... not too dark, but not too open either, safe from the prying eyes of lone strollers or fanatical forest hikers. I hastily undressed and rapped out instructions to my boyfriend: now, that's it, left a bit, OK... I worked my way through the whole of academic art history in a lightning succession of poses. We shot off a roll of 36 slides, then I put my clothes on and we hurried out of the forest. My friend found the professionalism of it all rather frustrating. No doubt he had expected something more. Back at home, after dark, night after night, I drew outlines, ribs, shoulders, armpits and mounts of Venus. All in the strictest privacy, of course. Naked in front of my parents? Unthinkable! This needs to be understood in the context of my prudish and body-hostile upbringing. I saw my mother's breast for the first time when it was no longer there. So, it was top secret all the way. Then my sister came back in high spirits from her first trip to the French Riviera with her boyfriend, and she set up a slide-show evening. Of course I forgot all about my do-it-yourself drawing class and left my slide models in the projector. I suppose I don't need to tell you how the evening turned out.”
- Rosemarie Trockel (translated from German).
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