Richard Dickson led this session of the Unit.
Using the work of Touko Laaksonen ( Tom of Finland ) as a starting point, artists were asked to consider what, in a piece of art, conveys the exercise of power and imbibes the subject with authority. The model was dressed in a range of clothes that would normally be considered dominant and the exercises challenged the group to portray this feeling using a range of materials and styles. The use of colours that were not usually associated with such a subject pushed the artists to look at how proportion and composition could be used.
In the second session we looked at the opposite end of the spectrum and considered Submission and how that act of yielding could be portrayed. The model wore only a jock strap thus emphasizing his vulnerability, and was posed in a position that was portrayed in a Tom of Finland drawing. Fetish equipment was also put into the composition to set the scene.
Jonathan Armour 