Artists Learning By Doing

Published: April 16, 1994

Life drawing, once the art student's entrance ticket to the mythical world of canvas and paint, of chisel and stone, of masterpieces scribbled feverishly on napkins, of berets, garrets, mistresses, poverty, drugs, wine, death and, ultimately, fame, is now an entrance to -- well, no one seems to be sure anymore, but probably something bleak, like painting portraits of corporate executives for a living. Certainly it is no longer an entrance to anything very fashionable, or, in the opinion of many, artistically credible.

At the Project of Living Artists, a basement drawing studio on Greene Street in SoHo, the study of life drawing, fashionable or not, continues. Several nights a week, as many as 30 artists, ranging widely in age, gather to draw from the figure. For the visitor, what is striking is the concentration in the room, to which the model, diligent but somewhat bored, provides a quiet counterpoint. [more ...]

Photo: In a basement SoHo studio, a class at the Project of Living Artists keeps the study of life drawings alive. (Waring Abbott for The New York Times)