Spinous Process, 2008, by Fred Hatt
Some figurative artists dislike “closed” poses, and complain when the models take these positions. They may feel the models are shutting them out. The face and soft frontal torso are hidden, and the back becomes a protective shell, as in the defensive balling-up of a hedgehog or armadillo, or a turtle retreating into its shell. But this kind of pose often conveys emotional qualities and presents the body in abstract forms of great beauty and complexity.
Taoist subtle anatomy sees the front of the body and the inside of the limbs as yin (soft or receptive) and the back and outside as yang (hard or active). The fetus develops curled in this egglike position, with its soft parts protected inside. The fetal position can be experienced as a comforting return to that contained and nourished state. In yoga, it is called the child’s pose, and is one of the primary restorative or relaxed positions.
Balasana, 1996, by Fred Hatt
Many people sleep in a curled-up position. A pop-psych analysis says, “Those who curl up in the foetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41% of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position.” Most sleepers curl up on their sides, as seen from three angles in the following three sketches:
Sleep Fold, 2008, by Fred Hatt
Bony Points, 2004, by Fred Hatt
Asleep, 2004, by Fred Hatt
This kind of pose presents a variety of juxtapositions and foreshortenings, depending on the angle of view. I’ve often been inspired to bring more than one aspect into a drawing, as in the one below. Here the same side-curled pose is seen from three points of view in superimposed outlines, one in red, one in green, and one in blue, with some sculptural development:
Triple Angle Curl, 2000, by Fred Hatt
In the next two examples, the body is shown as seen directly and in a mirror reflection, bringing out the landscape-like qualities of the body in space:
Reflection, 2000, by Fred Hatt
Mountain Mirrored, 1998, by Fred Hatt
The curled-up position can bring out anatomical forms of great beauty, in ways they wouldn’t otherwise be seen, as with the muscles of the shoulders and back here:
Serrate, 2008, by Fred Hatt
Or the shoulder cleft here:
Hanging Head, 2009, by Fred Hatt
It can reveal complex networks of negative spaces:
Curved Triangular, 2009, by Fred Hatt
Or fresh perspectives and unusual spatial progressions:
Oblique, 1996, by Fred Hatt
The closed pose is not always a simple ovoid structure.
Angular Equipoise, 2001, by Fred Hatt
Positions with the head down or even with the face hidden are not necessarily guarded or concealed, but may express emotional states.
Elbow Knee, 2009, by Fred Hatt
Headrest, 2005, by Fred Hatt
The crouching figure can suggest darkness and brooding:
Tight Crouch, 2009, by Fred Hatt
Brooding, 2009, by Fred Hatt
The human body is as expressive when it is turned inward as when it is expansive or active. The guarded nature of the crouch or fetal position shows vulnerability in a different way than the open pose. The upper and lower parts of the body are drawn together, and the energy pattern becomes circular rather than vertical.
All the newer drawings in this post are 50 cm x 70 cm, aquarelle crayon on paper. The drawings from 2001 and earlier are the same medium but may be a bit smaller.
