PREVIEW: re: Defining beauty

An all male nude exhibition at the Leyden Gallery, London.

The Leyden Gallery in London, presents Defining Beauty, a collection of male nudes created in a variety of media by 14 male artists grouped under the name Nude for Thought.

Martin Ireland created in 2004 an exclusively male workshop in South London, as an alternative to life drawing sessions predominantly focused on the female figure. Soon a debate about the relevance and the problems of male nude in contemporary art rose, from which the group Nude for Thought was formed.

They held their first show at the Nolias Gallery, Southwark, London, in November 2014.

Now they present their second show under the title re: Defining beauty, as a reaction to the Defining beauty exhibition at the British Museum earlier this year.

Focused on the male body, re: Defining Beauty is at the Leyden Gallery, London, from November 3-7, to “experience a contemporary take on the historical portrayal of the male nude”.

There will be a performance by Roy Joseph Butler on Saturday, November 7 from 12:00-16:00.

Nude for Thought’s re: Defining beauty comes at a time when there is a rising international interest in the male nude, particularly following three large shows at major European Museums.

In 2012, the Leopold Museum, Vienna, presented Naked Men, the first major exhibition focused exclusively in the male nude. This exhibition was followed in 2013 by Nude Men at The Ludwig Museum, Budapest and Masculine/Masculine at the Museum D’Orsay, Paris.

Following the success of their first show last December at Nolias Gallery, Nude for Thought are widening their reach with regularly scheduled exhibitions, open workshops and debates, artistic collaborations, and publications.

For more information about Nude for Thought, click here:

You can make a donation to Nude for Thought, through their campaign on Kickstarter.