Revised: February 9, 2023

Update: I took a sabbatical from sculpting after having a really bad reaction to the Pfizer vaccine. But, I'm back!
Best wishes,
Gary



    I have divided my profile into 7 Sections, with the information most pertinent to our collaboration here at the beginning. You may be thinking: there is nothing that this guy could possibly have to say, that I'm interested in reading.
    I understand, and that's why I put the pertinent information at the beginning. From there I go on to discuss my perspective of our relationship in the creation of art. And finally, I discuss the dangers that we need to address as a community of artists. So, please give that last section some consideration.
 
MEDIUM: I am primarily a sculptor. However, I was also trained as a gold and silversmith, so I create jewelry. I was also trained as a carpenter, so I used to build homes, and build furniture from time to time. I bought a primo camera for sculpture studies and to video my sons playing guitars, so now I've started shooting my models for the sake of photography, not just as studies for our sculptures.


OBJECTIVE:

    My primary objective as a sculptor, is simply to convey a sense of the beauty of a woman's body.
    My model is my collaborator. Together we look for a pose that emphasizes the beauty of her physical features. I work best with women who have a genuine love of art and life. If you have a pose that is particularly compelling, please, let's discuss it!


RELEVANT BIOGRAPHY:

    I apprenticed to a Belgian portrait sculptress in Atlanta, after school during my junior and senior years of high school (1970-1972) Jeanne Gevaert. The summer of 1972 as high school wrapped up, I began an apprenticeship to goldsmith/avant garde artist, Peggy Ackerly (in Atlanta)(Peggy was a protege of Sam Kramer, Greenwich Village, NY, NY, who she worked under from 1943 - 1964, until his death). I apprenticed to Peggy for a year, and opened a studio in an old duplex she bought on 9th Street (in Atlanta). I moved to Coconut Grove in August of 1973, and enrolled in the school of architecture at the University of Miami. At the University of Miami I studied architecture under Andres Duany, who is the father of the New Urbanism Movement in architecture, and Philadelphia architect, Philip Steel. In Coconut Grove, and later back in Atlanta, I continued to make jewelry throughout my college years. The financial crisis in the 1970's crushed my family, so I did not complete my studies in architecture, but returned to Atlanta and earned an BBA at Georgia State University. After college, I entered the construction business, and began designing and building homes in 1980. You can view the work of Peggy Ackerly, Sam Kramer, Andres Duany, and Philip Steel by googling them. Additionally, The Boston Museum of Fine Art and The Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts have works by Peggy Ackerly in their collections.  In 2012, I wrote an article/obituary for Peggy Ackerly, who passed in 2011 at the age of 90. You can read it by googling her. I've designed homes, jewelry, hand tools, machines, a vehicle, written a number of tool patents, and miscellaneous other projects. If you are curious about my patents, google my full name: Gary Hartman Kilgore. Keep in mind that most of my patents are in the name of the tool company I established, Motor Bay Company. I returned to figurative sculpture a few years ago after sculpting 6 trees in concrete as posts for my front porch (photos in my portfolio). By the end of that project I realized that I really missed sculpting people. I started a series of miniature nudes, and now that I'm comfortable that I've attained a suitable level, I'm casting them in bronze. My primary interest in Model Mayhem, not surprisingly, is to network with serious, experienced models. I am amazed at how many talented models and artists are on this site. What I have learned about art and life from the women I have met on this site has had a profound impact on my life and work. It is so fantastic to be able to interact with so many serious models and artists. If you want to collaborate with me, or just shoot the bull, please don't hesitate to contact me. Best of luck and success in your projects!


THE MODELING ARTIST:

    For the benefit of aspiring models, I'm including the following observations. Regardless of who you work with, you need to understand thoroughly that:
    Good figurative art is the result of a collaboration between two artists: a model; and a person interpreting the statement she is projecting with her body.
    A good model is a performance artist, who seriously studies, and develops a mastery of expression through anatomical orientation. A great model brings compelling expression to art, if she is magnificent, her message radiates. She isn't simply the focal point of an artists eye, she is a creator, instigator, collaborator.
    If you don't have viable theories about what works, you aren't modeling, you are "taking pictures". The museums of our world house the thousands of years of work of our models and artists.  When you observe a photograph, sculpture, or painting do you see a picture, cold block of stone, musty canvas, or do you see the model, the person? You must be able to empathize with her, to step into her place.
    I need to end these comments with an admonition. Every seasoned model has a horror story from her first year of modeling. Speak to experienced models, learn to spot the red flags, and learn to avoid being manipulated. You may seek immortality for your work or through your progeny, but your body is not immortal. It's like crossing the road, you only have to do it wrong once.
    If you are new to modeling, please seek the advise of seasoned models. Most models are more than happy to offer advise.


COLLABORATING:

    Sculpture is a classical art form, and the one form in which depiction of anatomically complete nude humans is totally accepted by all but the most repressed and irrationally inhibited members of society. Consequently, while most of my models have posed nude for photographers, their work with me is the only nude work that most their mothers are aware of. I think that's kinda cool, and speaks for itself. Footnote: Do not jump to the conclusion that a model has or will pose nude on the basis that she has worked with me. For that matter, do not assume that a model has even worked with me on the basis that her profile is on my "Friends" list.
    Most of my models are: professional models; photographers; artists; musicians, an acrobat (worked for SeaWorld at the time, then went on to Cirque du Soleil, now movie stunt woman); a TV hostess (LA); or performers in one genera or another. Women who have a sincere love and commitment to art, understand the process of creating art and are uninhibited. That's important, sculpture is a time intensive art form, I put in north of 100 hours on a piece over the course of a year. I need for a model to commit sufficient time to complete our work, or allow me to photograph her holding the pose, so I have something to work from. I've got to have one or the other, or I can't finish the sculpture.
    If you visit my studio, you will see shelves filled with unfinished work, work that is incomplete because a model: got a new jealous boyfriend; married someone who convinced her to quit modeling; or moved far away. That's life, and I certainly want my models to marry, have children, and prosper, but I also need to finish my work. So, please do not offer to work with me if you can't commit the time necessary for finishing our work.
 

MODEL COMPENSATION:

    Compensation is dependent on two criteria: experience; and commitment. I pay an hourly rate commensurate with experience. However, for instance, if you don't have much experience and are interested in developing your skills and portfolio, we can do a variation of TFP, Trade For Art, in which case compensation could be a copy of the bronze sculpture when we complete our work.


REVELATIONS:

    Not too long ago, I had the experience of driving a model friend, who I deeply care about, to a few modeling assignments. She and I became very concerned about her safety when we arrived at one of the locations. I will from this day forward, be respectful and appreciative of men who reluctantly accept their woman's avocation, and diligently check me out. The only experience I have had in my life  that was anywhere near as bad as delivering a woman I love to somebody I don't know, for a photo shoot, was delivering my sons, when they were young, to their chronically alcoholic mother. So, Cheers to guys who have that painful task. The payoff, of course, is an incredible woman.

    Having said that, this experience has brought home to me in a very personal way, the issue of model safety. Model Mayhem does a very conscientious job of weeding out scum that try to slip into our little corner of paradise. They reject half of the applications of supposed photographers, which is both encouraging and ominous. But, just like every other community, the art community is no more than a cross section of humanity. There are all kinds of people, but the ones you seriously need to avoid are psychopaths. People who have no empathy for other people or remorse for their actions. They are the people who hurt or kill to amuse themselves. So, be careful. When you respond to an ad by a member or a member responds to your ad, you don't know if you are corresponding with the actual member, or someone who has access to his account. Think about that! Require photographers/artists/whoever to provide you with their photo, address, and text, email, and talk to them multiple times before you meet, so you can pick up on any hints of a problem. Use Facebook's video call function. You can see the person in real time, and decide if you want to mess with them. And, if you get a really bad feeling, please report it to MM! And, if you have more than a bad feeling, report it to the police!

    Artistic skills are found in all personality types: introvert; extravert; amicable; hostile; optimist; pessimist; generous; petty; liberal; conservative; obviously I could easily fill a page, but you get the point. The one common denominator between true artists is an obsessive and compulsive drive with respect to their work. And artists want recognition for their work, like the proud parent of a child. If a guy doesn't want to expose his identity and be credited with his work, what does that say? What is his motive? Obviously not art. He wants to expose your face and body to the world, but he doesn't want his face and name associated with it? An artist is proud of his/her work and wants the world to know what they create. You want to work with serious artists, not people lurking in the shadows with ulterior motives. There are a lot of serious artists on this site. If you want to be taken seriously as a model, sleazy images are of no value to you. They can seriously jeopardize your prospects in modeling and in whatever career you pursue when you leave modeling. Example: I have a model friend, who was hired as an art teacher in a private school. The headmistress was much disliked by the staff and my friend began to wonder why anyone continued to work for her. One day she found out: the headmistress sat my friend down in her office and pulled up erotic photos of my friend, and basically blackmailed her. If the photographer has narcissistic or chauvinistic tendencies, and is shooting salacious photos of you to stroke his inflated self image of sexual prowess, he is objectifying you, taking pictures to serve as trophies to his stunted adolescent ego. My point is, to be taken seriously, work with artists attempting to make serious statements.

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