Life imitates anti-art
Forget about life drawing classes where you're confronted with a fat, hairy guy, says Ellice Mol. Dr Sketchy's Anti Art School is about teasing and entertaining
By Ellice Mol
Drawn from life
With its roots firmly planted in New
York, Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School
has finally landed in Sydney and is
completely different to your normal
life drawing class. “Instead of naked
models, and a quiet class, we have
outrageous burlesque stars, vaudevillians,
hula hoop artists, magicians
who model in crazy costumes using
props such as feather fans and
vintage phones,” says Jac Bowie,
the director of the International
Burlesque, Vaudeville and Vintage
Agency. “The model then performs
halfway through the night”.
Lauren Larouge, aspiring burlesque
and cabaret star, is one of the Dr
Sketchy’s models and says these life
drawing classes gives sketch artists
the chance to meet and draw a ‘personality’.
“We’re all dressed up in our
feathers or corsets so it just brings
something interesting and different to
the experience”.
Although this is an environment
where anything goes, Larouge says
she is perhaps a little more prudish
than some of the other models.
“I don’t actually take as much off as
a lot of the other girls do,” she says.
“I sing and do other things and I like
to focus on that.”
Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School happens
fortnightly at the ArtHouse Hotel on
Pitt St, City. The next on Tue 12 Feb
with Lauren Larouge modelling, singing
and playing the electric ukulele.