Nude Model Stands Up (and Sits, and Reclines) for His Trade

By Dena Levitz
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, August 24, 2008

David Quammen would never be mistaken for Tyson Beckford or any other supermodel strutting the catwalks of Milan. At 67, he was onto his third career when those studs were crawling around in diapers.

But Quammen is just as much of a model as any of them, spending a considerable amount of his time in the buff (even though he admits his physique is far from that), posing for artistic portraits.

In the '70s and '80s, the California native worked in the semiconductor industry in the San Francisco Bay area. He moved to the nation's capital about a decade ago to work as an activist for the homeless. But when the bills started stacking up and he became frustrated with the government bureaucracy involved in changing the system, Quammen tried nude modeling on a lark. He has been at it pretty much ever since.

Quammen enjoys the challenge of striking a pose in front of artists for hours on end and sees the model's role as critical to the finished products. It doesn't hurt that he isn't shy about baring all, a skill that goes back to his long-ago regular visits to a nudist lodge.

In addition to modeling, Quammen started the Figure Models Guild ( http://www.figuremodelsguild.org), an organization for nude models in the D.C. area, the majority of whom earn $15 to $20 an hour. Its goal is to teach aspiring models the trade (they get a booklet with pose suggestions and observe others before trying it) and to connect the models to artists in an organized way. His guild-maintained registry has more than 100 models.

How did you get into nude modeling?

I saw an article about a gal who had been operating open drawing sessions at a bar in Adams Morgan. I had belonged to a nudist lodge in California, so that wasn't an issue. I contacted her, and . . . Halloween 2000 was my first experience. I turned 60 just days before that.

They say for people afraid of public speaking, the trick is to imagine your audience naked. What's the trick if you're the one who's naked?

No matter what, you have to be comfortable in your own skin. And if you're comfortable because you're a female and you have an outrageous kind of figure, a Bo Derek type, okay. Even they have to overcome some thoughts. But once you get into this work, you find that you don't have to be a perfect 10 on the good-looking scale. Once you find that isn't the case, that helps ease you. But it's a process, for sure.

Modeling is one thing, but why start a modeling guild?

The things I heard from all the artists. From the very first time modeling, they told me all the bad things about models who'd show up late, they couldn't hold a pose. And I thought, "If I'm going to do this, I'd rather see some change."

What is the longest time a model will hold a pose?

Three hours.

That's a long time. Do you have to build up a tolerance to get to that point?

I have a high threshold for pain, for one thing. I don't advocate that models do this. What I suggest for a long pose is break when you need to, but if you don't have to, don't. Recognize that the longer the pose, the greater the creativity instilled within the artist. My rule would be to stay for at least a half-hour.

Was the guild designed to be like a union?

That wasn't it at all. My assessment was that the situation had to change if the models were going to get some respect and the artists were going to get some good, professional models. And in my organizing background, it seemed easier to organize the models and do something to help them enhance their relationship with artists and provide the basis, once improvements were there, to go and talk to people about things like better pay.

You expect a sort of code of conduct from guild members. Would you kick people out if they didn't comply?

I have. It's like three strikes, you're out. I have deleted models [in the registry], and it'll say why. This is a lot of effort put forth. If people are going to go out there and break it, then they just shouldn't be modeling, period. All of the places charge a lot for what they do. And the figure is important, so the model is a real key element in what they're teaching. If the model doesn't show, you've got 30 people sitting there, and I don't care how good someone might be in poses or anything else, they're no good if they don't show up.

What are the models in the area like?

Models come from all over. One has a PhD and teaches at a major university. . . . Some of the more common things are actors, dancers, some seamstresses. One of the models now was an actor, and that wasn't doing enough for her, so she's a flight attendant. She schedules as she can. There have been teachers.

Teachers? For professionals in such capacities, do they ever try to be anonymous so friends and family don't know they're posing nude?

As I was taking information, [one person] said, "Don't use my name. I'll send you an e-mail about what to use." He's the same guy that ended up changing his first and last name. There are several models now who have either changed both names or one, or go by a nickname.

Can you talk about any particularly odd jobs?

There have been a few occasions when for one reason or another you get an applause, a thank you. I've had that experience a few times.

I also told two gals during a different class to shut up or I'd quit posing. This was out at George Mason. There were supposed to be three poses over three nights. It was a large class. I was in a particularly uncomfortable pose. So I'm sitting there, and I can hear these people yakking and yakking and yakking. So finally . . . I just told them to shut up. And one said, "You shouldn't treat me that way." I said, "You're acting like a child; I'll treat you like one. I'll leave if this keeps going on." It didn't.