take a while with the shirt designs he was working on. The money would come slow initially, and on top of that, he was close to purchasing a car. He was also interested in beginning a search for a bigger apartment, mostly in Brooklyn but he hadn’t ruled out Midtown, wanting to get a change of scenery while remaining close to his family. Regardless, he was ready to step outside of Harlem. To try something new.
“Good afternoon, everyone. Our model today is King Chrysalis.” The students greeted him, some waved, most looking rather studious. King smiled and waved back at the crowd of about twelve students. “King attended Pratt some years ago as well, and now has made quite a name for himself in the city. King’s expertise is in fine art, oil and acrylic painting, mixed media and murals. I bet many of you have seen his murals around the city and didn’t even know he was the artist. There’s one called ‘The Cure,’ which features different races of women and men huddled around one another, hugging. It’s in—”
“Chelsea. I’ve seen it! It’s perfect. Real nice,” someone piped up.
“That’s right, Sanders, it’s in Chelsea.”
“King even taught a summer youth program here once. You can see his work in various places in the city and featured in art magazine publications, as well as online. He’s won numerous acknowledgements and awards, a true talent. He had an exhibit entitled ‘Deviant,’ correct?” The Professor looked his way.
“Yes, that’s what it’s called, and it’s an ongoing theme for future shows.”
“Yes, that’s right, and the last installment focused actually on how love, kindness, and being honest with one another is now seen as deviant. Normal is abnormal, and vice versa. A social and political barometer, if you will. The stunning display caused discussion all over the country. There was another exhibit in the Deviant art shows which focused on the emotions behind and during coitus. One of his most famous paintings, ‘Beat,’ one of my all-time favorites, featured a heart pulsating during a sexual climax. The heart was in 3-D color, looking as if you could reach inside the body and touch it, while the couple making love was depicted in black and white. Beautiful. King has received high acclaim and praise not only here in New York, but around the country. It’s a privilege to have you here, King. Thanks for coming today.”
“No problem. Thank you for inviting me. That was a tremendous introduction, and I’m humbled by it.” King shook Professor Nassar’s hand, then began to disrobe. He was a bit rusty, but mentally prepared. He’d done plenty of art modeling. Sometimes nude, sometimes not, but he was fully capable of keeping the same pose for extended periods of time. He had the concentration and stamina. It didn’t really matter if he was in the buff or not. In these environments, it was almost like being at the doctor’s office. Clinical. There weren’t any worries, perversions, or ill motives – people were simply trying to work on their craft, perfect their talents. Seeing real life flesh, versus looking at one’s reflection or a picture in a book, was always better. The real thing trumped all. Once he was completely naked, he got on the low table everyone sat around, and stood in his first pose. Him standing with one leg slightly bent and his hands on his hips.
He was to remain this way for five or so minutes, and only blink and breathe. It definitely was harder than it seemed, but he was used to it. It was far easier than the ad work he’d done just the prior week. Bright lights, hours of cameras going off in one’s face, having to re-take several poses, makeup and hair personnel zooming around every few minutes and having to deal with other models and actors, too. Though that pay had been more substantial, he much preferred this. It was more fluid. More natural. He did, however, have a renewed respect for Shane. The work his friend did wasn’t something that could be just done on a whim. It took skill. After a few minutes, the art professor interrupted to make an announcement.
“Thirty more seconds, then he’ll change poses.” Several students began to draw a bit more aggressively, trying to rush to the finish line, while others turned the pages of their large drawing pads and waited. One woman off to his right had a flushed face. Her lower lip kept twitching, like a nervous