Iggy Pop Life Class: A Project by Jeremy Deller

On Sunday February 21, 2016, 21 artists from all walks of life gathered at the New York Academy of Art for a special life drawing class with a guest model: American rock legend Iggy Pop. The class was organized by the Brooklyn Museum and conceived by artist Jeremy Deller.

In stark contrast to his kinetic stage persona, Pop methodically posed nude on a different kind of stage, whilst the participating artists―representing New York’s diverse community and ranging from 19 to 70 years of age―depicted his body in the wide-ranging styles expected from a mix of students, practicing artists and retirees.

Iggy Pop Life Class includes drawings by all participating artists, with works ranging from five-minute sketches to studies to presentation drawings―107 works in all. Also included are candid photos of the process alongside comparative works from the Brooklyn Museum’s collections. The book features an introduction by Deller, an interview with Pop about his rationale for participating in this project and an essay on the practice of life drawing in art history and the studio.

Iggy Pop is a singer-songwriter, musician, and actor, forming the influential proto-punk band The Stooges in 1967, and known throughout his 50 year career for dynamic and highly- physical stage perfomances.Jeremy Deller is a London-based artist known for his orchestration of large-scale collaborative projects. Winner of the 2004 Turner Prize, Deller represented Great Britain at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.