Suki the life-model

Suki the life-model, created by Sue Vickerman, is a fictional character whose 2012-13 blog discussing Art and Life ran to fifty-two topics. You may browse them here. Her blog accrued an international following, eliciting highly engaging and in-depth responses from visual artists and others at home and abroad. Subsequently Suki’s biographical trilogy was published in weekly instalments (2013-16). You may read them here. Film shorts relating to the first two parts of this trilogy may be viewed (Part I) here (also here with Chinese subtitles), and (Part II) here. Contact Sue Vickerman if you would like to watch the film relating to Part III (60 minutes long).

The short film Suki’s Life Room – a collaboration between Suki, five artists and Bel the Photographer – is a cameo of Suki’s world and relationships. For Chinese subtitled version, see here.

In Suki’s own words:

“I am a poet and writer who started life-modelling to make ends meet. It has turned out to be my best day-job ever. It feeds my creative life. My poetry pamphlet KUNST is about artists and models, illustrated with pencil and charcoal drawings of me by sixteen artists. My autobiography A SMALL LIFE, a sad, funny tale based on my diary notes, is in print (Cinnamon Press) and also serialised online here. Watch STILL LIFE – an 8-minute film short illustrated with colour drawings and paintings of me by thirty-eight artists. Its sequel TWO SMALL LIVES – a sometimes harrowing story – is serialised online here, having fifty artist contributors. It is also in print (Naked Eye Publishing). I have now completed TRUE LIFE NUDE, the final book of my trilogy, in which I switch from life-modelling to art-nude photographic modelling. This is serialised here.

“I also write about people I know and things I do. Themes I return to are: the search for a raison d’etre, loneliness, death, our relationships with Significant Others, and the quest for love.

“I am described by reviewers as ‘a bit anorexic’, ‘slightly suicidal’, and ‘an older Bridget Jones, but more edgy, more intimate, more erotic…’ It’s true: my writings refer to a sexual dimension in the dynamics of the life room. So I break a life-modelling taboo. So what?”