Nudity in Art is not a Sin.

As you should hopefully know if you're reading this, I am a photographer.
Yep, an artist of sorts.

One of the things I delight in is doing photoshoots with women. Why? Because they're God's Masterpiece. They're the last living thing that God created before his son, Jesus.

Anywho, the site where I have my gallery, DeviantArt, allows you to follow the work and journals of other artists. And one of them, a very talented one in my book, got confronted over one of his pieces by someone who believes that faith and nudity do not mix.

For that artists' journal, go here: http://markdaughn.deviantart.com/journal/24419665/

Some of my thoughts on the matter went into a response there, which I will repost below:

According to the bible...

God created humanity nude. *We* went and screwed up.
So in our ill-gotten wisdom, we covered ourselves.

The problem with nudity isn't what God wants. If God wanted us not to be nude, we'd be born wrapped up like miniature versions of Muslim women, with only our eyes showing, nevermind that Adam and Eve wouldn't have thought to cover themselves; they already would have been covered. The problem with nudity is that we bring our social baggage to the party, baggage that tends more often than not to equate nudity with sex and/or pornography, instead of just appreciating the form on an aesthetic level.

I believe God is an artist. Why? Because he has a style. Yes, a style. Let me break it down into two classes. Animals with skeletons, and animals without. Look at their construction, the shape of things, the internal organs...they're all very similar. Evolutionists would say that's proof of their opinion, but very few organisms evolve beyond whatever is needed to stay in their biological niche; some things don't, for example sharks and crocodillians.

Anywho, if God is an artist as I believe, then according to scripture, God's Masterpiece is Woman. I firmly believe that capturing and presenting a woman's beauty is like paying homage to a great master, very similar to art students practicing the works of the masters to get a grasp on certain fundamental aspects of their styles, in that they, like nude photographers, gain an appreciation and understanding about the works of the masters.

I think there's an applicable bible verse that can easily apply to those of faith who capture and portray the beauty of women.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Nudity is not inherently evil, nor is it a inherently a sin. Capturing nudity in any medium is not inherently evil or a sin. The moral issue comes into play in regards to our attitudes and approaches.

If a person views all nudity as evil, then they need to examine two things:

1) In Genesis 1:31 "...God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." so what entitles that person's judgement to overrule God's and view the human nude as bad, evil, or sinful?

2) If all nudity makes a person feel ashamed to see it, what is the source of their shame? It clearly isn't God, who inspired David to say in Psalms 139:14 - I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.