East Anglia's farmers have a chance to be immortalised in a new sculpture - if they are brave enough to get their kit off for some nude modelling.

Volunteers are needed for life-drawing sessions which will help inspire a major new artwork at the Sainsbury Centre, at the University of East Anglia.

Artist Ivan Morison plans to create a sculpture inspired by the region's harvests, which symbolises "the ongoing cycle of life and decay inherent in both art and agriculture". 

And a key part of the concept is the body of the people who work the land.

As part of his research, he will lead two life-drawing sessions with artists and farmers, which will help shape the silhouette, form, and texture of the final sculpture.

One female volunteer has already agreed to be a model, but a male farmer is still needed.

Ken Paranada, curator of art and climate change at the Sainsbury Centre, said although there is a modelling fee of £20 per hour, the real reward is to become part of such an "exciting" piece of art.

"They will be immortalised, they will be the inspiration for a sculpture which is quite innovative and radical, and which highlights the plight and the labour of farmers, that are often ignored in a lot of conversations," he said.

The life-drawing sessions with the Turkish-born artist will be held at Norwich University of the Arts and the Sainsbury Centre, on July 10 and 11.

Mr Paranada said: "If you have not done it before, it is really fun. It is just a bunch of artists sketching while you hold a pose.

"The models will be asked to hold a pose for 40 minutes and there will be breaks of 20 minutes. There will be a robe there if they need it, they can have some music, or a heater on if they are feeling cold - and probably some wine."

Planning concept proposal by Hudson Architects for the new artwork at the Sainsbury Centre sculpture parkPlanning concept proposal by Hudson Architects for the new artwork at the Sainsbury Centre sculpture park (Image: Hudson Architects)

The planned artwork will comprise three large, four-metre-high haystack-like structures, made from organic natural materials that gradually decompose.

After five months on display in the Sainsbury Centre's sculpture park, they will move to the Orleans House Gallery in London next year.

"It will be a very novel sculpture that changes through time, and later becomes part of the natural landscape," said Mr Paranada.

To volunteer for the life drawing sessions, contact j.paranada@uea.ac.uk.

Artist Ivan MorisonArtist Ivan Morison (Image: Charles Emerson )