Hollywood native of Polish heritage, Carushka Jarecka (1953-2013) began modeling for Elmer batters, who picked her up at a place called Pretty Girl international on Hollywood Blvd. Her individuality & unique appeal, not to mention voluptuous dimensions, were yet to be a part of mainstream nude modeling or contemporary pornography, but Batters knew then to hire her. In 1995 he said "There are so many guys who like a thigh and a face like that..." That statement came a full 30 years after their collaboration, images from those sessions seen in various Taschen reprints, including the tiny "Caruska Sittings," & now, nearly half a century passed, there are still "so many guys" (& every sexual identity) who crave high arches, full calves, solid thighs, heavy breasts & sharp Western European subtleties. Personally, it was an instant attraction, unquestionable instinctual attraction. The more Batters magazines, the more Parliament anthology cameos, the more original photographs & negatives, the hunt to capitulate Carushka's modeling career into an ephemeral time-capsule has been honest, endless work. Even the inclusion of catalogs from her own fashion company devoted to active bodywear, all based on her own designs, is necessary to understand more than just the singled-out plus-size model who turned on feet- & leg-hungry horn-dogs of the continued progressive era. Like another house favorite, Joanne Latham, Carushka Jarecka owned more than just the scant clothing on her back, the shining nylons on her legs, the paint on her toenails, she easily possessed the playful muse within her & the talents enough to showcase them for others: at first light the gift of her serious contours, smoothly swinging under a tree, & in finality the gift of her strength & power through female entrepreneurship & solidarity. The changing appeal of "more woman" of the 1970s, evolving design & culture of body-positive enthusiasts of the 1980s, aging w/ grace until the end. My altar consist of Carushka, boxed memories of someone I want to have been, inspired enough then as I am now. Astoundingly overlooked, & unseen in Sullivan. Holy Well-Stacked Books Rubenesque Trinity.
Note: attempts to contact Carushka's family have gone unanswered, but it's understandable.
