Does a picture of a nubile, wannabe starlet standing in a candle-surrounded bubble bath wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and a come-hither expression qualify as art?

That's the line being pushed by Audrina Patridge, 22, after steamy if aesthetically pleasing shots taken when she was in her late teens ended up online this week.

"I intended them to be artistic and not in any way provocative," the "Hills" brunette writes on her MySpace Celebrity page of the snaps, which also include her posing with an arched back in a plaid, schoolgirl-like miniskirt and white knee socks. "The photos were for personal and portfolio use only and not meant to be seen by the public."

Confesses Audrina, "I was naive, overly trusting of people and inexperienced. I thought that to be a model you had to be comfortable in front of the camera."

Still, she insists she's "not ashamed" of the photos, which were taken shortly after she graduated from high school.

"But I don't want my young fans to think they have to do what I did," concludes Patridge. "I hope people can learn from my inexperience. It's been almost five years since I posed for that shoot, and during that time I have learned many lessons about this business."

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