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DAY 38 | PHOTOGRAPHIC CURIOSITIES |
Undressing for Art
THE BRAVE NUDE WORLD OF SPENCER TUNICK
In the uniquely modern phenomenon of a “flash mob,” crowds of complete strangers gather in a public place to take part in some bizarre collective activity: riding the subway without pants, faux kung fu fighting, or freezing in place for several minutes. After this odd “performance” has taken place, the participants disperse.
Such happenings are reminiscent of the nude gatherings assembled by New York photographer Spencer Tunick.
In his earlier years, Tunick’s shoots had a subversive quality to them, and were planned in a clandestine strategic fashion. According to writer (and former participant) Joe Heaps Nelson, the models would be called to a particular location, given rapid instructions, and rushed to disrobe and assume their position en masse. After shooting, the entire scene would be rapidly dissembled before law enforcement had time to arrive.1 Thousands of one-time nude models quietly melded back into the milieu of respectable citizens.
Such massive gatherings of nudes take on an abstract quality as the texture of the collective crowd becomes more visible than any individual model.
Given his artistic notoriety, Tunick is no longer forced to evade law enforcement for such shoots; the largest gathering to date took place in the historic center of Mexico City with the blessing of the city’s municipal government. Still, the artist continues to describe works such as Zócalo as installations of “performance art,” in continuity with his early work.2 —DJS