What do you think of the proposed public nudity art installation at the Sydney Opera House this March?
An artist that does the same thing over and over again is usually [i] bereft of new ideas, [ii] trying to make a non-artistic point, or [iii] seeking publicity. Tunick, a fine photographer, may be [iv] trying to elevate his particular art (photography) in the public mind, of course, but I think [iii] the most probable motive. Our community’s prudish and unrealistic attitude to the naked body, inherited from Queen Victoria’s time, and the massed flouting of these silly conventions and phobias, is a wonderful way to obtain media attention. Is ‘acceptance of nudity’ such a vital goal to strive toward, that an artist would devote so much of his career to this non-artistic aspect of our situation? I doubt it, but Tunick may be striving to right this very minor wrong. I always disrespect artists who use media notoriety to gain prestige, and S. Tunick doesn’t really need notoriety to succeed as a photographer, surely? I strongly favour the idea that this man is after personal status. S. Dali,
