Monday, March 1, 2010

Butt, is it Art?

Finally, the blog post that Natalie Sin has waited for months to read (personally, I think she has been a bad influence on me). If you don't believe me, check out her blog here.


Note: Tacky story warning...possible naked buttocks [spoken in a Forrest Gump voice].

I hope that those of you who have attended my blog for a while will understand that after seeing this article in today's news...I could not leave it alone. The story begs for comment. It caught my attention right away (any time I see the word "nude" in a headline, my attention is piqued) and seemed like a story to sink my teeth into.

American photographer Spencer Tunick had about 5200 volunteers pose naked today, embracing one another on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. His photograph is to be called "The Base" and he notes that "In a way, I'm making a base for the structure, a base for the architecture- and by combining straight and gay and lesbian people I'm weaving the different sexes and society together to form this wonderful fabric that holds up this gorgeous building."

Tunick has produced nearly 100 of these works around the world and 19 year old student Art Rush was thrilled to participate. "I'll never get a chance to do this again; it's not worth being inhibited. It doesn't feel sexual, it just feels tribal, a gathering of humanity."

If I had paid more attention in high school art class I could have had a gig like this. Thousands of naked people, in warm, exotic locations, bending and posing on my command (That last line was for Natalie). I was thinking that there's no way the guy would ever come to Canada, where his models would have body parts turn blue, crystallize and drop off. But then, I discovered he had done a shoot in Montreal, in La Belle Province. They are a bit more cosmopolitan there.


The photo that came with the story was very tiny and gave a view of the Sydney Opera House with piles of bodies clustered together. I wanted a picture that would speak volumes. You will see to the left a picture from a previous session of his in Melbourne, Australia in 2001. I'm thinking if you click on the image it will give you a larger, clearer view of tanned bodies and pale bottoms (just thought that Karen would like to know that). Hmm, perhaps that blond haired woman on the bottom right could be Danielle...or the dark haired bloke low in the center, with the finely sculpted cricketers body, could be BT? Just a thought.

*sighs to self* Guess that means I'll have to apologise to my Ozzy friends next post...

12 comments:

Fox Lee said...

Nudity!!!

Glorious, jiggling nudity! It's so nice of you to post this on my wedding anniversary : )

Karen from Mentor said...

Since I ignore the news when I'm working, I rely on friends to send me stuff like this. My friend Judy tweeted the photos and video first thing this morning.

[you really should be on twitter Alan, then I could send you public nudity and articles about monkeys with guns and links to geek to geek dating in 140 character bursts.]

I LOVED the video of the this photo shoot.
Did you see that part?

Oh and by the way? I don't have tan lines.
but I did appreciate you linking me and pale bottoms. [it's the irish in me, I can't help having pale creamy skin]

hee hee hee...boy that was fun.

Danielle Birch said...

Hee hee, there is no way you'll see me getting my gear off in any of those projects.

Anonymous said...

Oh sure, photograph 5000 naked people and it's art. Turn a camera on three naked people in a park, and you're a "pornographer".

Bitter? Me? Never.

Rebecca Nazar said...

Don't see any naked art performed up north. Shame, really.

JournoMich said...

There is never enough naked art in the world...And I missed this news story so thank you for making my morning! Your take on it was ever so much more interesting than the articles I clicked over and read.

Michele
SouthernCityMysteries

DEZMOND said...

I love Spencer Tunick ... and I totally agree with our Chels above - there's never enough naked art in the world :) You should've put the Sidney pic in the post since it's full of frontal beauty :)) I've seen the pic today in the newspapers - it's apparently a world wide news of the day.

Too bad we weren't there to see the shooting.

Aaron Polson said...

Not sure you could find even 50 folks to take off their shirts let alone full on nudity in this weather. Thank goodness for decent temps elsewhere, eh?

(and congrats to you and your countrymen on that hockey win...what a game)

Laura Eno said...

You're always good for something unique, Alan!

Katey said...

Oh man, that's a really cool idea he had there. Lovely!

And funny. Hehehehehe. (What, I can't help it. They're naked!)

Alan W. Davidson said...

Natalie, Perhaps a little bird told me about your anniversary and I planned this as a special event. Or it was just luck. Hope that you and Ying went out and had a good time.

Karen, Perhaps one day I will invest in a cell phone, Blackberry or some other hand held device. I work out of the house and don't need any other distactions. I'm Irish on my mother's side, though the only white on me is my hair.

Danielle, And I thought that the Aussies were really outgoing sort of folks...

Anton, I hear ya sister! It's a shame the judge looked at things that way.

Becca, About 20 years ago in London (Ont) a low budget theatre group started their season with "Unidentified Human Remains and the True Meaning of Love". The group shut down after a few shows. The nudity and simulated sex weren't well recieved in the prudish city.

Michele, Thanks. I guess I missed my calling as a newspaper man. And nude photographer.

Dez, I suppose to be there would mean we would have to participate. Perhaps Spencer will shoot near you one day in Београд or Косово. Perhaps if you emailed him and volunteered to help...

Aaron, Sounds like Lawrence is a bit on the conservative side (refer to my comment to Becca). That was an exciting game. Well played on both sides. It was interesting to hear so many names for both teams that played in our Ontario Hockey League a few years ago.

Laura, Thanks very much. If I am nothing else, I am entertaining. Sometimes.

Katey, I'm wondering if you would hang out naked for a day if he was shooting on the steps of one of those famous sites in DC? Perhaps if your husband came along...

DEZMOND said...

Ha ha ... ALan, I think if Spencer would try something like this in Serbia (and Kosovo especially) he wouldn't find enough models, since people in these regions are too shy to parade naked in the streets.