relly1

I first heard about Spencer Tunick about 2 years ago, while living in London. I saw an advertisement in the 'Evening Standard' requesting people to pose in a group photograph at Selfridges. My frist thought was "Sounds cool, what do I have to do?" From the website listed in the advert, it was specified that I would have to be naked with a bunch of other people. My first reaction was terror - I was supposed to stand naked with a group of strangers. I decided that I was going to suck up my fear and go with a friend... however, that never happened. So, I e-mailed Spencer's company and asked them to let me know if he was ever near Toronto.

Low and behold, a couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail telling me that Spencer was going to be taking a picture in Buffalo. I decided that there was no excuse, I was going to go. I tried to get my friends involved, but I only managed to convince one of them to come with me.

Once we arrived, 1200 people were herded into the courtyard of an old train station called Central Terminal. We all waited for a couple of hours outside while Spencer prepared for the installation - everyone was jittery with nerves, excitement and anticipation. I wasn't really nervous before disrobing, but I wondered what it would feel like to be nude en masse. However, I came to realize that this was 1200 people at their most vulnerable state, and there was nothing to be worried about.

This experience amazed me on so many levels. First, it was completely non-sexual. Men and women, not wearing any clothes, standing in very close proximity -leaning or laying on each other in some cases- without any hint of sexual malace or affection. Second, I was amazed at the diversity of the crowd. Young people, old people, thin people, over weight people, breast cancer survivors, people of all races. Third, we were all equal. We were all at our most vulnerable, we had nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of as we were all in the same situation. Lastly, I was amazed at the sense of power that I felt. I invisioned myself as shy or embarrassed, but I was none of those thing. I felt free, and I think most people there felt the same way.

I think that many people are raised to think of nudity as embarrassing or sexual. However, this experience helped me to reconfigure my perception of nudity and privacy. I mean, it's not for everyone, and I'm not going to become a nudist or an exhibitionist, but it definately changed my view on what society has shaped us to believe is dirty. I admire Spencer Tunick for challenging people's beliefs and showing the world the most beautiful thing on Earth - the human body. I think that with his art, he is creating more than just a photograph, but bringing thousands of people together.