May 7, 2007

Abstract Flesh

Mr Wang is busy with work, kids and studies, so he will content himself by posting short little articles with very brief commentaries.
May 7, 2007
Mexicans strip for photographer's biggest nude shoot

MEXICO CITY - MORE than 18,000 people stripped down and bared it all in Mexico City's vast main square for US photographer Spencer Tunick's biggest nude shoot yet.

Standing up to salute, crouching in fetal positions and lying prone on the tiles of the Zocalo plaza, the volunteers formed a sea of flesh on Sunday that Tunick snapped from balconies and a small crane in the morning light.

'What a moment for the Mexican art scene!,' Tunick said.

'I think all eyes are looking south from the United Sates to Mexico City to see how a country can be free and treat the naked body as art. Not as pornography or as a crime, but with happiness and caring,' he said.

The Brooklyn artist has become famous for photographing thousands of naked people in public settings worldwide, from London and Vienna to Buenos Aires and Buffalo.

But the Mexico City shoot dwarfed all others.

Previously his best turnout had been 7,000 models in Barcelona in 2003.

'I just create shapes and forms with human bodies. It's an abstraction, it's a performance, it's an installation,' Tunick said.

'So I don't care how many people showed up. All I know is that I filled up my space,' he said.
Interesting to compare this with Singapore's attitude towards nudity in the arts. And also to the Crazy Horse episode in Singapore.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang, Do you have the link to the original article, not that I doubt your source.

Rob

Philip said...

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070506/K050606AU.html

Anonymous said...

What's the fuss about? Will Singapore be a better place for allowing Tunick's nude installations?

FYI, Tunick has been arrested and jailed numerous times in other countries too, including USA (New York City, to boot).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Tunick
http://www.wcpn.org/an/features/2004/0628naked_truth.html

So I really don't think this example shows up Singapore as a backward, repressed country lacking freedom in the arts, if that's your intention.

Having said that, I do think the arts scene could be much more vibrant.

Anonymous said...
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HaveAHacks said...

One interesting postscript to the MICA nude painting episode - There is now a poster of a topless woman OUTSIDE the MICA building, fully visible from the road. Admittedly, it's advertising the ACM's exhibition on Asian beauty, and it's of a 10th century artwork, but still !

http://haveahacks.blogspot.com/

Val said...

I find it's not quite appropriate to compare this nude shot against crazy horse..
Crazy horse doesn't belong to the class of Art in my opinion...
Ok, you are talking about nudity..right? arhhh...

Anonymous said...

Humans were originally nude and is still born bare but fashion barons do not like nudity> Anyway both are no big deals!

Anonymous said...

Humans are born bare but fashion barons are not impressed so they want everyone covered up!

Anonymous said...

boon. You forgot to mention that in each case charges against Tunick were dropped thereafter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Tunick

I wonder should Tunick be arrested here for this, would the charges be dropped or would the authorities still pursue the matter?