Oct 8, 2007 11:46 am US/Central
Hundreds To Go Nude In Florida For The Sake Of Art
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (CBS) ―
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Spencer Tunick is known for photographing large groups of people while nude and in public. (File)
AP
A world renowned photographer will be asking hundreds of people to take off their clothes for the sake of art in Miami on Oct. 8, 2007.
Artist Spencer Tunick, who photographs masses of people in the nude, will capture the image of 800 people sans clothes at the Sagamore Hotel for a piece that will be unveiled during Miami Beach's annual Art Basel festivities in December, reports CBS station WFOR-TV in Miami.
Tunick, who has previously photographed 1,800 naked people in Mexico City, and 7,000 in Barcelona, Spain, says he reveres the human body as abstract material.
Last month, WFOR-TV caught up with Tunick as he prepared for the ambitious art project. It turns out finding hundreds of people to undress for art is not an easy task.
"I never thought naked people would be such hard work," said Tunick.
Tunick's last image involved a glacier in Switzerland where hundreds followed him to be photographed in an effort to bring attention to global warming.
"The problem is the Aletschgletscher, which is the largest glacier in Europe, might be gone in 80 years because it's melting at an alarming rate. To be on a glacier is dangerous for anyone clothed, let alone nude. We had mountaineers helping us pull ropes, where the crevices were, dropping 50 meters in the ice. We were surprised no one fell into a crevice," said Tunick.
Tunick described the precarious situation, "I was screaming for everyone to be careful. I think I was more nervous about people hurting themselves than anything else. Most of them were just everyday people concerned about the environment. They made some beautiful work for me. We had people standing on very small slippers and stepping onto the slippers so you wouldn't see the shoe."
Tunick readily admits he's obsessed with his body of work.
"My first installation artwork, I guess, I was 28. It took me a long time to discover this body of work. I spent a lot of time looking at other art work of other artists," said Tunick.
But at 42, Tunick is still looking for a few hundred good men and women. Exhibitionists and nudists need not apply.
"We have flight attendants signing up, doctors, we are waiting for our first firemen to be brave to pose we have all different types of people posing there are no nudists, no exhibitionists, they are every day people," said Tunick.
Executive recruiter Katherine Roman said she didn't want to pass up the chance of being a part of it although she's not entirely sure why.
"This is an every day person we are looking for that wants to be in a piece of nude artwork and never do it again. This is like a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a very special work and not to be considered something pornographic or evil. This is an everyday person doing something very social and artistic," said Tunick.
At the Sagamore, Tunick will take only four photos and each will be exhibited during Art Basel in December. The trellises of the terraces will be flanked by flesh.
"I have to make good work or I fail in front of everyone. So that is the biggest challenge," said Tunick.
The artist says in making his picks for Monday's shoot, he was interested in an array of body types, not just South Beach's famously trim models and gym addicts.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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