On an unseasonably chilly morning in March, five thousand Sydneysiders disrobed in the name of art and diversity for The Base, the latest in artist Spencer Tunick‘s series of mass nudes taken at the Opera House steps during Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival.
At the time we talked to a participant named Koots who described the experience as “a chance to do something I wouldn’t usually do. Any other time legally, you’d get in trouble but all of a sudden it was cool to just strip off in public – it’s a pretty crazy double standard.“. We then tested that double standard by filming Koots strip at the Opera House by himself the very next day. It was totally not cool (see video below).
Five months later and Tunick has today unveiled the image he captured on that chilly morning in March. The artist also thanked the nude participants as well as the city’s gay and lesbian community for helping him craft such a surreal take on an Australian icon: “Thanks to those participants we were able to capture an amazing moment and artwork that, to me, represents the equality and diversity of the city of Sydney,” Tunick said. “I hope that the work and the art-action highlighted the city’s acceptance and pride in its gay and lesbian community.“
Check out The Base below…
