Violet Blue Interviews Photographer Zach Hyman

After a model posing for New York photographer Zach Hyman was arrested for taking off her clothes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, many questions have been raised about why the nude figure is such an integral part of art history, yet is criminal when exposed in the flesh. Columnist Violet Blue interviewed the photographer:

At first glance it's easy to think that Hyman and company were staging a publicity stunt, but upon closer look, this is what many photographers do, taking the nude into the public arena and usually with little reaction (Merkley??? is a great local example.)

Yet still I asked, so why the Met? Hyman replied, "I chose the Met because it was where I found my inspiration. I thought it might be interesting to see the reaction of people viewing a live nude next to a nude statue. The response was for the most part exactly how I expected it. Especially from the Met employees. Just very offended and not understanding. Which to me is quite humorous considering that they work in AN ART MUSEUM."

Violet goes on to talk about the larger issue of "normalizing nudity in the face of a heavily censorious puritanical culture", and Hyman finds it amazing that society considers the mere exposing of the body "lewd", especially considering that "WE HAVE ALL SEEN SEXUAL ORGANS."

It seems a given that we will be hearing more from Zach Hyman as he explores new ways to push the envelope on how society perceives the human body.

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• New York arrests nude model (americablog.com)
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• Nude Model Arrested at NYC Museum (abcnews.go.com)
• Will Zach Hyman or any of his other models be arrested for indecent exposure before 1 December 2009? (hubdub.com)

Nudity Does Us All Good

Image via Wikipedia

Jemima Lewis, writing in The Telegraph, makes a strong argument that nudity is not only OK, it's a necessity.

Going naked in front of your offspring is one of the duties of parenthood. Studies show – and common sense suggests – that children from households where nudity is commonplace grow up to feel more comfortable in their own skin. We need the background scenery of other people's bodies – dumpy, scrawny, dimpled or lean – in order to be reassured that our own peculiarities are normal.

Lewis' essay was prompted by some of the negative backlash against nude life drawing classes being broadcast on British television in the daytime.