Thirty of us posed nude this morning in NYC's Central Park at
Bethesda Fountain. We laid in the snow using our bodies to spell the
words NO BUSH and then rearranged to spell WAR. We did this to send a
message to people around the world that Bush does not speak for us!
As we lay in the snow we screamed sentiments like "read my
lips Bush!" Onlookers scurried for cameras and several watched in
wonder as we ran to and from our spots in front of Bethesda Fountain
and arranged frantically in sub-freezing temperatures to form the
words. We congregated at 6:30 AM at a nearby diner where we met each
other for the first time, discussed our plan and then headed off to the
park together in high spirits.
Over 70 women joined the project, though 30 of us braved the
snow to make the shoot this morning. Everyone who posed found out about
the project through e-mails that I sent out to friends and associates.
Other photos of volunteer nudes have been shot using women's
bodies to spell words such as PEACE and NO WAR, beginning with a group
of women in West Marin, California, who staged the spelling of PEACE as
a pro-peace demonstration last November. Their PEACE photo spread
virally on the web and inspired other women to organize photos of their
own. There is now an organically growing collective that includes
groups that shot photos in Antarctica, the UK , Cape Town South Africa,
and Texas.
Our New York City photo is the first of its kind, as it is
the only photo shot in a public location in a major city where there is
virtually no private space. The other photos taken were shot on private
land or in desolate locations. We didn't have the option, we're NYC!
Increased security from 9-11 had us worried too.
See also
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/57974p-54308c.html
