"I"ve hated my body because I to be 16," claimed 26-year-old Winn in time Square ~ above Friday afternoon, right after she had actually stripped off every her apparel on the pedestrian plaza. "So I"m make the efforts to assist get much more realistically natural bodies out there right into "the ether," and maybe one day others won"t feel so bad about the way they look."

Winn was simply one of around 100 human being who participated in human body Notes top top June 9, one all-nude art job spearheaded by the tireless champion of free-expression and also positive thinking, Andy Golub.

This to be a bit various than Golub"s yearly Bodypainting job (happening this year on July 22, in Washington Square Park), as soon as dozens of various artists usage naked models together a canvas, developing something distinctive on every person. At body Notes, the style of every body/art work was the same, and also then every model added the expression or motto that their picking to their chest.

Expressions the self-acceptance, self-empowerment, and also positive reasoning were common themes, such together "Bravery Is the toughness We never Knew we Had", "Decolonize This Body", and, together one pair from Philadelphia put it, "Live Today" and "Every moment Matters". Golub stated he was motivated by the "Subway Therapy" displays that emerged after the 2016 presidential election.




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Andy Golub, in the tie-dyed shirts (Scott Lynch / urbanbreathnyc.com)

The models themselves were a mix of all ages and body types, and their motivations because that participating were equally varied. One man said that, after ~ his body practically withered away while treating stage 4 cancer several years ago, the this to be a way for him to express his gratitude because that his regained strength.

Thomas, a 24-year-old Brooklynite, just "wanted to shot something new. It feels nice, ns feel good, ns feel confident." and a young woman stated she had actually mixed feelings if standing around nude, can not to completely shake the stress and anxiety she often experiences in public due to the fact that of continuous harassment and cat-calling native men.

Golub to be arrested for one of his body-painting events: as we report in 2015, "ith the aid of the NYCLU, Golub successfully established that complete nudity was legal as soon as it was for the services of creative expression." He claimed at the time, "We"ve always been gaining attention, however now it"s a different kind of attention. Ns think most civilization are completely cool with it, due to the fact that they get what it"s about. But a the majority of other civilization feel a tiny riled up over the totality idea that nudity, which is one of the factors I made sure to obtain out here."

The event lasted just a couple of hours, beginning in a pair of paint pens set up about the brand-new Ice & angry kiosk. After anyone was covered and a million photos were taken, the giddy naked tape marched up to the red steps in Duffy Square... Wherein a million much more photos were taken.

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Both areas were clear packed through tourists, yet everyone seemed to take the strange parade in stride. And also as Gabe, an 11-year-old tourist from Florida, was quick to allude out—unprompted, in fact, as if he was well-studied in the matter—"it"s entirely legal to carry out this."