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
