A couple of times each year, the non-profit organization Human Connection Arts puts on a big public event that celebrates free expression through nudity. New York’s annual Bodypainting Day in July is the biggest, but there are others peppered throughout the calendar. Last October, for instance, the group fielded a topless float in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, which seemed pretty bold at the time since October isn’t the most common month for outdoor toplessness.
But it pales in comparison to February. Which was when the group gathered most recently, on a frosty, somewhat rainy Saturday afternoon, with the temperature hovering not too far above freezing, applying bodypaint indoors at a studio near Times Square–
–girding themselves for the arctic winds they might face–
–and then bravely heading out into the cold to march to the Crossroads of the World, greet astonished tourists,
hobnob with costumed characters,
and take photos at the iconic bleachers near the TKTS booth.
One of our members gamely took part (see if you can spot her in these terrific photos by Daniel Vialet of Leinadmedia), together with some two dozen other participants of all ages, genders, sizes, and shapes. It was an exciting and liberating event, and we’re delighted to have played a small part in it.
If you’re inspired by what you see but need a little more mercury in the thermometer before you’d feel comfortable going outdoors in nothing but paint, remember that July isn’t that far off.
Or just paint yourself in the colors of the sun and think warm thoughts…
…or do it with a bunch of friends and huddle close. 🙂
*(see if you can spot her in these terrific photos by Daniel Vialet of Leinadmedia)*
Yes. Her strong face and distinctive hair style are enough.
Very brave people in that cold. Wonderful stuff. Ta.
They are bold, they are beautiful and they are quite nude for all to see and hopefully the onlookers enjoyed it as much as the models did. Very body positive and a nice platform for nude art.
For years women have fought to express that breasts aren’t offensive and in this blog you’ve greatly shown that freedom, beauty, recognition and respect that all women deserve. I thought this blog was about women being topless or nude in public and private. But unfortunately you’ve lost your concept and it’s looking that you’re becoming more about nudists in general, showing both women and men. While it’s great for anyone, male or female to walk about freely and comfortably naked I didn’t sign up to this blog to see nude men or their privates hanging out. If you’re going to show penises then you might as well show vulvas and the clitoris or quite simply, give the guys their own blog. Many bi and lesbian women, including myself do not enjoy seeing male nudity. I hope that you get back to basics of what you started out doing and lose the men or you may start losing subscribers.
We’re sorry you didn’t like this post, but your complaint is a little bewildering. It’s not like our blog is full of penises — before this new post, you would have had to scroll back literally 150 photos to find even ONE other penis, and that was a teeny, tiny image of a naked man way in the background of a photo whose foreground image was two naked women. The last penis to appear before that was an even tinier — practically microscopic — one in an image of the gay naturist sunbathing community on the Hudson Piers back in the 1970s. To find a penis in the foreground of a photo, you’d have to scroll back even further — 250 photos! 16 posts, over the course of months! — to a post that incidentally also shows a very beautiful vulva. So making it sound like we’re subjecting you to constant displays of penises is pretty unfair.
We’d also ask that you show a little tolerance — bodies are bodies, every human has one, and even if you’re not attracted by the sight of an exposed penis, there’s no need to react with revulsion. We are a co-ed group (the word is right there in our name), and though we have far more female members than male (intentionally), we do have some men, and those men by and large have penises, and we’re not going to shame them for that. You won’t see them often on our blog, but once in a while you will, and if that bothers you, you should read a different blog.
BRRRRRRR!
Have you ever coordinated with any of the artists and/or models in the national or international Bodypainting Festival? They are REALLY GREAT!!
We’ve coordinated with the New York Bodypainting Day festival, but not the national or international ones.
Great images. Love the blue swirls especially. Does Daniel Vialet have a website or blog? He directs people to http://www.leinadmedia.com, but that returns an error.
We’re not aware of a website or blog, but we’ll let you know if he tells us about one.
Wow.
Love the use of colors on each person.
Onlookers were bundled up in clothes thus reflecting the weather conditions.
Thanks to all who participated in this. Very positive statement.
Easily spotted your member: she’s in the 4th and 5th photos!
The 1st and 13th, too.