1000 Strip Off In Spencer Tunick Tribute To Artist LS Lowry [The News In Pictures]

Manchester, UK - More than one thousand volunteers braved the cold and stripped naked... in the name of art. People of all ages, shapes and sizes were photographed by Spencer Tunick at eight landmark locations across Salford and Manchester. The nude mass gathering was held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Lowry arts centre, with the pictures set to form part of an exhibition at the venue later in the year.The New York artist has photographed thousands of nude volunteers across the world, most recently at the Sydney Opera House last month. But he chose chilly Salford and Manchester for his first multiple site installation after being inspired by the works of LS Lowry, who also captured crowds of people in public places . . albeit with their clothes on.

The volunteers were taken by heated buses to the secret locations and asked to pose naked for the early morning photo-shoots yesterday and today.

The M.E.N. was on hand to capture the action at the iconic Peel Park, Salford. The site was chosen because LS Lowry painted there and studied at the nearby Salford School of Art.

The installation 'Everyday People' focuses on ordinary men and women, and was inspired by the Salford legend LS Lowry, known for his 'matchstick men' style.

Tunick has photographed similar pieces at the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Institut Cultura in Barcelona, Spain, as well as at the Saatchi Gallery in London and the Baltic in Gateshead.

Tunick, 43, was at the centre of the project, roaring instructions at his participants – who had nothing to protect their modesty – using a microphone.

He asked them to perform a series of poses – ranging from freezes to jumping up and down – before capturing their images.

Speaking at the Peel Park event, he said: "Hopefully it was enjoyable for the participants. I think it went really well. We had a wonderful morning of making artwork around Salford and Manchester.

"I feel like I didn't miss anything – I'm not looking back thinking I missed this or that. The people were here to make interesting artwork to reflect Lowry's paintings – they weren't here to spread a message about nudity."

Speaking after the event, Tunick said: "I think it went really well. I think we got it. I think the people here in Salford had the intention to make art.

"I feel like I didn't miss anything. I made some really good works here.I really like how scattered the bodies were. It's not so much a covering of bodies, but a sprinkling of bodies." said Tunick.

Victoria Denning, 56, from Birmingham, was one of the participants.

She said: "It was absolutely amazing. It's wonderful how many different shapes and sizes of bodies there are.

"You get so used to seeing a certain shape of body in magazines, and not one single person looked like that.

"Even the first time it felt normal because everyone was doing it and nobody was looking. It was just amazing."

Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976) was an English artist born in Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road (B5231), opposite St. Mark's RC Church.

Lowry is famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial districts of Northern England during the early 20th century. He had a distinctive style of painting and is best known for urban landscapes peopled with human figures often referred to as "matchstick men". He also painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits, and the secret 'marionette' works (the latter only found after his death).

Because of his use of stylised figures and the lack of weather effects in many of his landscapes he is sometimes characterised as a naïve, a 'Sunday painter' although this is not the position of the many museums galleries that have organised retrospectives of his works

By Alice McKeegan

TEXT: Art Knowledge News