Artist Arrested After
150 People Pose Nude
for Him in Times Sq.
NY TIMES
By ANTHONY RAMIREZ
April 26, 1999
A Brooklyn artist who says he has persuaded people in all 50 states to pose nude in public was arrested after coaxing more than 150 people to lie naked in the middle of Times Square early yesterday so he could photograph them.
On a morning cold enough to see his breath, the artist, Spencer Tunick, 32, was arrested and his camera confiscated at 6:15 A.M. at 47th Street and Seventh Avenue. Mr. Tunick, who did not disrobe, was charged with unlawful assembly, which means a failure to have proper permits for a parade or demonstration. None of the models were arrested.
''I don't know why he did it,'' said Officer Lee Ann Tracy, a Police Department spokeswoman. ''But supposedly he's a renowned artist, and he does this all the time.''
Mr. Tunick, who was arraigned and released late last night, had been arrested four times previously in New York.
Mr. Tunick's lawyer, Ronald L. Kuby, described the arrest as part of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani's ''crackdown on the quality of life and on naked people.''
Mr. Kuby said that Mr. Tunick typically takes his pictures around dawn to minimize traffic disruption.
Mr. Tunick has been working on what he calls the Naked States tour, in which he persuades volunteers to pose nude in public.
Thomas C. Donahue, 30, who is editing a 90-minute independent documentary on Mr. Tunick, joined in. ''At first,'' he said, ''I had reservations about lying down in Times Square because I thought the street would be grimy. But actually it was flat with no big potholes.''
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
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Judge Dismisses Charges In Times Sq. Nude Photo
METRO NEWS BRIEFS: NEW YORK
July 27, 1999
Criminal charges against a photographer who takes pictures of large groups of nude models in public places have been dropped in the last case pending against him, his lawyer said yesterday.
The photographer, Spencer Tunick, has been arrested four times on charges ranging from unlawful assembly to promoting the exposure of a person. But in every instance, the charges were dismissed. The latest arrest occurred on April 25 in the early morning hours as he tried to photograph 150 naked people lying in the middle of Times Square.
Those charges were dropped yesterday by Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein of Manhattan Criminal Court, Mr. Tunick's lawyer, Ronald L. Kuby, said.
Mr. Tunick has also challenged the city's attempt to shut down a July 18 photo session in which 100 people were to appear nude on Madison Steet in lower Manhattan. Mr. Tunick photographed the people, who all wore clothes -- except for one naked baby.
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
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