For the fifth year in a row, Andy Golub and the Human Arts Connection threw a very public and very nude party, gathering some 50 artists and 60 completely naked models in Washington Square Park for a Saturday afternoon of body painting.
It was part celebration of positive body image, part demonstration of this unique art form, and part declaration of freedom of expression, as full public nudity is protected in NYC if it's part of an artistic performance. Golub has previously explained what he's trying to do with his shows, saying, "People are preoccupied with the sexuality of the body... I’m trying to move the conversation beyond that."
The activities of NYC Bodypainting Day started over by the General Giuseppe Garibaldi statue, as the artists and models did their thing in barricaded pens beneath tents, which provided shade while the barricades served to hold back the photographers, art appreciators, and gawkers who showed up in full force.
After everyone was fully covered in their often elaborate designs, the whole show moved over beneath the Washington Square Arch for a pair of songs—"Imagine" and "This Land Is Your Land"—led by "Crazy Piano Guy" Colin Huggins. The crowd also belted out "Happy Birthday" for Golub. Next there was a photo-op sitting on the steps in the park's famous fountain, followed by a brief parade through the Village and a double-decker bus ride over the Manhattan Bridge.
