Breaking Boundaries: Stuart Ringholt and the Naked Tour @ IMA **** Warning this post contains nudity

Lately I've been thinking about getting naked, and wondering if when it comes down to it, I can do it in public. I'm talking of course about Stuart Ringholt's naked tour at the opening of 'Let the Healing Begin,' held at the Institute of Modern Art this Saturday.

Stuart Ringholt, 'Circles Passing,' 2007. via www.annaschwartzgallery.com

Ringholt is opening the exhibition with a tour, conducted from 4-5pm and oh yeah he is going to be naked. Full on right? But the catch is, in order to go on the tour you also have to be naked.

  In undertaking this exercise Ringholt is challenging the relationship between performer and audience, yeah, I know, but before you ride the event off completely, try and think of it as a bit of an emotional exercise. After all this exhibition is all about healing and testing the physical and emotional boundaries of the human body. So why not test yours? 

COSEY FANNI TUTTI 'Sex Une Bonne Idée', Nuffield Gallery, Southampton, UK. 1975

Cosey Fanni Tutti and Genesis P-Orridge in Cease to Exist no. 4, LAICA, USA, 1976.
via Art Lurker

 And is it such a big deal? I mean this isn't the first time nudity has been involved for arts sake. I'm talking about Yves Klein and his Actions during the 1960's and then Cosey Fanni Tutti's performance pieces in the 70's. I think, despite perhaps this arguably more conservative era, the art world tended to be more liberal around this time. 

 Yves Klein, Anthropométries de l'époque bleue, Galerie internationale d'art contemporain, Paris, March 9th 1960.

Of course nudity in art is hardly rare, but I think what highlights this case is the fact that it is in Brisbane- we tend to brush public nudity for arts sake as being something much more European. Yet it was only last year when Stephen Tunick adorned the Sydney Opera House with masses of flesh, 5200 people in fact. However I can't  help but wonder if there is a kind of safety in numbers when it comes to public nudity? Maybe I'm just trying to psyche myself up here, but I keep making a mental list of pros and cons, pro; it would be an amazing experience. Con; my tan is quite patchy. But for those of you who are thinking of taking the plunge, there are some really good pros...

Bonne chance,

Stephanie

'Let the Healing Begin'

Institute of Modern Art

Saturday, March 5th

Tour at 4-5pm followed by the opening at 5pm.