Yesterday New York celebrated its annual bodypainting day organised by the artist Andy Golub. Bodypainting Day is more than a group of people getting together and painting. It’s about artists sharing their vision with the public and it’s about ordinary people offering up their bodies for the sake of art and allowing the world to see them in their most vulnerable state. A collection of volunteer models coming in all shapes and sizes gathered on the pavement in the Big Apple..
Artist Andy Golub organised the event to celebrate the human body in all its form. As the founder of Bodypainting Day, Golub’s mission is to use art to show as many people as possible that if we all follow what is in our hearts, the world would be a better place. Bodypainting Day is about building an instantaneous community with the public. All models are nude and if you are there, you will quickly see that the idea of nudity is far more shocking than the nudity itself.
Bodypainting is a unique art form that involves a live human being. It’s different from painting a canvas, a wall or a car (and I’ve painted them all). The theme this year was “What the World Needs Now. . .” It’s designed to encourage artists to share their vision of what would make the world a better place. After the paintings were completed, The group marched to the United Nations. It was a great opportunity for people to hear the voices of the artists, voices that are not heard nearly enough.
Andy began painting bodies in 2007 and it took his work to a new level. Now that the objects were actually alive, Andy could connect with the model’s personality as well as their form to help inspire the art. After a series of studio shoots, it seemed only natural to Andy to share this unique process with the public.
In 2009, Andy was kicked out of Times Square while painting a male and female model, wearing G-strings. Andy didn’t know what his legal rights were, so he contacted civil rights attorney, Ron Kuby. Kuby explained that not only was his work legal, but it would still be legal even if the models were completely nude.
The first time that Andy painted fully nude models was in 2011. After several hours of painting, police arrested him along with his two female models. They spent over 25 hours in jail. Coincidentally, Andy had an interview with the New York Post the following day. Andy’s art and arrest became a big NYC news story. On July 26th, 2014, 30 artists from around the country painted 40 fully nude models in the public streets at Columbus Circle. It was a huge success. The art was great. The event was embraced by the local media and covered worldwide.
Andy continues to paint models in the streets of the New York City. Other body paint artists have been hitting the streets as well. For 2015, Andy is organizing another NYC Bodypainting Day as well as the first Amsterdam Bodypainting Day!
Once the models were all painted, they climbed aboard a double-decker bus and rode around the city displaying their artwork.
Featured Artists 2015
Alicia Cobb, Andy Golub,Angela Rene Roberts, Anja Yamaji, Apryl Joy, Ashley Tracy, Char LaLa, Christian Diaz, Christina Alamo, Craig Tracy, Danny Setiawan, De Andre Drake, Donetta Riley/Thomas Ledford, Ezia Leach, Jacqueline Renaud, John Paul O’Grodnick, Kirkworx Dupuis, Margie Nugent, Matt Deifer, Melissa Bertrand, Michael Alfano, Michelle Heffner, Michelle James, Michelle Syfert Weis, Mythica von Griffyn, Oscar A. Galvan Jr, Pintor Bodypaint, Ren Allen/Keith Dixon, Roberto Garcia, Shelley Wapniak, Sophia Rose, Tiffany David, Trina Merry, Vann Godfrey, Wells L’Artist
Photos: Andy Golub and Via Twitter