American artist Spencer Tunick has been documenting the nude figure in public since 1992. The controversial photographer and videographer has hosted up to 100 installations involving thousands of naked people in countries around the world including the US, Britain, Brazil, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, France and Holland. His largest work to date involved 18,000 people posing in Mexico City in 2007. 

In America, Tunick has been arrested seven times.

Yesterday’s event brought 5,200 people to the Sydney Opera House for a shoot titled ‘Mardi Gras: The Base’, commissioned by Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival.

“I want all couples to embrace and kiss, all friends to kiss and all strangers to do whatever they want,” Tunick said as he directed the crowd.

Seeing NSFW photos almost guarantees a click thru on photos because of our prurient interest in seeing the forbidden — or naked people. This is the point of Tunick’s photography, which seeks to capture the human condition among large numbers of people.

Straight and gay participants — including one pregnant woman who postponed her C-section by hours to join the event — expressed the nonsexual nature of the event, while emphasizing its ‘tribal’, humanist vibe.