Art / Photography
Getting naked for art on Stokes Croft
More than a dozen naked men and women appeared in the window of a Stokes Croft restaurant for two hours on a recent afternoon, with passers-by encouraged to strip off and join in.
Stokes Croft Exposed, the latest project by Bristol photographer Claudio Ahlers, aimed to share the process of artistic collaboration in a public space.
“A big element of this project was that anyone who passed by could join the group inside,” German-born Claudio told Bristol24/7. “And so rather than just seeing the tableaus they could become a piece of the artwork itself.”
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Claudio worked with five assistants on the day, all of who are students or graduates of photography at UWE Bristol.
In total, 13 volunteers derobed for the project, with five of this number walking in off the street to join the group that was already posing inside Corner 77.
This shoot took place only a few yards away from a recent project by Claudio, where he invited people to be photographed in an outdoor living room.
“The commitment of the entire team and all of the participants to the shoot was extraordinary,” Claudio said.
“Everything that was done was done with dignity and a real sense of purpose. Spectators on the street loved it.
“What could easily have been nothing more than a nudist prank turned out to be adventurous and meaningful encounters with beauty and our shared humanity.”
All photos by Claudio Ahlers and Jess Hearth
Read more: The photographer capturing 24 hours in Stokes Croft
Main photo by Jess Hearth
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