Photographer who poses NAKED on the streets of New York set to publish a book of her nude portraits to encourage others to embrace their 'primary state of being'
A
photographer who has spent years posing for nude portraits in and around
New York City is set to publish a book of her images in order to
encourage other people to embrace their 'primary state of being'.
Erica Simone,
29, a Parisian living in New York, has been taking naked photographs of
herself completing everyday tasks for the past five years, amassing
dozens of striking images which she now hopes to turn into a book.
'Nue
York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen bloomed from an initial
questioning about clothing and the importance of fashion in modern
society,' Ms Simone explains on her book's online fundraising page.
City living: Erica Simone (pictured) has been taking nude portraits of herself for the past five years
Easy rider: The 29-year-old photographer wants to try and encourage others to embrace their 'primary state of being'
Shocking: Ms Simone admitted that she
found it difficult to watch New Yorkers 'care more about the sales at
Barney’s than the homeless people they ignore'
'What
we wear acts as a silent language allowing us to portray who we are or
want to be, suggesting to the outer world an impression on us - whatever
that may be.'
Having
spent years working on the images, some of which were the subject of an
exhibition at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca, in 2011, Ms Simone is now
focused on bringing her nude portraits to a whole new audience by
publishing them in a book.
Ms
Simone is hoping to raise $10,000 in order to fund the publication of
the hardback, which she adds will 'humorously poke at some interesting
thoughts about society and question who we are and embody as human
beings'.
Thus
far, the French-born photographer has amassed almost $6,500 from donors
- and still has another 30 days left before her online fundraiser
closes.
The
book will showcase a variety of Ms Simone's best images, all of which
capture the photographer in a variety of day-to-day locations; in one
image she can be seen clambering out of a yellow cab, while in another
she is riding on the back of a motorcycle while cruising along the
city's streets.
Park here: The Parisian photographer has been living in New York for the past 12 years
Skim read: Thus far, the French-born photographer has amassed almost $6,500 from donors to fund the publication of her book
Cheeky: Ms Simone has been photographed in a variety of locations across the city, including this convenience store
Ms
Simone has also placed herself into a number of more poignant poses; in
one of the photos, the artist can be seen sitting on the sidewalk,
wearing nothing but a woolen hat, holding up a sign which reads: 'Need $
for a new wardrobe (sic).'
'New York City is a fashion mecca, where image and stature reign the streets,' she explains.
'As
I watch an image-absorbed society care more about the sales at Barney’s
than the homeless people they ignore as they parade by, I began to
ponder: “What would the world feel like naked? What if we didn’t have
clothing to come in between us? Or if we couldn’t show off our social
status? What if all we had were our bodies to express our
personalities?”
'These
questions raised many various issues and these issues raised many
various questions. “How have we evolved so far away from our utmost
primary state of being that it is actually against the law to be nude in
public?”
'Naked is who we are and who we come into the world as.'
And
it seems that many of Manhattan's residents agree with her sentiment;
shortly before her first exhibition in 2011, Ms Simon revealed to Daily
Mail Online that, despite appearing completely naked in a number of
public places, she had never really experienced any abuse from onlookers
- or had any trouble with the police.
Nature's own! The photographer
explained that her project is about encouraging people to see beyond
their material exteriors and look past their expensive clothes and
designer labels
Flash photography: Ms Simone believes that 'naked is who we are and who we come into the world as'
Baring everything: Even the cold winter weather couldn't stop the photographer from capturing the perfect shot
Up, up, and away! Ms Simone managed to capture this cheeky shot before taking off on a flight
'Most people were laughing, smiling or applauding and cheering,' she said.
'They
seemed OK with it. The most challenging one was on the subway. I had to
ride the whole way from West 14th Street to the end of the line to get
the right shot.
'The
only person I told was the guy next to me as he had to hold my coat.
But by the time some people even found out about it, I was clothed
again.'
Going
through the experience of walking around the city without any clothes
has, in fact, helped Ms Simone to get to grips with the real sentiment
behind her project - encouraging others to feel totally comfortable and
happy in their own bodies.
'[This]
is a campaign about being comfortable with who you are as a person,
with your body, your mind and your role in society. It's about being
free from the confinements of societal's expectations and the media's
projections,' she explains.
'From
there, my photographic project was born. With a tripod and a couple
ounces of adrenaline, I took to the busy streets to get a taste of New
York in the nude.'
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