Spencer Tunick

(American, born 1967)

Spencer Tunick is a contemporary American photographer whose unique practice centers around the nude, photographing massive crowds of nude people in complex performances. Describing his work as human installation, Tunick's practice stems from an investigation of the divide between identity and privacy. His photographs simultaneously expose uniqueness while objectifying the mass of individuals, creating a kind of human landscape. “For me, the nude body is like a raw material,” he has said. “Another artist might use oil or clay. I love the fact that, en masse, it can be turned into an infinite number of shapes or abstractions, while the setting I choose—rural, urban, indoors, or out—is like a canvas.” His elaborate shoots can entail hundreds to thousands of nude volunteers, who are captured in specific places of national interest, often with the goal of highlighting social or environmental concerns. Born on January 1, 1967 in Middletown, NY, Tunick received a BA from Emerson College in 1988. He has widespread success for his work, garnering support and commissions from nonprofits such as Greenpeace and the Dream Amsterdam Foundation. Since 1994, the artist has arranged over 70 large-scale nude installations in the United States and abroad. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.