Nude Photography Comes To Sydney in March

The photographer is banking on 2000 or more (nude) volunteers to volunteer for the shoot which will be held on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Timed to coincide with the city's annual gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade, Tunick told Australian radio it was "a base for the structure ... combining straight and gay and lesbian people I'm weaving the different sexes and society together to form this wonderful fabric that holds up this gorgeous building".

Tunick, who has photographed nearly 100 such installations worldwide, says his work is not about exhibitionism. Rather, it serves to highlight "the vulnerability of life in a rough city landscape". Participants will be asked to strike a variety of poses, although yoga positions will be omitted.

The photographer was glad to have received permission for the shoot from City of Sydney, the Opera House Trust, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and perhaps most importantly, the police. Tunick previously shot one such installation in Melbourne in 2001 without trouble, a marked difference from the 7 occasions he was arrested in the US by authorities unimpressed by the high-minded sentiments he has expressed.