Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Spencer Tunick and Me

I was watching a documentary on Spencer Tunick called Naked States.  It's a fascinating look at Spencer, pre-worldwide acclaim for his large scale nude installations.  There has always been speculation as to whether Spencer was a 'pure' artist, using the human body as inspiration, or a perv who has managed to trick thousands upon thousands of people into posing for him.  I've always thought the perv angle was a bit short-sighted - Michaelangelo studied cadavers for artistic inspiration, but I wouldn't call him a necrophiliac.  At the very least, I can say my experience with Spencer was completely above board.

Yes - I, Fatty, have posed for Spencer.  (I'm in the image link here. I wouldn't press it if you are at work, as there are about 1000 people in the picture, all quite naked.)  It took a great deal to pose for him - over 8000 people applied for 2000 spots over 2 days.  Everyone had to apply twice, and THEN wait in line starting at about 10.30 the evening prior outside the Lowry in Manchester, England, before the gates opened at 4.30 am.  The first 500 women and 500 men were allowed in - everyone else in line was sent home.  I was one of the last 50 women, and I had been in line since 2 am!  It also took a lot to apply to Spencer, as I had been accepted into one of his installations before, in Cleveland (not work safe link), about 7 years earlier, but I chickened out.  I was in my early 20's, and didn't like my size.  Now, here I was, 70 lbs heavier, and I was not going to let this chance pass me by again.

Yes, I was the heaviest woman of the day in my 1000 person group.

Yes, it was difficult to accept that fact.

Yes, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I've written about it before, but it was an incredibly empowering experience.  Spencer's staff was exceedingly professional, and Spencer himself (when he isn't taking pics) is very funny and warm.  When he has camera in hand, he's a bit of a dick (because he's trying to get the best shot NOW, not when 1000 people feel like shutting up), but he's really cool overall.  It was a bit weird to go to the exhibit and watch the short film that had been done on it - I have an extremely isolating close-up in the video, and to see myself 12 feet tall, naked, on a screen, was a bit jarring, but still positive.

So *why* am I telling you all this?

We're told that the big moments only come around in a blue moon - Opportunity only knocks once, all that.  I don't believe that.  I think Opportunity is literally banging down the door, day and night, and we refuse to answer it.  We lose so many more chances in this life than we ever take on.  Standing on that freezing cold grass that chilly morning, I didn't yet realize I was two weeks pregnant.  I thought this photo shoot would be the most adventurous, challenging thing I would do all year (well, second to my wedding a few months later).  I had no idea as I posed in various locations around Salford that I would have a very difficult pregnancy, followed by a VERY difficult birth, followed by many complications.  It would have never occurred to me that this photo shoot would actually be one of the more calm moments of the next 12 months.  When both my husband and I were picked for the Ceremonies, we could have waffled and just picked one of us to go - after all, the schedules would be gruelling, AND we'd have to plan major babysitters to help out, AND we wouldn't see each other for at least two months, AND I'm starting grad school back up in May, so I'll be swamped with paperwork, AND,

AND,

AND,

And nothing.  If it's something you want, truly want, you find a way to make it happen.  You work around stuff, you find that little stuff like sleep and patience aren't needed immediately.  You make what you have work, instead of wanting something more.  You get the job done.

Get the damn job done today.



 


8 comments:

  1. Amen! I get annoyed when people say to me, "Oh, how wonderful, you lived and worked in New York, you are so lucky, I would love to do that,", and I ask, "So, how many jobs have you applied for there?" The answer is almost always "None." If you don't apply, then you won't go. Ever. I wasn't 'lucky' to be there, I was there because over the years I had worked hard first to get my degree, then to get the necessary experience to be accepted for the job. While I do consider myself lucky in the sense that it was such a great experience, it wasn't luck that caused it to happen. It was me. I did it.

    We may not all get the same opportunities, but we all get the opportunity to make the most of what is within our grasp - and we can always reach further than we think we can.

    Wow, who knew I could be so profound?

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    1. BOOM SHAKKA LAKKA! Exactly. We're not all going to be handed the world, but we can sure as hell make what we have the world to us.

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  2. Oh I've always HOPED he'd come to Chicago. My mother would be aghast which would be one of the main reasons i'd do it. That and dude its ART.

    Your coolness factor has ratcheted up about a bajillion points in my book (and it was already pretty high).

    I think its awesome the adventure you're living. :)

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    1. Dude, I saw this and thought of you: http://www.nakedsea.info/home

      And don't let geography stop you! I sat on a stinky cheap ass bus for 5.5 hours to get there - sign up for when something will be in your area, and jump on the chance when it presents itself! http://spencertunick.com/sign_up.php

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  3. Thank you for this. I really need to hear things like this right now. I feel as though I have let a thousand opportunities pass me by over the years with five times the amount of excuses to back up my choices. In the end, it was nothing more than fear of failing. Now, with a family and a million more possible excuses, I refuse to accept no for answer as I decide where to go with my life and career now. I know what I want, I know it will be hard, and I refuse to let anything be an obstacle. Am I still afraid of failing? Hell yes. But am I more afraid, as I approach my 32nd birthday, of letting my life pass me by without even trying? Hell yes. Anything worth having in this world is worth working for. Time to get out and do the work.

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    1. *FIST PUMP* Hells yes! The great thing about realizing that opportunities have passed you by is that you can listen for Opportunity is banging down your door, and simply answer it. :)

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  4. Great essay! Take all the opportunities you can, when you can. My wife and I posed for Spencer in Cleveland, driving down in a car borrowed for the wedding of a friend's daughter 200 miles away later that same day. I met Spencer the next month at MOCA Cleveland when we picked up our prints. He asked me to pose for him sometime. We posed the two days later in Buffalo using an old car with a radiator leak that almost didn't get us there, but by being there we were able to pose the next AM for a portrait by him. In Oct of '04 I found out there was a small installation in Milford PA (near NY). We planned to go but the bad radiator gave out just days before and we spent all extra money to fix it. My wife said we were going if we had to eat peanut butter sandwiches and sleep in the car. We did. We had a great time.
    Last year I was to the hospital with bleeding ulcers on a Fri, on Sunday found out I'd won very nice tickets to an event in North Carolina. I was well and discharged on Wed, we drove down on Friday, stayed till Sunday and drove home.
    All this to say "Go for it!"

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    1. Roger - Amen! You have to take some chances in this life, because when you do, even on the smallest things, the payoff can be ENORMOUS. Good on you and your wonderful wife!

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