GARNER Arts Center to present Spencer Tunick’s Naked Pavement exhibition in fall of 2023

Rockland County-based photographic artist, Spencer Tunick will exhibit banners, photographs and video of his installations from around the world in a solo exhibition, Naked Pavement, at GARNER Arts Center. Tunick’s large-scale photographic banners will be displayed in the Main Gallery space at Building 35, suspended overhead, both immersing the viewer and accentuating the industrial-era architecture of the newly restored exhibition space. Tunick’s banners highlight the artist’s treatment of the human body’s surface as it appears on flowing material, revealing each artwork’s connection to the impermanent body. Framed photographs will be on view in Building 35’s adjoining Ned Harris Gallery, along with contact sheets and video from Tunick’s 2014 installation at GARNER Arts Center documenting the experience of the installation’s volunteer subjects.

Spencer Tunick has documented the live nude figure in public with photography and video for over 30 years. Since 1994, he has organized over one hundred temporary site-specific installations encompassing dozens, hundreds, or thousands of volunteer subjects. Tunick encourages us to appreciate the human body and view it as a form of art, just like a painting or a sculpture. While another artist might depict a scene with oil paint on canvas or sculpt their idea out of clay, Tunick uses bare skin and its countless different tones to create a sort of abstraction and new form. These photographic documents of human masses do not emphasize sexuality but challenge our view of nudity and public space.

The backdrops for Tunick’s scenes can be selected from anything and anywhere, including a desert sandstorm or the center of New York. Nudity is seen differently in Tunick’s works as the backdrops change and assume different meanings. Although nudity can be seen as a common practice in art, Tunick’s works challenge the typical genre conventions, creating a solid foundation in contemporary art. In his installations, Tunick assembles a human mass and carefully places his subjects into the scenery, creating a sculptural and picturesque scene. For some installations, Tunick has added objects for the on-camera participants to hold or wear, including body paint. Often, the works contain a deeper meaning, such as awareness of cancer, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQIA+ rights, equality, and climate change, among other issues.

Tunick’s installations and portraits have connected hundreds of thousands of participants around the world. Tunick could not make his art without the generosity of these volunteers. He is eternally grateful for their participation. Each participant receives a print from the installation as a memento. The works to be exhibited at GARNER Arts Center are from around the world and include Tunick’s individual portrait series.

SPENCER TUNICK Naked Pavement 

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 14th, 6-8PM

Exhibition Run: Sept 15th - Nov 5th, 2023

GARNER Arts Center, Building 35 in the GARNER Historic District, 55 West Railroad Avenue, Garnerville, NY 10923

Gallery Hours: Fridays, 2-5PM, Saturdays and Sundays 1-5PM. By Appointment Only during normal business hours, i.e. Monday – Thursday, 9am to 5pm. For Appointments: (845) 947-7108 / info@garnerartscenter.org

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 14th, 6-8PM

Exhibition Run: September 15 – November 5, 2023

Gallery Hours: Fridays, 2-5PM & Saturdays and Sundays, 1-5PM

https://garnerartscenter.org/