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The Body as Boundary Project Shot on several cameras: mini-DV, digital-8, VHS-C and super 8mm, reprojected and recorded on DV. Naked people are funny. They always have been and they always will be. We're a fairly absurd species. So when the state of Texas has laws on its books that state "thou shalt not expose thy anus" I get interested. For 3 minutes of nakedness, a lot of planning was necessary. I put up flyers, got people interested, had people drop out at the last minute, but luckily had 7 crew and 2 streakers show up on the day of the shoot, so the project could actually happen. Why is it that we cover our bodies so religiously, so unquestioningly? How did nakedness become disgusting in a public context? I'm sure more educated folks than I could answer that question with a detailed historical analysis of Western culture, but to me it seems that it's just another form of mind control. Our naked organism doesn't fit the system's mold, because it distracts us and reminds us what we are. Our sexuality and our bodies have been regulated for so many millenia that governments and social mores have generally accepted public nudity as taboo in one or more forms. But streaking is still a thrill-- and here in Austin at any rate most everyone was supportive (save the one guard in white who took a professional interest in the matter.) I hope people keep pushing the boundaries of the law, and hold on to their own idea of what they ought to be. Swing that dick around your local precinct. :) |