Day 250: Kickstart nude art

“Barcelona 1” via Artnet Gallery – Spencer Tunick

Have you been to Kickstarter.com yet?  Here’s how it works.

People post videos or detailed summaries of creative projects they’re working on in areas like design, theater, documentary, music. etc. They’re all plagued by the same obstacle: funding.

On the site, you can post whatever monetary goal you need to achieve in order to make your project a success. People can then donate money to the project in differing increments, for which they get something in return. For $1 you might get a newsletter, for $20 you might get a copy of a DVD, and for $3000 you could get something like a dinner with the filmmaker.

Today I donated money to the Naked Sea – Spencer Tunick Israel Installation. Spencer Tunick is a photographer that takes pictures of large crowds of naked people at iconic places, such as the photo of the nude masses in Barcelona at the top of this post. The photos are mean to be spiritual and civilly engaging, not sexual. In the past, Tunick’s photos have addressed issues such as global warming and gay rights.

Here is a video of Tunick’s Kickstarter project in Tel Aviv, Israel:

[Warning: This video contains some nudity for artistic purposes. View at your own risk.]

I paid $25 to make this project happen and bring attention to the Dead Sea. In return, I will be getting a signed poster of the project after it is finished. I will hang it proudly above our mantle. What innovation will you Kickstart?

You can read more about Kickstarter.com in this article from Wired magazine: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/03/ff_kickstarter/.