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Keep your laws off my body! Some Artistic and Naturalistic Nudity
is displayed in the 'LINKS' of this page. The nudity used here is the artistic or self expressions of the author.
I don't believe nudism/naturism or just being nude is harmful in itself. It is quite natural to not wear clothing actually. I guess i am more of a naturist than a nudist. I suppose it depends on your definition of the words. In reality, i'm HUMAN and think the label naturist is actually a bit narrow. To be HUMAN is to be yourself. I simply believe i am myself most fully without clothing.
I am a bit of a loner, though i have attended a few nudist camps and found them to be a lot of fun. I found the diversity of people to be quite nice. You see all kinds of people there. In general i felt quite accepted there too. I have also been to a few nude beaches and loved them, though i prefer lakes to the ocean. I like the calmness of a fresh water lake over the often rough waves of the ocean.
I believe non-sexual nudity should be decriminalized! I like to hike in the wooded city parks and ride my bicycle, but most of the time i must at least wear a pair of hiking shorts. It would be nice if it wasn't against the law for me to leave my shorts in my backpack [or for that matter at home] and just enjoy nature in my natural state. I would also like to get an all-over tan, which i can't get in the city.
To push the limits a bit for more body acceptance, i have occasionally streaked. Most people are either annoyed, baffled or find the whole thing humorous. In reality it sure doesn't hurt them. I hope more people like myself will try to help to make changes in the existing anti-nudity laws. Let us fight the system of repression, NOW! Nothing will change if we just ignore and accept the status quo. We need to protest the antiquated and puritanical laws that "keep us in our place". Now is the time! We can't wait until tomorrow! Tomorrow may never come.
bodyfreedom.org web site
THE NUDE : PUBLIC ART
This is a series of photographs I did of nudity shown in public art. This series includes such works as Rodin's 'Thinker' and works by other artists. I did these photos with me in the shot tastefully nude , to express my feelings about social order itself. Think about this. We are encouraged to view the human body in public works of art as beautiful, noble and majestic. However we are forbidden by threat of law, to see living people nude [as we were created] in public, or at the very least it is considered coarse, crude and vulgar. Webster's Dictionary defines vulgar as : characterized by a lack of culture, refinement, taste, sensitivity, etc. Yet, social order considers nudity in the 'ARTS' as characterized as being cultured, refined, tasteful, sensitive, etc. ; the opposite of real nudity in the eyes of society. I have been a ‘Nudist or Naturist’ for over half my life. We come into the world without clothes, and we don't need clothes except to protect us from the cold and other risks of danger, such as some jobs or other activities; by which we do need protection. We should also take precautions against dangerous sun exposure. We should not have to live under the puritanical belief that total repression is the only civilized way to live. There is even a threat by the 'right', Christian and political, to eliminate nude beaches in this country altogether. On the other hand we should not buy into the 'Madison Avenue' concept of perfection. We should try to keep ourselves as healthy as we can, and accept each other and ourselves as we are. I am also somewhat into 'Gay Nudism'.
I am somewhat of a soloist and a homebody; but I try to attend some events when I have the emotional fortitude. I was diagnosed with a form of schizophrenia in 1979, and it is an ongoing struggle in my life. It causes problems with just about all aspects of my life; including my social, sexual and home life. I am a member of P.A.N.G. [Philadelphia Area Naked Guys] which is a men's nudist club here in Philly, though i am not really able to attend all of their events, I have attended home parties, Tea Dances and Nude Beach trips. I must state, in my opinion, i do not think P.A.N.G. members are all 'nudist purists', because they often have 'After Parties', that is a party after a sponsored party for those who like open sexual expression. They claim to NOT be a sex club, but then they do allow open sex after the sponsored party. I don’t mean to be critical here, but just to state plainly a policy the P.A.N.G. doesn’t seem to admit openly. I actually did not enew my membership last January [2001] and i did re-join in 2002.
I must state, some people in the club who sponsor parties, do NOT allow sex in their homes and there also many who do not stay for the after parties. So I can not state that all the membership of P.A.N.G. as not being 'purist nudists'.
A short essay on jewelry, fashion,
the kilt, being male and human.
Four great quotes:
"What spirit is so empty and blind, that it can not recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful that the garment with which it is clothed?"
- Michelangelo
"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man [humankind] than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority."
- Thomas Jefferson to New London Methodists, 1809.
"His disciples asked, 'When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?' Jesus answered, 'When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the Living One, and you will not be afraid.' "
- From the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas
"Please understand that the clothes we wear and the way we style our hair and adorn our bodies are wonderful ways of expressing who we are. But the expression must come from within and not be a copy of someone else. We mock God when we try to hide our uniqueness. We betray ourselves when we try to be someone else.
The truth is that each of us is unique. We can not be like someone else. And there is no one who is NORMAL! Believing that we are somehow abnormal is a deception of the truth. Unique means "one of a kind". There can be no normal when everyone is unique. I believe that the best way to see our uniqueness is to remove the mask of clothing. "- Jeff Rockel: The Bible, Society and Nudity - Web Site
One of my most expressive photos is of a Philadelphia sculpture called 'FAMILY'. It shows how I felt, as a gay man, about the 'traditional' family. My family and I have come to terms with my being gay, thankfully. I found color photos of some of these art works which correspond to my own photos, on the 'philart.net' site for Philadelphia public art [check out the *link*]. I shoot most of the time in black & white.
WARNING! A Mild WARNING is needed here . No Frontal nudity is displayed in this gallery, but nudity is evident in these photographs of Public Nude Sculpture.
To see THE NUDE : PUBLIC ART Photos , found at my Y!Geocities Site - Click Here . .
You can find the 'philart/Philadelphia Public Art' *LINKS*, when you click to see the my photo page.