Naked in the streets around the church Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona July 19th, 2010
While most pedestrians kindly greeted in a typically Spanish (or Catalan?) way, stood for a few seconds to throw a glance at the nude model that moved freely and completely uninhibited, and to address some flattering compliments to the beautiful young woman with the long wild hair, the delicious curves and the thick bush of black pubic hair, only one single viewer all the time placed himself into the picture, where he looked „uninterested unobtrusively“ from the corners of his eyes how Susana showed herself to me and my camera. And unfortunately he did not want to leave. Here he is…
nude in the streets of Barcelona
It is still no problem to photograph a nude model in public in Barcelona. Yet one can move around freely and completely naked, it is expressly allowed.
In this wonderful city one is quite familiar with a lot of crazy things and most of the people love to live in a metropolis, where things happen that are not possible elsewhere. Where Mediterranean joy of life mix with hard-assed big-business. Where tourists keep their wallets and cameras ready for the many pickpockets. Where nameless artists informally meet with celebrities, where art, culture and commerce in every conceivable variety praise themselves loud and flashy, or Spanish-charming with liveliness or slushy.
But unfortunately politicians also want to do something sometimes, though certainly nothing important. Therefore, for some time they violently argue, if the police should take urgent care that no more tourists saunter through the hot summer streets shirtless just with shorts or swimwear. Nudity, of course, shall be banned. In particular, those who approach the nude beaches most likely only with the binoculars out of their air-conditioned cars with tinted windows, lead an equally bitter and ridiculous-looking combat against the decadence. After all, no one wants to prohibit the many pretty girls to emphasize their charms by wearing tight and scanty clothes.
Actually, the attitude of this political farce perfectly fits the medieval atmosphere of the old town. It is just far less beautiful and attractive. It’s just politics. And while the press eagerly pushes the supposedly hot topic which allows them to scribble one or two long articles without using the otherwise ubiquitous word “crisis”, most people could not care less.
I would venture to say that the artistic and beautiful nudes in the two series nude in Barcelona 2 and nude in Barcelona 3 will not be the last daring art productions that come into being in this “City of Marvels” (Eduardo Mendoza)!