“We’re born naked, and the rest is drag,” said the legendary drag queen RuPaul – and who are we to argue with him? Clothes are a societal construct; fashions change over time and, those proponents of nudism frequently see clothes as a way of hiding your sexuality. There’s a real freedom involved in discarding them and letting everything hang loose. Obviously, you can’t pop out for a pint of milk in your birthday suit, but there are plenty of places – from beaches to clubs and private parties - where you can parade your wears with like-minded people – and avoid all judgment.
No one wants to look at a blank profile on a dating site. And in this age of Smartphones and webcams, there’s no excuse for withholding an image of your face. But then there are the other images. Close-up shots of the schlong. Glimmering glimpses of the twitching starfish. It’s a buyers’ market and many of us want to see what we’re going to get in advance of a hot rendezvous. It’s all about the titillation. And in the 21st century, we’re all amateur porn stars.
The history of art is full of nudes: male, females and everything else in between. Queer photographers like Robert Mapplethorpe broke the rules and revolutionised attitudes to sexuality and race. Now, thanks to digital photography we can all do the same. Whether you’re snapping away on your iphone camera and sending it across cyber space to titillate your partner, or putting together a professional exhibition, you’re the editor of your own body – and other people’s. Just be careful with all the new tech available, however – you’ll be surprised how easily you can accidentally upload your private snaps to a shared Dropbox!