Spencer Tunick's 'Everyday People' at the Lowry

My boss gave out a streak of excitement and put her hand over her mouth whilst laughing. She pointed and said “That’s my husband in the front row!”. To be fair the man was presenting the most athletic looking body in the line up and fortunately was facing away from the camera. I turned to my boss and said “nice bottom!”

That was the start of my experience into Spencer Tunick’s ‘Everyday People’. The rest of the evening followed a simpler light-hearted vain - commenting on what it must have been like for the participants, was it cold? did they feel comfortable once everyone had unclothed? Is that a pregnant woman at the front? doesn’t that lady have a nice completion! why, doesn’t that man have a good posture! how long did it take the artist to organise the people into group formations?


I did notice the vast difference between the female nude of which there were many varieties – large breasts, petite breasts, skinny waists, curvaceous hips, chunky thighs and men, who on the whole were more or less the same. The video accompanying the piece was a real insight into how the artist works as well as a reminder of acute human behaviour, like couples holding hands between shots. I enjoyed the exhibition; it was fun, engaging and a truly unique experience.