For many of us, quarantine has been a time of solitude and reflection. In this period I have baked bread, I have read books that previously sat on my shelf for years untouched, and above all, I have taken upwards of 750 nude photos of myself. But at a certain point, you begin to realize how futile and self-serving it is to spend so much of your time taking nude selfies.
Here is how and why I decided to stop taking nudes and start collaging my nudes into a mosaic that looks like a bigger nude from far away.
Over the last five months, I have reached never-before-seen levels of nude creativity and quantity. What started with an occasional nude in bed or a mirror nude on the way into the shower soon transformed into a big-picture project with a theme and several arcs.
Just by following my instinct, I had created an oeuvre so much bigger than myself, and what’s bigger than me? A huge photo-mosaic poster of my naked body with a black frame and inspirational words at the bottom.
And selling it for $42,000.
While my nude mosaic effectively represents the culmination of years of process and exploration, it’s also a matter of convenience. As time went on, my patience for quarantine boyfriends became low, and you can only send nudes to friends so many times before they start to ask questions. That’s when I realized I could solve all my problems by turning my nudes into a mosaic print of a bigger nude image that I could then reproduce as a poster, postcard, or even wallet print (which will absolutely come in handy this holiday season).
Now that it’s art, my friends ask me way fewer questions. And like most great art, one look at my big nude will draw you in, but you’ll stay to look at all the little nudes that comprise it, and I think there’s a lesson about life there, too, probably.
All in all, this journey has been rewarding and instructive. As for what comes next, I’m not sure, but I have gotten really good at this type of collage, so if you want a mosaic of your pet, a wedding photo, or family portrait made from my nudes, just let me know.
