Photographer Erica Simone has created a series of self-portraits titled "Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen," in which she performs everyday New York City activities—hailing a cab, buying cigarettes, commuting through Midtown—while completely naked. The project, also published as a book, is on view at Castle Fitzjohns Gallery from January 14 to February 14, 2016. Simone aims to challenge the role of fashion in society and explore nudity beyond sexual connotations, though she acknowledges that her appearance as a young, thin, white, conventionally attractive woman may influence public reception.
The project matters because it confronts deep-seated taboos around public nudity and the societal expectations placed on clothing, especially in a city like New York where nude performers risk arrest. Simone’s work raises questions about privilege, perception, and the freedom to exist without adornment, while also sparking dialogue about who can safely engage in such artistic expression. A portion of proceeds from book sales supports the charity Beauty for Freedom.