Why 100 Naked Women Will Be At The RNC

The Republican National Convention just got a lot more interesting. A New York-based artist who made a name for himself taking large-scale nude photographs around the world wants to use his skills to make a statement about the 2016 presidential election and the way the GOP views women's bodies. Spencer Tunick is going to photograph 100 naked women outside the Republican National Convention in July and needs volunteers.

Tunick will pose the group of women at sunrise July 17, with each holding a large mirror disc "reflecting the knowledge and wisdom of progressive women and the concept of 'Mother Nature' into and onto the convention center, cityscape and horizon of Cleveland." The artists explains on the project's website: "The philosophy of the artwork relates to the idea of the sacred feminine."

Although his installations don't usually limit the number of people involved, he capped this one at 100 women, so you have to apply to participate on his website. The application requires a full-length photo of yourself (not necessarily nude) to allow Tunick to compile a diverse group of women in terms of skin tone, body type, and overall looks. The site assures prospective models that they'll only be naked for a short time.

Tunick's description of the installation didn't name Donald Trump or the GOP, but the notion of "progressive women" posing outside the Republican National Convention gets the point across. He further explained the goal on his website, saying:

By holding mirrors, we hope to suggest that women are a reflection and embodiment of nature, the sun, the sky and the land. We want to express the belief that we will rely upon the strength, intuition and wisdom of progressive and enlightened women to find our place in nature and to regain the balance within it. The mirrors communicate that we are a reflection of ourselves, each other, and of, the world that surrounds us. The woman becomes the future and the future becomes the woman.

The artist told Cleveland Scene's Vince Grzegorek he didn't want this work in Cleveland to be a protest per se. "Maybe I want it to be a work that women can be part of, maybe to heighten the idea that women will decide the outcome of this election and will have a more powerful presence in the future of politics, the future of the country, and the future of the world," Tunick told the magazine. "It’s not so much a protest but an action, a wake-up call to the absurdity of politics and discrimination."

If you feel strongly about women's role in the 2016 election and are disgusted by Republican leadership's treatment of the female body, sign up to be a part of the political artwork this summer. Nothing will frighten and confuse the GOP more than women collectively showing their power.