The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 16, 2026

A square photograph taken from above depicts a street covered in hundreds of nude bodies with skin tones ranging from light to medium, lying horizontally across the pavement with their backs facing us. Gray sidewalks are empty on either side and are flanked by docked boats. Cleveland's cityscape with buildings of different heights rises from the horizon.

Ohio 1 (Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland)

2004

Spencer Tunick

(American, b. 1967)
America
chromogenic process color print
Overall: 180.3 x 228.5 cm (71 x 89 15/16 in.)
Gift of Timothy and Nancy Callahan, Stewart and Donna Kohl and Mark Schwart and Bettina Katz 2004.69
Location: Not on view

Description

Since the early 1990s, Tunick has organized more than 75 temporary installations in public spaces worldwide. He deftly positions dozens, hundreds, or thousands of nude volunteers to define and expand his chosen locations, and then takes photographs. In Cleveland on June 26, 2004, Tunick created his largest North American installation to date. As part of an exhibition of his work at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA), Tunick positioned more than 2,700 people along East 9th Street. The figures rhythmically define this urban space while adding a sense of humanity. The project was a compelling union of sculpture, performance, and public art beautifully captured in this striking color image. The elongated, abstract mass of flesh challenges one’s notion of nudity and privacy. Gift of Timothy and Nancy Callahan, Stewart and Donna Kohl, and Mark Schwartz and Bettina Katz 2004.69
  • Portraiture: American Photography 1960 to the Present. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 1-September 13, 2009).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (06/01/2009 - 09/13/2009); "Portraiture: American Photography 1960 to the Present"
  • {{cite web|title=Ohio 1 (Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland)|url=false|author=Spencer Tunick|year=2004|access-date=16 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2004.69