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By exploring the way in which nakedness has been used literally
and metaphorically in the worlds of religion, politics and popular
culture, A Brief History of Nakedness offers unique insights
into this most intimate of subjects. 288pp 143 illustrations.
From the Introduction:
Why does nudity upset
some people so much? Why does it excite others to such a degree?
Why do some religious people condemn nudity while others recommend
it? Does protesting in the nude achieve anything worthwhile? How
can the Penis Puppeteers get away with displaying and manipulating
their genitals on stage in the same country that fined CBS $550,000
for broadcasting an image of Janet Jackson’s breast, covered
with a nipple-shield, for less than a second? If a policeman was
confronted by a naked woman painted so that she appeared clothed,
and a clothed woman wearing a nude suit, which would he caution or
arrest? And why is the Naked Chef never naked?
These questions, and dozens like them, arise because even though nakedness simply
represents our natural embodied state, in the course of human evolution it has
come to act as a catalyst for a host of contradictory thoughts, feelings and
activities, in a way that has created a story which is at times tragic, at times
touching, and often bizarre.
A cynic might think that this colourful history offers yet one more
example of humanity’s narcissism. What could be more absurd
than a species that is so self-obsessed that it is endlessly fascinated
by exposing and gazing upon its own form? A kinder view might see
our interest as the clearest example of that attribute that distinguishes
us from other animals: self-consciousness.
An incident from the legendary history of one of the world’s oldest religions – Jainism
- illustrates this alternative view. One day, the Emperor Bharat,
son of the founder of the religion, after taking his bath, began
to observe his body in a mirror, and in doing so gained enlightenment.
Awareness of ourselves as embodied creatures lies at the heart of our sense of
self, which explains why so much money and effort is spent on trying to change
and cover our bodies, since the way we perceive them and our appearance radically
affects our experience of ourselves and of the world.
REVIEWS
'Not only the best book on its subject, but
a marvellous read: racy, compassionate, candid and perceptive.'
Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, University of Bristol
'Body as temple, body as prison; source of pride,
source of shame; object of beauty, object of disgust - in this
lucid and wide-ranging book Phillip
Carr-Gomm examines that most hidden-in-plain-view of subjects:
the naked human form. In doing so, he strips bare the paradoxes
of humanity’s attitude toward their own naked figures. Using
a snappy blend of history and imagery, Carr-Gomm invites readers
to join him in making thrilling, confusing, funny, and beautiful
realizations about that simultaneously mysterious and obvious state
of unclothedness. From the rituals of witchcraft to the human art
installations of Spencer Tunick to the non-nakedness of the Naked
Chef, Carr-Gomm offers the revelation that far from being merely
a basic physical state, human nakedness - sacred, obscene - holds
the key to understanding politics, culture, and our very nature
as human beings.' Kathleen Rooney, author of Live Nude Girl:
My Life as an Object
'I absolutely love A Brief History of Nakedness and
give it my highest rating - two nipples up! Besides being
an absolutely fascinating read, it contains the most fun, intriguing,
and diverse collection of nude photographs anywhere. A must for
anyone interested in art, political activism, and cultural studies. This “brief” history
must have taken forever to research. It makes me want
to rip off my clothes for a good cause immediately.' Annie
Sprinkle, Ph.D. - Artist/Sexologist
'Nakedness cloaks contradictions: while revealing
human nature it is often deemed unnatural, and while deemed antisocial
it is the bond of intense social groups. It can express celebration
and protest, cause joy and shame. It can be taboo or obligatory.
Philip Carr-Gomm's A Brief History of Nakedness admirably uncovers
religious, political and popular performances of and reactions
to nudity in a remarkable array of cultures. Everything from ancient
religious devotional practices to recent streaking controversies
is discussed in an expert and delightful manner.' Dr.Graham
Harvey, Reader in Religious Studies, The Open University, UK
The Power of Naked
Here are the results of my survey of modern naked behaviour. This
is not a scientific poll – it is a sounding.
Half of us sleep naked, to the despair of pajama manufacturers.
Half of us walk naked around our own houses. Of those who have
their own private swimming pools, 90 per cent swim in them naked. Half
the British population has stripped for a charity calendar. Perhaps.
Men and women are equally interested in nakedness – being
naked and seeing other people naked. Half those studying bare breasts
in The Sun every day are female.
There are some national differences. But there is still plenty
of nudity even in chilly Britain where we have naked bike rides
(sounds uncomfortable), nude days at theme parks, lots of nude
beaches, and mediatised nudity on a heroic scale. Nude is
no longer especially rude although exposure does not limit the
potential for embarrassment.
Nudity is a subject of endless fascination for everybody – moral
philosophers, psychologists, artists, editors – but it is
a complicated subject. There is a place where nudity segues to
perversity and becomes in itself a symptom of madness. What are
we to make of all this flesh?
It is timely that Philip Carr-Gomm, a writer in Lewes, Sussex
who specialises normally in the mystical and Druidic, should have
authored A Brief History of Nakedness (Reaktion Books, London,
2010).
In a lavishly illustrated tour of the horizon, from religious and
artistic confrontations with nakedness, to the quotidian nudity
of today, Carr-Gomm advances the thesis that there has recently
been a fundamental shift in attitudes towards nudity. He posits
this began in the sixties and heralded a shifting of the idea of
nakedness from something perverted to something socially responsible
and even heroic. Even before the body scanners are rolled
out to strip us all naked at the airport, this is the age of bare,
he proposes.
Perhaps. The sixties were without doubt a social-sexual milestone
but a point of departure? I am a little more sceptical. I’d
propose that the Internet has had more to do with demystifying
the human body – of which there is no nook or cranny
that is not a click away. The counter-argument, and Carr-Gomm
makes it himself, is that human fascination with the nude is eternal.
So technology has really changed nothing other than to make the
nude prosaic and maybe slightly less interesting. Books. Films.
Videotape. The Internet. Nudity is a cross-platform driver. There
has been a widening experience of nudity since the sixties, but
this has also coincided with the availability of cheap holidays
to climates where it is fun to be nude.
I am not certain whether nakedness is a serious subject to be lightly
treated, or the opposite. Philip Carr-Gomm obviously isn’t
completely sure, either, because this is a serious and funny book
that is certainly revealing, and also very naughty, with extraordinary
pictures of naked people, often behaving very oddly. The copy I
received did not have an index but there will be one when the book
is released. This ought to be something of a classic in its own
right, given the depth and eccentricity of the subject. An amazing
story. Read it naked.
Jonathan Miller, Antimedia
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