I was baffled when my friends called me ‘gallant’ for going on a naked art gallery tour. To remove one’s clothing is a physical form of liberation “Skyclad” is a term used by naturists to describe going nude. A wonderful word that conjures peeling back the blue heavens and wrapping it around one’s shoulders,as whether it were a cloak. Naturists are not the same as exhibitionists – the latter being motivated by titillation, a desire to be seen; whereas the former simply feel inhibited by clothing and in discarding it bring themselves closer to nature. With decades of exposure to sun, or wind and rain,older naturists are sometimes identifiable by their leathery complexion and golden brown colour (sans tan line) – as I discovered when I took a tour of the National Gallery of Australia last week, totally nude, or along with 49 other art lovers.
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Source: theguardian.com