Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
As the New York Academy of Art‘s annual “Take Home a Nude” benefit auction draws near, the school is riffing on their chosen theme, “Celebrating Instagram,” by inviting supporters to flout the social network’s controversial policies on nudity.
Given this information, it should come as no surprise who this year’s honoree is: none other than art critic and social media legend Jerry Saltz. Along with writer Tom Wolfe, Saltz will be toasted by the NYAA for his support of the institution as well as his status as a “new media champion and critical maverick.” The October 15 event will be held at Sotheby’s.
Karl Lagerfeld image for New York Academy of Art’s Instagram page.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
While Instagram has come under fire recently for its conservative policies regarding nudity—even when its presented in the name of art—it was Facebook that famously booted Saltz earlier this year after his predilection for posting provocative portraits apparently rubbed some of his followers the wrong way.
He eventually managed to regain control of his account, but not before posting a note to Instagram calling for an end to the so-called “purity police.”
The NYAA has been posting nude artworks by the likes of Will Cotton, Jean-Pierre Roy, and Walter Robinson to their account all week, and on Saturday, October 3, Cotton, Ryan McGinness, Hannah Bronfman, Pari Ehsan, and even the team at Sotheby’s have pledged to do their part in posting.
If you want to get in on the action, post yours using the hashtags #takehomeanude and #nyaanudetakeover.