Watch CBS News

Nyack Artist Returns To Times Square To Paint Nude Models

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Nyack artist was out again painting nude models in Times Square on Wednesday, two years after he ended up getting arrested for the same performance.

As 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported, back in 2011, with his palette, paintbrushes and models in tow, artist Andy Golub stopped traffic in Times Square.

Golub painted the bodies of nude male and female models Wednesday afternoon at 46th Street and Broadway.

Nyack Artist Paints Nude Models In Times Square

"I don't like, so much think, like, I want to get noticed, as much as I want to, you know, make art," Golub said.

But making art using naked people was sure to draw attention, and indeed it did.

"Aren't you naked on a daily basis?" a model said. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

The model said she expected more of a crowd.

"I expected more people to be a little more shocked," she said.

In 2011, Golub was charged with public lewdness for painting the body of a naked woman in broad daylight in Times Square. The charges were later dismissed after a judge ruled that Golub must wait until sundown to cover the fully nude models in paint.

The city says nudity is allowed if it is part of a "play, exhibition, show or entertainment" and Golub is allowed to paint naked models during the day if he "provides reasonable notice of the date, time, and location of his project," DNAinfo reported.

"It's a really neat form of art in the sense that it's not just that you're painting on something with form as opposed to a flat canvas, but you're also painting on something that has a personality," Golub told 1010 WINS.

Nyack Artist To Paint Nude Models In Times Square

The models had to wear G-strings until Golub was ready to paint "that area," 1010 WINS' John Montone reported.

"I think that there's a very important distinction between nudity and something that's inappropriate," Golub said. "My work is not that at all. There's nothing shameful about the body, and there's nothing shameful about people expressing their ideas in ways that seems right to them."

The artist said it's "fun" to paint nude models in public because "the energy of people around sort of impacts the art and makes it like a whole interactive environment all about connecting with people and art."

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.