Oz artist’s explicitly nude life-size model shocks passers-by

An exhibition featuring a life-size male model in nude is causing pedestrians to stop.

Wellington: An Australian artist’s exhibition featuring a life-size male model is causing pedestrians to stop in their tracks with its full-frontal nudity.

The piece by artist Stephen Birch is part of a group exhibition called ‘Everything is Near and Inflorescent, Forever and Present’. The life-size model, called Dave, wears a beard, a headscarf and little else, and he has his back pressed against the wall of the Michael Lett gallery window. His head is turned to the right, and intended or not, his mortified expression is directed at the adult entertainment store directly across the road. “It’s a bit shocking. I wouldn’t want to look at it too closely,” Stuff.co.nz quoted one woman as saying. Another said she didn’t find it offensive but expected a “little old lady” would. More than one passer-by commented on Dave’s resemblance to Osama bin Laden. A gallery spokesman said the piece is “unique” and a lot of people have tapped on the gallery’s window, as if they’re trying to get his attention.