Feature: Will people of Hull turn their backs on chance to pose naked for art?

Hundreds of people are being asked to strip naked in downtown Hull for a major artwork commissioned for 2017 when the city holds the coveted crown of UK City of Culture.

They will be photographed without their clothes by renowned American artist Spencer Tunick, who is already famed for taking large-scale nude images in some of the world's major cities.

Within hours of the call for volunteers on Wednesday, a poll organized by the local newspaper, the Hull Daily Mail, showed the city was divided on going nude with 56 percent saying no to removing their clothes, with the other 44 percent giving the idea the thumbs up.

The work will be called Sea Of Hull, aptly named for the northern English port city, and the photo shoot will take place in July in an as yet undisclosed location in the city center.

The finished photography will become the showpiece exhibit at the city's Ferens Art Gallery when it reopens in time for the 2017 cultural events.

Tunick has created over 90 art installations over 20 years in some of the most culturally significant landmarks around the world from the Sydney Opera House to Mexico City.

A spokesman for Hull 2017 commented on Tunick's first project in Hull: "His work challenges preconceived notions of nudity and the culturally charged, often negative, connotations associated with it."

During the photo shoot, Tunick will take a large-scale naked photograph of hundreds of naked people covered in body paint designed to replicate the colours of the ocean.

Tunick said Wednesday: "I'm very interested in the history of the city and its place as a seafaring center and its relationship to a rich maritime past. It intrigues me that in some places where there are major streets or parks today, previously there was water."

"To reflect this, I'll be using body paint so the massed people create the idea of a sea of humanity flooding the urban landscape. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in art who wants to pose nude but is modest."

"The body paint will help many participants to overcome their inhibitions -- after all, they will still be covered, in a way."

The not-so-shy people of Hull are being encouraged to sign up by May 15. They must be aged 18 or over. Endit