Going Nude on Berkeley Campus to Save the Trees
I had seen photography by Jack Gescheidt often, beautiful black and white nudes in trees, and one that I had even given my son, nudes on roller skates in San Francisco. I had often thought of being in one of the photos, but never had managed it. But when I discovered this one of his Tree Spirit set was to bring attention to the oak grove near Memorial Stadium to help protect it from being cut down, I was determined to do it this time no matter what.
UC wants to cut down the grove to build an athletic training center which it has been pointed out would collapse if an earthquake occurred. Even an Alameda
Country judge stopped progress on the plan because of that issue. Six tree sitters have been aloft since December 2nd in tree houses with buckets and sleeping bags and tarps and numerous giggles.
Getting there from the far end of San Francisco took two hours on public tranny, which meant leaving early on the Saturday morning. I had not realized until I saw people on the bus with green stamps on their faces and green Mardi Gras type beads that it was St. Patricks Day. The grove is lovely, and easily visible from the street. The shoot went on much longer than the planned time, partly because of much repetition, especially about the possibility of arrest, and many we calling to get on with it. We were clothed for most of the time, in jackets, some holding steaming drinks as advised by Jack. Normally, I am paid at least 100 dollars an hour to pose for photographers, often much more. Only for political issues do I do it for free.
One of the participants was a man who had photographed me nude before, as I am a natural nude model, and it was great to see him and spend time with him. He told me that there is a picture of me by another photographer nude on the cross at the Living Room Gallery in downtown Berkeley. I had no idea. I also met a man who had seen me as a nude model and recognized me by name. I was surprised. It was just a nudity celebration for me all round. I was asked if I had ever done anything like that for political reasons before, and I certainly had gone topless before at the capital in Sacramento, as part of Breasts not Bombs, protesting the Special Election, which also had police and media but which left me crying when I took off my clothes, and led to some arrests.
This time, we were not sure if we would be arrested, as we had been issued a warning by the police that we could be. The police stood in the background however seeming very kind and polite, and Jack treated them very lovingly as well. He said it was a chance to face his fears and act in harmony with the police, who are men doing their jobs to protect us all. Jack is a beautiful man with star quality, and it seemed natural for him to be climbing the tree nimbly, barefoot, to address us, looking like a photograph, himself.
Before he spoke, we were treated to songs from the air, with a guitar by Tinkerbell, another star, a slender girl with short wavy hair, one of the tree sitters who was delightful and well loved even by those who had seen her for the first time that day. She did not share the calm sentiments Jack was proposing about the police, but she did highly enjoy the peacefulness and reverence of the event.
Except for a few who were climbing trees, we were told to lie on the ground in a dressed rehearsal, face down, without the natural arms crossed position to shield the face. Looking at us flat on the ground in between the trees, I could not see why so many photographers including the media were taking so many pictures of us. It did not look very interesting to me. The dynamics of being about to take off clothes was interesting, as in my case lying next to the people who may have already seen us naked before. For some, I am sure it must have been their first public nudity. Various people were probably picking who they wanted to see naked to lie next to. Yet none of us could really see the others well as we lay there, and the focus was on bonding with the trees, meditating into the earth, becoming one with the ground and for me, bringing in the desired effect, manifesting the protection of the trees through quantum activism, a group of people in altered states focusing on the same thing in a well chosen location. And it was our chance to make the news and get everyone thinking about the trees and how important some people find them. The time on the ground was long, with many adjustments being made, and then we were told to take off our clothes, leave them out of the picture frame, and go back to the same positions.
That went as casually as the rest of it, and I saw no hounding, no agitation or pick ups or show offs. Seventy eight of us simply took off our clothes while many watched and took pictures, and we went back and lay down, with very little time to even look at anyone else. But a quick look at the crowd on the ground, the dappled light hitting them, beautiful shapes of all sizes and types and ages and fitness levels, and imagining it in black and white, I could see that it would indeed be a great image.
The tension had been building for Jack as he was not sure if he would be arrested as soon as we became naked, so he was ready to get at least one quick shot first. Then, there was a photographer wandering around in the picture, and Jack repeatedly tried to get him to leave. This was the only time his poise broke slightly, but as it became obvious that we would be allowed to pose nude, the event became more lifted. However, the cold of the shady ground became more intense as we lay there, and I was not the only one shivering and wondering of we would be making the picture blurry with our chills. My jaw was bouncing all over the place. I was going into spasms of cold. Jack had to tell a few people to move, to not move, to put their heads down, but once it was all in place, and he had his images, he proclaimed that love had prevailed this day. We whooped with gratitude for the police and their superiors.
Afterwards, my friend and my newfound friend bopped around town for awhile. Fraternities were in high spirits with green fright wigs and green beer. Eventually two of us came back to the site to bring the tree sitters left over Indian food. It was like childhood giving it to them in their bags they lowered and raised with ropes. I was so proud of them for doing what they were doing, and glad so many people understand the value of trees, and that they are conscious beings with rights.
The ride home was memorable, with the crowd being a bit wild, like the girl with a green bra which she left casually exposed in the Bart station. I was starting to feel extra tired and somehow took the wrong train and had to walk across town as it got even windier. Just as in the protest in Sacramento, where it was even colder, I became ill because of the exposure, and am dizzy and feverish and in pain as I write this. I tend to have to pay dearly with my health for my statements for the press. But for the sake of the trees, it is worth it. They are loved. They are strong beings. They are one love. We are one love.
