Nude Photo Shoot Aims To Help Save Oak Grove

More than 100 people risked arrest by shedding their clothes for a nude photo shoot at the oak grove near Memorial Stadium, which they said may help save the grove by drawing more attention to the university’s plans to cut it down to build an athletic training center.

The session, organized by photographer Jack Gescheidt, featured naked participants lying in and amongst the trees. Participants remained nude for only a short amount of time, however, as nearby police warned of the possibility of arrest.

“If we are going to get arrested for making art ... I’m willing to get arrested for this,” Gescheidt said.

People of all ages from around the Bay Area and tree-sitters with activist group Save the Oaks at the Stadium took part in the session, which ended without any arrests.

UCPD arrived before the shoot and began to inform Gescheidt that he would have to go through the proper procedures in order to hold such an event, that public nudity was illegal, and that he would be subject to arrest if he continued.

Gescheidt had attempted to get approval for the event from UC Berkeley but was unable to do so, he said. Police said public nudity was the event’s biggest legal violation, but that they could also arrest participants for trespassing.

While some onlookers protested the intrusion by police, Gescheidt sat in a tree and asked the crowd to remain peaceful.

“We must save these trees,” Gescheidt said. “Us being peaceful is essential to that.”

People stripped and quickly took part in the nude portrait. The photo shoot ended without incident, leading Gescheidt to declare “love prevails today” while the crowd cheered.

“I wasn’t sure how it was going to feel, but it felt miraculous,” said freshman Marisa Schneidman, who participated in the photo shoot. “People are willing to be naked and vulnerable for these trees, they are showing how important these trees are.”

The session was held as part of Gescheidt’s TreeSpirit Project, a collection of portraits depicting nude people amongst trees. The compilation stresses the “inter-connectedness” of people and nature and attempts to inspire people to feel the power of trees, Gescheidt said.

Gescheidt, who has produced more than 40 portraits of naked people in trees, said he has never been arrested during a session. He expressed dismay at the police presence but said they were polite and respectful.

Onlookers lauded Gescheidt for calling attention to protesters’ attempt to save the grove.

“I feel sorry that the university doesn’t have a welcoming face for this type of expression,” said Ignacio Chapela, an assistant professor of environmental science at UC Berkeley. “We should celebrate artists such as this, not accost them.”

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