Fliers confronted with naked art

Spencer Tunick's nude photo is on show at Newcastle Airport

International travellers are being greeted by 1,700 naked people when they arrive at Newcastle Airport.

The 10ft by 6ft picture of nudes near the River Tyne is one of the photos taken by artist Spencer Tunick for an exhibition at Baltic in Gateshead.

The photo is one of 15 pictures on display in the airport arrivals area.

Carl Bevan, customer services manager at the airport, said a full frontal shot was avoided in favour of people with their backs to the camera.

Mr Tunick, a New York-based artist, convinced locals to bare all in Newcastle and Gateshead in July.

Culture-led

He was commissioned to create a series of images which merged people's naked forms into the Tyneside landscape.

Baltic director Peter Doroshenko said: "This was the perfect exhibition for the airport to support, it appeals to a regional, national and international audience and is very much about people and new experiences.

John Parkin, chief executive of the airport said: "Our sponsorship of the Spencer Tunick exhibition is an excellent way in which we can offer our support to the arts and culture-led regeneration of the north east. "

The exhibition of Mr Tunick's work is on display at Baltic in Gateshead until 26 March.