Gallery owner 'encourages nudity'

The gallery is prepared to give a discount to anyone stripping off

A gallery owner in Swindon is encouraging visitors to strip off at his exhibition on the 'human form' so they can be at one with the art.

Gallery 39 director Kevin Money says he wants people to appreciate the work on show, and to emphasise that the naked body is a true art form.

"I want people visiting Bodyline to be uninhibited and if that means they feel like stripping off, I welcome it."

The exhibition features watercolours, oils, bronze statues and silk work.

The show has already had more than 100 visitors since opening on 24 September.

Mr Money told BBC News Online the exhibition had exceeded all his expectations:

"It's been so successful that already [after two days] I'm looking at having to get more stock in.

"There seems to be a resurgence in nudity as an art form although some people get all worked up about it.

"Art is about expression and liberty. It is to be enjoyed, it is to be appreciated," he said.

'Hands on'

But he admitted that local people had so far declined his invitation to strip.

"No one has taken the challenge so far - I'm prepared to draw the blinds if anyone feels they want to express themselves.

"I'm not sure Swindon is ready for this though.

"But I'm prepared to give anyone a good discount if they strip down to their underclothes," he said.

Mr Money said he believed galleries should be fun and relaxed rather than stuffy and austere.

"The exhibits have a fairly equal emphasis on male and female bodies. So there is something for everyone. If anyone wants to touch something, that is fine by me too."