from www.nypost.com – All these knights in shining armor couldn’t save a maiden in undress from a female security guard.
Kathleen Neill, 26, was busted yesterday among the other classic nudes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for posing naked.
She’s the latest project of photographer Zach Hyman, who makes a habit of shooting nude models in public places.
“Everything was going perfect until the very end,” said Hyman. “Then it became a worst-case scenario.”
But not exactly unexpected — since he acknowledges having his lawyer on speed dial and bail money handy whenever he does a shoot.
As for his other sessions, the model arrived fully clothed, did a quick strip while Hyman clicked away, then got dressed.
This was the first time any of his models got arrested.
The guard in the Arms and Armor gallery explained, “I had to make sure that girl was turned over to the police.
“There were little kids in here watching the whole thing.”
Cops charged Neill with public lewdness.
Hyman, however, insisted that his model was taken into custody only because she didn’t have an ID on her. But then again, she had no place to keep one.
Neill, who lives in Brooklyn, was sprung on a desk-appearance ticket.
Many of the museum-goers were so engrossed in their guided audio tours that they didn’t even pay attention to the live production going on around them.
And those who did notice took it much in stride.
“I thought it was cool to juxtapose the nude woman with the art in the room,” said Mike Markovich, a tourist from Toronto. “I was surprised by how many people didn’t even notice her.”
His friend, Elizabeth Epstein, added, “It’s fitting that such an art project would happen in a museum in New York City.”
Hyman asked, “Why is this wrong? There were thousands of people in the Met today looking at nudes as art, but as soon as there is a real nude, it’s a big problem.”
Neill had the same question, which she posed to the security guard who detained her.
“She told me there were naked statues everywhere,” the guard said. “I said, ‘Those statues are 400 years old. You’re from the 21st century.’ “