New Yorkers Gone Wild

I've written before about how New York City not only tolerates the unconventional, but it also embraces, nurtures and even encourages it. Iconoclasm is celebrated here. I had a high school English teacher who was personally frustrated with the ostracism for thinking differently in a small town. He encouraged us to attend university in a large city and move from the small town provincial environment. One day, he announced that although it was required to have the local paper in the classroom, we would not be reading it - we would be reading the New York Times. The local paper, he said, would remain stacked in the corner and was suitable for training your cat. A bit harsh and disrespectful of local talent, but it was the Dead Poet Society of my youth. I shared his frustrations and his advice had an influence on my decision to move to New York City.
I think things have changed much since that time. With electronic media, styles and popular culture are much more quickly adopted across the globe. However, at a core level, most people really don't like the offbeat or unusual, excepting for some, perhaps, a period of wild youth and rebellion. Take a look at some of the captures I have gotten in the last three years. First we have André - I called this posting Out There, because he really is. In this second photo, Fashion Forward, he poses for me with an unusual dresser. I have subsequently met André on numerous occasions and learned he has done quite a bit of fashion work - he has graced the cover of French Vogue and has his own Wikipedia page. Spike is a character that could easily be subject to hostility in another environment. Here we have a man who travels with an exotic bird, boa and small alligator .

Women who dress provocatively will always get some looks, but I can't imagine the reaction in a small town to women dressed like some I photographed - take a look at Narcissim Gone Wild, the Water Sprites, this urban Wood Nymph, topless women in a Dyke March, the bearded lady who founded Circus Amok or a group of metal fans in Piercing Al Fresco.
I had to hustle to capture the woman in today's photo. I loved the geometrically designed coat and snakes on her legs - I assumed these were tattoos, not printed hose. I never got a chance to ask her or give her my card - I imagine she likely would have posed as would any New Yorker Gone Wild ...

Related Postings: Out There, Spike, Narcissism Gone Wild, Water Sprites, Wood Nymph, Spring Madness, The Dance Parade, Dyke March, Twelve Tribes, Penny Farthing, Homeless Art, Superheroes, Snake Charmer, Circus Amok, Fashion Forward, Piercing Al Fresco.