They came, they stripped, and they dyed themselves blue – and all in the name of art.

The streets of Hull were transformed into an ocean of painted human flesh as 3,200 volunteers braved the North Sea chill to create an incredible spectacle.

Called the Sea Of Hull, it was the biggest nude art installation Britain has ever seen and the brainchild of US photographer Spencer Tunick, who was impressed at how wholeheartedly his idea was embraced.

‘I can’t believe it,’ he said. ‘It was cold, it was chilly, people had to put lotion-like paint all over their bodies – every part.’

Among those who gathered before dawn to daub their naked bodies in one of four shades of blue was 80-year-old Stephane Janssen, a veteran of 20 of the artist’s similar endeavours.

‘It’s beautiful,’ he said. ‘We are little strokes of paint. Everybody is equal.’

The project, which aimed to represent Hull’s maritime heritage, was devised to celebrate the port’s status as the UK City of Culture next year, when Tunick’s photographs from the day will be displayed.

Source Daily Mail UK