Apparently nobody told Santiago Infantino that the dress code for at Green-Wood Cemetery is somber. In fact, the Fort Greene-based photographer follows no dress code at all when he’s working on his latest series of anti-war artworks.
“Being naked means being defenseless and this was a desperate time,” Infantino said. “That’s why I choose the cemetery, [I was] thinking about the people who are gone — were they in a better place than I was?”
The artist claims he doesn’t have a compulsive desire to strip for the departed, despite how his recent self-portrait, “Apocalipsis,” makes it appear. (See it online at www.santiagotheartist.com.)
It’s hard enough just getting the work done. Lugging his tripod, camera and various props to the boneyard after hours, Infantino hunts for the perfect spot and, after checking for security, takes off all of his clothes.
“I covered myself with a big cape and waited until it was safe,” he said, “then whipped [it] off and started shooting.”
While he hid, Infantino wasn’t spooked by the cemetery’s residents at all.
“I was scared I would get caught, but not scared to be naked at the cemetery. I’m scared of the living, not the dead.”
He prefers Green-Wood Cemetery for obvious reasons.
“When I first moved to New York, I lived a few blocks from Green-Wood,” the stripping snapper said. “It’s still the only cemetery I know how to get to!”
