May 8, 2011, Updated September 12, 2012

American art photographer Spencer Tunick hopes his next trademark shoot of naked people will take place at the Dead Sea. The controversial photographer has launched an online appeal for sponsorship and support for the project entitled, Naked Sea.

Tunick’s goal is to raise $60,000 by June 6. So far, he’s raised just over half of that, about $35,000. Tunick will visit Israel later this week to do a final scout and hold a press conference to promote Naked Sea.

Tunick chose the Dead Sea site because of its natural beauty and to draw attention to the danger to its future caused by evaporation of its salt-saturated waters.

“This project is dear to me, one that I have dreamed of since my early days as an artist,” Tunick wrote in the statement. “I look forward to your support in exposing a part of Israel that has not been seen before and at the same time bring attention to the deteriorating situation of the Dead Sea.”

Experts warn that the Dead Sea could dry out by 2050 unless vital measures are taken to halt its deterioeration.

Tunick’s project is the latest artistic promotion for the Dead Sea. The lowest point on earth is contending against 27 other natural sites around the world, and is considered to be one of the most promising contestants in the campaign to select the New7Wonders of Nature.

Tunick is known around the world for photographing large groups of nude figures at popular locations including Mexico City, Sydney, London, Amsterdam and the Swiss Alps. He has been documenting the live nude figure in public, with photography and video, since 1992. Since 1994, he has organized over 75 temporary site-specific installations around the world.

Now, Tunick, whose father lives in Israel, is hoping his latest project, Naked Sea, gets the exposure he’s looking for. 

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