Judge orders body-paint artist Andy Golub, nude model to keep dressed until dark in Times Square

Judge orders body-paint artist Andy Golub, nude model to keep dressed until dark in Times Square

"Golub said he doesn't like the daytime ban on full public nudity but that he will abide by an agreement with city officials to keep loin cloths on his models until sundown - for now.

"I'm going to be seeking a court order to allow me to paint fully nude at any time, any place," Golub said.

His lawyer, Ron Kuby, said he will take the case to federal court to enforce a state law that permits public nudity in the furtherance of art, but in the meantime his clients will abide by the order so as to avoid jail.

"It's just my art," Golub shrugged.

Did the New York legislature really create separate laws for "artists"? What, for example, if your art consists of pole-dancing naked on lampposts? What if your artistic statement involves exposing yourself to elementary school kids? OK, I'm a skeptic, but I think that the same laws should apply to everyone. Even if you do think that artists should abide by completely different laws - and that case could be made, I suppose - you would then be charging the state of New York with finding a way to define what is and what is not "art," although that precise definition has eluded mankind's greatest thinkers since the time of Pericles.

You - Mr. so-called artist painting yourself naked in Times Square with yellow paint - that's art - go ahead.

You - average Joe painting yourself naked in Times Square with yellow paint - that's criminal - 20 to life.