MANHATTAN (CN) - In what may be an emerging summertime tradition, a model claims in court that the NYPD falsely arrested her for stripping down in Times Square so an artist could paint her body.
Karla Patricia Lynn Storie sued the city, two named officers and 10 John Doe officers on July 29 in New York County Supreme Court.
Her lawsuit contains almost identical language to a lawsuit filed by Zoe West , who won a $15,000 settlement for similar claims in 2012.
West's lawsuit stated that she undressed in Times Square as artist Andy Golub painted her, "transforming the once-bare body into a dramatic display of colors, shapes and lines that added new life to his already thriving medium."
Storie's complaint uses the same phrasing, though it replaces "thriving" with "living."
Both lawsuits describe Golub as "a street artist who uses the nude body as a human canvas, painting his models in public spaces to allow his audience to observe the transformation."
"His work has been well received by art critics and the media," the complaints state. "San Francisco Weekly described Golub's body-paintings and 'stunning,' and recognized, 'Doing this in public is part of Golub's process. ... Painting people in public lets anyone watch the joint creation being made, and it's a more direct way to show his work than, say, photographs in a gallery."
Storie claims that she was arrested three years ago, on July 11, 2011, a little more than a month before West's arrest on Aug. 30, 2011.
Both women contend that they removed their underwear last, and that Golub's "quick, large strokes covered the naked area in minutes, if not seconds."
Storie claims that police waited six hours after Golub's finishing touches before arresting her without warning.
"Prior to being handcuffed, Ms. Storie tried to put her clothing on and in the process her dress ripped," her complaint states.
She claims she was denied food or water at the police precinct and was charged late at night for public lewdness and exposure of a person at Manhattan Central Booking.
Those charges were dismissed the next day, according to the complaint.
Alleging "psychological and emotional trauma," Storie wants unspecified damages for constitutional violations, false arrest, failure to intervene and municipal liability.
She is represented by David Hazan, with Jacobs & Hazan.
West had a different lawyer.
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