Three Busted in Naked Wall Street Flash Mob

For five surreal minutes yesterday morning, Wall Street looked like a nudist colony. At 7am, people all along the street whipped off their clothing, as part of a performance art piece called “Ocularpation: Wall Street.” Artist Zefrey Throwell tells the New York Times that the piece was intended to be both “an absurdist Freudian nightmare” of nude employment and “an educational attempt to lend more transparency to Wall Street, a street which is so damn mysterious.”

The piece was inspired by his mother's financial crisis difficulties, though mommy dearest isn't necessarily a fan. "My son is very creative," she says. "I'm a little bit more prudish." Police certainly didn't get the piece, arresting three of 49 people who disrobed and charging them with disorderly conduct. Many bystanders shared their confusion. “It’s a commercial,” one guessed. “Is it a statement?” another asked. “What are they trying to say?” (More flash mob stories.)