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Daniel Lorenz Johnson

 
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Daniel Lorenz Johnson (born May 24, 1974) is an American artist
Artist

The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art....
, activist
Activism

Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social change or politics change. This action is in support of, or opposition to, one side of an often controversy argument....
, community organizer
Community organizing

Community organizing is a process by which people living in proximity to each other are brought together in an organization to act in their common self-interest....
 and writer
Writer

A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, as well as those who have written in many different forms....
 who has worked for the advancement of various progressive/social liberalist
Social liberalism

Social liberalism is a political position that supports heavier economic regulation and more welfare than other types of liberalism, particularly classical liberalism....
 causes through interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity

In academia, pedagogy, physical sciences, earth sciences, human sciences and social sciences in general, an 'interdisciplinary field' is a term of art in the teaching professions, whereas the terms 'multidisciplinary field' or have become the hallmark of many modern technical professions which must cross traditional academic boun...
, collaborative projects involving grassroots politics
Grassroots

A grassroots movement is one driven by the constituent of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it is natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures....
, media art and popular culture
Popular culture

Popular culture is the totality of Distinction memes, ideas, Perspective s and Attitude s that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture....
. While best known his work advocating for and organizing social nudity events (with an emphasis of opportunities on public lands
Public nudity

Public nudity or nude in public refers to nudity not in an entirely private context. It refers to a person appearing nude in a public place or to be seen from a public place....
), his work also involves advocating human rights
Human rights

Human rights refer to the "basic rights and freedom to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of speech, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, i...
, ecological economics
Ecological economics

Ecological economics is a transdisciplinary field of academic research that aims to address the interdependence of human economies and natural ecosystems....
, environment
Natural environment

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all life and non-living things occurring nature on Earth or some region thereof....
al issues, naturopathic medicine
Naturopathic medicine

Naturopathy is an alternative medicine which emphasizes the body's intrinsic ability to heal and maintain itself. Naturopaths use natural remedies such as herbs and foods rather than surgery or synthetic medication....
, humanure composting
Humanure

"Humanure" is a neologism designating human excrement that is recycling via composting for agriculture or other purposes. The term was popularized by a 1994 book by Joseph Jenkins that advocates the use of this organic material soil amendment....
 and raw veganism
Raw veganism

Raw veganism is a diet which combines veganism and raw foodism. It excludes all food of animal origin, and all food cooked above 48 degrees Celsius ....
.

in Seattle and raised on Mercer Island, Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
 (an affluent part of the Puget Sound
Puget Sound

Puget Sound is an inland marine complex of waterways from the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States....
 region).






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Bendprotest
Daniel Lorenz Johnson (born May 24, 1974) is an American artist
Artist

The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art....
, activist
Activism

Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social change or politics change. This action is in support of, or opposition to, one side of an often controversy argument....
, community organizer
Community organizing

Community organizing is a process by which people living in proximity to each other are brought together in an organization to act in their common self-interest....
 and writer
Writer

A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, as well as those who have written in many different forms....
 who has worked for the advancement of various progressive/social liberalist
Social liberalism

Social liberalism is a political position that supports heavier economic regulation and more welfare than other types of liberalism, particularly classical liberalism....
 causes through interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity

In academia, pedagogy, physical sciences, earth sciences, human sciences and social sciences in general, an 'interdisciplinary field' is a term of art in the teaching professions, whereas the terms 'multidisciplinary field' or have become the hallmark of many modern technical professions which must cross traditional academic boun...
, collaborative projects involving grassroots politics
Grassroots

A grassroots movement is one driven by the constituent of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it is natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures....
, media art and popular culture
Popular culture

Popular culture is the totality of Distinction memes, ideas, Perspective s and Attitude s that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture....
. While best known his work advocating for and organizing social nudity events (with an emphasis of opportunities on public lands
Public nudity

Public nudity or nude in public refers to nudity not in an entirely private context. It refers to a person appearing nude in a public place or to be seen from a public place....
), his work also involves advocating human rights
Human rights

Human rights refer to the "basic rights and freedom to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of speech, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, i...
, ecological economics
Ecological economics

Ecological economics is a transdisciplinary field of academic research that aims to address the interdependence of human economies and natural ecosystems....
, environment
Natural environment

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all life and non-living things occurring nature on Earth or some region thereof....
al issues, naturopathic medicine
Naturopathic medicine

Naturopathy is an alternative medicine which emphasizes the body's intrinsic ability to heal and maintain itself. Naturopaths use natural remedies such as herbs and foods rather than surgery or synthetic medication....
, humanure composting
Humanure

"Humanure" is a neologism designating human excrement that is recycling via composting for agriculture or other purposes. The term was popularized by a 1994 book by Joseph Jenkins that advocates the use of this organic material soil amendment....
 and raw veganism
Raw veganism

Raw veganism is a diet which combines veganism and raw foodism. It excludes all food of animal origin, and all food cooked above 48 degrees Celsius ....
.

Biography

Born in Seattle and raised on Mercer Island, Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
 (an affluent part of the Puget Sound
Puget Sound

Puget Sound is an inland marine complex of waterways from the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States....
 region). He graduated from Mercer Island High School
Mercer Island High School

Mercer Island High School is a public high school located in Mercer Island, Washington, Washington in the United States, as part of the Mercer Island School District....
 in 1992 and he graduated from Vancouver Film School
Vancouver Film School

Vancouver Film School is a private entertainment arts school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1987, it has achieved international recognition....
 in 1998 with a certificate degree in 3D Animation and Digital Effects and The University of Washington
University of Washington

University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, Washington, United States. Also known as Washington and locally as UW or the U, it is the largest university in the northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the west coast....
 in 2000 with a B.F.A. degree in Fine Art (Photography) and Art (Interdisciplinary Visual Arts). During his time in college he became interested in international politics and participating in the National Model United Nations
Model United Nations

Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy....
 in 2004 as a representative of Libya
Libya

Libya , officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , is a country located in North Africa. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya lies between Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
 in the Human Rights Council in Manhattan
Manhattan

Manhattan is one of the five borough of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.With a United States Census of 1,620,867 living in a land area of 22.96 square miles , Manhattan, coextensive with New York County, is the most population density county in the United States, w...
 and at the United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
. Later he became a Co-coordinator of the Amnesty International
Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London, England in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses and...
 Group 94 at the University of Washington. In addition to living in Seattle and Vancouver
Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region....
 (1997-1998) he also lived in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles

Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
 for about a year in 2000.

After learning about clothing-optional activities on public lands and reading about The Freedom to be Yourself
The Freedom to be Yourself

The Freedom to be Yourself campaign or was founded in 1999 by Vincent Bethell. The group, according to Vincent Bethell is about "the right to be public nudity"....
 (TFTBY) campaign he briefly joined that campaign. In late 2001 and May 2, 2002 he received some brief publicity with activist Terri Sue Webb
Terri Sue Webb

Terri Sue Webb is an activist living in Bend, Oregon, who was one of few activists in the United States active in The Freedom to be Yourself campaign....
 after two short public urban nude TFTBY protests with her in Portland
Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States United States, near the confluence of the Willamette River and Columbia River rivers in the state of Oregon....
 and Bend
Bend, Oregon

Bend is the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
. At the latter protest, he was held in jail overnight after being arrested for disorderly conduct and interference with governmental administration (relating to Webb's trial appointment scheduled for the same day). The charges were later dropped. At that time Johnson became critical of the clothes free movement
Criticism of the clothes free movement

Like most social movements, the clothes free movement which promotes the acceptance of social nudity has garnered a fair amount of criticism....
 for failing to activate enough interest and advances in public lands advocacy.

In 2001 he co-founded The Body Freedom Collaborative
Body Freedom Collaborative

The Body Freedom Collaborative is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the integration and acceptance of non-sexual social nudity in a variety of public and private settings....
 (BFC) with Mark Storey
Mark Storey

Mark Storey is a board member of the Naturist Action Committee and has testified at anti-nudity legislation hearings all over the United States....
. In 2003 Daniel Johnson helped organize World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride

World Naked Bike Ride is an international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport to "protest oil dependency and celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies"....
 with Conrad Schmidt
Conrad Schmidt

Conrad Schmidt is an activism and writer living in Vancouver. Schmidt founded the group Artists for Peace/Artists Against War , created World Naked Bike Ride in 2003 and founded the Work Less Party of British Columbia....
. In 2005 he founded The Organic Living Party , a progressive
Progressivism

The term progressive has varying meanings in different countries.In some countries, the word refers to left-wing politics. For instance, in the United States, the term progressive emerged in the late 19th century into the 20th century in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternativ...
 political party based on the German movement. The party, together with the Work Less Party USA hosted the and, in 2006, the .

In Seattle he has helped in focused efforts to push for the development of clothing-optional city beaches. He co-founded two free beach groups in Seattle: the and as well as co-founding and the , which is believed to be only the second such indoor swim organized at municipal pools facilities in the USA. In 2006, he came up with the idea of an election time event, which later became the national campaign, a collaborative project primarily organized by The Naturist Action Committee
Naturist Action Committee

The Naturist Action Committee is a nine-member volunteer committee that functions as the political adjunct to The Naturist Society , based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin....
, with support by BFC as well as other grassroots skinnydipping organizations around the country.

On July 29, 2006 he ran the entire length of the 5K UnitedHealthcare Torchlight Run at Seafair
Seafair

Seafair is a summer festival in Seattle, Washington, Washington, United States that encompasses a wide variety of small neighborhood events leading up to several major city-wide celebrations....
 (celebrating its 30th Anniversary) in Seattle wearing only bodypaint, socks and shoes in an attempt to encourage others to participate in a creatively adorned manner and to jumpstart a related event called the . It is unknown if this was the first full-length streak of the Torchlight Run.

In Spring of 2008, with the help of free beach advocates from around North America, Johnson help organize a community effort to lobby the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners to put pressure on the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation
Seattle Parks and Recreation

Seattle Parks and Recreation is the department of government of the Seattle, Washington, Washington, responsible for maintaining the List of Seattle parks, open space, and community centers....
 to look at the issue of creating more opportunities for clothing-optional recreation in Seattle. The plan was called "Citywide Clothing-optional Recreation Plan" and was presented to the Board of Park Commissioners on Thursday, May 8, 2008. This also involved collaborative efforts with the Naturist Action Committee
Naturist Action Committee

The Naturist Action Committee is a nine-member volunteer committee that functions as the political adjunct to The Naturist Society , based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin....
 to organize a grassroots effort to lobby during the Seattle Parks and Recreation Strategic Action Plan public input process, which resulted in 22 pages of positive support published in the "Seattle Parks and Recreation Strategic Action Plan - Summary of Public Feedback - Phase 2: Public Comment Report"

In November 2008, Seattle Parks and Recreation attempted to propose a rule change banning nudity in all Seattle Parks & Recreation areas, with the exception of indoor rentals at City pools. Daniel led a collaborative effort with the help of the Naturist Action Committee
Naturist Action Committee

The Naturist Action Committee is a nine-member volunteer committee that functions as the political adjunct to The Naturist Society , based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin....
 to successfully defeat the proposal in the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners meeting on November 13, 2008. The Board not only rejected the proposed ban but also asked the Parks Department to look into creating areas for clothing-optional recreation on Seattle beaches, which was widely seen as significant move in favor of and in leu of the lobbying efforts of local skinny dippers and sunbathers.

Johnson also founded .

Further reading


External sites

  • Johnson's business site focusing on living vegan food, social nudity and natural medicine.


See also

  • Public nudity
    Public nudity

    Public nudity or nude in public refers to nudity not in an entirely private context. It refers to a person appearing nude in a public place or to be seen from a public place....