A nude woman walks by, wearing naught but a nose ring and ponytail. Her breasts bounce as she wanders among the paintings and sculptures within the Art Gallery of NSW on a crisp Thursday morning. She struts in the buff while people stare, conspicuously overdressed in their skinny jeans and sneakers.

Six brave souls are butt-naked for this undressed dress rehearsal of Nude Live, a celebration of the unclothed human body. There are no modesty patches or pouches as they go about in the raw, revealing something of their religion, grooming habits and low body-fat percentage.

One has a birthmark on her left cheek. One man has a pierced left nipple and low-cut tan line. Dancer Dave Mack, 35, has a tattooed doodle down below his navel. "I love being naked," he says.

"Not feeling like I should be embarrassed, not feeling there is something that has to be covered or that I am ashamed of."