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(Scroll down for video) If you live in New York City make sure to shut your window shades, if not, your private photos may end up for sale to the public as art, according to angry residents in one luxury New York City apartment complex.
Residents of a luxury building in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan are furious with a new exhibition of photos in a Chelsea art gallery, because they had no idea that they were being photographed.
From his second-floor apartment, artist Arne Svenson secretly took photos of his neighbors through the large windows, i which they can be seen doing personal things such as bending over cleaning, taking naps and carrying their sleeping kids to bed.
The shots, now sell for up to $7,500 each at the Julie Saul Gallery in an exhibition entitled "Neighbors", which opened on Saturday.
Residents of the Greenwich Street building, in which an apartment can cost up to $6,000,000 are fuming.
One father, Clifford Finn, who declined to say whether he was in the exhibition, said: "A grown man should not be able to photograph children in their rooms with a telephoto lens. You can argue artistic license all you want, but that's really the problem here. Sorry, but I am very concerned about this."
Another resident said that some of the people featured in the exhibition, especially those with children, are considering legal action.
Svenson, 60, said he does not regret taking and selling the photos.
“I am very disturbed after seeing the photos this man has taken. Who knows what other type of photos he may have? As far as I know, he can have photos of children showering naked. The police need to raid his apartment and seize all his photos,” Pauline Barnes, 45, of New York City told YourJewishNews.com after learning about Svenson’s photo exhibit.
However, not everyone agreed with Barnes. “If you don’t want to be photographed then don’t stand in front of your giant windows for all the world to see. That is what window shades were made for. These people have no one to blame but themselves,” Monica Watson, 39, of New York City told YourJewishNews.com.
Experts in privacy law said that residents will have a problem winning their case in court because their faces are not fully visible.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view