Standing on the downtown 6 train platform at Union Square I happen to glance across the platform to the uptown side and catch sight of a young man who appears to be nearly naked. And there’s something else off about his presentation: he’s painted half white. A train arrives, and for several minutes my perspective is blocked; when the train finally pulls away I’m craning my neck for another view, and after shifting my position to avoid several other waiting passengers I have an unobstructed vantage point. The young man is indeed half nude – and half white. He’s a street performer who, by means of a carefully positioned mirror which he holds in his left hand, is using his right hand to apply white body paint with some kind of applicator. The work is slow and involves what look like painful contortions to reach areas on his back and between his shoulder blades. It’s clear though, from the manner in which he’s holding the mirror, he’s done this many times before. His only article of clothing is a kind of loin cloth which looks as if it might blow away with the next approaching train. He’s thin and delicate looking, which makes his self-assured presence on the platform all the more arresting. Passengers stream by him unaware, as if he’s destined to remain invisible until he’s finished painting himself and assumed his first pose.