Student Sits Naked And Blindfolded On College Steps To Prove A Point

Tired of seeing the female body endlessly represented as a sexual object, Monika Rostvold showed off her own.

Rostvold, 22, is a student and artist at Texas State University, and she sat on the steps of Albert B. Alkek Library wearing only nipple pasties and flesh-colored underwear earlier this week.

Blindfolded and ears blocked by headphones, Rostvold hoped to show her body as an object of power, rather than something alluring.

While students snapped photos and made comments within hearing distance, Rostvold tried to retreat inwardly. Although police investigated the situation, they allowed her to stay put.

She explained to KTSW she'd thoroughly researched nudity laws on campus before planning her performance, adding that a few people were so offended, they actually moved her headphones to tell her their opinions.

They thought Rostvold was "degrading" herself.

In reality, Rostvold sees her performance as just the opposite, saying,

Being a female artist [it's] hard not to recognize how overly sexualized women are in society's culture... Pop culture, as a young girl, told me how to be a seductive woman, while personal experiences lead me to question ideas about sensuality.

Rostvold says society taught her to be sexy, not valuable.

So, she decided to perform an art piece about the female body.

For 45 minutes, she sat naked and blindfolded on the library's steps.

Students were unsure what to make of Rostvold's performance.

This is completely legal in the state of Texas, so no the cops can't arrest her. #TXST pic.twitter.com/HbBK5vEo6v — k. (@Cece14Guzman) April 27, 2015

To the girl sitting on the steps of Alkek...completely naked... blind folded...with a video camera taping everyone's reactions. WTF — Haley Pritchett (@HaleyAnmarie) April 27, 2015

#TxSt wtf is going on ????? pic.twitter.com/jiRxKdCV3Z — ™ (@InspiredByNysha) April 27, 2015

Ever been so stressed with finals you just get naked and sit under the library? #TXST — cole seese (@coleaseese) April 27, 2015

Warning there's a naked hippie on alkek steps — Oii (@oimeetsworld) April 27, 2015

Thanks to a viral media response, Rostvold is sharing her message even further than Texas State's campus.

Citations: Blindfolded Texas college student poses on library steps for performance art project (Daily Mail)