Liu Bolin first became invisible in 2006. When the Suo Jia Cun Artist Village in suburban Beijing, where he worked as a sculptor’s assistant, was “forcibly demolished,” as he puts it, Mr. Liu decided to protest. He camouflaged himself in the ruins with acrylic paints to illustrate resistance to movement. He photographed the finished product, marking the first of his “Hiding in the City” series. He has disguised others, including the members of Bon Jovi for the band’s recent album cover.

This month, Mr. Liu, 40, was in New York, where he is represented by Eli Klein Fine Art. He did three performances, the last at the 5Pointz Aerosol Arts Center, the graffiti mecca in Queens. The walls there are set to make way for two condominium towers, amid a furious protest by artists.

Alex Brown, 37, a documentary photographer, captured Mr. Liu’s process.

Mr. Liu spent a day scouting and two days preparing, employing three realist painters; they matched the paints to the wall of “The Jungle” from the artist Meres One, the tag for Jonathan Cohen, the 5 Pointz founder. “Developers conspired with each other and, as a result, money and materials might replace the spirit of freedom in 5 Pointz,” Mr. Liu said in an e-mail.

For four afternoon hours in Long Island City, Mr. Liu’s assistants adjusted the colors on the uniform they had pre-painted. Then they applied paint to Mr. Liu’s 6-foot, 182-pound body and face.

Mr. Liu exercises daily to be in condition to stand still for hours. He eats and drinks little the day before to limit bathroom use. What would happen if Mr. Liu had an itch on his nose? “I would try my best to bear it and stand still,” he said.

N.Y. / Region

Published: June 28, 2013

Album

Disappearing in Place