An unidentified man wears only a tie and socks as he participates in a performance art piece outside the New York Stock Exchange on Monday morning. (Newcriteria.wordpress.com, Anthony Miler/Associated Press)

When is art illegal?

When your creative masterpiece is your body, and you're in your birthday suit parading along Wall Street.

Two men and a woman were arrested Monday morning outside the New York Stock Exchange when they and other artists decided to get naked to protest American and international financial institutions.

The three face charges of disorderly conduct.

Manhattan artist Zefrey Throwell was the architect of the five-minute protest, which featured dozens of volunteers also taking part in the so-called performance art, by acting as if they were working.

Eric Clinton Anderson, a Brooklyn, N.Y., personal trainer and performance artist, portrayed a naked janitor outside the stock exchange's heavily guarded front door.

"Somebody needs to clean up Wall Street," he said.

With files from The Associated Press