Unleashing art on skin

Painting on body was considered as an act of marking identity, a way of self-expression, and was a symbol of revolution
Face painting
Face painting
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2 min read

Pride comes in all forms and mankind will always find innovative ways to exhibit it. When it comes to the nation, there are typically two triggers for it to burst forth among the population like an erupting volcano; sports and Independence/Republic Day. Proclamations of national identity often work its way onto our faces and body on these specific days, as we paint them in the tricolours of our flag.

The practice however, originated long before the birth of flags or countries. Dating back to pre-historic times, body painting was primarily used for rituals and was a way of announcing status within a tribe. A distinct mark was painted on those in power. Indigenous tribes also believed that masking oneself with paint would ward off evil spirits. Pigments extracted from whatever the surroundings offered, like fruits and leaves were used for these artistic applications.

Cosmetic face painting became popular with the European nobility in the 18th century but soon faded away after the fall of the French aristocracy. Blackface makeup was also used in theatre during the 19th century when non-black artistes played the role of black people. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s put an end to this practice, too.

Against the backdrop of this history, it is but natural that the human body as a canvas would soon be adopted by artists. In modern culture, face painting can be traced back to the early 1900s. It was at the Chicago World’s Fair that Max Factor, who was an authority on cosmetics for film stars, tried to market his make up, a full body paint, in the firm belief that it should be accessible to every woman. He used a model to present it, by covering her nude body with his paint, which succeeded in scandalising the public and ultimately led to his arrest.

Soon, artists took to this medium and in the 1950s and 60s, body painting became an alternative art movement. Artists covered models in paint and made them roll on a canvas, thus creating an image transfer. The effects produced were interesting and brought artists like Yves Klein who made an entire series employing this technique, into the limelight.

Body painting as a medium of expression soon spread to all countries and a multitude of artists accepted it. American artist Danny Setiawan is famous for his reproductions of masterpieces by Van Gogh and Dali, on human bodies. Michel Platnic, the French Israeli artiste, places painted models within three-dimensional movie sets for his videos and photographs, thereby creating ‘living paintings’. Similarly, Australian artist Emma Hack’s photographs have naked painted human bodies that merge with the patterns on the background wall. Peruvian artist Cecilia Paredes is also known to paint her own body, blending herself with landscapes in the background. A gallery solely dedicated to fine art body painting was even founded in 2006 in the US.

Self-expression can never be bound by rules or restricted to traditional mediums. Humans have always carried marks of individuality on their bodies and art offers these temporary tattoos as a means to do so. So be adventurous and colour your thoughts on skin for a change!

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