By: Ghazala Fatima
Whether it be mehendi designs on hands and feet for adornment in special occasions, or painting colors of national flags on faces and body to promote nationalism, or painting body with natural colours by soldiers in army to create camouflage, or making tattoos as element of hip hop culture, or painting body and piercing of various parts of bodyin many countries as part of their culture;all of this comes under the spectrum of body art. In the art world the term “Body art” is generally described as a type of contemporary art, in which artist uses human body or sometimes his own body as the canvas and transform it into an artwork by means of paint or any other medium. There are different approaches to body art, some artists prefer creating it privately and subsequently capturing it in photographs or videos, or it may be created “live” in front of an audience.
In some cases, body art may seem novel but actually it has existed within us through ages.Body painting, a form of body art has its roots in prehistoric art. Face painting and tattoos are also remnants of old art that are still used today in cultures from North America to New Zealand, while mime has its roots in the dramatic gestural arts of Ancient Greece. The most contemporary types of body art are performance body art, nail art, and body statues (a type of street art).
Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. It cannot be confined to a particular style, process or medium and covers a vast range of forms including tattoos, body piercings, scarification, and body painting. Some forms of Performance art can also be included in body art. Body art is not restricted to any particular section of people or society, traditional, tribal and modern societies, all are equally practitioners of body art in some or the other way.As many other forms of art,Body Art also evolved with time and there are many artists who instead of canvas use human body as a surface for their painting (Body Painting). Works featuring human body as painting surfaces have been exhibited in many galleries in various exhibitions around the globe. Apart from artists there are many societies where painting directly on human body is practices as a part of culture andsome people wholly and Solly do it for self-pleasure.
There are many contemporary artists who have taken body art to its extreme. Several performance artists became famous by inflicting pain on themselves or frightening the audience with heinous acts of sexuality, masochism, drug use, and self-mutilation. These body-related disciplines, which are displayed at some of the best contemporary art festivals, including specialised events like Body Painting festivals, as well as a number of the best contemporary art galleries, are excellent examples of the postmodernist tendency to broaden the definition of art far beyond the traditionalist sphere of drawing, painting, and sculpture.
Among all forms of body art, body painting is becoming most celebrated and fascinating form of art appreciated by most people. Body painting allows artist to use actual human as a space for his artwork and he is allowed to paint directly onto the human skin. Unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, lasting several hours or sometimes up to a few weeks, and in the case of mehndi or “henna tattoos” about two weeks. Body painting that is limited to the face is known as “face painting”. Body painting is also referred as a form of “temporary tattoo”. Most commonly full-body painting is referred to as body painting, while painting on small area of body or more detailed work can sometimes be referred to as temporary tattoos.
Cosmetic grades are best paints for most face and body paintings but water-activated body paints are also used in some performances for easy to remove and overall ease in quick application. For long-lasting results artists choose alcohol-based paints.
Illusion body painting
The human body can transform into an animal, plant, stone, or an any object by arranging one or more human bodies and painting them in realistic manner.There are numerous videos on internet that show fascinating illusion of painted bodies taking form of an animal. The term illusionism is used to describe a painting that creates the illusion of a real object or scene, or a sculpture where the artist has depicted figure in such a realistic way that they seem alive.Op Art has its roots in a technique called trompe-l’oeil which is French for trick the eye.
Camouflage body painting
Camouflage body painting is yet another form of body art that uses human body and merge it with its surroundings. to make it disappear. In this dramatic form of body art, the model is camouflaged intoeither figurative or abstract form. The model could be also transformed as an object.One of the well-known body painting artist VilijaVitkute(Swedish),created camouflage bodypainting and photography series called “The Landscapes Within”. These artworks talk about the human relationship with nature, melting in it and becoming one with Mother Earth.
Installation body painting
A convergence of several artistic movements and aesthetic elements may be seen in the body painting installation. Combinations of assemblage art, land art, fashion, stage design, props, artefacts, sculptures, plants, performances, and painted bodies may be used. Camouflage and installation body painting have a very thin line separating them.
Face Painting
Face painting is the artistic application of nontoxic paint to a person’s face. The practice dates from Palaeolithic times and has been used for ritual purposes, and cultural practices. Many peoples around the world practice face painting in modern times, including indigenous people of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Polynesia and Melanesia.
Some tribes in Sub-Saharan Africa use the technique during rituals and festivals, and many of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America now use it for ceremonies, having previously also used it for hunting and warfare. In India it is used in folk dances and temple festivals, such as in Kathakali performances, and Mehndi designs are used at weddings. It is also used by Japanese Geisha and Chinese opera singers.
Face painting has developed into an art form throughout the globe, with painters showing their creations at festivals, in contests, and in periodicals. Actors and clowns use face painting to create a certain impression or to convey a particular emotion. Soldiers in combat frequently paint their faces and other exposed body parts, such their hands, in earthy hues like green, tan, and loam to help them blend in with their surroundings.
