Is it possible to forget the famous picture of Demi Moor on the cover Vanity Fair? She was naked and dressed in a paint-on suit. As more artists learn to use skin as their canvas, body painting has grown in popularity and is now a popular art form.
Understanding the history behind this bizarre take on art is essential to understanding how it made it into the 21st Century. Experts believe that body painting was the first form of art used by humans, and archeological evidence is close to supporting it, according to historyofcosmetics.net. Tribes from Africa and Asia used natural pigments from fruits and vegetables to celebrate their spirituality and prepare for life events like marriages and adulthood.
You can fast-forward to the 1900s. The first time full body paint was seen, Max Factor Sr., make-up guru and makeup artist, displayed a naked Sally Rand (in complete body paint) at 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. We will suffice to say that Mr. Factor was a man who knew his stuff. Although his art didn’t make the impact he wanted (or maybe it did), body paint was not a popular art form until the 1960s when it was revived by the hippie movement.
The art of body painting is now so in-style that there is even a new TV program where artists compete to showcase their talents.
It will premiere its second season June 10th. GSN’s Skin WarsThe competition is a one-hour show that seeks out the most talented, accomplished, and innovative body artists in the country. A $100,000 prize is on offer, along with a two-way trip to Austria for the World Body Painting Festival and a Langnickel custom brush collection that will be distributed nationwide with their name on it.
Rebecca Romijn hosts the show. She is best known as Rebecca Romijn, an actress who was the first to be body-painted in Sports Illustrated’s iconic swimsuit issue. RuPaul Charles, Robin Slonina and Craig Tracy, both award-winning body painters, are her judges.
This series is all about imagination and creativity. Let the games begin!
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