Artists and Human Canvases
Unusual Art Forms and How They Inspire Me
Artists who utilize human canvases have always fascinated me. As I mentioned in a recent post, Tattoo Artists, there are unique challenges one faces when using humans as your canvas. It’s not hard to imagine how difficult it must be when dealing with a living being. Each person has different tolerances for holding still, touch, discomfort levels, being ticklish, etc.
Face Off contestant Nicole Chilelli.
Face Off contestant unknown.
Shows such as Face Off, Skin Wars, and Ink Master (the art produced, not the scripted stuff) have always captured my interest. Each of those shows not only has the challenges, which each artist must complete, but then they are judged by experts in the field. I’m not only intrigued by how each artist approaches and then executes each challenge, but also in what the judges have to say. I can learn something from both sides. Not that I would ever choose a human canvas, but that doesn’t mean I can’t apply what I learn to my paper canvases. Much of what the judges tend to comment on has to do with the basic rules of art, which I can always apply to my own work.
Tattoo artist unknown.
Tattoo artist unknown.
There are artists whose body painting skills challenge you to find the human beneath the work. Some are painted to look like something else entirely or painted to seamlessly blend into a background.
Finding Inspiration in All Forms of Creativity
I’ve often said that I can be inspired by all artists no matter what medium they work in. It’s the creative process that inspires me. All of it. From the beginning concept stages to the planning, execution, and end result. Watching other artists do what they do, regardless of whether it’s similar to my own or not, triggers my own creative flow. The fact that some artists choose human canvases, which is something so far removed from what I would ever choose to do, helps me to think in other dimensions of art and creativity. To think outside of the box, if you will.
Artist Natalie Fletcher turns the human body into an optical illusion.
Artist Johannes Stoetter’s incredible body paint turns humans into animals.
It’s so easy (for me anyway) as an artist to become so set in my ways of how I execute each portrait, that I start developing a sort of tunnel vision. I find that I need to watch my YouTube videos of other artists at work. Ceramists, glass blowers, taxidermists, tattoo artists, body painters, product designers…you name it. I’ve gotten Netflix DVD’s on graffiti artists, such as Banksy. I have one now called One Bad Cat: The Reverend Albert Wagner Story, which is about an African American controversial painter. Another artist, Michele Ogilvie is a friend who makes didgeridoos and is also a ceramist and painter. She also creates other gorgeous 3D art. I love watching her videos when she posts them. You can check out her work and her videos at here.
Human canvases just add another element (or two, or three) with which one can be creative. So the question is, when it comes to human canvases, in the grand scheme of things…why not?
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