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Comment by 冬菜一斤 2 hours ago

However, a symbol having a strong meaning seems to be devalued by people sharing it for a completely different purpose. The discussion gets more sensitive if styles or inspiration is taken from another cultural context that has been or continues to be oppressed.

However, if one looks at the bodypaintings of the scene, there are seldom clear similarities to the traditional paintings of indigenous groups.

In the "western" context, bodypainting was carried out by the Hippies of the 1960s and 1970s in order to demonstrate their closeness to nature, as well as their imagined closeness to tribal cultures. Also, "New York's East Village punks paint their bodies in multicolors, and European Goths paint their bodies white and their lips and eyes black "[33]. So bodypainting appears as an expression of specific cultural scenes, not of society as a whole.

In most cultures, bodypainting is an element but not the central part. This aspect distinguishes the bodypainting scene from other contexts in which it occurs. The scene gathers in internet groups and meets for workshops or festivals. The first festival was held in Austria in 1998, so we look at a relatively recent trend. In Europe, the art enjoyed more public appreciation than in the US [35]. But there are now also other significant festivals, e.g., a festival has been taking place in Daegu in Korea since 2009.

4.The Bodypainting Situation

Bodypainting starts with the naked body - this implies that the model either must be somewhat exhibitionistic or that she has to build up a special relationship of trust to the painter. Here, bodypainting is similar to photography: When a (hobby)model takes off her clothing, often a process begins in which she also undresses emotionally, and it quickly leads to very personal communication [35]. Here, this may be enhanced by two aspects: the painter and the model are physically closer than the photographer and his model, and bodypainting can take a lot of time.

The silence is usually filled with small talk, and soon, personal topics emerge. A kind of reflection is conceivable: if one is already naked, one is already exposed in front of the painter, one can also take off the social mask and undress emotionally. In return, the painter answers in an emotional, trusting way that reminds of talk therapy. Even for anatomical bodypainting, Nanjundaiah and Chowdapurkar found out that it encourages communication, that "the students felt that the bodypainting method was fun and that lots of peer learning happened "[36]. Physical interaction also seems to facilitate verbal communication.

Yet, being naked in front of strangers may feel strange: "When we dress, we do so to make our bodies acceptable to a social situation "[37]. There are certain social situations where nudity becomes the norm – in the sauna, on the nudist beach – but being the only person to be undressed is an unusual situation. However, many interviewees emphasized that they did not feel naked when painted or at least once the painting was in process.

"I actually never feel I'm naked. "(Analía)

"Once some paint is put on, it does not feel like being naked. "(Daniela)

As it seems, a layer of paint helps to feel no longer undressed. This corresponds to the fact that numerous (hobby)models are happily available for bodypainting but exclude the photo genre "fine art nude" - which may be surprising at first glance. Perhaps one reason is that the models feel less recognizable and therefore feel less "themselves."

Identity has been discussed for a long time in a multitude of disciplines. For our context, identity must concern the "self-image as a coherent being with certain characteristics and a history "[43].

Comment by 冬菜一斤 14 hours ago

Bodypainting's okay for me because it's like a different skin. But I don't like nudes. "(Lou)

Astonishingly, many models are not confident about their bodies, yet get naked to be painted and pose without clothes once the painting is done.

"I never liked my body. However, both body painting and photography have given me a new outlook, to understand my body as raw material which can be designed. It's a freeing feeling. "(Katharina)

A mutual adjustment of painter and model is necessary during the painting process. The painting idea is usually coordinated with the model beforehand, possibly also (further) developed by both.

This is mostly done via the internet, i.e., without real-life meetings. When painting, the idea must be adapted to the model's body, its bumps, strengths, and weaknesses. The posing or acting skills of the model also matter, as does her persistence and patience. Painted images are "copies of
natural forms that have been reinterpreted in new 'living 'forms, as they are painted onto and in relation to a living body "[38]. The painting process itself was sometimes described as a kind of sensual relationship and thus resembles descriptions of hairdressing [39].

"I love the feeling of the brushes on my skin "(Lucy)

However, this should not hide the fact that standing still for a long time is tiring and that the wet color on the skin often feels cold, that being painted can be exhausting. For both the model and the painter, bodypainting also includes flexibility, as it contains uncontrollable factors - not only
because the painter may not know the model's body or the model cannot assess how persistent she is, but also due to the time pressure: with a bodypainting one cannot – quite literally – postpone the work until tomorrow. There is often a special time pressure at festivals, and the clock also ticks for paintings that are done for photoshoots:

"Bodypainting demands talent from the artist and patience from the model. A full body piece can take up to 14 hours to complete, time that the model must spend entirely still and, usually, completely nude "[40]. For the model, being
painted is in the area of tension between tactile enjoyment and emotional and physical effort.

"Interaction in photography accepts the power of the photographer's status. That status always has the edge over that of the subject" [41]. Is this comparable to bodypainting? First of all, from a photographic point of view, I would not support Beloff's statement. Depending on the topic of the photoshoot, the team composition, and the daily form, different power structures can arise. For the artist, the model's body is used as an inspiration [42], but it is also important that the model agrees to the painting, especially because the models are almost never paid (well), so they must be driven by intrinsic motivation. At this point, the question of the model's identity gets in focus:
Why doesn't she just want to enjoy a painting, but rather experience it on her own body, in a way become the art? 

Bibliography

Comment by 冬菜一斤 on Thursday

Identity can be understood as a self-understanding, understanding who you are, what your plans are, etc. [44].

"One general line of consensus in […] recent social theory is that – in conditions of intensive globalization – individuals are increasingly required or called upon, to become the 'architects of their own lives', to engage in continual do-it-yourself identity revisions and to plot and re-plot individualized solutions to wider systemic social problems "[45].

In this general situation "the body becomes a guarantee for unity and individuality, a bastion of autonomy and self-determination. This is also an inheritance of the Enlightenment: Because the awareness of permanent change has become part of the modern attitude towards life and the construction of identity par excellence, the idea or hope remains of physical continuity (such as stopping aging processes) as one of the few stability refugees "[46].

"It is great to witness the transformation of the own body. "(Elli)

"It seems like anything can be done! Its amazing to be a living painting myself. "(Analía)

With bodypainting, the model slips into a new skin, so to speak, and can become not just someone, but even something completely different – a non-human creature or just a concept. Consequently, a particular tension arises: The model is not "costumed ", but also not recognizable and not "herself. "

Identity has been discussed for a long time in a multitude of disciplines. For our context, identity must concern the "self-image as a coherent being with certain characteristics and a history "[43].

Identity can be understood as a self-understanding, understanding who you are, what your plans are, etc. [44]. "One general line of consensus in […] recent social theory is that – in conditions of intensive globalization – individuals are increasingly required or called upon, to become the 'architects of their own lives', to engage in continual do-it-yourself identity revisions and to plot and re-plot individualized solutions to wider systemic social problems "[45]. In this general situation "the body becomes a guarantee for unity and individuality, a bastion of autonomy and self-determination. This is also an inheritance of the Enlightenment: Because the awareness of permanent change has become part of the modern attitude towards life and the construction of identity par excellence, the idea or hope remains of physical continuity (such as stopping aging processes) as one of the few stability refugees "[46].

"It is great to witness the transformation of the own body. "(Elli)

"It seems like anything can be done! Its amazing to be a living painting myself. "(Analía)

With bodypainting, the model slips into a new skin, so to speak, and can become not just someone, but even something completely different – a non-human creature or just a concept. Consequently, a particular tension arises: The model is not "costumed ", but also not recognizable and not "herself. "

[44]T. Henning, “Personale Identität und personale Identitäten – Ein Problemfeld der Philosophie“, In H. G. Petzold, Identität. Ein Kernthema moderner Psychotherapie – Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag, pp. 19-38, 2012, 21.

[45] A. Elliott, Identity Troubles: An introduction. New York: Routledge, 2016, 17.

[46] N. Degele, Sich schön machen. Zur Soziologie von Geschlecht und Schönheitsidealen.Wiesbaden: VS Verlag, 2004, 16.

Comment by 冬菜一斤 on Wednesday

5 The Photography Situation

As a non-permanent art form bodypainting presents the team members with the problem that their works cannot be stored, traded, or presented over a longer period of time. Unlike paintings, onecannot sell or exhibit bodypaintings. They only exist in the context of the situation for which they were created. Yet, the fact that art cannot have its effect without a certain context is easy to overlook: "However it would be a great mistake to move from that position to one in which it is argued that the only way art can be appreciated is on the basis of form alone untrammeled by art history or free from the knowledge and expertise of the creator […] Except in certain experimental situations, curatorial experience about the works and their significance has always been vital "[47].

No matter for which purpose it is painted, taking pictures is almost always an integral part of the painting. At festivals, "once complete, the model poses for photos or, if he or she is acting in a film, will complete their scene "[48]. Commonly, extra sets and lamps are installed so that the paintings can be photographed in the best possible way. Photo tickets at the World Bodypainting Festival, therefore, cost extra. Photographing the works also plays a central role outside of festivals: painters who practice can record their progress and create a chronicle of their paintings. Often bodypaintings are explicitly done for the camera, as it offers exciting and diverse motifs to people who are into staged photography.

Comment by 冬菜一斤 on Wednesday

The intention to photograph or to have the painting photographed already influences its creation. If the photoshoot is the main reason for the painting, the paintings are often created differently than for competitions. It is less about showing mastery and thus optimally using flat surfaces such as the back, but rather about designing the body as good as possible for the camera. Posing options and light settings are also considered: if the model is to be photographed from the front, elaborate back paintings make no sense. If the light is to be set from high up or to the side, shadow casts must be considered. "Even as a painter, you have to learn to understand the possibilities of photography in order to create paintings that can be photographed well. "(Peter)

When bodypaintings are photographed, a staging takes place, just like in a normal fashion or portrait shoot. The photographic stage in the narrower sense sees the two-dimensional picture as the "defined objective "[49]. However, my experience and other studies [50] have shown that for many people, the image result is not the most or the only important goal of photography: Mindfulness plays a role when taking pictures [51], as does the joyful feeling of being active and being truly involved in something, which has been characterized as "flow" [52]. The opportunity to collect new experiences through photography also plays a role, as does the expression of creativity, which is associated with empowerment and personal development [53] and can lead to pride, self-esteem, and mental health [54].

Just as the painting situation, the photography situation is characterized by communication, the model and the painter must articulate their ideas. Personal information is often communicated here – not surprising, since portraiture is considered to be closely interwoven with the person portrayed [55]. As with bodypainting, there is also a close connection to identity. Through bodypainting, the person has become something else and poses as such in front of the camera. The posings and movements are adapted to this new being. "When I'm fully painted, I am different, I behave differently. Funnily enough, this seems natural to me." (Jenny) So bodypainting and photography enter into a symbiosis and resemble each other in some aspects with regard to the model. Consequently, the assumption is that the effects can be intensified.

[47] H. Morphy, “Moving the body painting into the art gallery – knowing about and appreciating works of Aboriginal art,” Journal of Art Historiography, vol. 4, pp. 1-20, 2011, 17.
[48] M. DeMello, Inked. Tattoos and Body Art around the World. Volume 1: A-L. Santa Barbara, Denver and Oxford: ABC-CLIO, 2014, 67.
[49] M. Weiss, “Was ist ‚inszenierte Fotografie‘? Eine Begriffsbestimmung.“ In: Lars Blunk: Die Fotografische Wirklichkeit. Inszenierung. Fiktion. Narration. Bielefeld: Transcript, pp. 37–52, 2010, 50.
[50] M.T. Jerrentrup, “Kein Fokus auf das Foto. Fotografieren als Aktivität“,kommunikation@ gesellschaft 21, 2020.
[51] Eberle, Thomas, Fotografie und Gesellschaft. Phänomenologische und
wissenssoziologische Perspektiven. Bielefeld: transcript, pp. 11-72, 2017.
[52] Fischer and Wiswede, Grundlagen der Sozialpsychologie. München: Oldenbourg, 2009, 100
[53] C. Mundt, “Neurobiologische Aspekte kreativer Therapie“, in: R. Hampe, P. Martius, D. Ritschl, F. von Spreti and P. B. Stadler: KunstReiz. Neurobiologische Aspekte künstlerischer
Therapien. Berlin: Frank & Timme, pp. 91–104, 2009, 97. 
[54] M. Schuster, Alltagskreativität. Wiesbaden. Springer, 2015, 50.
[55] R. Barthes, Die helle Kammer. Bemerkungen zur Photographie. Stuttgart: Suhrkamp. 1989, 89.

Comment by 冬菜一斤 on Tuesday

6.A Canvas in a Photograph

A two-dimensional image becomes something three-dimensional on the body and then, through photography, again, something two-dimensional. In the process, the living canvases "change the contextual interpretations of the original painted images in integral ways" [56] and so does the photograph. In addition to bodypainting, photography also offers a new experience of oneself, comparable to the mirror experience.

"It gives me the opportunity to see myself from an outside perspective without judgment, which often appears whilst looking into the mirror "(Lucy)

"I am in the photo, but somehow it's not myself. "(Alisa)

Due to the lack of similarity, it is easier to appreciate the pictures as works without immediately bringing one's person into play, to look at them detached from oneself. When looking at the process, there is an absolute dichotomy, as, on the one hand, the body is in focus, on the other hand, it is overcome in two ways: to become a "living canvas ", the model has to endure the process of getting painted – this can be emotionally and physically challenging. In addition, the model is transformed into something else. The painting "transforms the wearer into a (temporary) work of art "[57].

[56] E. K. Katic, “The Living Canvas: Bodies that Serve and Simulate art, “ The American Journal of Semiotics, vol. 25, no. 1/2, pp. 77-101,2009, 77.

Comment by 冬菜一斤 on September 16, 2025 at 5:38pm

Although this is sometimes the case with ordinary photoshoots as well, it is usually much more present in bodypainting due to the greater difference. This becomes particularly clear when the painted model represents something non-human or even abstract.

"It feels like I can be anything, literally anything. "(Leonie).

"When I look at the pictures, I can barely recognise my body, yet I feel a strong connection to the photograph, as important and vivid memories are linked to it. "(Laura) [57]

Bodypainting has become a second-level work of art through photography: the painting is an artwork already, and together with the photographic process, it becomes yet another kind of art also.

Almost all models confirm that they experience it as an uplifting feeling to perceive themselves as art. Photography manages to detach the painting from its context and make it durable.

Furthermore, the resulting picture hides a lot: photographs are taken in front of a background paper or in a set, maybe even lights are mounted - in most cases, however, the result shows something that does not fully correspond to the memory of the shoot. This is already the case because one cannot perceive oneself "in real life "from the outside, but it is reinforced by the fact that the photographic result is based on staging and is probably retouched.

This way, the model has the chance to merge into the painting and the resulting photograph and leave her body behind, to identify with something that at first glance has a lot to do with her body.

Still, at second glance, it makes the actual body secondary. She can enjoy the artwork without necessarily relating it to her body, but understanding it as teamwork between herself – her physical and psychological qualities – the painter, and the photograph: the body as canvas as picture as art.

The Body as Canvas as Picture: Body painting and Its Implications for The Model by Maja Tabea Jerrentrup, Ajeenkya DY Patil University of Pune, Pune, India & University of Trier, Trier, Germany. In: International Journal of Cultural and Art Studies (IJCAS) Vol. 04, No. 1, 2020 | 9 – 23

[57] M. DeMello, Inked. Tattoos and Body Art around the World. Volume 1: A-L. Santa Barbara, Denver and Oxford: ABC-CLIO, 2014, 63.

Comment by 冬菜一斤 on September 14, 2025 at 8:30pm

時間守護的一棵樹，
靜謐而脈動無窮。

蔓藤沿著身驅緩緩纏繞，
綠意似記憶漸行漸遠。

光線輕輕試探，
盼春天甦醒回来。

瞳孔裡的胚芽，
只是過早透露的秘密。

延續閱讀～～
大開眼界
Bodypaint Illusion by Johannes

Comment by 冬菜一斤 on September 13, 2025 at 11:26am

在這幅畫面前，請暫且忘記你看見的是誰。因為這裡展示的不是人，而是「視覺本身」。色彩取代了身份，光影消解了個體。你所凝視的，是一場感官的風暴，一個超越名字與歷史的存在，短暫、炙熱，卻永恆地留在記憶裡。

Before this image, forget who you see. This is not a person but vision itself. Color replaces identity, and light erases the individual. What you face is a storm of sensation, a being beyond name or history—brief, intense, yet lasting forever in memory.