arts arts: Art

Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts

Guen Douglas' artwork and tattoos

"dames is poisson" a play on words poisson is french for fish for those that don't know i did not mispell "dames is poi
View All Photos | www.twitter.com/guendouglas

View All Photos | www.twitter.com/guendouglas

roses healed, anchor fresh. all done

done at magnum opus tattoo brighton uk 3hrs

Cool Art from Tenko

Swiss artist Tenko’s work seems to represent a twisting, flawed humanity that we try to forget. Looking at his work I’m very conscious of the fact that my supposedly higher thoughts and feelings all rely on a system of organs, pumps, and fluids to exist and no amount of perfume is going hide the fact that we are simply beasts of flesh and bone. Maybe it’s all those perfectly modeled legs or even the grotesque facial expressions but I feel like I’m definitely gonna have to exfoliate tonight.

See more cool art at beautifuldecay.com

Nude Art

Scandalous! Shocking! Without modesty! Nudity has been portrayed without shame throughout history and has been met with varying criticism depending on the time and culture.

Early Nude Art

Ever since early cave paintings the natural human form has been portrayed in its full unclothed glory. This was just how the artists saw his fellow people, and depending on the region, people wore very little anyway. Since then societies have presented the nude form in paintings, drawing, photography, and any other media. This either demonstrates humanity's strong sexual nature, or just a propensity for making aesthetically pleasing artwork, or perhaps a combination of the two.

Perhaps no society was more naked in its art than Pompeii. This ancient Roman city would meet its doom at the wrath of Mount Vesuvius when the volcano erupted and wreaked havoc on the city below. The city would be covered and ruined by the lava flow but an 18th century find would uncover remnants of a forgotten world, including the remains of many of its inhabitants exactly how they met their fiery demise.

The society shows no sign of bashfulness in its many frescoes and surviving statues. In them you'll find depicted sexual acts, more sex, sex, and just plenty of nudity. Being an ancient Roman city, they often depicted gods and goddesses in their art. The most risque probably being Priapus, the god of fertility. Also of interest are the many statues from early Pompeii, which today may raise a few eyebrows. These are no Michelangelo's "David," if you know what I mean.

Erotica

Further through art history, namely long after the invention of oil painting and when art drifted away from a dominant religious tone, nudity was a common thing. Retouching on the ancient themes, pederasty in Roman mythology in paintings and sculpture, carnal love, and in general sexuality (sometimes not so delicate) were painted time and again. This was perceived usually as good taste. Of course, that wasn't always the general consensus.

In Michelangelo's career, he painted the human form realistically and without apologies. The subtle homo-erotic tones of the Sistene's ceiling probably went straight over the head of the pope and any other religious leader for that matter. The musculature of the male form painted in detail and the poses of the many male figures probably would have been omitted from a religious painting. The olives resembling certain parts of anatomy were perhaps there as a joke or subtle reference.

In the case of Caravaggio, his pubescent cupid displayed in "Amor Vincet Omnia" or Love Conquers All , would in these days be met with hostility, and the artist considered a pedophile. But in those days, the nude form young and old was nothing to shy from, and the boy was simply another model paid to pose. Caravaggio's painting is characteristic of his work, steering clear of the idealized subjects, instead showing a common street boy, crooked teeth and all.

Much modern debate has come over Amor's primary owner keeping the painting behind a curtain. While some say that he was embarrassed of the supposed eroticism and kept it hidden, others say that covering a painting is meant to keep it as a piece de resistance, to be uncovered only after the rest of the artwork was shown, as the best of show.

Borderline Pornography

It probably wasn't until the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, particularly Victorian times of the 19th century when nudity in art started to seem inappropriate. In an age when even in the summer one must cover themselves with layer upon layer, and sexual matters altogether were strictly taboo, its no wonder the paintings were more G rated. This isn't to say that the subtle was absent. Take the Fragonard painting The Swing. It was also called "The Happy Accidents of the Swing." Humorously showing a glimpse up a dress, an unquestionable infidelity, and a cupid statue with a "hush" gesture all show this French painting's sexual symbolism.

Tame by today's standards, The Swing was quite sultry in its day. Going further into the beginning of the nineteenth century, Goya would make a breakthrough in erotic art and paint the first showing of pubic hair. Take "The Naked Maja" which was the complement to the Clothed Maja. Both paintings are wrapped in mystery, as to who the model is and who the intended recipient, but most people conjecture Fransisco was romantically involved with the sitter. Either way, it would get the artist into much trouble. It even got him fired from a lucrative court position, as a result of the Spanish Inquisition deeming the painting obscene.

Later we continue to have scandals resulting from a repressed mass of people. This John Singer Sargent painting called "Madame X" was originally painted with one shoulder strap off and on her arm. Mothers cover your children's eyes, they'll be scarred for life! Sargent later had to repaint the strap in it's correct position, to appease the prudish public.

In the nineteenth century, the "Father of American Painting" Thomas Eakins would be in hot water for removing the loincloth of a nude model in an art class. One of the girls promptly told her parents of such a horrible thing, which would lead to Eakins' removal from professorship at the Pennsylvania Academy. Eakins wasn't ashamed of the naked human body and frequently shot many nude photos, even posing nude himself on the other end of the camera as well. His paintings sometimes had nudity in them as well.

Subtle Undertones?

Modern photography is rife with naked forms ranging from the sexually charged to the artistic erotica. Modern advertisement also has subliminal sexual undertones for its psychological value, portraying people in borderline explicit poses and gestures in an effort to maximize effectiveness. Sex sells!

Speaking of sex selling, the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn have been known to contain subliminal messages to reach the subconscious. The Dutch word for sex has been found in the underpaintings of several works written in large, barely visible letters. The painting of the Militia of Captain Cocq could possibly have a deep subconscious image. The shadow of a hand on the other man's crotch? Captain who? Interesting.

Modern and Contemporary Nudity

Painting in the modern day, especially at art schools involves the female nude for a variety of reasons. Besides its classical and/or romantic value, the female body is generally a good subject to paint for its curves and contours, giving the student valuable practice in form and shape. One may say that society has come a long way since Fragonard's Swing painting. But at the same time it is not that probable that a painting of a school teacher skinny dipping with his students would be generally accepted, at least not in modern America.

So times change, as well as views on sexuality, nudity, and the human body. Each society and culture has its own views, and inside each has subcultures with differing views and values, such as nudist camps. It also matters which part of the world you're from, as a nudist beach in France is more the norm than a nudist beach in New Jersey.

No matter what day and age, boys will be boys and seek the naked drawings in art books, erotically charged paintings will turn us on, subtle sexual undertones may touch our subconscious and we will always have nude paintings on our walls for whatever the perceived value.

The Body As A Canvas: Body Art

The human body is the tool through which somebody experiences life and his surroundings as well as interacts and communicates with others. To some people, however, the body is another piece of canvas through which they could express themselves, their beliefs and their traditions.

Drawing a Picture, Telling a Message

Just as paintings hanging on walls make a room more beautiful, body art can enhance a person’s good physical attributes. Some ladies have a sunflower tattooed on their backs so that they can wear backless dresses that will reveal their flawless skin adorned by the tattooed flower. In this sense, body art is worn the way diamond necklaces are – it is meant to adorn and enhance the wearer’s beauty. However, there are other much more complex reasons for the proliferation and practice of body art. These reasons can be cultural, political, or spiritual.

Body art is extremely common in jails. Tattooing and branding are some of the most common rites of passage for inmates who wish to be part of certain groups. Body art can also be used to declare personal beliefs and political stand. In this case, body art can be compared to graffiti on the wall; it declares what the person wearing the art believes. People in ethnic groups also used tattooing extensively as a form of ornamentation. In some cases, tattoos were used to mark how many people a warrior has killed in battle.

Body Art Types

Widely known types of body art are body painting, tattoos, shaping, scarification, branding and body piercing. Body painting is usually done by painting on the body, usually covering the whole body completely with water-soluble makeup or paints. Body painting is very similar to painting on canvas, however, it can be more difficult to accomplish as the body has contours that makes painting pictures and scenes on the body more complicated.

Tattoos, probably known by all, are permanent decorations on the body applied through the use of an electrically ran needle. Body tattoos usually cover a relatively small portion of the body. Favorite places for body tattoos are the chest, the upper arms, and the back of the shoulders. Body tattoos are relatively permanent, too, as the picture or the letters are etched onto the skin.

Body piercing is accomplished through the use of materials such as beads and precious stones and metals. Ear piercing is probably the most practiced by women and some men for accessorizing. Today, piercing is performed on almost all parts of the body such as the nose, the lips, the tongue, the eyebrows, the bellybutton, the nipples, and others. Shaping, on the other hand, is done to permanently shape the body according to a person’s preference. Methods of this type of body art are foot binding – common among Chinese women.

Scarifications are more unconventional methods of body art. There are religious groups that deliberately scar their body (usually with pointed objects like knives) using a prescribed pattern. Somewhat similar to scarification, branding is another type of body art that involves a whole lot of pain. This was originally done to farm animals (cows and horses) and originally used for identification purposes. This is accomplished through placing an extremely hot piece of metal with a certain design on the body until it burns the skin and leaves a mark that may last forever.

Whatever form of body art is practiced, it is certain to elicit varying reactions. Body art can be beautiful, captivating, or disturbing depending on the beholder’s point of view and set of values.

Body Painting Art Picture With Dark Background

Football America In Body Art Painting Costume

Scuderia Ferrari In Body Painting Art Model

Here Is A Sexy Hot Model With A Black Colours Of Body Painting Design

Many Participants Who Participated in Art Body Painting Show

This beautiful woman in the street festival, which was followed by hundreds of participants are almost all using the art of body paint to cover his body. There are also many artists and beautiful models follow the festival. Usually held when commemorate something that can bring many people to enliven the event.

Girl With Sexy Body Painting In Motor Show

Motor Show Girl model painted her body for da motor show. She is Tanya Lazarou, in body paint at the Peugeot stand in Australian international Motor Show in Darling Harbour, Sydney.

Wear Sunscreen To Block With Body Painting Art

If you can't wear sunscreen to block out the rays, try body paint.

Three models will be appearing today and tomorrow as part of the A La Naturelle fashion event at the 78th Royal New Zealand Show at Canterbury Agricultural Park.

First time body-paint models Casey Reddington, 17, (dressed as a vegetable patch) and Natalie Wolfsdorf, 20, (dressed as an equestrian) said they were excited to bare all for the waiting crowds.

Wolfsdorf, from Los Angeles, who is a model and studying mass communications at Canterbury University, said she was slightly nervous, whilst Reddington said she was fighting the urge to cover her chest with her hands.

Leada Elphick, 18, who has modelled in body paint before, was "dressed'' as a cabbage tree.
Designer and body-painter Koa Minifie said the native tree inspiration came from, "the Canterbury Plains and the view outside my window''.