Body
painting is also referred to as body art and categories
include facial painting and temporary tattoos.
Its origins can be
traced to ancient cultures such as Native Americans and is
still prominently used today among indigenous groups in
Australia,
the
Pacific
Islands and parts
of
Africa, especially for
ceremonies such as rites of passages for youths and
funerals. Body and
face painting consists of using temporary colors that can
be removed immediately or last 3-4 days and can be removed
with either soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Semi-permanent
forms of body painting include the use of Mendhi or “henna
tattoo”, which is derived from dyes made out of henna and
is popular in
India
and Middle Eastern countries.
Unlike body paints of the past, modern paints
must be approved by the FDA as being non-toxic, non-allergenic
and easily washed off.
Ingredients include talc, calcium carbonate, steric
acid, waxes, guar gum and colorant and for Mendhi dyes,
natural brown henna dyes.
Since reactions to paints can vary, a patch test
should be performed, especially for those with sensitive
or acne-prone skin.
Any sign of allergy should be noted and the use avoided.
Do not apply body or
face paint to open wounds or too close to the eyes, and
contrary to popular belief, a person will not be
asphyxiated with full body paint.
Rather, one could
suffer from heatstroke since body paints can decrease the
chance of perspiration.
Body and face paints are
applied using hands, sponges or airbrushing and for Mendhi,
natural hair paintbrushes.
Elaborate types of body painting often involve
painting on a nude body.
The popularity of body
painting in the
U.S. is
believed to be traced back to 1933 when Max Factor
presented a model in full body painting at the World’s
Fair in
Chicago.
In the 1960’s, body
painting became especially popular in Western cultures due
to more lax views of nudity.
A well-known icon of body painting during this
time was the model Veruschka, whose collaborations with
makeup artists and photographers can be found in the book
“Transfigurations”.
In the late 1990’s, the use of Mendhi and temporary
tattoos became popular among young women in Western
cultures and even some incorporated henna tattoos into
their weddings.
Modern body painting has
found popularity in magazines, movies and television
commercials, while facial painting is popular with
children at parties, amusement parks and festivals.
Body painting
festivals have become prevalent in recent years and the
largest is the World Body Painting Festival held every
July in
Seeboden,
Austria.
