Thermal body painting uses special paint that reacts to temperature changes. The designs on your body change with the temperature as the ink becomes darker as the body heats up or cools down. The pigments in the paint expand as the temperature changes. That’s why the designs change color as well. The process is quite impressive. Here’s how thermal body painting works:
Yves Klein
Yves Klein’s earliest thermal body paintings were performed on naked women. These performances, known as Anthropometries, began in 1958. To create these “living brushes”, Klein painted nude female models with the International Klein Blue paint. While the paintings depict the model’s temporary physical presence, they also offer a visual presence for the cosmic spiritual body. Film and photography cannot capture the spirit’s energy, so Anthropometries was a means of expression.
These photographs have become very popular amongst art collectors. Yves Klein used an unusual process to create his unique and beautiful works. The wet surface of the painting turns golden, brown, and black, creating a wavy, creeping texture. Golden mandorles appear as projections, drips, and geometric shapes. The burning nebulae become petrified in the form of dark splinters.
The untitled anthropometry series, which remained in one family’s collection for 35 years, is perhaps the artist’s most seminal work. It broke the traditional definition of painting, radicalized the nude motif, and laid the conceptual foundations for performance art. Its striking imagery and heightened awareness of the human form re-ignite the art world. This is the ethos of the work and the aesthetics.
Aside from being a remarkable visual experience, Yves Klein’s artworks also feature a distinctly unique colour. His first blue paintings, which he patented as “International Klein Blue,” were a result of experimentation with colour. He mixed ultramarine with other, unconventional materials to create a pure pigment. His early explorations in colour began in the mid to late 1950s. Some of his earliest works date from this time period.
The avant-garde Yves Klein’s first works oscillate between figurative and highly abstracted elements, and their placement in the exhibition displays their interaction with other contemporary artists. The works are displayed in an exhibition space of the Stadel’s Exhibition Building. This exhibition explores the history of the avant-garde and the relationship between artists. As such, it invites viewers to consider the ‘belong anywhere’ statement.
Emma Hack
Body artists like Emma Hack are transforming the human body by applying different paints on them and combining them with a patterned background. Her work is inspired by the designs of wallpaper artist Florence Broadhurst. She is perhaps best known for her work in the Gotye music video “Somebody That I Used to Know” which uses stop-motion animation to create stunning body paintings. The music video has clocked up over 800 million views on YouTube. In addition to body painting on people, Emma Hack creates background paintings using canvas. Her art is exhibited internationally and she often employs live birds and animals in her artwork.
Body paint artist Emma Hack uses human skin to create three-dimensional wallpapers with layers of color. Her technique transforms human skin into a living, breathing canvas, bringing the beauty of the surrounding environment to life. Her body paintings are both beautiful and enlightening, conveying a strong environmental message. You can see more of Emma Hack’s work in the following videos:
Body painting has roots in prehistoric tribesman face painting, which was first practiced thousands of years ago. Hack reinvented this ancient practice by combining her thermal body painting technique with crisp, colorful photographs. Her works have been exhibited in the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art and featured in a music video by Gotye. In Hong Kong, her camouflage pieces will be shown at the Chinoiserie exhibition.