Considered by some to be the most ancient form of art - though it's legitimacy as an art form is still debated - body painting has a long and colorful history that begins with many, if not all, tribal cultures and continues today with modern applications by many, if not all, football fans and clowns...

The current modern revival could be said to date back to the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago where Max Factor and his model were arrested for causing a public disturbance when he body painted her with his new make-up formulated for Hollywood films. Since then it has taken on many forms even leading to a movement of sorts in the 50's and 60's with artist such as Yves Klein who would paint bodies and use them to apply paint to a canvas. Another well known body paint artist is Joanne Gair known for her work with Sports Illustrated and Vanity Fair.

Here are a few contemporary artists who incorporate body painting into their work.

Emma Hack

emmahackartist.com

KIM JOON

kimjoon.co.kr

Craig Tracey

paintedalive.com/

World Body Painting Festival

bodypainting-festival.com

A more bashful approach to using the human body as a canvas...

Desiree Palmen

desireepalmen.nl