Katmandew Face & Body Art

Humans have marked their bodies since long before the invention of paper. Body Art has been ingrained in human history for about 5,000 years, allowing one to distinguish oneself from another with a few marks on the flesh.

Body Art
While slowly gaining in acceptance in today’s western culture, tattoos date back thousands of years. Body Art has changed significantly over time, from once being a form of animistic magic or symbolism to becoming an expression of one’s self. While many people immediately think of such permanent adornments like tattooing, this type of art also includes temporary tattooing, makeup, piercing, and other body modifications. Any action that changes the appearance of a body can be considered a form of Body Art. The earliest discovered examples of tattooing feature a dark pigment and were likely made with the use of thin wooden or bamboo spikes. The pigment is repeatedly tapped into the skin with such tools, creating the tattoo. The practice was not limited to one area; markings have been found on Egyptian mummies to people frozen in ice in the Alps. The tattoos meanings varied, from a form of therapy for joint issues to markings of tribal status. To this day, tattoos have a slew of meanings around the world from courage to wealth. Tattoos have come a long way in design as well, transforming from a patterning of dots to portraits of fellow man. This expansion in design has paved the way for artists like Norman Collins, also known as Sailor Jerry, to reinvent tattooing for a new generation. Body Art isn’t always so temporary, as seen in the makeup made by ancient Egyptians. This makeup was made by grinding down substances such as lead and roots and was worn by both males and females. Similarly, body painting is a subcategory of this artform that thrives to this day. Native tribes typically painted the faces of males with clay and other pigments before battle while today people paint bodies out of artistic expression. Body painting has become a widespread activity with stands for face painting commonly seen at fairs. This mode of art will continue to grow and expand, as modifying the body is the ultimate form of self-expression. The individual is the artist and his body is the canvas. Body Art has come a long way in once again becoming a respected form of art.