Body Prints: Humans Being Powerless

The purpose of my creative project is for viewers to confront the image of a human body; as well as for my own exploration of flesh as an artistic tool. As a result of receiving a grant for this project, I was able to explore on a larger scale with more materials and many different body types. Through my research I have completed a series of 13 acrylic paintings, or as I call them, ‘Body Prints’. These works are done by applying acrylic paint straight to the flesh and then having the model create marks onto raw canvas using parts of or their entire body. They apply themselves either like a stamp or with a lot of movement. These marks are physical representations of the many ways humans feel powerless in this world. Each work is given a different idea of the powerlessness of humans, some being very personal for the chosen model, such as being powerless regarding death and loss. When looking at the works, the audience is forced to react to the vulnerability of the real human’s print. Some of the works came out more abstract than others, resulting in more of a confrontation to the painting as an object rather than the image of a human body.