Makeup as Art
The history of Makeup goes back to Egyptian black kohl eyeliner stored in small vessels (circa 3100 B.C). Body Makeup makes one think of Australian Aboriginal tribes from possibly 40,000 years ago. In contemporary society, when does Makeup become Art? How does it differ from oil paintings on canvas? Maquillage (French etymology from 1892), which is makeup for the face, is a three-dimensional experience unlike the two-dimensional use of the canvas. How does body art of today differ from it’s spirtual past? Making Up America will find out first hand, this March at a MAC Master class, to answer these questions.
To get closer to today’s making up of the human body, one needs to discover the talents of body painter, Joanne Gair. She is the head makeup artist for Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Issue. You may recognize Joanne’s work from Vanity Fair with Demi Moore on the magazine cover literally covered in paint. It is fitting that the body painter is from nearby New Zealand. Within the last several years, her home country showed an exhibit of her work at a local museum. So, technically, makeup is art already.
To view Joanne’s talent for makeup go to:
Look for the new issue of Sports Illustrated due out on newstands February 10, 2010 . If you can’t wait, Letterman is supposed to reveal the new cover on his show February 8, 2010.
To view last year’s artwork go to:
Making Up America: 