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Special Events
Excerpt from the Press Release:
BODYPAINTERS MAKE ART WITH HUNDREDS OF PAINTED NUDES, AND BREAK GUINNESS WORLD RECORD
R eidsville, NC - Jul 15, 2006 North Carolina Bodypainters, Scott Fray and Madelyn Greco, have set a new Guinness World Record for "Most Bodies Painted" in upstate NY this past weekend. The standing record of 254 painted people was topped by 83 more for a final count of 337 painted bodies in one day.
To satisfy Guinness regulations, participants were covered in one color of paint from head-to-toe and photographically documented. To add enjoyment to the attempt, extra paint, brushes, sponges, stencils etc. were supplied so that once documented, participants could exercise their own artistic creativity.
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photo by Ava Francesca © 2006
For a larger print-resolution version of this photograph, click here. |
A Giant Paint Party / A Living Mandala
brilliant bodypaint sample As the Guinness attempt continued throughout the day, hundreds of people began creatively detailing themselves and others. The solid-color original paintings began to merge into a brilliantly beautiful bodypainted art show. Painted and non-painted spectators remained onsite to appreciate the spectacle of each art piece emerging on human flesh. Laughter and excited exclamations could be heard everywhere as more painted people emerged, from toddler- aged to those who could only be described as young-at-heart.
The Guinness attempt finished with the 337th painted person. Those who were willing, were then directed to an open field to create an art project conceptualized by Fray and Greco as "The Living Mandala". The participants were then arranged in various patterns on the ground and aerial photographs were taken in overhead passes by helicopter. The event took place at the Brushwood Folklore Center Festival Site in Sherman, NY. Brushwood is a clothing-optonal facility and participants ranged from minimally clad to nude, many adding costume elements once fully painted. Authentification of the new record is pending verification from Guinness.
 Fray and Greco, who showcase their art at www.livingbrush.com, decided to attempt the record as a way of bringing more attention to an art form that still emerging in the United States, but very popular the world over, as evidenced by the rapid growth of the World Bodypaint Festival, held each year in Seeboden,  Austria which draws artists from over 40 countries. “I see it as a rising cultural trend,” says Fray, “It’s modern expression is edgy and fresh, yet it’s roots extend back before the recorded history of every indigenous culture on the planet. Plus, I’ve never seen people react so powerfully to art before. It’s quite phenomenal.”
Fray and Greco will soon be organizing an even larger art extravaganza. The American Body Arts Festival will be a world-class bodypainting event, which will have a multi-category bodypainting competition as well as a gallery component featuring art and photography. Also included will be many more modern and traditional body arts, along with live music and performance. This is slated to take place in August of 2007. (www.americanbodyartsfestival.com)
Excerpt from the Event Flyer:
 Welcome and thank you for your participation in what promises to be a most memorable event! We hope this will excite your imagination, inspire your creativity and build a spirit of community that will be talked about for years to come. There are two projects we will be working on together:
 1. Breaking the Guiness World Record
for “most bodies painted”
To participate in this adventure, we have created a simple process that will be easy, and fun. It will only take a couple of minutes for each person to be painted for the record attempt, and then they will be given the opportunity to go wild and express their creativity by adding their own touches to the bodypaintings. It’s a giant paint party! And it’s free! To make it even more exciting we will have members of the media present documenting our efforts!
2. Creating “The Living Mandala”
making art using hundreds of painted bodies.
When everyone is painted, we will get everyone together for a series of group photographs and video documentation. Not only will we get everyone standing in a group, but also we will create giant geometric forms on the grassy field that will then be captured from the air, either by ultralight airplane or crane. This is an art project of almost unprecedented magnitude and we hope you will be excited about making it happen!
FAQ
 What is the current Guiness World Record for “most bodies painted”?
A high school in Kansas currently holds the record at 254 people. To break this record we will need the participation of at least one out of every three people at Sirius Rising. Please get out the word and let’s make this a success!
Is the paint safe? How long does it last?
The all-over bodypaint will be tempera, which is safe and nontoxic and has been used by kindergarten classes for generations. The decorative bodypaint is a combination of tempera, acrylic and theatrical stage make-up, all safe and nontoxic, and is easily washed off with water. It will last throughout the celebrations of the evening, although it will wear off in places. You can return for touch ups at your discretion.
Do I have to be nude to be painted or can I wear some clothing?
Either way, as you prefer. Underwear, a g-string, a bathing suit or some other minimal garment is suggested. You MUST be painted head to toe, including garments. Paint will not likely wash out of garments, so choose accordingly. All participants under 18 years of age MUST wear garments.
How/where/when do we clean up?
You can enjoy your bodypaint all night or you can wash off right after The Living Mandala project is completed; it’s your choice. Washing Stations have been provided to make this easy and fun. The paint is easily removed with a little soap and water. Bring a friend to scrub the places you can’t reach!
What about privacy?
Media personnel will be allowed only in certain areas at certain times and will be closely monitored.
What about photography?
We expect that everyone will have a blast taking pictures and there will be both light and dark photographic backdrops provided. Photographers are requested to sign a release form before the event. A model release form must be signed by all the participants being painted.
From the Sample Interview:
Sample Interview with Scott Fray of Living Brush, bodypaint artist, who is preparing to break the Guinness world record for “most bodies painted in a 24-hour period”.
 Tell me about yourself and your art.
I am a U.S. bodypaint artist, exploring the myriad applications that this art form can take. Together with my partner, Madelyn, I paint at outdoor festivals, clothing-optional events, for film and theatrical productions and as a fine artist, creating limited edition prints of my work.
What is body painting/how is it done?
Bodypainting has been around since tribal man first began to create art. Body art/decoration/modification have long marked rites of passage in tribal societies around the world, continuing to this day. Modern bodypainting may encompass more skill and artistry as well as modern methods of painting, such as airbrush. I use a simple brush, often finding that a lyrical calligraphic quality emerges from the improvised designs. The art is inherently ephemeral, lasting only a few hours, like a Tibetan yak-butter sculpture or a Native American sand painting. It simultaneously hides and reveals the nudity of the subject, highlighting unexpected aspects of self to both the wearer and the observer of the paint.
What got you interested in body painting?
I have essentially always made my living as an artist. While happy to be able to utilize the talents I had been given, I hadn’t run into anything that excited my artistic sensibilities in quite some time. A woman at a festival approached me about putting a simple decoration on her arm, and I complied. I was amazed at the response that followed! Had I done the same thing on canvas, who knows who would notice, but on a living being, the art took on a life of it’s own. It has shown itself to be capable of eliciting the most powerful response. It’s highly evocative.
How long have you been doing it?
My partner and I have been painting together for two years. I have been painting for over four, myself. Together, we are Living Brush (www.livingbrush.com).
Where/what events have your created your art at?
I have painted for two films. A short, “Portrait”, by Jose’ Carrera of Spain, and the feature-length, “Crazy Animal”, by John Birmingham, filmed mostly in LA. I have painted as entertainment for events as diverse as Burning Man, concerts and “First Night” (family-oriented New Year’s) celebrations. I have painted performers for all sorts of theatrical and dance performances including some of my own production. Fine-art giclee’ prints of my work are offered at New Orleans’ “Painted Alive Gallery”, the first of it’s kind in the world, devoted solely to bodypainting art.
 What was the wildest body art you ever created?
Though I’ve done paintings that could certainly be considered wild in content, I did one that had a wild result. At a festival where I was painting, I was finished for the day and just ready to clean up and have dinner. A young lady approached me about painting her that day and (despite jeers from those around me who’d heard me stating earlier that my day was over) I somehow just couldn’t say “no”. Two hours later, I’d turned her into a beautiful flower garden, blooming from head to toe and sent her off to be enjoyed by the world. To my astonishment, she came back, and stayed, and we’ve been bodypainting as a couple for the last two years.
A method I often employ is to intuitively pull the painting from the person modeling, using the “soul” to decorate the skin. It can turn out some surprising results, such a wild and ferocious bodypainting on a seemingly introverted model. After questioning at the end of such a painting, however, it usually turns out that the person had a wild side after all, just one that was well hidden until now!
What gave you the idea to try to break the record?
Last year, I attended a festival where mention was made about breaking the Guinness record for most bodypainted people in one place. However, no actual organized attempt was made to do so. It seemed like a good idea, though. When I returned home, I set about registering with Guinness so that we could have a go at it. We are ready to try on July 15, 2006, at the Brushwood Folklore Center in Sherman, NY. After breaking the record, I intend to create art with hundreds of painted people by arranging them in interesting configurations in a field to create “The Living Mandala”, which will be photographed from above, perhaps by ultralight airplane.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Yes. In the course of speaking to the people at Brushwood about the record-breaking event, they have offered us the opportunity to create a festival of our own. The American Body Arts Festival will be a world-class bodypainting event, similar to the World Body Painting Festival that takes place each year in Austria. We will have a multi-category bodypainting competition as well as a gallery component featuring art and photography. Also included will be many more modern and traditional body arts, along with live music and performance. This is slated to take place in August of 2007. (www.americanbodyartsfestival.com)
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