In the vicinity of Union Square Park, near a Pret a Manger café, Nicolette Barischoff stood motionless as an artist skillfully painted an ethereal blue eye across her sternum. Despite the sweltering 88-degree heat and the growing crowd around her, Ms. Barischoff remained unfazed. Not even her complete nudity bothered her.
“This is a truly transcendent experience,” she remarked, while professional photographers captured the moment from behind police barricades. “For me, it’s like fishing.” A 38-year-old writer from Los Angeles, Ms. Barischoff was one of the 60 individuals who had paid a fee of $100 to become human canvases for 40 talented artists participating in NYC Bodypainting Day. Staged annually since 2014, this year marked its 10th and final year, as explained by the event’s founder, artist Andy Golub. He expressed his intention to shift focus towards other projects for his organization, Human Connection Arts.
One participant, Nije Durdeen, 31, traveled from Philadelphia to model, aware that this might be her last opportunity to partake in such an event. “You get to be publicly nude without the threat of arrest,” she quipped, standing beside a table adorned with bottles of Gatorade, their hues nearly as vibrant as the turquoise paint adorning her body. Ms. Durdeen has been working as a body-paint model for approximately seven years. While she has done some work at artists’ studios, she prefers being painted in public as it allows her to observe a broader range of reactions. As passers-by witnessed artists transforming individuals of all shapes and sizes into living artworks, some blushed and hurried past, while others ogled or snapped photos.
“Art is subjective,” Ms. Durdeen opined. “This may offend some people, but for others, it’s right up their alley.”
Mr. Golub, now 57, began using the human body as a canvas in 2007 after another artist introduced him to this unique medium. He found that skin offered a canvas unlike any other due in part to its connection with living, breathing individuals, whose personalities often influenced the final design. In 2011, he faced arrest and charges for violating public-exposure laws when painting a nude model in Times Square. However, the charges were eventually dropped. Shortly after, fellow artists began approaching him to learn about the process of body painting in public. Golub emphasized that Bodypainting Day was always staged in coordination with the city, providing a safe space for artists to practice without fear of police intervention.
While the end result is undoubtedly captivating, Andy Golub believes that it is the entire process that truly deserves attention. “The artwork is cool, but I want people to appreciate the entire journey,” he explained.
As expected, the event has faced criticism. David Pumo, a 62-year-old lawyer from Brooklyn and frequent model, recounted how during the 2019 edition held in a Brooklyn park, protesters claimed that painting nude bodies in such a setting with children was inappropriate. Pumo believes these complaints blur the line between nudity and sexualization, asserting, “This is not a sexual event.” As an artist carefully painted his bald head, while another model with delicate white flowers adorning her limbs dined from a Sweetgreen takeout bowl, Mr. Pumo expressed his thoughts.
Body painting is likely one of the oldest forms of art, explained Bella Volen, an artist, gallery owner, and instructor at the World Bodypainting Association. Many communities, like the Kayapó tribe in Brazil, Aboriginal Australians, African tribes, and Native Americans, have historically used temporary paint to commemorate rituals and significant life events. Throughout the 20th century, body painting became increasingly commercialized as a means of expressing freedom or provocation. In the 1960s, artist Yves Klein instructed women covered in blue paint to press themselves against canvases in front of a live audience. Magazine publications, including Playboy, Sports Illustrated, and Vanity Fair, featured women with painted bodies. For instance, Demi Moore graced the cover of Vanity Fair in 1992, her nude body simultaneously covered with a painted suit.
However, the various adaptations and commercialization of body painting can often become appropriative, cautions Fred Myers, an anthropology professor at New York University specializing in Indigenous groups in Western Australia. Myers insists that adopting body painting as a form of play disregards the cultural significance it holds for others.
Alex Barendregt, director of the World Bodypainting Association, which has been organizing its own festival in Austria since 1998, notes that some members have criticized Bodypainting Day for treating body painting as more of a spectacle than an art form. The World Bodypainting Festival, held in Austria, functions as a competition, with artists submitting portfolios and competing for prizes in various categories. In contrast, Bodypainting Day selects artists based on their reasons for wanting to participate, rather than solely on the quality of their work. It is worth noting that artists do not pay to attend Bodypainting Day, unlike the models.
Andy Golub acknowledges that many have dismissed his event as a mere publicity stunt. Nevertheless, he maintains that Bodypainting Day has always sought to create a communal artistic environment rather than focusing solely on showcasing high-quality work. Veronika Eber, an 18-year-old first-time participant, explains that she attended this year’s event to broaden her artistic skill set before embarking on her studies at Carnegie Mellon University in the fall. Eber found pleasure in the challenges presented by the unfamiliar canvas of the human body. “It’s much more difficult because you have to consider the body’s curves,” she commented.
Using a fine brush, she delicately traced triangles across the torso of first-time model Catherine Stein, aged 70. Surprisingly, Ms. Stein, who resides in New York and works at an arts organization, found herself less inhibited than expected. “It’s an incredible body-positive experience,” she proclaimed.
Once all the models had been transformed into vibrant artworks, the colorful group paraded through Washington Square Park, catching the attention of diners at outdoor tables and those waiting outside a veterinary clinic. After posing for a group photo in front of a statue of George Washington on horseback, several models boarded a double-decker bus bound for Brooklyn. Hours of wear and heartfelt farewells had slightly smudged their body art. Among them was Nicolette Barischoff, who now sported a pair of painted hands encompassing her midsection, in addition to the eye on her chest. Like countless other models, Barischoff had attended past editions of Bodypainting Day, finding immense joy in surprising people in a city where many believe they have seen it all.
She reflected wistfully, “The fact that this is the last one is quite devastating. I love being someone’s ‘only in New York’ moment.”
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