Pressing The Flesh

Friday, February 03, 2006

Today's FLESH, INK. FRIDAY takes us to Switzerland to marvel at the work of Fredi Schmid. Since 1994, Schmid has painted over 300 models, and has even attempted to break a Guinness World Record for his work.

Of his work, Schmid states, "...Art does not only take place in galleries and behind museum walls - it is an active component in all areas of life!"

Schmid is not attempting to "eroticize" the human body - rather, he is invested in integrating the human forms into a spatial picture. The body is a living three-dimensional canvas, which constantly changes, depending upon any given point of view.

On his website, Schmid speaks of his work:

Bodypainting is not only a picture on a body to paint - Bodypainting is the colored representation of today's life and spirit of the time in a fantasyful form. Bodypainting symbolizes this thought in the sense of momentary art. It is only exists a short time, and can not be held or reproduced. The appearance takes only a few minutes - then everything disappears again! In a short moment a feeling develops, which remains in the memory. Everyone can experience it, but nobody can buy it, pack it up and take it home to hang over the fire-place . Photos and videos can document this fascination in only a limited way. It is not a picture, not a photo, but the cause as a whole, which can be stored in no kind. With the own eyes the seeing remains as visual event in such a way in the memory, as it was experienced "live".

Make sure to visit his website, and the galleries of his work.