Michael Rosner [USA]

www.myspace.com/michael_rosner    

How did you get involved in bodypainting ?

While I was attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah Georgia,  I was working on a project that involved painting on unconventional surfaces.  I chose to paint on glass, stone and an actual person.  As time passed, the stone painting vanished and the glass painting was foreseeably broken but the photos of the body painting images remained.  Years later, it was these images hanging in my studio that would become the inspiration for a tangent that grew into the current body of work through a progression of around 20+ painting sessions. 

I worked with professional photographer Tim Engle to record each painting in different phases as this (along with video) becomes the only translatable record of the work. These images and videos can be seen at http://www.myspace.com/michael_rosner    

To establish the look and feel of the series, Tim and I worked closely in the beginning to determine which elements would change and evolve from those elements that would remain consistent throughout.  We determined that color scheme, model and theme would evolve and change; elements of background, lighting and scale would remain consistent.

The length of a session varied depending on the specific complexities and design challenges of a given piece ranging from 12 to 20 hours for each session.  Typically, I will continue to push the image as far as I can until the first member of the group starts to show signs of exhaustion - which also may determine the end point of a particular session.  On two occasions I even painted two of the models while they slept briefly.

When you paint a body, what do you wish to create artistically ?

I really like the idea of an approach to each painting that is guided by the influences of formal architecture, sacred geometry and an Egyptian style "step-repeat" design aesthetic.   Always aware of the value of interplay between positive and negative space, I developed a set of visual rules to create a sort of 'future-primitive' design aesthetic that has become a signature style seen in most of my work.   Some people label the work as ‘maximalism’.   I am also interested in exploring the juxtaposition of geometric shapes, prisms and caverns on organic surfaces. 

A new piece always starts by determining the color scheme before anything else.  After that, everything else seems to decide itself and the actual specific design of the image is worked out during the painting session and not necessarily predetermined.  The painting becomes a sort of visual puzzle where spatial relationships and layers are constructed and deconstructed.  Once the visual elements are resolved and the painting relates directly to the anatomy underneath, the work is complete.

The modern technologies of the airbrush, along with traditional brush painting techniques, photography and casting combine to help translate my inner vision to an outward reality that can be shared.

Do you work purely with bodypainting or do you work in other areas?

While still living in my hometown of Chicago in 1991, I started drawing tattoos for friends which quickly evolved into painting.  Motivated by the rewards of continually rediscovering the creative process, I set out to find my own visual fingerprint and developed a full portfolio of traditional 2 dimensional paintings and some sculpture with no conventional training.  Many of my older “pre body painting” pieces can be found at www.eyelevelstudio.com.  I don’t think that site has been updated since 2005 and sort of acts as a visual archive for earlier work.

My work was shown in galleries around Chicago and my interest in art continued to take root. It wasn't until 5 years later, in my typical "cart before the horse" approach that I went on to formally study at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia further enriching my exposure to the doctrines of my artistic pursuits.  In 2001, I started Eye Level Studio Inc., a dedicated working studio in Sacramento, California.  Eye Level Studio became the umbrella name for a core group of creative types motivated by art for arts sake.  The studio includes a rotating group of artists, photographers and models that come together for various collaborative projects. 

With creative interests from music, writing, carpentry and painting, I find great pleasure in any field that involves the creative process and gives equal challenge to both sides of the brain. 

How would you like to see bodypainting develop as an art form?

As a whole, the potential of body painting as is vast.  There are almost as many approaches as there are artists.  The World Body Painting Festival seems to expand each year and offers a great deal of exposure, legitimacy and network for artists working in this genre.

More specific to a given piece, I have always held onto the philosophy of the “body as canvas” however I believe it’s important to avoid treating a body painting like a traditional stretched canvas with flat surfaces.  The model or more specifically the models anatomy should be considered as the imagery takes shape.  I believe this is crucial to the success of a piece and will continue to appreciate works that are designed with the organic qualities of the model in mind.  After all this is body painting not “landscape 101”!

How do the people in your community react to bodypainting?

I would say that in the United States there are still mixed reviews.  It’s still a burgeoning art form, particularly here where social norms and customs vary a bit from European culture.  Like most forms of art that are ‘cutting edge’ or ahead of their time, many people don’t know how to interpret body painting within the vast visual creative spectrum.  Is it a painting? Is it sculpture? Is it fine art?  Is it tasteful?  Is it pornography?  As with any art form, the responses are as varied as the viewers of the work.

What was your most interesting experience with bodypainting?

I really enjoyed participating in the  World Body Painting Festival in 2001.  I was the only American to participate in the festival that year.  When it was announced that I was from the United States I had much interest from many of the artists as well as the crowds that attended the festival.  I was not prepared for that.  I still cherish and maintain contact with many of the friendships that came from my visit to such a beautiful place.