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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Cuerpos Sagrados or Sacred Bodies

"Cuerpos Sagrados" is a series of images where the artist Holly Wilmeth has used the human body together with exotic insects and plants to represent ceremonial plants around the world (peyote, ayahuasca, iboga, etc). It's a personal interpretation of the subject matter, using digital and alternative gold leafing process for the prints. The people that are painted are from Rio Dulce, Guatemala as well as San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

The painted bodies: Black, which is considered to be an inauspicious color in most cultures, is the color of 'living', worn on the face during war preparations. White predictably is the color of peace. Decorating one's face in various patterns and shapes has been a part of the culture make-up of many societies since the beginning of time. Face painting is a common theme across cultures as divergent as the Indigenous American tribes in North America and various tribes in Africa and South America. In Native American Tribes, Face Painting has been used for artistic expression since ancient times. The art of transforming ourselves with make-up and masks is a universal phenomenon. Before we sought to vent our artistic impulse on a cave wall, we painted on our faces and bodies. Indigenous peoples of the Amazon have said that in this power to change ourselves, we demonstrate our humanity and set ourselves apart from the world of the animals.
~~~Holly Wilmeth

Holly Wilmeth was born and raised in Guatemala. Her work has been published in international publications such as National Geographic Adventure, New York Times, CARE, TIME Magazine, GEO Magazine, Monocle, The Economist, etc. She is based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Holly Wilmeth

"Cuerpos Sagrados"

Courtesy the artist.

Featuring in the Huffington Post

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Photo of the Day

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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Crinoline Flowers vs Jeu de Jambes

Crinoline Flowers is a stunning series created by wedding photographer Sophia Banks.

To Sophia Banks: What inspired you to do this series?

The Crinoline Flowers series was made several years ago and was inspired by a spring walk in the park, the cluttered vintage stores in Kensington market and my identity as a transgender woman.

The vision for the photos almost literally just appeared in my mind as you see them. I choose the bright colors to represent the flowers and also as a tribute to the LGBT rainbow.

When I made this series I was still young and sorting through my gender identity, trying to figure out who I was. The surreal over the top feel of the images came from a place where I felt repressed and expressed that with my photography in a way I could not find the courage to do in my life.
~~~ Sophia Banks

Sophia Banks lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

Crinoline Flowers