THE STORY OF THE CRANE AND THE DRAGONFLY
This body art unites two fascinating creatures: A precisely painted dragonfly with shimmering wings and a Grey crowned crane, which is the national bird of Uganda. The dragonfly, known for its agile flight maneuvers, represents courage and rebirth in Japanese culture – in China and Japan it is also used for medicinal applications, although this is controversial in the Western world.
The Grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) is one of the few crane species that nest in trees – an adaptation that distinguishes it from its relative, the Black crowned crane. With only 58,000–77,000 specimens worldwide, it is one of the endangered species. The combination of insect and bird in this work seems to be a tribute to the diversity of nature, which is both delicate and robust.
YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE ME, DO YOU?
Emma Hack, an Australian body painting artist from Adelaide, has a unique talent for blending bodies into their surroundings. Her style, developed in the early 2000s, draws inspiration from the designs of Florence Broadhurst – particularly her colorful wallpapers, which are reflected in Hack's paintings.
Hack achieved international fame primarily through her collaboration with the singer Gotye. In the video for "Somebody That You Used To Know," she transformed him and his partner into living wall patterns, where body and background merge seamlessly. A masterpiece of optical illusion, it demonstrates that the best art is that which reminds us how difficult it is to distinguish truth from illusion.
