Look closely, this is actually a temple made out of seventeen peoplennArtist Trina Merry, 34, from New York, NY created a living temple out ...
Look closely, this is actually a temple made out of seventeen peoplennArtist Trina Merry, 34, from New York, NY created a living temple out of seventeen naked circus performers and dancers to raise awareness for "Beyond the Four Walls". nnAt first glance, this photo appears to be a temple with a rippled reflection in the water. But in fact its seventeen people cleverly painted to resemble a temple.nnThis innovative work of art was created by Trina Merry, known for her painted human sculptures- the Human Motorcycles, a human car for Fiat, and a human skull performance art piece- as well as her fine art camouflage body painting and installations.nnMerry says, "Bodypaint creates a special connection to a person that other visual art forms have trouble accomplishing; it's a distinctly human experience. My surface is living, breathing human beings making this a highly relevant & immediate medium."nnThe 34 year old spent only thirty minutes of intense focus to puzzle together the human temple out of bodies.nnShe took nine hours to masterfully create this art piece live at WORKS San Jose Gallery using non-toxic water based body paint with brushes and airbrushes.nnMerry says, "The painting is temporary, like a Tibetan sand painting, beginning to change into another work as soon as I stop painting, changing texture & color."nnIt was difficult to get all seventeen models in position for the final photograph and video, but with the help of a Buddhist monk leading the audience in a mediative chant, the models held still just long enough to get the final shot.nn"I love the double-take people do as they look at my work. MoMA has documented that most people stop and view a work of art for only seven seconds. When I create a piece live people will sit and watch us for an hour- they connect on a deeply human level to the work. I love that the internet is a free global gallery to share these images. I find fans not only take the time to count all the people but also love to share them online with their friends instantly."nnMerry chose the structure of a temple in order to bring awareness to the social business venture "Beyond the Four Walls" in order to empower women in Nepal. nn"This temple moves beyond a simple "WOW" factor to help empower the women of Nepal touched by 'Beyond the Four Walls'. We are excited to partner with them and bring awareness to these talented and beautiful women," says Merry.nnNepal is the only country in the world where women have a shorter life expectancy then men. Many young girls are either sold into slavery to pay off family debts or married off as young as age nine. Women are responsible for all the hard labor and domestic duties of the house. Only 1% of women in Nepal attend college. Violent acts against women have been well documented in recent news in southeast Asia. nnBeyond the Four Walls has created a solution in partnership with corporations like Motorola and American Apparel to create internet cafes that the girls can run, bringing money to their families and simultaneously allowing them a chance to get an education online and use the internet as a tool for jobs or to launch entrepreneurial ventures. nnMerry hopes to bring awareness and compassion by creating this eye-catching art piece and tangible supplies like laptops and smart phones to these internet cafes when she and her team perform in Nepal in November. She and her Silicon Valley based team will be teaching practical skills on entrepreneurship, online marketing and business skills as well as fun hands on art and dance classes for these women to encourage and empower these promising next generation of talented women. nnAbout Trina Merry:ntrinamerry@gmail.comn408-91-MERRYnwww.trinamerry.comnwww.facebook.com/MerryBodypaintingsnwww.twitter.com/trinamerrynAgent: David Yamner, Concept Artistsndavid@conceptartists.comn212-343-0956nPR: DeeDee Taft, Spin Communicationsndeedee@spinpr.comn415-380-8390nnAbout "Beyond the Four Walls"nn"Beyond the Four Walls" is a social business venture accelerating new media, ICT and STEM startups led by women. Utilizing enterprise development for women in Nepal using basic consumer tech, it openly provides life changing resources for a populations of young women in crisis. nnwww.beyondthefourwalls.orgnhttp://www.withinthefourwalls.comnnMaterials:nAirbrush Paint: European Body Art "Vibe" http://www.europeanbodyart.comnBodypaint: Kryolan "Aquacolor" and Liquid bodypaint (that exquisite liquid gold!)nDiamond FXnBrushes: Royal BrushesnAirbrush and compressors: IwatanStencils: Bad Ass StencilsnnCreated live at WORKS San Jose for a co-exhibition experiment with artist Theresa BecausenDress: AnthropologienPhotography: Ronald Nelson PhotographynVideography by: Roary RothmannPerformers: Art Alive Gallery Less
