Steampunk inspires Kiwi body art win
22 Jul 2010
A ‘steampunk’ inspired design has won New Zealand artist Yolanda Bartram first place at the 2010 World Body Painting Festival in Austria.
Bartram, who co-owns Kiwi special effects company Body FX with her mother Nicole Heydenrijk - took out the top prize in the ‘special effects bodypainting’ category.
Her winning design took its inspiration from the ‘steampunk’ movement, which mixes science fiction, fantasy and Victorian history. The model wore a steam engine on her head, a veil over her mouth and had traditional Indian motifs painted on her body - the designs were made of foam latex and resin.
Makeup and special effects artists from more than 40 countries participated in the event, which took place last week (12 - 18 July 2010).
Body art 'Olympics'
Dutch-born Bartram said the win left her speechless.
"It’s a really fantastic feeling not to only have won first place in the world, but also to have made it with my amazing Body FX team," she told a New Zealand newspaper.
Husband, Julian Bartram said that his wife was ecstatic with the win as the championships were the biggest event in the world of body art - the equivalent of the Olympics. Julian had helped come up with the idea.
"We loved the elaborate designs of India … the mechanical heart [on the model] represents how India got opened up through steam trains," he said.
The festival attracted more than 30,000 spectators, and at least 1000 photographers.
Top body artist
Yolanda Bartram is considered one of New Zealand’s foremost body painters. She has won numerous awards local and international awards.
Bartram started her career as a model for her mother, Nicole, also a body painter. The mother-and-daughter team opened Body FX, which now has studios in Auckland and Wellington.
The Body FX team creates body art for occasions ranging from conventions and product launches to parties and entertainment. The Wellington studio is working on creating a new line of makeup prosthetics made from foam latex.
Weta and ‘Steampunk’
Wellington’s Oscar-winning Weta Workshop, which helped create blockbuster Hollywood movies, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, District 9 and Avatar, is a leader in New Zealand’s steampunk movement.
Weta has organised steampunk exhibitions, and recently hosted a Steampunk Gala Ball and Fashion Show in the South Island town of Oamaru.
Weta Workshop also produces 'Dr. Grordbort’s Infallible Aether Oscillators' - a range of realistic-looking toy rayguns, along with the famous ‘Weta Legs’. The ‘leg’ - a reverse leg stilt that enables performers, costumers and fans to walk like an animal - was the brainchild of Weta Workshop artist Kim Graham.
In the Weta-produced children’s show The WotWots, the two main alien characters travel in a steampunk spaceship.
More information
New Zealand artist Joanne Gair
Digital Weta legs puts best foot forward
Tale of NZ’s own little mermaid
These topics may also be of interest to you
|
