One of the forms of avant-garde art, in which the human body becomes the canvas, appeared in the 60s of the last century In the process of their work, body art masters go beyond traditional art forms and create something new at the intersection of painting, sculpture and drawing Over the course of several hours, and sometimes even days, artists apply images to the skin of models based on a previously drawn up sketch Body painting helps in creating amazing optical illusions and mysteries February 1 is International Body Art Day The culture of decorating the body with drawings did not appear in the middle of the twentieth century, but much earlier Drawing color images helped primitive people become invisible to animals - to merge with the surrounding nature for a successful hunt Shamans painted their faces and bodies before rituals to establish connections with spirits and gods, just like sorcerers in African tribes The Indians painted themselves with paint before battle, demonstrating courage and bravery to the enemy Ancient traditions still exist today Residents of Arab countries, Indonesia and India today, like thousands of years ago, paint their bodies with henna According to one version, the art of mehendi, painting of hands and feet, originated in Ancient Egypt, later spreading to other countries In India, thin lines that create lace and floral patterns are drawn from the center of the back of the hand to the edges The designs cover the hands, forearms and legs of the bride before the wedding ceremony Face painting and decorative makeup at first glance seem to be types of body art, but this is not entirely true When applying it, the master puts talent and creative intent into his work, which makes the drawing on the body a work of art Temporary tattoos and children's face painting can be compared to artistic painting, while body art is like magic Masters create illusions using the human body, turn people into animals, and introduce the created image into pictures of the surrounding reality, landscapes and still lifes To convey an artistic idea to the viewer, not only images are used, but also facial expressions, poses and gestures of models One of the forms of decorating the body with drawings is a tattoo The ancient Chinese and Romans applied designs using pigments obtained from plants and flowers, and needles, traumatizing the skin and thereby fixing the dyes in the dermis Tattoos were present in the culture of the ancient Sumerians and Celts, the Japanese and Indians, the Yakuts and the Chukchi Today, tattoo belongs to the genre of fine art, the copyright in which belongs to the master who completed the sketch and applied the drawing to the body International Body Art Day is a celebration of self-expression of people who master the skill of transformation and creating optical illusions New Yorkers were the first to celebrate the occasion in 2014 The initiator of the celebration of Body Art Day is the American Andy Golub The artist tried to organize holiday events in 2011, but was arrested by the police for displaying nudity in a public place After 2 years, the legislative ban was lifted Naked bodies have become permitted to be displayed at festivals and other art events The riot of colors and emotions that reign on February 1 on the streets of cities in many countries around the world is amazing The works of illusionists surprise and, at the same time, inspire to create such creations In honor of the holiday, master classes and body painting are held for everyone who wants to become a model, contemporary art exhibitions and body art festivals are organized