Glitter-Arty: Face Painting or Art Form?
Face painting has quietly undergone a revolution. Once only to be found in the humble hunting ground of children’s parties, Glitter–Arty has been fortunate to be part of a collective at the vanguard of a movement, that has turned face painting into an art form. No party, event, wedding or festival is now complete without a dazzling glitter bar and professional face artistry.
I am Central St Martins trained, with a background in fashion design and have been fortunate enough to have had stints working forthe greats such as Alexander Mc Queen and Vivienne Westwood. My aesthetic is driven by a culmination of years of experience in assimilating and reimagining the world around me. An immersion in cutting-edge fashion has created an unrelenting curiosity about shape and form, a fascination with colour and texture and a keen observation of the evolution of social and cultural references.
For me, the quixotic relationship between fashion and artist a symbiotic marriage that adds a cultural cachet to both aspects of creation. They are considered frivolous and lofty in equal degrees. I interpret them as inextricably linked disciplines and integrated aspects of my artistic output.
As society undergoes a labyrinthine search for identity the fluidity of our aesthetic easily adapts and reacts to the individuality of the sitter. It doesn’t require justification or judgment. It is a response that comes from an intellectualisation of all that’s gone before and is exposed at that moment. Of course, we react to the subject’s expectation and crucially to their distinctiveness, so it’s not a selfish act, but the integrity of the communication is heartfelt, it is a response to light, colour, texture and nature, but most importantly to feeling.
The immediate environment plays an essential role and relying on an innate response to visual stimuli, immediately and retrospectively gives each artwork freshness. Newness is not achieved through a contrived process it is instinctively led. Each person stimulates an entirely new creation, so it is constantly evolving, fettered only by the expectation of bringing joy, it is a wonderfully liberating way to work.
As we can only draw inspiration from our own experience of the world, we retain control of our aesthetic; we dictate and evolve our own trends, so have the freedom to create any artwork and the potential of that is limitless and exciting. It keeps the work vibrant and exhilarating. It is what drives Glitter-Arty to the forefront of the glitter face-painting revolution.
The demand for eco-friendly products means glitter can relinquish its pariah status. My own glitter gel is handmade and is fully approved so we can apply it liberally in the knowledge that our environmental impact is kept to an absolute minimum. I pack it with the most sumptuous glitter and the accuracy of the application allows incredible control and detail. There is no waste, it is truly gorgeous!
Can there ever really be too much glitter? I’m talking about eco glitter of course. There is something about glitter that creates its own excitement and people are always astonished to discover that our designs are created in 3-4 minutes. A synergistic dynamic exists between the speed at which the art appears and those watching the transformation. It is like a performance and has a wonderfully instantaneous effect on the audience and the energy of the room.
At a time when we are encouraged to be whomever we want to be, glitter face painting is the most inclusive form of entertainment you can bring to a party. I feel we have gone some way to inspiring a movement that delivers art to the masses and we are so fortunate that our canvas and our gallery are intrinsically linked to people’s happiest moments. That is a huge privilege.
