“Skin Deep or People in Paint”

Body art. People argue about this art. It provokes and delights. It expands the frontiers of knowledge about self-image. It changes, transforms, and disappears in time and space. Unfortunately, the main canvas of body art – the human body – is only a temporary space for the colorful costume, set, and mise-en-scène designs created by hand.

Several years ago, artist and photographer, Sandee Johnson, of Asheville, North Carolina, USA, discovered body art. But instead of doing much of the painting herself, she chose to photograph the ephemeral art.

From 7 July to 28 August 2016, the A.A. Bakhrushin Theatre Museum will present an unprecedented collection of body art photography by the artist, Sandee Johnson, at the exhibition “Skin Deep, or People in Paint” at the Theatre Salon on Tverskoy Boulevard. The exhibition curator, Igor Roussanoff, selected around thirty printed pieces for the show. An extensive compilation of Sandee Johnson’s work will be exhibited digitally on touch screens.

Igor and Sandee decided to present the ultramodern sides of body art: works from worldwide festivals, displaying artistic mastery from Africa, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay, and the USA.

Sandee’s unique pieces of art utilize painting and collage technique that give the illusion that the figures are leaping out of a colour field.  The backgrounds are obscured so that the viewer can concentrate on every minute detail of the painting.  Though this could be done digitally, Sandee prefers to work without a computer.  Her artistry combines tradition and contemporaneity – what could be more attractive?