Lifestyle
Can You Spot What’s Hiding Among These Beautiful Rocks?
Italian artist Johannes Stötter’s Body of Work touches on the relationship between humans and nature, but the connection isn’t always obvious or even easy to spot at first. For example, can you tell what’s hiding among these beautiful rocks?
In 2009, he began to combine body-painting with his love of nature photography to create what’s become known as his Body of Work. The models in his Body of Work photographs are covered with body paint that allows them to blend seamlessly into the natural background of his photographs.
This surprising take on humans and nature in art has made waves across the Internet because it’s extremely difficult to tell the difference between the person and their background in most cases. These photos are certainly mind-bending, once your eyes are “opened” to what you’re truly seeing that’s hiding in plain sight. It’s a unique take that has earned this artist a loyal following.
Stötter paints the models himself, also, and arranges them exactly in line with his vision for the portrait. One can imagine how much time it takes to not only paint the models, but also planning exactly where they will sit in the Body of Work photographs to make sure all of the lines are blended perfectly.
His message is simple: humankind and the natural world are inseparable and should be treated as such. It’s an incredible feeling when you spot the Body of Work model in the photograph for the first time.
What do you think of Stötter’s Body of Work? Is it inspiring? Beautiful? Or do you think it’s a bit strange? Whatever your thoughts on the artistic style, you’ve got to admit that it’s impressive and, once you know what you’re seeing, it’s a stunning sight.
Below, the artist speaks about his work and how it came to be.