Street Artists

Street Artists

All over the world there are people who paint themselves and stand out on the streets for the odd tourist coin. They must be brave and persistent. They must be immune to criticism and taunts. I am amazed by these people.

The silver man in the photo below is from New Orleans in the French Quarter area and the copper cowboy is from Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain. I am fascinated by people who want to do this kind of work: where their body becomes the art. They paint themselves each day. I can't imagine it is a healthy thing. They train themselves to stand without moving, flinching or blinking. I could never stand or sit without moving more than a few seconds my whole life!

You might be able to tell the silver model is a man, but perhaps not realize the copper cowboy is a girl. Is this a form of art and what is the history? I wonder if it originated from the French Mime?
French Quarter/New Orleans

Las Ramblas/Barcelona, Spain