Shay Armstrong

Visual Art – Milwaukee

I am a photographer and bodypainter. I have sometimes been accused of mixing these media to the point that it is difficult to separate which is more important, thus my choice to list myself in the visual art category instead of photography. My bodypaint work mixes colors, patterns and emotions, and explores the use of the body as canvas. When I photograph my bodypainting, I work as if I were photographing a traditional nude subject, using light and shadow to create volume and shape, and not focusing exclusively on the painting. I don\'t paint for a single pose, but use the entire body and work very spontaneously. By using a variety of materials, I can create many different looks, textures and effects that challenge me as a photographer as well as an artist. I particularly enjoy working with UV reactive (blacklight) makeup and lighting. I am often inspired by color and patterns, found in fabrics and textiles, but I find inspiration in a multitude of other places and things. My non-bodypaint photography is mostly straight and modernistic. I work with nudes and still life mostly, and primarily black and white, but I am also working on a series involving the single iconic item or figure in fairy tales. I still sometimes shoot film, and work in my wet darkroom.