Artist in focus / Künstler im Visier

Interview: June 2006

Filippo Ioco [Italy/USA]

 

 

How long have you bodypainted?
Professionally I've been body painting for 17 years now but, I've been a Fine Artist / Painter most all my life.
 
What mediums do you use to present your work?
Since I am a fine artist and am very knowledgeable of materials I am able to carry that knowledge, technique and style over into my body art which sets me aside from other body painters. As for paints I mostly use water based paints, clays, muds, and any thing that is safe for the skin which I'm also knowledgeable of. I stay away from grease paints. I do not like them and think they are bad for the skin and time consuming to wash off. I hope some day a company will make a metallic water based paint that has the shine and opaqueness of grease paint. I mostly paint with brushes, sponge, towels, hands and fingers as well as any other tools that can create the effect that I want. I do not paint with air brush, it's simply not for me and I do not have the percents for it.
What other forms of art do you work with?
I mostly do paintings on Canvas, water color paper. I also do illustration, sculpture, house painting, prop building and photography. I love photography because you can capture a moment and preserve it on film for ever. I also think it's a great tool for body painting. My life is all about art, color and visual stimulation. If you were to take away art I would be gone as well..
 
How is bodypainting received in the city were you live?

Well I live in the USA, unfortunately the US is not as open minded as the rest of the world on nudity and is more conservative than most insiders and outsiders think. I am European and was brought up to look at the Human nude body in a different way than just sexual. which is a big selling point and tool in the advertising industry. I live in Los Angeles California and for some strange reason I work more outside of LA than inside.
I hope and wish that one day Body Painters all over the world will change most peoples perception of the nude human figure both in Males and Females. That is my goal.
 
Describe why you choose to work with the human body as a canvas.
I have always been fascinated with the human body and nudity. I believe that it is truly the first form of Art. We all come in different shapes, sizes and skin colors from our eyes to hair to lips, feet and every thing in between. I think that we all should be proud of our bodies no matter how big or small every body has it's own beauty !
I've always wanted to work with the human figure but never really knew how until one day I thought of painting a body into one of my canvases and from that day on I became a body painter. Though I never would of imagined that I would come as far as I have in this art form and it has been a joy every step of the way.
How would you like to see bodypainting develop as an art form?

This is a very important question in every sense ! ! and every Body Painter in the world should strive in achieving this goal ! ! of making Body Painting a serious art form and medium.
When I started body painting and telling people I was a body painter they would look at me as if I was strange and it was all about pornography, until they would actually look at the images. Well, let me tell you I set them all strait.
( That US mentality ) LOL.. but at the same time, I did do some research on this and found out that body painting in a way has gone hand in hand with pornography and that some body painters do body painting just to show off a naked female and there are more of those than people think, and you can clearly see the difference.
That is what I think needs to change in order to make body painting a more serious art. Now please do not get me wrong, I have nothing against pornography but, I don't think the two should mix.

With all that said. I think that body painters should create images using both females and males that one would like to hang in their living rooms, apartments, houses or offices.
That is how body painting will become a serious art form, by presenting it to the masses in a eye pleasing and beautiful way.
 
What has been your most interesting experience working with bodypainting?
I have many but, I think the best one is when I first start to paint a male or female and they are shy or scared of being nude in front of me or just in general, until they are all painted and then running all over the place as if they were not nude any more. Did they forget that they are still nude ? ? ? That crakes me up.. ( Amazing the power of the MIND ) ! ! !
Another one is to see the actual finished body painting in movement.
 
You are exhibiting in the Bodypainting Gallery run by Craig Tracy, there is a report coming from him soon on this site, would you like to add anything about it?
I truly think what Craig Tracy is doing by opening up the first Body painting gallery ever is one of the most important steps in making and bringing Body Painting into a serious art form. I also think that with all the body painters in the world and there are many more that should fallow in his foot steps. I wish him all the luck and success and am proud and honored to be one of the first body painters along his side to be showing in the Gallery..