Model Painted as Canvas

Normally when a model poses for an artist, they are expected to remain motionless. But this model may struggle to stay still – as they are the actual artwork. Artist Alexa Meade’s technique involves painting directly onto the physical subjects that she is referencing, rather than using a canvas.

Still life: Artist Alexa Meade paints model Will Claybaugh, she will then photograph him to create her final artwork 

Once the paintings are complete, she then photographs both the subject she had painted onto and the background. The effect creates an optical illusion as the 3D effect of her scenes is compressed into a 2D plane. Miss Meade, 24, grew up in Washington D.C. and had previously worked on Capitol Hill as an intern, before working on Barrack Obama’s Presidential campaign.

Illusion: Alexa Meade's work creates onptical illusion as the 3D effect of her scenes is compressed into a 2D plane

Before and after: Alexa Meade paints her models face (right) and then takes his photograph (left) to create her pieces

 

She said that spending time with politicians led to a fascination of repackaging something and adding modifications that alter the perception of what is seen. On her website Miss Mead writes: 'Spending my formative years immersed in the world of politicians and PR led to a fascination with the possibilities of repackaging source texts and adding superficial modifications that would profoundly alter perception. 'What the audience ultimately unpackaged was a personal interpretation of an already mediated re-presentation.'

Meade’s work is similar to that of Boo Ritson, who did the artwork for British band The Maccabees second album. The record, titled Wall of Arms, sees the five members of the band faces and clothes covered in emulsion. The leader singer of the group said at the time that the most bizarre part was the face painting, particularly when the paint dried. But he said that the band were ‘over the moon’ with the results.