We’re all familiar with the expression “at one with nature” – the kind of talk generally reserved for hippies or pretentious backpackers who found themselves at a Full Moon Party.
But artist Orly Faya takes the saying very literally. For the last three years, she has been disguising her subjects as part of their scenery in a series called I Paint People into the World.
The collection sees Orly paint people into landscapes all over the world, using the sun for her light and the world as her canvas – “merging humanity with the earth.”
The photographs are incredible, and at times it’s genuinely hard to tell where the person ends and nature begins.
All photos courtesy of Orly Faya.
“As humans we are vastly different and yet, all connected by this common thread, our origins as creatures of the earth,” says the artist.
Since her work requires her to paint the naked bodies of her subjects, she says it has also helped to encourage positive body image (much like this wedding photographer did).
“Body painting allows me to accept every inch of human flesh as perfect. Body painting welcomes me into the realms of vulnerability and trust which teaches me about respect, energy and healing,” she says.
The models come in all different shapes and sizes, with a pregnant woman among those posing. But the common theme among them is that regardless of backdrop – mountains, sea, sky – they camouflage perfectly into their setting.
Orly, who has been travelling for the past 13 years, has to map out the painting, which can be a time-consuming process.
The technical process starts with finding the perfect location, either pre-planned or by climbing a mountain on the morning of the painting. Orla finds the perfect perspective, works out where the model will be positioned, and then performs a “mapping of the body into the land like a puzzle piece.”
The model is required to stay still to the millimetre, even though some shoots start at 4 a.m. and go on for hours at a time in hot weather.
Orly will be in Peru from May to September, so if you feel like a vacation (and don’t mind stripping) you can contact her for enquiries and bookings.
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