Demi's Birthday Suit

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Demi's Birthday Suit August 1992
Demi's Birthday Suit August 1992

Demi‘s Birthday Suit, The Suit or the August 1992 Vanity Fair cover (pictured right) was a groundbreaking trompe-l'œil body painting by Joanne Gair photographed by Annie Leibovitz that was featured on the cover of the Vanity Fair August 1992 issue to commemorate Leibovitz's More Demi Moore cover photo of Moore one year earlier.[1] The painting is perhaps the most well-known example of modern body painting artwork,[2] and it made Gair an immediate pop culture star as the most prominent body paint artist.[3] The converse of this image serves as the cover to Gair's second bodypainting book entitled Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair.[4]

[edit] Details

Gair had worked with Leibovitz and Moore on More Demi Moore. They decided to attempt a body painting during the week-long shoot that took place at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in West Hollywood, California in 1992. Gair was provided with a pinstriped three-piece suit by Richard Tyler. Since in those days she did not generally work with assistants, the day started at 6:30 A.M. and Demi Moore slept that night in the suit in case they needed to resume the next day.[5]

The body painting of Moore is considered to be the introduction of modern body painting.[6] It is considered as important a part of the artform of body painting as the origins which go back to henna tattoos from remote villages.[7] Some have described the painting as a stylized reference to Botticelli.[8] The painting is seen as Gair's defining moment,[9] and soon after the release of the magazine Gair became such a pop culture icon that she was under consideration for an Absolut Vodka Absolut Gair ad campaign.[3] The 1992 cover, which required a thirteen-hour sitting for Gair and her team of make-up artists, has an interesting background as Annie Leibovitz could not decide where to shoot, and reserved two mobile homes, four hotel rooms and five houses.[1] The weeklong effort also involved shots taken in Kauai, Hawaii that are included in Gair's second book, Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair.[10]

It has been noted that some claim that two-time world body painting champion, Tim Gratton, from Australia, was the inspiration for the art work.[11]

[edit] More Demi Moore

Main article: More Demi Moore

Demi Moore had appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair exactly one year earlier in the August 1991 edition in Leibovitz's photograph, More Demi Moore. The photograph of her pregnant pose was an iconic one for Moore, Leibovitz and women in general. It has had a cultural impact by causing numerous celebrities to pose for photographs in advanced stages of pregnancy, which has made pregnancy photos fashionable and created a profitable business.[12] The photograph continues to be one of the most highly regarded magazine covers ever,[13][14] and it is one of Leibovitz' best known works.[15][16] Additionally, the photo served as a litmus test when internet decency standards were first being legislated and adjudicated.[17][18]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Bellafante, Ginia (2003-10-26). ART; What Celebrity Looks Like: The Annie Leibovitz Aesthetic. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
  2. ^ Singer, Natasha (2006-02-02). A Real Body of Work. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
  3. ^ a b Elliott, Stuart (1993-06-06). Advertising's Marathon Auditions. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
  4. ^ Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair (Hardcover). Amazon.com, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  5. ^ Gair, Joanne (2006). Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair. Universe Publishing. 
  6. ^ Newman, Gene (2000). body work and paint jobs. tagmag.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
  7. ^ Inprint - Nine to Five Magazine. Body Paint Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
  8. ^ Gair, Joanne (2005). Paint A 'Licious: The Pain-Free Way to Achieving Your Naked Ambitions. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0740755374. 
  9. ^ Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair (Editorial Reviews). Amazon.com, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
  10. ^ Gair, Joanne (2006). Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair. Universe Publishing. ISBN 0-7893-1509-2. 
  11. ^ Tim Gratton. EntertainOZ Pty Ltd.. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
  12. ^ Celebrities make pregnancy seem glamorous. MSNBC.com. Microsoft (2006-04-26). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  13. ^ Lennon leads list of top magazine covers. MSNBC.com. Microsoft (2005-10-17). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  14. ^ The Editor's Desk. Newsweek Magazine (2006-10-02). Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  15. ^ Lacayo, Richard (1991-09-30). Shadows And Eye Candy. Time Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  16. ^ McGuigan, Cathleen (2006-10-02). Through Her Lens. Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  17. ^ Levy, Steven (1996-05-27). An Indecent Proposal. Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  18. ^ Levy, Steven (1997-07-07). On The Net, Anything Goes. Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
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