Marcia Bereschi: “I painted on all kinds of surfaces”

The article was first published in 2018 in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

In Ukraine, body art began to develop much later than in Europe. What are your first impressions of the work of your Ukrainian colleagues? I really liked the fact that your masters are very curious. They are eager to learn and are always very passionate about the process. I can say that they are all great guys, I see that they are all very skillful and talented. How did your passion for body art begin? As an artist I have been drawing for over thirty years. She painted on canvas, on canvas, on walls, on all types of surfaces. About five years ago I decided to try myself in a new direction and asked myself the question: on what surface have I never painted? And I realized that I had never painted on a human body. I thought that I definitely need to try this. When I read about body art on the Internet, I realized that there is a separate world of masters who work in this direction. Little by little I began to contact people from this field. I bought paints and started working. A person is a specific surface, compared to a door or a wall. A living thing that moves. As an artist with thirty years of experience, what are the fundamental differences between a drawing on a person and a drawing on a stationary surface? Of course, this is a completely different world. And it really helped me that when I started doing body art, I already knew the rules of drawing. Drawing on the body and drawing on any other type of material are two completely different directions. But knowing the rules of drawing helped me a lot. Naturally, I had to learn a lot of new things. The most important thing was to understand how the body moves, that it has a 3D shape, and how to take these features into account when bringing your ideas to life. In my creativity, my worldview and my way of thinking have changed. In body art, there is probably a set of some basic rules. How were they formed? There are no truisms. There are also clear rules for body art. This is an art that evolves. At this stage, it has not yet been codified or unified into any summary. But, naturally, the basic basic rules of painting also apply to body art. What should the ideal model for body art be like – in terms of body type and character type? The ideal model is one who likes to have body art done on her. First of all, she must love what she does, she must like working as a model. When you present a work at a competition, then, of course, you need to have a harmonious body - the model is not very thin, but not too fat. It is also important that the model can move beautifully. A good model is a model who feels good in front of the cameras, who is not shy or embarrassed. If she is embarrassed, then the whole image will be crumpled. She must be able to show herself and show the composition. I very often work in tandem with my daughter. So I have the model at home and almost never have to look for it. But, if I have to choose, then I will choose a girl who already has experience, with whom I will have an understanding on an emotional level, on the same wavelength. This makes it easier to work and better results. But hair color and eye color are secondary. If necessary, you can choose colored lenses. The works of many artists or photographers often show a love for certain techniques and colors. In body art, can a master have any preferences in colors or designs, or does it all depend solely on the task, on the model? And do you have any preferences? I really like curves and harmonious lines. I love copying images and transferring them into body art. I like to come up with my own images. Fantasy images, even surreal ones, are also very close. Surrealism is the movement that is closest to me. Do you improvise a lot while working? In general, does improvisation and impromptu have a place in body art? There are so many ways and techniques. There is, for example, a show called “Action paint” - when they paint on the body with voluntary movements. And there is another way - with preliminary preparation of sketches. Usually at competitions tasks are given in which the master can show himself from different sides, these sides make up the totality of skill - this is the ability to draw, and the ability to compose a composition, and the ability to present the essence of this composition. That is, most often body painting is a demonstration of all your skills. Can you identify the main techniques and schools in body art? I believe that every master can express himself the way he wants. It is very good when a master can create his own individual style. When you do some work, you need it to be recognizable, the hand of a certain master must be visible. What exactly is recognizable in your works? What exactly do your colleagues and journalists consider your specialty? My personal style has developed over time, through trial and error. I really like to use bright colors, strong contrasts of light and dark shades. I also like the rounded lines. I really love using drapery. I think my work is recognizable by the type of lines and choice of colors. In general, I like to use a wide range of colors—all the colors of the rainbow are my favorites. Last year you took second place in the world competition. Are you a gambling person? Is victory, high places important to you, or do you just want to show yourself? First of all, I like to do body painting. But I also like to be involved in some kind of game. Participation in competitions also brings recognition. Do competitions have a clear set of requirements for participants or is it all just improvisation? Participants are awarded votes based on certain criteria. The first is the technical level of the work, the second is the composition, the third is the interpretation of the theme. Do you already have refereeing experience? Share a secret: what qualities can a participant have that will blow your mind and immediately gain your sympathy? I have experience. Many components matter to me. Naturally, quality is very important. The essence of the composition also means a lot. I will always appreciate originality, creating your own ideas, and not copying someone else’s. Body art is a very creative field. Surely, you draw inspiration not only from the works of your colleagues, but also from other sources. What is this? What is your favorite place on the Italian coast, favorite movie, music, people on the street? I may get inspiration from a book I read, or from a beautiful landscape. My dream can become an inspiration. Inspiration can also come from my own searches when I study a certain topic. Of course, music - I used to play the piano, sing, and dance. Then I decided to devote more time to painting, photography, and theater. I like all types of art. My daughter is a singer - in rock and blues styles! Surely, in order to start doing body art you need a lot of financial investments? After all, high-quality paints are not cheap? Or should novice craftsmen not spend money on expensive materials? The most expensive paints are not always of high quality. For beginning craftsmen, you must first find out exactly what materials need to be used for drawing on the body. You cannot use acrylic paints, for example. You need to know all the information about the materials used, know which products are suitable for the body. And, naturally, as in any other industry, in order to learn something, you need to undergo training from professionals. Attend the same international festivals and shows. And the cost of paints is the second question!