Origins and History
Body art - at least in the form of body painting - dates back to the era of prehistoric art and the use of colour pigments, like red ochre, for cultural purposes. Face painting and tattooing, also derive from ancient art as practised around the world, from North America to New Zealand, while mime dates back to dramatic gestural art forms of Ancient Greece. The most modern forms include body statues (a form of street art), nail art, and performance body art. The latter first emerged during the mid-60s and, after something of a decline, reappeared in the 1990s.