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Nude Models Covered in Body Paint Blend Into Patriotic Landmarks

trina merry body art

White House – Embrace

Body paint artist Trina Merry constantly wows us with her work, which manages to flawlessly camouflage her models. In her series Sweet Land of Liberty, Merry poses her subjects in front of iconic patriotic landmarks. From the White House to the Freedom Tower, these historic pieces of architecture become the backdrops for mind blowing art.

Jessica Mellow provides the human canvas for body painting in front of the White House. Hand over heart, she pledges allegiance, asking Americans to think about what they have to be grateful for. Typically, Merry asks models to present several different pose options, allowing them to participate in the final product. In some situations, that pose can have a special significance. Such was the case for her work in front of the Lincoln Memorial. “In this case my hip and gorgeous African American model is reaching out a hand to help my Caucasian model up in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Obama's birthday,” the artist explains. “I'd say heavy significance.”

And sometimes, unexpected fun occurs before the final picture is snapped. In this case, a shocked Ben Franklin ambled up to the model outside of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. In the end, how does Merry want spectators to interpret her body painting? “I want to people to make their own sort of ideas and judgements about my work, but often it has to do with body acceptance,” she shares with Time Out New York. “I hope that people have some conversations about the body when they look at my work. I think it’s supposed to be read that way. Maybe it will give them some courage to accept their own bodies.” Hear the artist discuss her work further in the video below.

body painting trina merry

Jefferson Memorial

trina merry body art

Washington Monument

trina merry body paintings

Supreme Court

body painting trina merry

Lincoln Memorial

body painting trina merry

Freedom Tower

trina merry body painting

Independence Hall

Worlds Collide When Ben Franklin Crashes the Party:

trina-merry-sweet-land-liberty-bodypainting-4

Trina Merry: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [this isn't happiness]

All images via Trina Merry.

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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