About the Series
New York City artist Trina Merry’s camouflage body paint series, Cityscapes, and Skylines highlight some of the unique features of cities through an intriguing artistic lens. Completed from 2016 to 2020, Cityscapes and Skylines utilizes body painted models that blend into the background of cities. Each completed work is a reminder of the uniqueness of each image, serving as somewhat of a pseudo-fingerprint. Merry notes, “You can leave the city, but it will never leave you.” This statement is encapsulated by the images from this series.
Although the series takes root primarily in New York, it also features works from other areas including Seattle, Florence, and Toronto. The body paint concept is becoming a calling card for Merry who states, “I use human models and body paint to breathe life into landscapes. In urban scenes where the view seems so cold and lifeless, I am able to juxtapose the hard lines of architecture against the softness of human curves to create images that are thought-provoking and provocative.” This blending of humanity and structure is quite apparent in her thought-provoking visuals which focus on the theme of body positivity.
If camouflage is defined as “hiding or disguising the presence of a person, animal, or object, Merry dubs her art “Camouflage 2.0 – the ability to bring awareness to elements of life that have previously been camouflaged.” She notes that the strengths of the Cityscapes and Skylines series comes from the energy of working with a human model, an experience she describes as a “blank canvas with a heartbeat.” Each painting process can take up to three hours and requires absolute stillness from the models. The public nature of the conception of these works adds to the difficulty as well as the artistic statement.
1. Williamsburg NYC Skyline
“The freedom is amazing. Trina is so bloody talented and her artwork is absolutely mind blowing! Every picture by her is just stunning and you feel lucky to be a part of it. She is the kind of person you ask “...are you real?!” I’m so happy I’ve experienced body painting and now I have my own artwork! Personally I have so many complexes about my body and I could never imagine I would take a picture naked! But I did! And I loved it .. from the beginning it felt weird to be naked around people but as soon as she started painting my body I felt so free, beautiful .. that day is unforgettable for me!” Mari Mose
There is perhaps no skyline in the United States more recognizable than that of New York City. The city’s myriad of established cityscapes is one of the reasons it is featured so prominently in this series. This image shows the NYC skyline from the Williamsburg neighborhood. The painting of the buildings across the chest of the model displays detailed body paint work that truly highlights Merry’s expertise, enabling her to maintain the skyline cast upon the curves of the human body.
Click to see more of Trina Merry’s NYC Camouflage Bodypaintings
2. Toronto Skyline
“What a memorable day it was when you merged my body into skyline of Toronto. How incredible the river , the sky and CN tower looked! Though it was so cold morning, I never felt Toronto that quiet before. Everyone just ran around all the time but this was a very peaceful morning, stopping for a minute to create an art. Me, Trina and few birds were lost in our artistic world.” -Julie Atara
Situated on Lake Ontario and sporting the iconic CN Tower, Toronto’s skyline is captured in this image in her body painting gallery. The model’s pose appears welcoming to viewers. Unlike many of Merry’s works, the model in this image does not fully blend in like a ghostly apparition but rather greets the viewer, illustrating greater humanity with the arc of her arms breaking with the structure of the background a bit to create a slight bit of abstraction.
3. Los Angeles Cityscape
“I’m 37 yrs old and I don’t have it together (from the outside it may seem like I do). This experience allowed me to be true to myself. This allowed me to face all my insecurities. Belly too big, too much cellulite on my thighs, my arms are too big etc. As I was naked on a DTLA rooftop: I felt cold, nervous and vulnerable but yet I felt free! I experienced something I’ve never experienced before, I felt liberated. This was an empowering moment for me. This was the greatest gift of love that I gave myself. I’m not my belly, I’m not my cellulite, I’m not my big arms, I’m me and that’s enough.” -Veronica
This image provides an interesting contrast between tradition and modernity with a defining, slightly diagonal line cut between the new glass-encased high-rises in the background and the more traditional buildings in the foreground. Here, the body paint allows the model to blend into the cityscape with ghost-like precision.
Click to view more of Trina’s Urban Camouflage Bodypaint series from around the world.
4. Brooklyn Pier Skyline
“Being body painted is an affirmation to myself that I am still a person no matter what is (or isn't) on my body.” -Emma Vega, mental health specialist
Another view from New York City, this image captures more of the natural elements of the NYC cityscape. Here, the image is snapped from an angle that allows the model to clearly be juxtaposed against the background while still highlighting the complexity of the body paint process. This image speaks to strength and confidence, a strong reminder of body positivity.
5. NYC Subway
“It was absolutely fascinating to see how I could be camouflaged into the city-scape. Trina’s vision and ability to execute are truly incredible. I feel so fortunate to have had this artistic experience” -MJ Dauer
This image stands out as quite unique from the others in this body painting gallery. The New York City subway is often maligned for its lack of cleanliness; however, this image is almost sterile in nature with sharp lines and a lack of any natural element. With his eyes closed and posture, the model appears subdued. This could speak towards the routine of the commute.
6. Guggenheim
“The experience at the Guggenheim was one of my favorites. There was so much love from the other models, and it helped take the brunt of explanation away from Trina and I. It’s nice to have people curious about outside paintings, but sometimes (this could just be me personally) it gets to be a bit overwhelming. I love being in group painting projects for that reason! That way, when a person comes along - that for whatever reason - decides to speak negatively or crudely about what they’re seeing, there’s love and strength in numbers to combat it. When I first started doing outdoor camos, negative feedback didn’t really bother me much. But as I’ve gotten older, I think my patience for small minded people has shrunk! Art is art! Take it in, ask questions, experience it fully, but be respectful. I say all of that, but also know that more people actually ARE lovely and open and wonderful.” -Simone Bart
The Guggenheim is one of the most recognizable museums in the world due to its interesting architecture. Here, a nude model clad only in tennis shoes blends into this iconic building. This image is particularly interesting due to the lack of straight lines in the cityscape, distinguishing it from many other entries into the series.
7. Florence Skyline
“I am a dancer and body painting model, in 2018 I had the honor of posing for this artist. Although it was a cold, rainy, and demanding day, it was absolutely the most beautiful one where Trina Merry managed to create a real masterpiece on me with fantastic precision. I was curious to see the final result, as soon as I saw it I was amazed. It was staggering. I hope to be able to pose for her again because I am sure it will be another magnificent masterpiece. Florence skyline among all the works in which I posed remains my absolute favorite. I love it.” -Silvia Minervino
Here, Merry poses with her model in Florence, with the Duomo of the Florence Cathedral in the background. The model is carefully detailed with body paint to match the Italian Gothic architecture of the cityscape. The juxtaposition of the artist and the “canvas with a heartbeat” helps further illustrate the transformation that occurs in these projects.
Click to view more of Trina’s Florence Bodypaint Series
8. Oculus World Trade Center Cityscape
“I love our WTC painting because it’s so peaceful. Just very contemplative and quiet. But that morning was busy! It was windy, there were tourists and people going to work and loads of people in uniform. Streets were closed, construction, morning rush hour... We had to start the painting over actually; we were moved from our original spot. The City now is more a reflection of the painting. Quiet. Reflective. It’s strange; it doesn’t feel like NYC. But we can still put our hands over our hearts and feel them beating. We can pledge to remember those we lost. We can pledge to come back, again, better. We can stand, vulnerable, open, and know that a City, a Country - is it’s People.” -Dara Swisher, artist & art model - NYC
Perhaps one of the more moving pieces in this series, a model stands in a patriotic pose, hand-to-heart in front of One World Trade Center. Encased in hues of white and with a posture of peaceful resolve, the model speaks to a oneness of American unity, something needed once again in today’s current crisis.
9. St. John the Divine
“What I love about St. John the Divine is how it appears out of nowhere. In the middle of a modern metropolitan city one happens upon the biggest Gothic Cathedral in the world. It takes the brain a second to comprehend. And in that break we are removed from reality as-it-is, and our normal everyday conditioned patterns and habits. Suddenly, if only for that second, there is magic and mystery in the world.
Trina’s camouflage body painting offers the same. Not everything is as it appears to be. What presents itself to be an everyday mundane scene, suddenly inspires a second glance - a hidden figure now within. We are called to look upon the familiar with new eyes, and freshly see, perhaps, what we have up until now taken for granted.
Covid-19 invites us now into a similar stumble. Our lives can not continue as they have before. We are awoken from our sleepwalking and made aware of the fragile infrastructure of our society. We begin to see what has taken for granted and start to reassess what truly matters. If we can, in this in-between moment- again tap into the magic and mystery, hold onto wonder and imagination, nothing will be the same.”
-Zachary Koval
Here, a model is paired with the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. Note the intricate use of grays and other muted tones to create the blending effect with detail down to the lines on the highway. In this work, the body paint is rendered in a manner that makes the human subject and cityscape come together as one.
10. Seattle Skyline
“I’ve always been so self-conscious of the way I look, and I was afraid to have strangers look at me naked, and that mine images may not turn out as good because I consider myself bigger. I felt amazing, it was the bravest thing I have ever done and it was so empowering and liberating. I never liked the way I looked (especially nude) until that day! I absolutely love it! It completely outdid my expectations and I love looking at it every day. I think everyone should try it at least once in their life! I know it’s probably not for everybody but I think it would give people an amazing outlook on how beautiful their bodies truly are! Everyone deserves to love the body they're in, and this completely made me rethink how I see myself; I can’t wait to do it again.”
-Kaylee Ogle, Seattle.
Greenery is a theme in environmentally conscious Seattle. Thus, it is no surprise that Merry’s work from here captures many of the natural aspects in the cityscape along with the world famous Space Needle. Perhaps the strongest point of this work is the body positive posture and mannerisms of the human subject, who stands triumphant and statuesque.
“When experiencing body paint for the first time (being on display so to speak) made me feel a deep sense of vulnerability and self consciousness I’ve never known.’ -CorBen Williams, IG: @corben_w
Conclusion
While the Cityscapes and Skylines series has been developed over many years, it is interesting that the body painting series is unveiled at the current time when many of our public spaces around the world sit eerily vacant.
Merry’s work blends humanity, nature, and architecture into a singular form, highlighting the character and personality of the urban environment. This is something incredibly important in current times.
“As so many of us in cities are scattering to shelter in safety and feel displaced from our communities, I wanted to remind you that we each leave unique cultural fingerprints. Our cities hold the shape of you until you can return.”
Merry makes these comments while sheltering in Dallas – away from her NYC home. Her art truly illustrates the symbiotic relationship between cities and humanity, a comforting note in current times.