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Carol Beckwith
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Painted Bodies: African Body Painting, Tattoos, and Scarification Hardcover – Illustrated, September 18, 2012

by Carol Beckwith (Author), Angela Fisher (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 38 ratings
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The seminal volume on body painting and adornment by the world’s preeminent photographers of African culture. Following the international masterpiece Africa Adorned, Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have focused on the traditions of body painting spanning the vastly unique cultures of the African continent. In a contemporary world so fascinated with tattoos and piercings, Beckwith and Fisher document the origins of these fashionable adornments as passed down through African tribal culture. Featured are portraits of the richly colored, detailed, and exquisite body paintings of the Surma, Karo, Maasai, Himba, and Hamar peoples, among others. Drawing from expeditions in the field and firsthand experiences with African peoples and cultures over the past thirty years and with more than 250 spectacular photographs, this is the definitive work on the expressiveness and imagination of African cultural painting of the human body.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Rizzoli
  4. Publication date
    September 18, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    12.3 x 1.31 x 16.1 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0847834050
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0847834051
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“PHOTO BOOKS OF THE YEAR. Documenting African cultures, Beckwith and Fisher create an iridescent record of the continent’s skin art: body painting, tattoos and scarification.” ~ American Photo

“..this beautiful book offers up large and colorful photos en masse...I paged through this volume transfixed, amazed at the simple beauty of the patterns and color utilized by the tribal artists documented with great respect for its subjects. This large coffee table-sized book takes great care to not only document the different body-painting styles of numerous tribes, but also to describe in chapter prefaces, the processes and cultural significance of the techniques.” ~Tattoosday

“Leafing through Painted Bodies, the eye-popping book...is a joyful experience. The vivid photos of painted and adorned bodies—some daintily dabbed with dots of paint, others lashed with bold streaks of color—mesmerize and uplift.” ~Professional Photographer

"Best known documenting African cultures, Beckwith and Fisher create an iridescent record of the continent's skin art: body painting, tattoos and scarification." ~American Photo

“It wrings one’s heart, however, when one realizes that these images may well be among the last records of this art that is at the dawn of all art. This book may be romantic and carries the authors’ knowledge very lightly, but if one images is worth 10,000 words, these pictures eloquently plead for the protection of the Omo Valley.” ~The Art Newspaper

"Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher’s unabashedly spectacular color photographs have nothing to do with art world fashions and trends. In their latest book, they document modern versions of practices thought to have continued for tens of thousands of years...  Pictures—intensely colored images that fill page after page with dramatically decorated faces and bodies—are the photographers’ primary achievement. Anyone who leafs through the pages of this book can see stunning evidence of ancient customs that seem to thrive, as well as survive.” ~Los Angeles Review of Books

About the Author

Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have photographed the peoples and cultures of the Horn of Africa for more than 30 years. Together, they exhibit internationally and lecture widely at prestigious venues such as the American Museum of Natural History, The Explorers Club, The Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, and the Royal Geographical Society. Their magazine credits include major features in Time, Life, Vogue, Marie Claire, and Elle.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rizzoli; Illustrated edition (September 18, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0847834050
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0847834051
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.3 x 1.31 x 16.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

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Carol Beckwith

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
38 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Rosemary Ahmann
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful ! amazing art
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2012
Verified Purchase
The art expression by the peoples of Africa is inspiring. An amazing collection of photographs by two of the exceptional experts on the fast disappearing groups on the African continent. Ms Fisher and Beckwith are wonderful photographers Their documentary style is a valuable contribution to the disappearing stories.of many tribal groups in Africa.
2 people found this helpful
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Peter J. Hudson
5.0 out of 5 stars Anthropology art and culture
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2013
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This is a treasure - a stunning collection of photographs of the people of Africa - an archive of the culture of threatened human groups. This is a big book and you will need to strengthen that coffee table but great value
Carol Beckwith - im a huge fan!
5 people found this helpful
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Sankhmmr
5.0 out of 5 stars Dear God, there is nothing else to say about ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
Dear God, there is nothing else to say about this superb title than, "Wow, you got me." Pure people captured purely. Well done!
3 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars it was an excellent book. the photos were great examples of how ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
it was an excellent book. the photos were great examples of how concepts of beauty and adornment vary across the many great and beautiful cultures of Africa.
One person found this helpful
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Sheldon Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars love this book
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2016
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love this book, I look thru it about 1 or twice month since I've own it. exotic and eye popping.
2 people found this helpful
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steven
5.0 out of 5 stars JUST WHAT I EXPECTED. THANKS!
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
JUST WHAT I EXPECTED .
THANKS!
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A.T.G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
Great Pictures !!!! you are going to learn a lot about different cultures and tribes.
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Christine Mcdonald
5.0 out of 5 stars Painted Bodies
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2015
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This is an absolutely riveting book, even if you have never been to Africa.
2 people found this helpful
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Linda
5.0 out of 5 stars ... explain how body painting originated and this is a beautiful book for that
Reviewed in Canada on September 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
We wanted a picture book to help explain how body painting originated and this is a beautiful book for that. Our students will be able to connect where body painting fits in human history, and the significance of it through the ages.
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oeildelynx
5.0 out of 5 stars Superbe
Reviewed in France on December 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
Un grand livre rempli de très belles photos de corps peints ou décorés. Un cadeau idéal. Pour ma part ces images m'inspirent dans mes peintures, mais on peut simplement apprécier la beauté et l'originalité de ces corps.
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Susan Stoppani
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent purchase.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2014
Verified Purchase
Fabulous book full of glorious, high quality colour plate photographs of African creativity and imagination. Explanatory text very informative. Very good price considering the wealth of beautiful contents. Book in good condition, well packed and arrived promptly. A good long-term investment - good experience all round!
One person found this helpful
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Ashok Verma
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice
Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2019
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Well written
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Gs Braun
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2017
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beautiful book, just really big format
One person found this helpful
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