What does it mean to be human? In Human Canvas, Art Wolfe uses his exceptional photography and his background in fine-art painting to transform skin into an abstract landscape. Inspired by the body-painting traditions of indigenous peoples Wolfe has photographed worldwide, and particularly those in Ethiopia and Papua New Guinea, Wolfe set out to present his own take on this art form and explore concepts of universal beauty. Through the use of lines, patterns, textures, and unusual points of view, Wolfe abstracts the human form and creates a unique and captivating look of the human body as art. The result is an energized expression of both artistic mastery and cultural impact.

Says Art about Human Canvas:

”At first glance, one would see this new body of work as starkly different from any I have done in the past. But in fact, this is a natural evolution of my work and interests.

These works are created with the objective toward theatrical as opposed to erotic. Nevertheless, many of the landscapes and human forms are inescapably sensual in nature. Having traveled often over the past 30 years to remote cultures, nudity is more the norm than not. One could say traditional and religious teachings have impressed upon our culture that the human nude form be viewed somewhat differently. I value challenging the perception of these concepts.

If you look closely, you will see a direct progression from the work I have done earlier in tribal communities, where spots, lines, and textures play heavily into the ornamental decoration that remote peoples use during celebrations.

Additionally, I have drawn heavily from the images I did in my book Vanishing Act, a collection showing how evolutionary traits benefit animals in disguising themselves from predators.

In this new series, I have tried to abstract the human form through the use of line, patterns, texture as well as unusual angles of view.”

Over his expansive career, Wolfe has traveled to every continent. He has ventured from 19,000-foot heights on Mount Everest to the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia, 410 feet below sea level, as well as deep into sacred lands on the Tibetan Plateau, the Indian subcontinent, and the desert Southwest. He has visited indigenous tribes deep in the Amazon rainforest, high in the Baliem Valley in Western New Guinea, and in Ethiopia’s arid Omo River valley. Each new group of people he connected with showed him that, despite our cultural differences, inside we’re all just human. Through this fearless effort by a photographer uniquely qualified by study and life experiences in the cultural and artistic worlds, Wolfe manages to universalize the concept of human beyond race, gender, politics, or any other differentiating feature.

The son of commercial artists, Art Wolfe was born on September 13, 1951 in Seattle, Washington, and still calls the city home. He graduated from the University of Washington with Bachelor’s degrees in fine arts and art education in 1975, where he studied under professors such as Jacob Lawrence. His photography career has spanned six decades, a remarkable testament to the durability and demand for his images, his expertise, and his passionate advocacy for the environment and indigenous culture. During that time he has worked on every continent, in hundreds of locations, and on a dazzling array of projects.