It’s no tongue-in-cheek matter for starving artists to endure hard times, eating whatever they can get their hands on — even if it’s not food. Ani K is all too familiar with the concept, as he laps up his paint, but not to eat — he actually paints with his tongue.
The drawing teacher from India’s southern Kerala state had an ardent aspiration to do something remarkably out of the norm, drawing inspiration last year from an artist he’d seen who painted with his foot.
“I always go for something different. So, first I tried to paint with nose, but noticed that few are already doing it. So, I thought of giving my tongue a try and succeeded.” the 30-year-old said.
“Many newspapers reported it. I got a good response. Then, I made it a regular practice.”
It’s no small surprise that Ani’s quirky painting technique using his tongue as a painting brush on canvas brings on bouts of nausea, cramps, and headaches.
When he first started out, he got severe head and body aches each time he tried painting with his tongue. Sick from the pungent fumes, he’s now grown immune to the effects through his deep-seated determination.
Gradually mastering this unorthodox method of art, he’s now able to finish a canvas in 3 to 4 days.
Ani has created 20 watercolors to date, including Mahatma Gandhi, Osama bin Laden, and his magnum opus of an 8 foot (2.4 meter) wide rendering of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples which took 5 months to complete.
He now plans to show 150 works in a gallery he’s building in his home with hopes to be ready in 6 months.
Impressed with his distinctive artistic style, his students have tried to emulate him.
“It is definitely a unique talent to paint the canvas using one’s tongue. I don’t think anyone else has ever tried this sort of a thing.” said student Shibum.
“Personally, I was so amazed that I joined him as a student and many people come here to see him working on canvas.”
Other Unusual Body Parts
Breast Painter
Ani K is not the only one who uses unusual body parts for art — Di Peel swapped her traditional paint brushes for breasts to create abstract works.
The Australian artist from Tasmania says breast painting came about after she discovered it by chance on the internet.
“There was a woman doing breast paintings and her boobs where quite small. I emailed the article to a friend and then my friend said well if you think you can do any better you should have a go. So I did.” says Di.
The artist told ABC North West’s Sian Gard, there’s a big market for breast painting.
Painting which became Di Peel’s business logo.Di freely admits that her unusual approach doesn’t allow for much detail.
“They are more like abstract flowers.” she told Hobart’s Mercury newspaper. “But my latest piece, people say, looks like the Earth from space. My son named it ‘earthquake’ because he thinks it looks like an earthquake.”
Gold Rush.
Di Peel works at her kitchen table rather than at an easel.
“I either apply the paint to my breasts and lean on to the canvas or apply the paint to the canvas and then lean into it to spread the paint.” she said.
Changing the colors of her palette entails endless showers, so she uses acrylic paint because it’s easier to wash off.
While new to the art world, Di is wary of those who would counterfeit her work. So how does a buyer know that they’re getting the genuine piece? “I sign every picture with my nipple.” she said.
You can see more of Di’s artwork at her website.
Butt Painter
Moonlighting artist Stephen Murmer paints with his buttocks — but lost his job in January 2007 as an art teacher from Chesterfield County, Virginia, when he gave an interview on the US TV show Unscrewed — in disguise — demonstrating his technique wearing little more than a thong and a fake nose
Murmer’s technique for his abstract art involves smearing his buttocks with paint, then pressing them on the canvas. When he requires greater detail, he uses his penis.
He said on the show, “I’m certainly proud of the ass painting.”
The one-of-a-kind paintings that would even make Picasso blush were selling briskly at $900 each.
The art teacher hired the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to challenge his firing after a video from the show on YouTube was widely circulated among his high school students.
The firing raised the First Amendment issue of free expression. Nonetheless, the school board seemed on solid ground because of previous court rulings that teachers are expected to set examples and serve as role models.
Murmer’s lawyer, Jason Anthony, said that the decision represented “a bad day for the First Amendment.” Students at Murmer’s school had previously described his suspension as ’stupid’ and ‘kinda retarded.’
The executive director of the Virginia chapter of the UCLU said a public employee such as former teacher Stephen Murmer has a right to free expression outside the workplace as long as it does not interfere with his job.
Weird perhaps, kinky perhaps but not obscene and not illegal, Stephen Murmur uses a pseudonym of Stan Murmer and takes pains to disguise his identity. His finished work, by the way, is not in any way obscene
Is there a big demand for this sort of thing? Well the market hasn’t quite bottomed out just yet, but there doesn’t appear to be any end in sight.
The ACLU announced March 7 2008 that it reached an agreement with the Chesterfield County School Board of the former Monacan High School art teacher. The paintings were produced at Murmer’s own expense and during his private time away from work.
“I am glad the School Board saw fit to pay Mr. Murmer about 2 years’ salary to compensate him for the harm he suffered.” said ACLU of Virginia cooperating attorney Tim Schulte.
“I only wish that the students at Monacan High would also be compensated for the loss of an exemplary teacher who was brave enough to stand on principle.”
Now ‘behind’ him, Stephen plans to go back to teaching, just not in Chesterfield.
You can learn more about his artwork on Stephen’s website.
