Flippin Beautiful

 

October 31, 2021

Flippin Beautiful

Body painting as an art form can be found throughout Key West during Fantasy Fest week and you see all manner of people wearing nothing but body paint along Duval Street and out at the parties and events. Body Paint artists come from around the country and set up shop downtown. You can’t walk more than a few feet without coming across them.

We also have a good number of excellent local artists who have honed their craft on countless human canvases over the years who give the out of towners good competition as some of the very best are the local artists who have had years of practice. Each year for the past 20 years, the Sunset Pier has hosted the Living Art Expo- a competition featuring people who have given their bodies over as canvases to the best of the best in what is one of the most sought-after tickets of the week.

Held each year on Friday night at the pier, the contest attracts about 30-35 contestants who spend the evening gracing the stage before a packed house and a series of judges who rank and rate the contestants for cash prizes.

I have attended for the past decade or so, arriving early to capture photos of the entries before the show actually begins and usually departing before the winner is decided, as they tend to drag the competition out so that patrons can get a good look and to sell a few more beverages. I try to get photos of all the contestants while the artwork is still fresh.

 

Once again, I did not stay to watch the finals of the competition, so I have no idea who won. As usual there are always some amazing people and artwork, but I wanted to head up Duval Street to the Effusion Gallery where my friend, artist and photographer Tom Flip was having an art opening celebrating the release of his new photo art book, “Flip 2”. 

Tom has been documenting Key West with his “Faces” series, doing two series of portraits of Key West residents as well as an awesome series called “Faces of Fantasy Fest” in 2019. This opening celebrated photos from his newest book which features tasteful nudes of a bevy of Key West women, many who are friends of ours.

While it may seem strange to be in an art gallery with friends when the walls are covered with nude photos of those friends, in Key West, it is just another Friday evening. The opening was awesome because of the great art, but also because there were so many of our friends there. Key West is full of smart, creative and talented people and Tom Flip certainly qualifies. Not only is he a great photographer, but he also produces the best podcast in Key West, hosting iconic Key Westers in fantastic interviews.

It was a good decision to host the opening during Fantasy Fest as the subject matter sort of fit right in to the sexy vibe that the festival always represents. It marked a great way to cap off a fun Friday of Fantasy Fest. I am looking forward to one more solid day of Fantasy fest, 2021.

https://www.tomflip.com/index