body art

American  

noun

1. an artistic practice or style of the 1960s and 1970s developing from conceptual art and performance art and utilizing the artist's body as both the subject and object in such experimentation as decoration, wax casts, and even mutilation.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• body artist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of body art

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

It was meant to address concerns about hygiene and safety, but the law also played into social norms in a conservative country where body art is still deeply frowned upon.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

In a video, the museum said it took artists 10 days to re-create the details of Johnson’s intricate body art.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2023

Or call it high art to body art.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 19, 2023

Mr. Sherland was charged with performing body art on a person under 16 years of age, regardless of parental consent, and for giving his son the piercing without a license.

From Washington Times • Apr. 24, 2023

It was a breathtaking piece of body art.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older