Telos

telos-bodypainting-12This was a spontaneous piece done on the fly with input from the model.

In this body painting, we have the diamond as at the focal point with the word “Telos” as the main theme which is fitting for the conversation about where we are going in life, the purpose of life, the destiny.

We also incorporated words like “fulfillment” and “wonder” that relate to the state of being when we’re doing what we’re supposed to in life. And to illustrate the powerful force of nature that shapes our lives, we included the wave on the left arm.

The colors used are broadly divided into 2 to symbolize the heritage of the model whose parents came from 2 different cultures.

In her own words:

I was and continue to be somewhat avoidant in addressing the theme of becoming, particularly the concept of who you are and who you’ll be.

It’s implied these two things are different but in both cases still Anne. So, you’re asked:

1.) What makes you essentially you?
2.) What about you is subject to change?

My understanding of telos is the idea that everything has an ultimate end. Nature, like flowers or bees, are perfect (to me) in that they come into the world with a purpose and serve it straight up.

Cells make up organs, organs make up organ systems, and organ systems make up people. I think it’s selfish to stop there. People make up societies, but in the same way cells don’t know what higher level operations they’re contributing to, I think we might not know what we make up.

This might help the very human feeling of self-importance and taking yourself too seriously. Besides, what’s important is different to different people at different times.

Model: Anne