Lindel Hart, Owner/Director of Hart Yoga

For the last few months, I have been working with henna artist Kelly Flaherty and photographer Paul Teeling on a project tentatively called, A Body of Work, which examines the intersection of three art forms -- henna body art, photography and yoga.

A Body of Work represents the culmination of a lifetime of creative expression. In a literal sense the human body is a canvas onto which is painted a design concept. But the body is also a container for all the creative work that has led each of us to this moment in our lives and our careers. For me as a yoga teacher and practitioner, the human body is a work of art in and of itself, constantly changing and evolving, beautiful in all its imperfections. The body tells its own story.
 

It is one thing to document the body, to document painting or drawing or other forms of visual art. But when the art is drawn on the body; when the story of a life is written on the body, albeit abstractly; when movement and stillness are expressed in photography and videography, it goes beyond documentation. It is this confluence of yoga, henna designs, photography and video as an expression of three artists that is truly exciting to me.

Since my first henna design by Kelly, I was intrigued by this form of temporary artistic expression and wanted to explore it further. I half-jokingly asked Kelly if she had ever done a full-body application of henna, and although she hadn’t, she was eager to try it. We knew early on that if we were to engage in such a huge undertaking, it had to be documented. Paul’s idea was to go beyond merely documenting a process or an end result; he proposed creating artistic photographs and a video that will stand on its own as a work of art.
 

We had designated a week in mid-July as our intense work week, and I cancelled three days of classes at the studio. We transformed Hart Yoga from a yoga studio into a photo studio on Monday afternoon, loading in lights, backdrops, scrims and all the other equipment needed for the shoot. Even though we faced several obstacles which could have derailed the project, we persevered and A Body of Work unfolded during the week with amazing results.
 

Over three days of application, Kelly created spectacular henna designs that felt simultaneously modern and tribal, organic and architectural. Paul shot photo and video footage of me prior to the henna application, as well as during and after – seven days of shooting in all. In the crunch period mid-week we were at the studio for 17 or more hours a day, and yes, it was exhausting. But the end result was thrilling!
 

This, however, is just the beginning. Paul plans to create a multimedia installation, including the video he envisioned, as well as still photographic images. My goal is to create a book that explores the intertwining of these art forms through essays, reflections and images. Would we do it again? I can speak only for myself, but I would do it without hesitation! It’s a powerful collaboration with two amazing artists, and I loved working with them.
 

Check out the Hart Yoga blog -- http://hartyoga.blogspot.com/ -- for a more detailed narration and more photographs of A Body of Work, and visit www.hartyoga.com for more information about Hart Yoga classes, workshops and special events.