Tim Gratton, Body Painter and Artist

Tim Gratton is an Australian artist and twice world champion bodypainter known as the leader of this artform. He was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England. At the age of 15 he joined and then served twelve years active service with the Royal Navy, he left to pursue a career in Fine Art. He first moved to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands to study fine art, painting and drawing where he lived for eight years and also studied for one year at The Bath Academy of Fine Arts, Britain.

He discovered the art of Bodypainting by accident at a friends party in Amsterdam in 1991, from which he developed it into what is seen today. Also in these early days he painted and bodypainted in Hungary. He has won the World Championships twice, the first time in 1993 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and the second time in 1997 in London, United Kingdom.

Whilst in Amsterdam, he hosted the very im-famous Australian artist, Harold ’Kangaroo’ Thornton. During the 1980’s, Harold influenced Tim to use bold pure colour. This influence is still with Tim today. The only other Australian artists to have been mentored by Harold are Martin Sharp and Ken Done.

Tim has exhibited in Holland, Hungary and the UK. In Sydney he shows his work from his studio. Since moving to Sydney, Australia,in 1997 Tim has developed his own brand of bodypaint. It was launched a few ago now and sells both in Australia and throughout the world.

The creation of art is paramount in his daily life. Either painting on canvas or on the body. During his career the need to develop an inexpensive body paint became apparent. He then set about finding a solution. Now a bodypaint carries his name and is manufactured in Sydney, Australia and is available throughout the world.

In 2000 a 52 minute Documentary was made entitled, The Art of Body Painting with Tim Gratton. This year, a second documentary is being made about Tim by Peter Clarke, Heaven and Earth Films. At present a third documentary is in pre-production, this will bring together a group of Australian aboriginals presenting traditional bodypainting and a group of city based contemporary bodypainters.

Back in 2000, Tim as the Director of the Australian Bodypainting Team visited Hong Kong. They attended the CIDESCO international bodypainting competition, they took first prize. He is now in the process of forming a World Governing Body to regulate and teach the art form via the European Bodypainting Association.

Tim devotes his time between painting on canvas, bodypainting, teaching and working commerically as an artist. His most recent project with members of the team, was to work on a feature film, titled Shadows of Time, a trans-atlantic project by Mike deRam Maria and Gernot Stadler. The film is described as a magical journey through love and redemption. Shot in the Austrian Alps and in the USA with an international cast and crew. Tim and the team painted 13 actors for the closing scene, dubed ’the last supper’. The approval given to the bodypainters by the producers, cast and crew was overwhelming praise.

At one time or another he has featured on most of the major news programmes in Australia and Europe including numerous radio interviews. As well as appearances in all the British national newspapers, many European and Australian publications. BLIK- H & D. Telegraf NL: High Society (U.S.A.) Kleine Zeitung Sydney Morning Herald. The Telegraph The Mirror. UK. Daily Mail. Total Sport Monthly Cleo Looks People MAX Scoop Ralph Artist’s Palette

His work is included in many private collections including HRH Prince Charles of England and Microsoft Inc, Washington, USA.

As the interest in Bodypainting grew, especially with the appearance of Demi Moore on the cover of Vanity Fair his career took a sudden surge upwards, and his service within the media became somewhat sought after. Travelling around the world appearing in major publications and for T.V. interviews he realised that he had stumbled across the oldest artform, that was drawing an enormous crowd, to which he promptly began to become at the forefront of this art movement!

Listed below are just a few media moments… M.T.V. (Worldwide) Total Sport-Aust. Love Rules-Aust. Channel 9 Today Show & Footy Show AFL. Optus 7 Soccer Show Channel V. Howard Stern (USA) Vox (Holland), RTL Fox USA. CNN. HKTV. Hong Kong Granada Tonight (U.K.) Big Breakfast, UK. Zemplen, Hungary. Fox cable USA CNN – worldwide news from Hong Kong. The Big Breakfast (U.K) Whale On (U.K.) Kilroy (U.K.) Eurotrash. Midday Show with Kerry Anne (Aust) In Melbourne Tonight (Aust). Good Morning Australia Paul Holmes Show (N.Z.)

As a working artist the opportunity to work within different cultures is vital. The cross over of experience, methods, touch us all, but especially with artists the dialogue stretches to include the canvas, the human body, portraits, life drawing and sculpture. When placing art on a body the objective is to utilise the body as a sculptural form. A great emphasis is placed on the model’s comfort at all times. To paint a canvas or the human body, is always a challenge!

The opportunity of experiencing any culture, that is willing to share the experience of being an artist is a place will visit. The result of these exchanges will be to exhibit his creations from that experience and share the cross over of cultures. The opportunity to utilise publicity that come as a result of his work should be to the benefit of everyone who he is associated with during the process and himself.

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