Special Effects Makeup Artist Brent Blaze Is A Living Canvas
Brent Blaze considers himself a living canvas as for him not adhering to society's standards is true happiness, allowing him to express his genuine self!
Not only does he draw all of his costumes, but he also saws them himself while doing the makeup for the given costumes on top of everything!
His lifestyle extends to life show performances at the Office Nightclub at Rockford, where he puts on shows for people not only for personal fulfillment, but to also convey his message that it's okay to be different!
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
By Nikola Bonev
Meet Special Effects Makeup Artist Brent Blaze, a man who considers himself a living canvas with looks that range from mild to absolutely wild! Brent Blaze’s original inspiration for his odd lifestyle as a living human canvas was originally derived from his first job as a makeup artist in a haunted house where he made his and some other character’s makeup, and after that it simply kinda escalated into what we have today with him being a true phenomenon of oddness!
He keeps sketches that are basic outlines for his costumes on a wall which he calls his “looks/idea wall", and he comes to it every time he feels a little lost in direction or simply needs a slight inspiration.
Brent not only does the makeup for his costumes, but saws them himself as well to not only avoid physically differing in appearance from other performers and drag queens, but to also express his personal authenticity, as the clothing and the makeup are just a medium for him which provide the opportunity to free himself from adhering to society’s standards, which he considers true happiness on a personal level!
His inspiration comes mostly from Dr. Seuss’s “Who” characters, having one of his aesthetic persona’s managing to attain the “Look of the month” nomination during the “Pride month” event as a contemporary amalgamation of clothing and makeup!
His nomination, design, and ultimately, the general approach with which he formulates his art is a testament to his ability to differ from other performers and drag queens, proving without a doubt that all of his work is a genuine extension of his artistic merit, rather than a simple “costume overhaul”.
When creating looks, which are an amalgamation of his ideas, sewing designs, and even his makeup artistry, he doesn't really label any costumes in the traditional gender roles, and whilst some costumes are more feminine and others are more masculine, there’s no clear lining between the two which is one of his artistic signatures.
Regardless of the gender-based connotation the costume relays, on a very primordial level his style is very "primary" in the sense that his utmost recognizable artistic feature is that all of his costumes are drenched in "kindergarten colors", with all of his features being exaggerated (having his eyes being larger than normal, his lips being larger than normal, going out totally bald or putting a voluptuous and color-drenched wig on top his shaven head and things alike!);
For Brent Blaze, putting on a costume and complimenting it with makeup is not just a form of masquerade, as after he’s finished dressing up, he’s literary personifying a character, transforming himself into a totally different being in the process!
The whole process of dressing up and turning into a living canvas is just a medium for Brent, as he also does live stage performance at the Office Nightclub at Rockford, during which he feels the most alive and true to himself, as well as emotionally fulfilled as he's also feeding on the emotions of the audience, whether is gasping, admiration or simply the enjoyment which his audience experiences as he performs his personal magic.
His ultimate message with his lifestyle is to show people that not only they shouldn’t be scared to feel however they desire to feel, but also act and look in the most genuine way that describes them, regardless of the rigid norms of society!
While on first glance this whole ordeal might look somewhat superficial or simply a very niche form of acting, with a closer look and better understanding of the inner mental and emotional process behind the act, it’s clear that it’s more-so a form of a lifestyle and to a degree, even a form of a revolt against the rigid norms of society who tend to dictate what’s acceptable and not, more often than not putting people like Brent in harm’s way by inhibiting their genuine need to express themselves in the manner they see fit!
Brent Blaze voices out against normalization and even goes out of his way to prove that oddness is not a quirk, but a personal preference in art and style, and ultimately even a form of genuine self-expression, which is exactly why Travis Hoefle went out and personally interviewed Brent.