Sydney Body Art Ride

Sydney Body Art Ride

The Sydney Body Art Ride is a community-driven art event which raises funds for children's cancer research while promoting healthy sustainable living. It is held annually in the middle of February in Sydney, Australia.

Volunteer participants create an ephemeral moving artwork called "The Human Rainbow." which consists of hundreds of painted cyclists riding in groups to form a rainbow that travels through the city to a beach. At the beach the riders march into the sea and wash off the (biodegradable) paint. The event was conceived and orchestrated by Sydney-based artist Jake Lloyd Jones.

The meaning of the artwork is "Hope" which is expressed by individual riders using their personal community networks to raise funds for Children's Cancer Research. 100% of money raised is donated to the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia. The procession also expresses the communities support for the measures City of Sydney Council has undertaken to provide alternative options for the city's commuters.

Sydney Body Art Ride is a highlight of the New Mardi Gras Arts festival and attracts visitors from interstate and all over the world. The event is supported and endorsed by a large number of important Sydney identities including the Lord Mayor and other celebrities. The event is a-political and has the support of people from all sides of the political spectrum.

The artwork

This project gives ordinary members of the community a chance to be part of a unique artistic event. The community creates the artwork itself using their own bodies as the canvas. An annual photographic exhibition is held at the Pine Street Creative Art Centre to showcase the best photographs of the event.

Charity fundraising

Each rider is sponsored by family and friends and a prize is awarded to the person who raises the highest amount. A $2 or more donation is also collected from all participants. All of this money goes to the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia. Funding for expenses associated with the ride comes from City Council grants and the sale of photographs at the exhibition. The event has raised more than $20,000 for the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia.

World records

The Sydney Body Art Ride holds two World records: largest group of fully painted people and largest group of painted people on bicycles.

(source:wikipedia)

Body painting

Body painting,

or sometimes bodypainting, is a form of body art. Unlike tattoo and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, painted onto the human skin, and lasts for only several hours, or at most (in the case of Mehndi or "henna tattoo") a couple of weeks. Body painting that is limited to the face is known as face painting. Body painting is also referred to as (a form of) temporary tattoo; large scale or full-body painting is more commonly referred to as body painting, while smaller or more detailed work is generally referred to as temporary tattoos.

Traditional body painting

Body painting was very common used in the early 12th to mid 14th century by religious practitioners in rituals. This is an example of Gothic Art. It was common in the areas of countries we now refer to as France and Germany. Examples were displayed on frescoes, but primarily worn by members of the church clergy under robes. Primarily symbols on the arms, chest and back, these forms of identification led to Dalecarlian form of writing found in many northern European countries.

Dalecarlian symbols.

Body painting with clay and other natural pigments existed in most, if not all, tribalist cultures. Often worn during ceremonies, it still survives in this ancient form among the indigenous people of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific islands and parts of Africa. A semi-permanent form of body painting known as Mehndi, using dyes made of henna (hence also known rather erroneously as "henna tattoo"), was and is still practiced in India and the Middle East, especially on brides. Since the late 1990s, Mehndi has become popular amongst young women in the Western world.

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Indigenous peoples of South America traditionally use annatto, huito, or wet charcoal to decorate their faces and bodies. Huito is semi-permanent, and it generally takes weeks for this black dye to fade.

Actors and clowns around the world have painted their faces--and sometimes bodies--for centuries, and continue to do so today. More subdued form of face paints for everyday occasions evolved into the cosmetics we know today.

Modern body painting

A young woman with a butterfly painted on her chest.

There has been a revival of body painting in the Western society since the 1960s, in part prompted by the liberalization of social mores regarding nudity and often comes in sensationalist or exhibitionist forms.  Even today there is a constant debate about the legitimacy of body painting as an art form. The current modern revival could be said to date back to the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago where Max Factor and his model were arrested for causing a public disturbance when he bodypainted her with his new make-up formulated for Hollywood films.

Body art today evolves to the works more directed towards personal mythologies, as Jana Sterbak, Rebecca Horn, Youri Messen-Jaschin or Javier Perez.

Body painting is not always large pieces on fully nude bodies, but can involve smaller pieces on displayed areas of otherwise clothed bodies.

Body painting led to a minor alternative art movement in the 1950s and 1960s, which involved covering a model in paint and then having the model touch or roll on a canvas or other medium to transfer the paint. French artist Yves Klein is perhaps the most famous for this, with his series of paintings 'Anthropometries'. The effect produced by this technique creates an image-transfer from the model's body to the medium. This includes all the curves of the model's body (typically female) being reflected in the outline of the image. This technique was not necessarily monotone; multiple colors on different body parts sometimes produced interesting effects.

Joanne Gair is a leading body paint artist whose work appeared for the tenth consecutive year in the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.[2] She burst into prominence with a August 1992 Vanity Fair Demi's Birthday Suit cover of Demi Moore. Her Disappearing Model was part of the highest rated episode of Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Two body painted women in a PETA protest against the fur trade.

Body painting is commonly used as a method of gaining attention in political protests, for instance those by PETA against Burberry.

Body painting festivals

Georgetown University fans with painted torsos in Atlanta. Such painting is common in many sports.

Body painting festivals happen annually across the world, bringing together professional body painters as well as keen amateurs. Body paintings can also typically be seen at football matches, at rave parties, and at certain festivals. The World Bodypainting Festival in Seeboden in Austria is the biggest art event in the bodypainting theme and thousands of visitors admire the wonderful work of the participants.

Bodypaint festivals that take place in the US include North American Body Painting Championship and the Face Painting and Body Art Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fine art body painting

Reproduction of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night as body painting.

The 1960s supermodel Veruschka is often cited as being many body painters' muse.Her images in the book Transfigurations with photographer Holger Trulzsch have frequently been emulated.Other well-known works include Serge Diakonoff's books A Fleur de Peau and Diakonoff and Joanne Gair's Paint a licious.

Since the early 1990s bodypainting has become more widely accepted in the United States, and more and more body artists are beginning to come onto the national community.

Starting in late 2006 Sacramento art galleries started to use fine art bodypainting as performance art to draw new patrons.

In 2006 the first gallery dedicated exclusively to fine art bodypainting was opened in New Orleans by World Bodypainting Festival Champion and Judge, Craig Tracy. The Painted Alive Gallery is on Royal Street in the French Quarter.

In 2009, a popular late night talk show Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC network , featured a New York based artist Danny Setiawan who creates reproductions of masterpieces by famous artists such as Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and Gustav Klimt on human bodies aiming to make fine art appealing for his contemporaries who normally would not consider themselves as art enthusiasts.

Body painting in the commercial arena

Many artists work professionally as body painters across the world. Their work is seen regularly in television commercials, such as the Natrel Plus campaign featuring models camouflaged as trees. Body painters also work frequently in the film arena especially in science fiction with more and more elaborate alien creations being body painted. Stills advertising also used body painting with hundreds of body painting looks on the pages of the world's magazines every year.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, published annually, has in recent years featured a section of models that were body painted, attired in renditions of swimsuits or sports jerseys. Sometimes accessories are used such as bows or buttons. Some allege this allows SI to skirt their own no-nudity guideline.

In the 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion calendar, all Playmates appeared in the calendar wearing bikinis, but Playmates Karen McDougal and Hiromi Oshima actually appeared in painted on bikinis for their respective months. In October, 2005, the Playboy magazine cover featured a foldout of two models (Sara Jean Underwood and Victoria Thornton) wearing only body paint. The February 2008 cover of Playboy magazine featured Tiffany Fallon body painted as Wonder Woman. These covers and other body paintings done for Hugh Hefner's parties at the Playboy Mansion are created for Playboy by artist Mark Frazier.[citation needed] Michelle Manhart, Playboy model and former Air Force Staff Sergeant, recently posed in body paint for the cover of a 2008 pin-up calendar (published by Operation Calendar).

With the success of body painting, this has led to publications on this art form and also Illusion Magazine which is aimed to painters for all abilities, showcasing work around the world.

Face painting

Moche ceramic vessel depicting a man -possibly a warrior- with face painting. Larco Museum collection. Lima-Peru

Two children with painted faces.

Two men with painted faces, for the charity Children in Need.

Face painting is the artistic application of cosmetic "paint" to a person's face. There are special water-based cosmetic "paints" made for face painting; people should ask before having face paints applied what products are being used. Acrylic and tempera craft paints are not meant for use on skin and are not acceptable, nor are watercolor pencils or markers. Products not intended for use on skin can cause a variety of issues ranging from discomfort to severe allergic reactions.

From ancient times, it has been used for hunting, religious reasons, and military reasons (such as camouflage and to indicate membership in a military unit). In re-entered the popular culture during the hippie movement of the late 1960s, when it was common for young women to decorate their cheeks with flowers or peace symbols at anti-war demonstrations.

For several decades it has been a common entertainment at county fairs, large open-air markets (especially in Europe and the Americas), and other locations where children and adolescents are. Face painting is very popular among children at theme parks, parties and festivals throughout the Western world. Though the majority of face painting is geared towards children, many teenagers and adults enjoy being painted for special events, such as charity fund raisers.

There are many kinds of face paint, including:

Designs that include the emblems of favorite sports teams, cartoon characters, and other designs that are "cute" or otherwise appealing to the young.

Dramatic designs that appeal to all ages.

Costuming designs which transform the wearer into someone/something completely different, such as Jack Haley's silver face makeup as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.

Designs that endeavor to color the face in such a way to indicate solidarity with a cause, usually the outcome of a sporting contest or membership in a group.

Popular face painting designs include;

Tiger - This design, in most cases, consists of a body of orange and yellow paint, with black stripes painted on. Details include bushy eye brows and a muzzle or whiskers, alongside a black painted nose.

Clown - This design, in most cases, consists of a body of white painting. With shapes and features such as a red nose or bright eyes the model is made to take on the features of a circus clown.

Spider-Man - This is a body of red paint with white eyes and spider like black patterns on the models face. Similar to that of the mask worn by Spider-Man.

Dog - Commonly a dalmatian, this design is white with large black spots on the eyes and cheeks. A black nose is added along with whisker pores. A tongue is commonly added to give the effect of the model panting, similar to that of a dog.

Butterfly - A design consisting of the body of the butterfly being painted on the nose and the wings added across the cheeks. Wing patterns vary.

Cat - Many designs may feature under this heading. It could be a plain black tabby cat or a wild leopard. Either way, it usually consists of a neutral body of paint with bushy eyebrows and a muzzle.

It is common to find if someone is dressed in an animal costume, a black nose will be added alone to give the impression of an animal face and not just body. Sometimes, a full face is added or sometimes none at all.

Most theme parks have booths scattered around where a person can have a design painted on their face. A similar activity is the application of "instant tattoos", which are paint or ink-based designs that are put on as one unit and removed by means of water, alcohol, soap, or another mild solvent. More elaborate temporary tattoos may be made using stencils and airbrush equipment. Very recently, "glitter tattoos" have been gaining popularity. These are made by filling a stencil (or freehand painting a design) with The "Original Pink Glue" then coating the adhesive with cosmetic-grade glitter.

Use in military

A soldier applies green face paints as camouflage.

It is common in militaries all over the world for soldiers in combat scenarios to paint their faces and other exposed body parts (hands, for example) in natural colors such as green, tan, and loam for camouflage purposes.

Use in professional wrestling

Many professional wrestlers paint their faces as part of their costuming. Examples are The Ultimate Warrior, Road Warrior Animal and his tag team partner, Road Warrior Hawk, and Doink the Clown.

In the late 1980s, American professional wrestler Steve Borden, under the stage name Sting, wore colourful striped facepaint as part of his ring attire, in the National Wrestling Alliance and later, World Championship Wrestling. In the mid-1990s, the Sting character was modernised along the lines of Brandon Lee's The Crow, with black and white facepaint usually following a pattern similar to that of a scorpion. Upon joining the nWo Wolfpac stable in 1998, the facepaint was temporarily altered to red and black.

In 2002, WWE superstar Jeff Hardy began utilising facepaint in different variations. Upon being drafted to WWE's RAW brand in 2002, Hardy began wearing neon or ultraviolet body paint, that would glow in its colour under UV lighting placed on the entrance stage. Upon entering TNA Wrestling in 2003, Hardy's facepaint took on a more luminous quality, before being quietly retired in 2006, upon his WWE return. In 2008, Hardy resumed using facepaint as part of his ring attire. Hardy continues to use facepaint as a key part of his act, though he no longer wears it in on-screen non-wrestling segments.

Body paints

Bodypainting with fluorescent paint.

Modern water-based face and body paints are made according to stringent guidelines, meaning these are non-toxic, usually non-allergenic, and can easily be washed away. These are either applied with hands, paint brush, and synthetic sponges or natural sea sponge, or alternatively with an airbrush.

Contrary to the popular myth perpetuated by the James Bond film Goldfinger, a person is not asphyxiated if their whole body is painted.

Liquid latex may also be used as body paint and allows although wearing latex for a prolonged period may cause heat stroke by inhibiting perspiration and care should be taken to avoid the painful removal of hair when the latex is pulled off.

Manufacturers of widely available professional body and face paint include: Kryolan, Mehron, Snazaroo, Wolfe Face Art & FX, Diamond FX, Grimas, Ben Nye and Fardel.

The same precautions that apply to cosmetics should be observed. If the skin shows any sign of allergy from a paint its use should immediately be ceased. Moreover, it should not be applied onto open wounds, nor should it be applied too close to the eyes. It is not advisable to use paints or products which have not been formulated for use on the body as these can result in serious allergic reactions.

As for Mehndi, natural brown henna dyes are safe to use; however, synthetic black dyes containing PPD can cause serious skin allergies, and should be avoided due to the substantial risk of serious injury. Jagua is a dark indigo plant based dye that is safe to use on the skin and is approved for cosmetic use in the EU.

Hand art

Hand art is the application of make-up or paint to a hand to make it appear like an animal or other object. Some hand artists, like Guido Daniele, produce images that are trompe l'oeil representations of wild animals painted on people's hands.

Hand artists work closely with hand models. Hand models can be booked through specialist acting and modeling agencies usually advertising under "body part model" or "hands and feet models".

(source:wikipedia)

Pictures: Shopping centre bosses in Ashford say body painting artist is 'too rude'

A body painting artist has criticised shopping centre bosses in Ashford after he was ordered to cover up his near-naked models.

Artist Max Wragg said it was meant to be a stunning piece of art that went across the bodies of three women, but for some shoppers in County Square it was just too much.

He said: "I had arranged this event in advance and it was unfortunately spoilt by a handful of small-minded people.

"Hundreds of people were walking past and not one made any adverse comments to me, in fact quite a few stopped and asked what it was all about.

She said: "It is a shopping centre and, while I agreed he could do the body painting, he said there wouldn’t be any nudity.

"I think that the complainants may have thought that my models had bare breasts, however, this was not the case. They were all wearing nipple covers."

County Square manager Frances Burt said she made the decision after a few complaints from shoppers.

"While they weren’t completely nude, there were a few complaints."

Mrs Burt added: "I decided we were going to have to do something about it because there were people with children.

"If people go to the festival they have chosen to do so but this was in a public area. But he was fine about it and there wasn’t any problem."

The UK Body Painting Festival kicks off tomorrow at Bridge House in Mersham.

It begins with a painting class in the afternoon before beginning with a full programme of events on Saturday morning.

Mr Wragg added: "This happened despite me visiting the centre during the week and showing the manager pictures of artwork, explaining that the models wore underwear and nipple covers, which she said was fine.

"Last months festival in Austria attracted over 30,000 visitors and I would have liked to see the British festival also reach a mass audience.

"Sadly, my experience on Saturday does not make that very likely."

(source:kentonline.co.uk)

Artists shine at body painting festival

Artists Scott Fray and Madelyn Greco of Reidsville call themselves Team LivingBrush.

The name is apt.

Their canvas is the human body.

Fray and Greco placed second in the "Brush & Sponge" category of this year's World Bodypainting Festival, which took place July 12-18 in Seeboden, Austria. They won nearly $1,100 and an additional $750 to buy more body paint.

They did two paintings on Lauren Andress of New Orleans at different points during the competition, applying designs that Fray had sketched in advance. Each painting explored a different theme. One looked at subcultures; the other at sources of power.

"We're very new to the competing thing," Greco said. "Scott and I have been painting together for about six years. I was drawn to Scott because I saw his body-painting work on a woman at a festival. I chased her down and asked who had done that to her."

At first, Greco wanted to be painted. But in short order, she and Fray became a team. (They're also engaged.) She attributes Team LivingBrush's success to the attention the two artists pay to the lines of the body.

Foxy Moxy.

"Some people paint on the body as if it were a flat canvass. But the body has contours. We're approaching it with a more sculptor-like eye."

Fray, 45, sees painting on the body as the continuation of a long tradition.

"It's been done by every group of people in every age in every part of world," he said.

"I'm happy to make my current contribution. I see us as part of a long continuum of human expression."

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Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham,

Victoria Caroline Beckham (née Adams; born 17 April 1974) is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, fashion designer, author, businesswoman, actress and model.

During her rise to fame with the late 1990s girl pop group the Spice Girls, Beckham was dubbed Posh Spice, a nickname first coined by the British pop music magazine, Top of the Pops, in the band's July 1996, issue. Since the Spice Girls followed separate careers, she has had a solo pop music career, scoring four UK Top 10 singles. Her first single to be released, "Out of Your Mind", reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and is her highest chart entry to date. During her solo music career she has been signed to Virgin Records and Telstar Records.

Beckham has found more success as an internationally recognised and photographed style icon. She has had a career in fashion, designing a line of jeans for Rock & Republic and later designing her own denim brand, dVb Style. Beckham has brought out her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, entitled Intimately Beckham, which has been released in the UK and in the United States. In association with the Japanese store Samantha Thavasa and Shiatzy Chen, she has produced a range of handbags and jewellery. In addition, she has released two best-selling books; one her autobiography, the other a fashion guide.

In her television ventures, Beckham has had five official documentaries and reality shows made about her, some of which include Being Victoria Beckham and The Real Beckhams. Her last documentary to date was Victoria Beckham: Coming to America which documented her move to the United States with her family in 2007. She since made a cameo appearance in an episode of American TV series Ugly Betty, and been a guest judge on Project Runway, Germany's Next Topmodel, and American Idol (season 9).

Beckham is married to English footballer David Beckham with whom she has three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. As at 2009, the couple's joint wealth is estimated at £125 million.

Early life

Victoria Caroline Adams was born to Anthony and Jacqueline Adams at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex and raised in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire. Anthony Adams was an electronics engineer and the success of the family business meant a wealthy upbringing for Victoria and her siblings,Louise and Christian.

Adams attended St. Mary's High School in Cheshunt. She was embarrassed by her family's wealth and often begged her father not to drop her off outside the school in their Rolls Royce. Beckham said that during her schooling days, she was a victim of bullying, having been made to feel like an outsider. She commented "Children were literally picking things up out of the puddles and throwing them at me. And I just stood there, on my own. No one was with me. I didn't have any friends."

Adams was inspired by watching the musical Fame, and she subsequently decided that she would become famous. It was then that her parents enrolled her at Jason Theatre School.At 17 she attended Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey and studied dance and modelling. She was also in a band called Persuasion.

Career

Spice Girls

Victoria Adams (as she then was) joined the all-girl group Spice Girls, first called "Touch," in 1994, with Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm. She had previously answered an advertisement in The Stage in March 1993 which required girls who were "street smart, extrovert, ambitious and able to sing and dance".

In 1996 the group's first single, "Wannabe", went to number one in the UK, in the United States and other 29 countries, and would be followed by eight other successful number one singles from their albums, Spice, Spiceworld and Forever. Each member of the group received a nickname from the media. Victoria was called Posh Spice because of her refined attitude, form-fitting designer outfits, such as little black dresses, and her love of high-heeled footwear. The group was one of the most successful pop acts of the 1990s, selling over fifty-five million records worldwide.After the release of their third album, Forever (UK#2), which was much less successful than their previous two albums, the Spice Girls stopped recording, leading Beckham to try to build a solo career.

In 2007, the Spice Girls reformed and announced plans to embark upon a comeback tour, from which they were said to have made £10 million each ($20 million). Victoria had previously stated that she and her former Spice colleagues were enjoying their solo careers in various fields. She said "We're all still doing our own thing." Their "Greatest Hits" album was released in early November, and the tour began on 2 December 2007. Beckham has stated "I wanted my children to see that Mummy was a pop star. It was the last opportunity for them to stand in a crowd full of people screaming for the Spice Girls." When Beckham had her hair coloured brown for the reunion tour, she stated that her sons immediately reacted by saying "Oh my goodness, it's Posh Spice. She's back."During one Spice Girls performance at London's The O2 Arena, her three sons accompanied her on stage during "Mama", along with the other Spice Girls' children.She is the only member of the group not to sing a solo song on the tour, instead doing a makeshift catwalk and pose in the style of a fashion show, whereas the others each perform a number from their solo careers. One critic wrote "This time around Posh gets the biggest cheer when she sings her solo lines. She knows it too – and it seems to give her more and more confidence as the show goes on."

Filmmaker Bob Smeaton has directed an official film on the reunion. It is entitled Spice Girls: Giving You Everything and was first aired on Fox8 in Australia. It later aired in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2007 on BBC One.

As well as the sell-out tour, the Spice Girls were contracted to appear in Tesco advertisements, for which they were paid £1 million each.

Solo music artist

On 14 August 2000, Beckham released her first solo single, "Out of Your Mind" in collaboration with Dane Bowers and Truesteppers.The week of release coincided with the release of "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, resulting in a chart battle dubbed 'Posh vs. Posher' by the tabloids. Following a huge publicity campaign, "Out Of Your Mind" was outsold by Ellis-Bextor, and debuted at number two in the UK Singles Chart.Before the single's release, on 8 July 2000 she made her public solo debut at London's Hyde Park at a concert to raise money for the Prince's Trust charity. She sang "Out of Your Mind" to a 100,000-strong audience.

Beckham then signed recording contract with her group label Virgin Records. Her next single as a solo artist, "Not Such An Innocent Girl", was released on 17 September 2001. Again, she faced competition in another hugely hyped chart battle, this time with Kylie Minogue's single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head". Despite a huge promotional campaign, Beckham was outsold eight to one, and the single debuted at number 6. Beckham's eponymous debut album, which was released on 1 October 2001, reached number 10 in the UK album chart The album cost a reputed £5 million to produce and it sold a modest 50,000 copies.

The second and final single to be released from the album was "A Mind of Its Own" on 11 February 2002. The single reached number 6 in the UKand sold 56,500 copies.Rumours soon started spreading that Beckham was soon to be dropped by her label for not charting in the top 3. These were strongly refuted at the time.Beckham commented "You know what newspapers are like, they just like to put all the negative stuff in, but as far as I'm concerned and the record company is concerned it is all great."

A third single, "I Wish", was promoted but never materialised. The single version was a remix featuring Robbie Craig, and was performed on TV on Friday Night's All Wright. Following the announcement of Beckham's second pregnancy, the single was shelved. Beckham and Virgin Records went their separate ways; a statement from her publicist read: "No-one has been dropped. The Virgin deal has come to a natural end and both parties have decided not to continue."

Telstar Records signed Beckham in 2002 in a deal made with 19 Management worth £1.5 million.Beckham spent much of 2002 recording a pop-influenced album called Open Your Eyes which yielded the single "Let Your Head Go", but she allegedly chose not to release it after being disappointed with the results. Instead of pop, Beckham wanted a more urban sound, working with urban producer Damon Dash for a more RnB and hip hop influence. When he was first asked why he was working with Beckham he stated "Because I see how much she gets photographed over here." A Dash-produced track "It's That Simple" featuring M.O.P. premiered on radio stations in July 2003, generating mixed reviews;

Beckham's first single with Telstar, "Let Your Head Go / This Groove", was released in the UK on 29 December 2003, following heavy promotion and many TV appearances across the Christmas period with the video being directed by Andy Hylton. The single charted at number 3 in the UK.This double A-side lifted "Let Your Head Go" from Beckham's earlier pop-inspired work with "This Groove" one of her Hip-Hop/R'n'B songs and remains Beckham's last single release to date. She is currently the only Spice Girl never to have had a British solo number one, though she is also the only Spice Girl to have all her single/album releases go Top 10. Outside of the UK, Damon Dash had plans for Beckham in the United States, including a potential release of "Let Your Head Go / This Groove" under the name of "Posh Spice Victoria Beckham". The release was proposed for sometime between March to May 2004, but never occurred

With the UK media describing her solo music career a failure, and combined with a rumoured fall-out between Dash and Fuller, her hip hop album, Come Together, was not released. Amidst the collapse of Telstar, remaining plans for Beckham's music career were cancelled.

Beckham is the only Spice Girl to have all of her singles and albums chart in the top 10 of the UK charts, but she also has released fewer albums (1) and singles (4). She is also the only spice girl not to have a solo number 1.

Books

Beckham's autobiography, entitled Learning to Fly, was released on 13 September 2001. The title was taken from a line in a song from the musical Fame, which Beckham enjoyed as a child. The verse that inspired the title goes "I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly".The book documents her childhood, time during the Spice Girls, her marriage and family life, as well as her career at the time. Learning to Fly became the third best-selling non-fiction title of 2001 and the total UK sales stand at more than 500,000 copies. When the book was first released, it went to number 1 in the book charts after four weeks of release, sending Robbie Williams' book to second.A high-profile guest appearance on Parkinson, watched by 9 million people, helped to promote the book.Before the publishing of the book, Hello!, The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday joined to buy the rights to preview and serialise the book before its release. The figure paid was thought to be near £1 million.

Beckham was quoted by a Spanish journalist in 2005 as saying "I've never read a book in my life".[44] She later claimed this was a mistranslation from the original Spanish in which the interview was printed, saying she actually stated that she never had time to finish reading a book because she was always too busy looking after her children.

Beckham's second book, a fashion advice guide, entitled That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between, was published on 27 October 2006.That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between includes tips from Beckham on fashion, style and beauty,and also contains photography by Mario Testino, Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel. The book became another bestseller, and has sold 400,000 copies in Britain alone since it was published in hardcover. The rights have since been sold to the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Portugal, Lithuania, Russia, and most recently China.

Television

Beckham has shot five official reality documentaries. The first, dated 11 January 2000, was called Victoria's Secrets, a programme only shown in the UK on Channel4 which involved Beckham being followed by cameras while also discussing and interviewing other British celebrities, such as Elton John.The second one Being Victoria Beckham was broadcast in March 2002 and saw Beckham discussing her career as a solo artist, with the release of her first album, also showing her at various photo shoots and recording sessions. The documentary attracted a strong audience of 8.83 million, coming top in its timeslot.One critic described her as "so clearly level-headed, happy with her not inconsiderable lot and seemingly unfazed by the madly intrusive nature of her monumentally ridiculous fame". The third, The Real Beckhams which aired on 24 December 2003 on ITV1, focused on the Beckhams' move to Madrid from London after David Beckham was signed to Real Madrid. It also featured Victoria Beckham re-launching her solo career and showed her mocking the tabloid stories she reads in the paper every day. The special received an audience of 6.10 million viewers[53] and was later released on DVD on 2 February 2004.

The fourth was entitled Full Length & Fabulous: The Beckhams' 2006 World Cup Party, which followed Victoria and David Beckham organising and making preparations to host a 2006 World Cup Party at a marquee in the grounds of their mansion in Hertfordshire, which aimed to raise money for their charity.Two tickets to attend the ball were auctioned on-line for charity, and sold for £103,000.The documentary aired on 28 May 2006 and showed the event itself, where the menu was designed especially by friend and chef Gordon Ramsay and the charity auction was hosted by Graham Norton.Ramsay catered for 600 guests, with the aid of 40 chefs and 100 waiting staff. The ITV documentary attracted an average of 7.56 million viewers.

To document Victoria Beckham's preparations for her family's move to the United States, she signed a deal with NBC for six episodes of a half-hour unscripted reality TV series. Despite the originally planned six episodes, the show was cut to a one hour special only as there "just wasn't enough (material) for a series." The show, called Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, aired on 16 July 2007 in the US and Canada. It was heavily scrutinised by the American media and critics, with The New York Post describing it as "an orgy of self-indulgence" and also describing Beckham as "vapid and condescending". The programme was the third-most-watched programme in its time-slot and received viewing figures of 4.9 million in the US, beaten by a repeat of Wife Swap and two sitcoms. The programme aired in Britain on 17 July 2007 on ITV with 3.84 million viewers tuning in. The programme was produced by Simon Fuller who managed her and the Spice Girls on their come-back tour.

In July 2007, it was announced that Beckham was shortly to begin filming a cameo appearance playing herself in an episode of the second season of ABC's TV series Ugly Betty. The episode, "A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding", aired on 9 November 2007 in the United States and on 23 November in the United Kingdom. Beckham's first line was "This is major", said when bursting through a curtain at a dress fitting for a wedding, in which she was the bridesmaid. Beckham has said she only agreed to the part because of her interest in fashion, and not for the acting opportunity. Despite her forays into television, Beckham has denied plans to embark upon an LA movie career.

In February 2008, it was revealed that Beckham would be the guest judge for the finale of fourth season of Project Runway, which aired on 5 March 2008 in the United States.

Fashion

Beckham has become better recognised as an international style icon, rather than a music artist.Beckham made a guest appearance on the catwalk for Maria Grachvogel in 2000, making this her debut at London Fashion Week as a model.Beckham also acted as British ambassador for Dolce and Gabbana and was briefly the face of Rocawear in 2003.

Beckham designed a limited-edition fashion line for Rock & Republic called VB Rocks in 2004, consisting mainly of jeans for the high end of the market, retailing at approximately $300 in the U.S She had previously "hit it off instantly" with Rock & Republic designer, Michael Ball, in Los Angeles. He commented "She not only understands fashion and trends but has been a trend-setter and fashion icon for years."

On 16 January 2006, Beckham walked the runway for Roberto Cavalli at Milan Fashion Week and was for a period exclusively dressed by him for red-carpet and social events.For the March 2006 issue of Harper's Bazaar, Beckham acted as fashion editor when she styled her close friend, Katie Holmes, for a fashion shoot.In July 2006, Beckham released a line of sunglasses, called dvb Eyewear. She has admitted to a personal love of sunglasses, saying "I'm quite obsessed with sunglasses. I collect vintage Guccis and Carreras — they can make virtually any outfit look cool." After Beckham's departure from Rock & Republic, in September 2006, she furthered her fashion ventures when she launched her own denim label of which she acts as creative director. The new line of Beckham's jeans collection is called dvb Style. In the same month, Intimately Beckham, a his-and-her fragrance line, was launched at a lavish press conference in Venice. Beckham then launched her new official website, dvbstyle.com, which promotes her fashion work.She also produced a range of handbags and jewellery in association with the Japanese store, Samantha Thavasa.

Beckham in 1999

On 5 June 2007, she won two British Glamour Magazine Awards, one for "Woman of the Year" and another for "Entrepreneur of the Year," which celebrated her fashion achievements.On 14 June 2007 Beckham launched her dvb Denim collection in New York at the high-end Saks Fifth Avenue, along with unveiling her eye-wear range in the United States for the first time.In the same month Beckham made her first appearance at London's annual Graduate Fashion Week as a judge alongside Glenda Bailey, the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, and Alber Elbaz, to choose a winner to receive the River Island Gold Award, worth £20,000. In August 2007, Intimately Beckham perfume hit American stores for the first time.Victoria Beckham has stated "We are not just saying, 'We are celebrities, put our name on it.' I love to be involved with the whole process." The Intimately Beckham line has been predicted to sell over $100 million worth of sales internationally, doubling this estimate in 2008. In September 2007, Beckham released Intimately Beckham Night a new range of his-and-her fragrances, and her debut cosmetics line V-Sculpt was unveiled and launched in Tokyo.In a 2007 appearance at an LA Galaxy press conference, Beckham is credited with having popularised Roland Mouret's 'moon dress' and his brand, and Beckham was also the face of Marc Jacobs for his Spring 2008 collection.Beckham's own fashion collection debuted during the 2008 New York Fashion Week at the Waldorf Hotel, featuring dresses, of which only 400 will be made.Her first collection, that will retail between £650 and £1900, was met with positive reviews; "it was a very impressive, accomplished collection, with not a single dud. ... it was the fabrics (silk, wool and organza) and the attention to detail that impressed", wrote one critic, whilst others called it "Beautiful", "desirable" and "classy".

Beckham solidified her iconic fashion status by appearing on the cover of three different Vogue magazines within a the space of a year. Beckham's first appearance was on the April 2008 cover of British Vogue, then in November she appeared on Indian Vogue, and in February 2009 she made the cover of Russian Vogue.

Beckham has voiced her anti-fur beliefs and promotes an animal friendly wardrobe filled with faux/synthetic furs, Beckham's stand against the fur industry has generated admiration from animal rights organizations, including PETA. Of PETA's numerous anti-fur campaigns, Beckham stated that she is "supportive of its high-profile anti-fur campaigns," and pledged "never to work with fur in any of her own fashion collections".

Beckham is also well known for her love of designer high heel shoes.

Personal life

David and Victoria Beckham in Silverstone Circuit during the British Grand Prix 2007.

Victoria Adams started dating football player David Beckham in 1997 after they had met at a charity football match, prompting him to request a meeting with her.Of their initial meeting she said, "I didn't really know who he was. I was never into football." The couple announced their engagement in 1998 and were dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the media. On 4 July 1999 they were married by the Bishop of Cork, Paul Colton, at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland. The wedding attracted much media coverage. Beckham's team-mate, Gary Neville, was the best man, and the couple's four month old son Brooklyn was the ring bearer. of the media were kept away from the ceremony as an exclusive deal with OK! Magazine had been arranged, but photographs were released showing the Beckhams sitting on golden thrones.A total of 437 staff were employed for the wedding reception, which was estimated to have cost £500,000. The couple bought what would become their most famous home for £2.5 million in 1999; the property, which is set in 24 acres (97,000 m2) of land, was duly given a £3 million renovation and was subsequently dubbed Beckingham Palace by the media.

The couple have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph (born 4 March 1999, Westminster, London),Romeo James (born 1 September 2002, Westminster,London),and Cruz David (born 20 February 2005, Madrid, Spain).Elton John and David Furnish are reportedly the godparents of Brooklyn and Romeo, and the godmother is Elizabeth Hurley.The Beckhams have stated that they would like to have more children, especially a daughter.

In January 2000, a tip-off to Scotland Yard detectives exposed a plot to kidnap Victoria and Brooklyn Beckham and hold them at a house in Hampstead, London.The family was then moved to a secret location, but no arrests were made. Later in March 2000, she received a death threat prior to performing at the Brit Awards with the Spice Girls,and in the show's rehearsal, a red laser light appeared on her chest and she was rushed off stage.After a fire door was found to be lodged open, it was thought that there had been an assassin there, and Beckham later revealed that she was terrified by the experience. In November 2002, five people were arrested after another plot for her kidnap was infiltrated by a tabloid newspaper.All charges were dropped after a witness was deemed unreliable.

In 2004, allegations surfaced that David Beckham had had a brief affair with a former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos. The affair had apparently taken place when David had moved to Madrid, although he denied all the allegations.

The Beckhams moved to Los Angeles, California on 12 July 2007 as a result of David Beckham being signed to play for the LA Galaxy. On arrival in America on 12 July 2007, the couple were met by hundreds of paparazzi and media representatives, causing a media frenzy. They are now residing in a $22 million Beverly Hills mansion with 10 security guards. To create publicity for their move to America, the couple were photographed in their underwear for the fashion magazine, W, which also included an interview in which Victoria Beckham said that David's supposed affair with Loos made their marriage stronger.

It was reported in October 2007 that Beckham had turned down the opportunity to appear in Sex and the City: The Movie. She stated in an interview: "...asked to be in the Sex and the City film, which I would have loved to have done, but because I am in full-on Spice Girls rehearsal mode, unfortunately, I can't do it."

Beckham's marriage and career as a singer have made her the 52nd richest woman in Britain. and the 619th richest person in Britain with husband David, with an estimated joint wealth of £112 million ($225 million USD).

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes

1997 Spice World Herself Lead Role/Feature Film, grossed US$75,000,000 worldwide

2000 Victoria's Secrets Reality documentary

2002 Being Victoria Beckham

2003 The Real Beckhams

2006 Full Length & Fabulous

2007 Victoria Beckham: Coming to America

Ugly Betty Episode "A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding"

2008 Project Runway Appeared as a guest judge

2009 Germany's Next Topmodel Appeared as a guest judge

2010 American Idol Appeared as a guest judge Boston & Denver Auditions

Discography

Albums

Year Album Charts Sales

UK AUS Hits

2001 Victoria Beckham

Released: 1 October 2001

Label: EMI

Formats: CD, Cassette, mini disc, digital download

10

1

800,000

Unreleased Albums/EPS

Year Album

2003 Open Your Eyes

Year: 2003

Genres: Pop, Dance

Label: 19/Telstar

2004 Come Together

Year: 2004

Genres: R&B, Pop

Label: 19/Telstar

2006 Show Me Love

Year: 2006

Genres: R&B, Pop, Dance

Label: 19/Telstar

Singles

Year Single Charts Album

UK IRL SPA ROM AUS

2000 "Out of Your Mind" (feat. True Steppers & Dane Bowers) 2 4 4 — 27 Single release only

2001 "Not Such An Innocent Girl" 6 23 15 67 36 Victoria Beckham

"A Mind of Its Own" 6 — — — —

2003 "Let Your Head Go"/"This Groove" 3 17 — — — Single release only

(source:wikipedia)