Daniel Dancer: environmental art made up of humans and photographed from above
Inspired by the Nazca Lines in Peru environmental artist Daniel Dancer has spent the last ten years travelling the world creating over 100 images made out of people and latex paint for his 'Art of the Sky' human projects. This image of Barack Obama from 2008 was made up of 900 people
Using schoolchildren, their parents and teachers to act as the human components, Daniel has used up to 4,000 people for his artwork at one time
Photographed from cranes and a hot air balloon, Daniel's work has included stunning bald eagles made up of 1,400 people
"I have been involved in environmental photography and artistry all my adult life," said Oregon resident Daniel, 56
"At the turn of the century I was inspired by the Kansas field artist Stan Herd and the Peruvian Nazca lines to try to create my own artistry using painting, but most importantly people"
"Everyone knows where they are supposed to be standing and everyone knows that their tops must match the patch of paint that they are standing on. Then everyone gets down on their hands and knees, exposing their backs so that the largest amount of colour is given off"
Daniel only does one take, as he does not believe in rehearsals
250 children, palm fronds and clothes form an endangered green sea turtle in 2005 in Hilo, Hawaii.
450 children and staff at Lent Elementary School form an endangered Californian condor in their playing field in Portland, Oregon in 2007. Compost, leaves and second hand clothing were also used to make the design
1,000 participants gather on Ocean's Day to form an endangered marbled murrelet floating in the sea. "The sea was made from 1500 pairs of blue jeans", says Daniel, "and the icebergs were made from 100 sheets in Victoria, Canada. The number '350' is a very important number as it is the maximum parts per million of green house gases (according to leading climate scientist Jim Hansen) we can have in our atmosphere if we are going to survive global warming. At the moment it is 385 and going up"
800 participants form a polar bear, and 100 sheets form the iceberg which supports the bear in Maryland. The Governor of Maryland is the lone man on the iceberg. During the 'performance art' part of this piece, the sheets were pulled away, mimicking a melting iceberg and then the polar bear 'fell into the sea' as all the participants moved to the bottom and out of the image
750 students and teachers form a singing mockingbird in 2009 in Redding, California
900 students and teachers form a cougar leaping across the sun in 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa
700 participants form a picture of the earth with a peace dove made of snow above it in Aspen, Colorado
200 students at Cypress Elementry in Ashland, dress as leaves to become a large tree on their playing area in Ashland, Oregon
Daniel Dancer preparers to go up in a balloon to complete the organisation of an image and photograph it from 100 feet up in the air
