Humans work with ink, paint, clay, and computers to create art but some truly creative humans use other humans.
Artistic arrangements aren’t a new concept at all, with the military using the tradition in tributes as far back as the 1800s. Spain has a tradition of “castell” clubs, who hold competitions to see who can stack humans the highest and in the most interesting formations. Olympic opening ceremonies feature living arrangements, and there are always some people out there just going for a cool photo.
Here are a bunch of people who agreed to be living paint on one artists’ massive canvas.
1
A supported human pyramid
Berlin, 1973
2
Spain has many human pyramid clubs called "castells".
Barcelona
3
Students in Waterford, Ireland, create a pyramid
1909
4
Sportsmen in France form a human pyramid
1919
5
Hawaiian division during WWII creating a heart formation
By Eugene Goldbeck
6
Canopy formation of parachuters diving over Lake Wales
July, 2008
7
The 1st Field Artillery Brigade in Germany during World War 1
1919
8
American badge formed by servicemen
Circa 1940s
9
Castell Competition
Catalonia, 2024
10
Camp Sheridan engineers arranged as a castle
Alabama, 1919
11
Opening ceremony of the XXII Olympic Games in Moscow
July 19, 1980
12
Human Pyramid in Nature
by Rob Woodcox
13
Arranged into a jet formation
U.S. Airforce
14
Photo of American Soldiers paying tribute to the over 8 Million Horses, Donkeys and Mules that died during WWI
1918
15
“Save Tara Valley” in Ireland
By artist John Quigley