A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Bloody Sea Dragon

Brian Decker (purebodyarts.com) who did this scarification, admits that he didn’t know what a Leafy Sea Dragon was before doing the cutting, so I think I’ll use this as an excuse to tell you because it’s really a remarkable creature. It’s very much like a sea horse, which is a type of sea horse that hides with it’s extreme anatomical camouflage, drifting peacefully among plants that it looks very much like. It moves using two tiny and almost transparent fins, one on its neck and one near the tail, with the rest waving in the breeze as if they were vegetation. To survive it sucks up tiny shrimp, plankton, and larval fish through its anteater-like snout. It’s flamboyant yet serene body makes it a perfect image to capture in body art. I got to see them in person at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium when Barry of Anatometal took us, if memory serves, and they’re quite wonderful.

Above the scar by Brian, and below, the amazing lifeform it mimics.

leafy-sea-dragon-scar

leafy-sea-dragon

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