Exploring the World of Modern Primitive Movement in “A Body to Live In”

Have you ever wondered about the absolute artistic limits you are willing to take your body to? Roland Loomis, more famously known as Fakir Musafar, has. Who is Fakir Musafar, you may ask? He is considered one of the founders of the modern primitive movement and one of the most influential transgressive artists of all time. But what drives such a passionate individual to what many consider an extreme form of body art? Angelo Madsen’s documentary, A Body to Live In, explores the enigma that is Fakir Musafar and his modern primitive movement.

Roland Loomis was born and raised in South Dakota in the year 1930. He claimed to be a “skinny, effeminate kid who experienced past lives in his dreams.” This led him to a fascination with what would become the modern primitive movement. Even though he was raised Christian, he became disillusioned with the church and opted for a more holistic and spiritual approach. Even though I don’t fully understand the modern primitive movement, I can’t help but appreciate Fakir’s honest, soft-spoken nature and his unique approach to self-reclamation and expression. Much like the transformative nature of finessing one’s body through intense piercings, Fakir himself has experienced a transformation from the shy and small kid he was into a sensational name in the transgressive artistic world of body modification.

Loomis, now Fakir Musafar, coined the term “modern primitive movement” in 1979. Followers of the movement adhere to an artistic form of body modification that involves piercings, tattoos, and brandings, just to name a few. Why do they do this? Fakir Musafar himself believed in a connection between the “primitive” and the “authentic.” These two concepts were created to reject what he considered the “harmful nature of mainstream society.” Many followers of the modern primitive movement see their own bodies as sacred and often undergo these extreme body modifications for spiritual purposes. Despite the movement drawing criticisms for its fair share of controversies, it still sees a devoted, albeit niche following.

If you ask me, Fakir represents a transgressive type of masculinity that’s rarely talked about today. Even though he was a skinny kid growing up, he also served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His quiet and introspective nature is juxtaposed by the extreme measures of body ownership and expression. These traits and near-contradictions all paint Fakir as a nuanced and multifaceted individual. Throughout the documentary, we see how he views the world through his art. How he integrated various bodily art forms from cultures all around the world and just how fascinated his close friends and followers were by his artistic philosophy. He comes across as the David Bowie type of figure, someone who constantly pushes the boundaries of masculinity and artistic freedom, all while tirelessly and effortlessly creating some of the most groundbreaking art imaginable.

Despite the movement’s niche subculture today, it was paramount in bringing together a community of LGBTQ+ artists. Since being anything but cisgender and heterosexual was deemed a crime punishable by death, many who deviated from the hetero-norm were forced to stay in the closet. But through Fakir and his modern primitive movement, they not only felt accepted for who they were but also felt like they had control over their bodies and free will. In other words, they felt like they were finally living the life they deserve. To accomplish this task, they performed various foreign ritualistic dances and ceremonies to cleanse themselves of their past traumas. These experiences have also allowed them to experience the grueling pleasures of life and death itself by forcing them to define the conscious and the unconscious.

Since Fakir Musafar did incorporate multiple dances from Native American (specifically Lakota) cultures, specifically the “Sun Dance,” the movement was under fire for cultural appropriation. And in 1993, the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota leaders issued a declaration of war against others who would misrepresent the sacred traditions of the Lakota people, and in 2003, outsiders were banned from performing sacred Indigenous ceremonies. Additionally, the modern primitive movement was under constant scrutiny from the press, with many calling it “barbaric, self-mutilation, or even sadomasochistic.” Despite these criticisms, Fakir gently explains that his movement links together all religious traditions that explain the awareness of life and the universe and that cultural limitations should not stop humankind from exploring these ideals.

There are so many traditions, art forms, and cultural norms we have never been exposed to in our comfy, predictable lives. We hardly ever get to witness a truly unique and eclectic art form outside of what we are conditioned to like and enjoy. Even if the modern primitive movement is not your cup of tea (and I certainly wouldn’t expect you to join the movement right away), you can’t ignore the monumental and astronomically flamboyant legacy of Fakir Musafar. Angelo Madsen’s documentary feels like capturing lightning in a bottle, giving a detailed glimpse into the tumultuous life of one of the greatest and most influential transgressive artists of all time.