INTERACTIVE:
Take a look through the gallery of famous paintings come to life
VIDEO
Watch how the performers prepare to become works of art
Windows Media	28K	80K

August 27, 1999
Web posted at: 5:18 p.m. EDT (2118 GMT)

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- You could say art appreciation has become an interactive activity in Orange County, California.

For two months this summer, residents of Orange County, California, donned costumes and body make-up to re-enact the settings of great masterpieces. The event -- called "The Pageant of the Masters" -- is part of a 66-year tradition in Laguna Beach. This year's show looked at the artwork of this century, including paintings by Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

"I just can't believe it's really people that are making the pictures," one audience member said. "It looks like the whole thing is painted."

A man who covered his body in metallic paint to pose as "Mercury" says he prefers to do sculptures. "I work out a lot," he says, "so I feel like I have to reap the benefits of all the hard work I do -- so that's why I do it."

The models are told they can blink, they can breathe, but they can't move for 90 seconds. That can be tough depending on the position they're put in. It's even tougher if you get an itch or have to sneeze.

But the results are spectacular, said one woman. "You just don't see anything like this anywhere in your life."

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