Arts Review

"Celebrated Skin"

Butridge Gallery, through Nov. 29

Having stumbled a few months ago across the Craigslist post asking people with tattoos to participate in an art exhibit, I entered the gallery warily. The space was essentially split, with photographs on one side and paintings, drawings, sculptures, and a video on the other. Similar to a tattoo shop, but with fewer choices and showcasing only the most complex designs, the photographs wonderfully display colorful tattoos. The finely rendered images had me wondering if my arm could use some inking. All of the works are visually arresting.

The other work in the gallery also demonstrates the degree of skill necessary to create such successful body modifications. The images pop from their pages as the energized lines electrify the bold colors. The flames, dragons, and even the flowers seem to breathe life. Although plainly graphic forms, the works vibrate under the mastery of the artists. It is no wonder the tattoos breathe independently of their bearers. The accompanying objects are as refined as the tattoos.

Yet for all the technical virtuosity, the element that shines the most in this show is the respect for tattooing. Even without thumbing through the binder full of articles, one can sense the amount of research that has gone into the exhibition. Looking at the photographs and accompanying works, one feels a reverence that recalls illuminated manuscripts. The negative associations of tattoos with outlaws and battle-hardened veterans of yesteryear melt away as these markings become more personal and jubilant visual communications. Even the rock & roll persona does not command attention. Instead, the newer understanding of tattooing as a creative outlet is presented. Ink no longer marks an individual as a member of some cabal. Instead, it is the sign of a shared pursuit: to acquire the most creative icon and the finest image.

The decision to display the tattoos in such a professional gallery format reinforces the idea of tattooing as an art form. A sense of higher standards wafts throughout the space. The artists practice their form to attain their best work. The curator, Christina Heitt, presents this exhibit with such understanding. The visual essay she argues is easy to absorb and takes us to a new ukiyo-e.