Wednesday 24 September 2014

Time: Tattoo Art Today

My brother and sister visited me a weekend or so ago, and we spent the day shopping, eating and getting up to a little bit of culture.













We started on Brick Lane where we browsed Blitz and other vintage shops, and ate pulled pork from Caboose and fried chicken from Mother Clucker in the Old Truman Brewery.















Afterwards, to offset their burger/buyer's remorse, they asked to do something slightly more constructive, so I took them to Time: Tattoo Art Today at Somerset House, a free exhibition that runs until 5 October.






























The exhibition consists of works by 70 of the best known and most pioneering tattoo artists, who were commissioned by Somerset House to create a piece on the theme of time, in any medium they wanted, as long as it wasn't skin.




















The theme of time is expressed in similar ways across the exhibition (life and death, time healing all wounds, never having enough etc) and many of the same motifs and symbols run through the collection.















































But they are so different in how the artists have decided to present their ideas. They were essentially given the chance to create the ultimate tattoo, free from the limits of working on skin, and the results are fascinating, varied and seriously imaginative.
























This one guy actually tattooed a doll! (Don't look too closely, it's quite rude).

The works showcase the tattooists' talent as artists and their command of skills, styles and mediums beyond the realms of tattooing. They're incredibly impressive and wonderful to look at, so I definitely recommend a visit.

And when we got home, to help us recover from the day's excitements, we did this...













Hotel Chocolat and Labyrinth.

Yes.

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