A Permanent Mark
A Permanent Mark draws together a number of notable works by national and international artists to encapsulate how far and in what ways tattoo has infiltrated the contemporary art sphere. Exhibiting Australian artists eX de Medici and Richard Dunlop, along with Chinese-Australian artist Ah Xian utilise the human figure as an object to be ‘tattooed’ with symbology and concepts.
Others, such as Mexican artist Dr Lakra, American artists Shawn Barber, Scott Campbell, and Don Ed Hardy, and Australian Leslie Rice maintain a dual practice, making a clear definition between their work as a professional tattooist and as a contemporary artist. In both cases though, the two practices remain invariably linked through representation and the use of tattoo culture iconography. But perhaps the most interesting development is those artists using tattoo techniques and technology for the creation of contemporary art with few visual links to the mainstream tattoo industry. For example, Qin Ga, emerging from the underground Chinese art scene, uses tattooing as a powerful and concise communication tool in film and photography, deliberately breaking with conventional and expected aesthetics.
A Permanent Mark questions how the contemporary art world now views a medium that is becoming increasingly popular, and encourages viewers to imagine how the intersect between contemporary art and tattooing will continue to evolve.
A Permanent Mark: the impact of tattoo culture on contemporary artis a Pinnacles Gallery Touring Exhibition and is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Research towards A Permanent Mark: the impact tattoo culture on culture on contemporary art has been supported through the Darling Travel Grants | Domestic, administered by the Gordan Darling Foundation.