Skin & Ink: Illustrating the Modern Tattoo

Traditional tattoo art is rapidly changing, moving away from time worn or played out motifs and experimenting with new styles, icons and subject matter. Driven both by the artists themselves and their clients’ needs, the work is original and surprising and runs the gamut from fine line illustration and pointillism to blackout tattoos that take the place of clothing. The themes are varied from personal mantras or interests to meaningful portraits and memorials. Others are simply fantastic art, whether wholly created by the tattooist or as homage to a favourite artist.