Maybe it’s because I’ve been on the look out for it more often, but lately it sure seems like tattoo artists are really beginning to make a move to get tattooing and tattoos synonymous with art in general. Call me crazy, but it seems like there were a few years there where tattoos really took off into the mainstream but never really were able to go the full distance in terms of respect for the art form. If that really was the case, then it wasn’t a bad situation at all. From what I can see, it’s a step by step process: tattooing hit the mainstream and has been around in the mainstream for long enough now to prove that it’s not just some gimmicky hobby. All together now: this is art.
I don’t want to keep hitting people over the head with that concept because chances are that if you read this blog, then you’re already well aware of the fact there are far too many tattoo artists to name that have serious artistic skills. But there are those out there who have no idea of such a thing and the sooner those people realize it, the sooner the outdated ideas about tattoo art are killed off for good.
So it’s really cool to see that tattooist Chris Earl and a group of other various tattoo artists have compiled a collage of their work in Augusta, Georgia to present to Augusta’s Mayor, Deke Copenhaver. In addition to putting great art directly into the hands of Augusta’s “top-brass”, the gift helps to promote this weekend’s Tattoo Expo in Augusta.
The art below isn’t by one of the artists that contributed work to the Mayor’s collage, it’s just by a damn amazing artist, who also happens to be a favourite of mine. I’ll spare you the gushing over the Grime Monster’s ability (go here for more gushing), but I just thought a post about talented artists needed a fine example. Well, here you go. That’s art, folks.
