skin-in-game-blog

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Quite a rib shot this dude just committed to. #skininthegame #contemporarytotem #meanstoends

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Customer's interpretation of the lands in Tolkein's Silmarillion. Fun stuff.

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The beginning. The color part is going to be sweet. (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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Finished the Bioshock Songbird today. It was fun. (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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Covering up in progress, trying to create overall balance to the back. Session two. #skininthegame #meanstoends #contemporarytotem (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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This is the result of session #2 on this Aztec/St. Michael mash up. It's been fun. One more to go. (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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Circles upon circles upon circles upon circles upon circles...#skininthegame #contemporarytotem #meanstoends (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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There used to be a "demon" underneath this bird. #skininthegame #fleshelectrictattoo (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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Another #skininthegame project example, where the totemic and quality of ownership matters a great deal to the bearer. #workingartistorbust #meanstoends

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For the love of nature and being a part of something bigger. #contemporarytotem #skininthegame #meanstoends (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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And now, a few words to clarify any confusion you might have.

To anyone stumbling across this blog, it may seem that what I am describing here as an art project may appear simply as a tattooer’s archive.  So, I wanted to take a moment to explain what is happening for those who haven’t been following from the beginning.  

 The pictures within this blog archive demonstrate the expressive desires of some of the many customers who patronize our tattoo shop. This blog is an archive of the project “Skin in the Game”, set up to keep track of the progress and my thinking.  It also presents an opportunity to obtain feedback about the project, which would be helpful to its success.

As I am sure many of you can gather from looking around your own communities, the tattoos that people want can vary from the ridiculous and uninspired to the highly conceptual and meaningful.  I am curious about why people, particularly in the middle/working class are seemingly more willing to commission/support tattooing with their dollars than fine art. This demographic also happens to be the same that museums and institutions are programming for in hopes to secure.  

The implication, based on how many tattoos and the size of tattoos that I am noticing amongst the populace, is that folks are very willing to spend money, and not an insignificant amount, on art (or what they consider to be art).  My question is why are they overwhelmingly choosing tattoos as opposed to traditional art forms like paintings, drawings, photos?

 So this project intersects patrons at the point of purchase to offer them an opportunity to consider commissioning a painting, drawing, or photograph instead of a tattoo.  All of these formats are methods of image making that tattooers are familiar with and can provide, but so far, people still want the tattoo.  The most common reason (currently an unscientific conclusion, because I haven’t compiled the data yet), is the ability to take the artwork with them wherever they go, unlike owning a painting, drawing, or sculpture.   

This is certainly not the only reason, but I think it interestingly sheds some light on human behavior, specifically regarding our expectations of art.

The project continues with more field research tonight.

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The left is what customer wanted. The right is what I was able to talk 'em into at the price point they wanted. In the context of this project #skininthegame the degree of control that one tends to get when commissioning a tattoo seems to be a significant factor for people's participation in tattoos. Not the only factor but is consistently coming up.#meanstoends #contemporarytotem

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Almost forgot to take a before picture of this cover up. 1 session down. Now strategizing on how, exactly I want To color it. Fun times. #skininthegame #meanstoends #contemporarytotem

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Got to do some more covering. We are supposed to be doing a crow/raven, but I'm kinda liking the visual texture that the red from the old tattoo is providing. Had to stop while I decide if I want to incorporate it or get rid of it. #contemporarytotem #skininthegame #meanstoends (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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Jammers are fun too! #skininthegame #meanstoends #contemporarytotem (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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Swoops and Curls. Words and meaning. Another day's work. #skininthegame #meanstoends (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)

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Customer didn't want me to reveal the whole tattoo, but you get the idea. #skininthegame (at Flesh Electric Tattoo)