EXPRESSION of Tattoo Art

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To me, tattoos are ‘new clothing’ for a naked body.

Tattoos are not there to just cover your dull skin tone or trim your body’s contours with visual tricks. They can also express your personality, your thoughts and the world inside you. It is a presentation of the practical realm as well as the abstract mind.

As the designer and tailor of this new ‘piece of clothing’ I have to thoroughly understand my models - so they are able to express themselves with the creation of perfectly fitting ‘new clothes’. Only the model and I truly understand these ‘new clothes’ as they are highly personal creations. However, if this ‘outfit’ can evoke emotion and admiration in other viewers - this in itself serves a higher purpose. Then these ‘new clothes’ may be categorized as a work of art. My happiest moment is being able to share this with the world. Art facilitates the movement of abstract concepts in to reality. In most cases, the medium for art is simply inorganic matter. Only tattoos are exhibited on a living body - a permanent display to the world.

Every medium allows for art to be portrayed in a unique way. Yet, the human body is perhaps the single most distinctive medium of all. This art can only be carried when someone is ready to go through pain and have their blood shed.

The physical body underneath the tattooed skin continues with its daily functions – its mandatory life cycle. The person then carries this art-skin out and into the wider world. This person is a living, moving exhibition. The art-skin makes its way across the world, from country to country.

This breathtaking interaction between ink and the dynamic human body gives life to this art. The art piece changes, grows, ages, dies and is eventually buried with the body. For someone who genuinely appreciates the power of this art, in death, the tattoo should not remain a subject of the mortal body. To separate this tattooed skin from the body allows the tattoo to then be seen in its original form – as a Work of Art - a collectible that could be held for auction.

對我而言， 紋身就如同當你裸體時候的“一件新衣“。不止用來裝飾你乏味的皮膚色調、用視覺效果來修掩你身體的線條，更加表現你的個性、思想、內心的畫面，現實與抽象的表現。身為這一件“新衣“的設計師兼裁縫，要懂得主人的內外一切，為他/她表達，創造一件“合身的新衣“，只有你與牠才懂得這“新衣“，當然，能夠贏得世間欣賞、認同，就更加賞心悅目，分享的心情更加來得寛‧愉。

藝術就是將抽象概念帶到現實當中，而一般藝術媒體向來都是死物，只有紋身是藉著活生生的人體永久性地呈現出來。每一件藝術材料本身就是獨一無二的，自願地為藝術接受痛楚、流血。藝術皮層底下每日不停地依照牠的循環工作，人帶著這幅藝術皮膚表現於現實社會裡，來去自如，穿州過省。墨水與身體之間奇妙的互動反應，為這件藝術品賜予現實中的生命，隨主人變型、老去、死亡、被埋葬。有心人為了拯救這件藝術品，會插手介入，將牠與人體分離，讓牠返回原有的身份: ”一件藝術品”，讓人收藏、拍賣。Chinese dictated by Joey Pang of Tattoo Temple.

English translation provided by Chris Anderson of Tattoo Temple.

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