…same references.
I have been trying to think of new ways to approach the references I have been collecting over the years, to create something that feels new, while still being deeply rooted in a lineage. When I speak of lineage I mean (art) history, and the weight it can provide to a practice that is as ancient as humanity. I adore contemporary tattooing, and the many new approaches that exist and are experimented with, but I also feel a pull towards traditional styles. The origin of this attraction comes from the generational power the tried and tested styles of tattooing hold. To me, the impact that a Tatau or a Irezumi piece conveys, for example, is hard to match when there is no understanding or interest in such styles done by current working artists. I always liked the engraving style for that reason too. Growing up in Europe, those are the images that fill the collective consciousness, peppered through school books, public spaces... To quote a statement I previously wrote for Albrecht Duerer Haus tattoo exhibition:
“[…]Tattooing is on many levels similar to engraving. The etching of the skin is what allows pigments to stay in the body and mark the wearer with the intended image.
Duerer's efficiency with line work, the ability to create different textures with various line weights, shapes, density is truly unmatched and has been an inspiration in terms of finding the balance between simplicity and complexity in my own artistic practice.
Translating Duerer illustrations onto the skin is also truly special, bearing the weight of history and being kept alive via reproducing them onto a living and breathing canvas; existing in the world alongside thousands of prints of said piece, while remaining unique to the person wearing it, tailored to their body.
Tattooing has a lot to be grateful to Albrecht Duerer for.”
In an effort to use those ideas but mixing them with the great appreciation I have for abstract forms, which already exist within my sigil work, I decided to explore new avenues. By taking details from architecture encountered, cropped images from paintings, stained glass elements, grotesque, woodwork, decorative and ornamental elements, those concepts came to life.
They are all up available to get tattooed, and those ideas can be devlopeped on virtually any body part. If that speaks to you, be in touch and let’s start a conversation on anttheelder@gmail.com
