Eye Tattooed America
Terence P Higgins
newspaper, and though some members of this group might be interested in
reading it. It's probably a bit simplistic for many readers, but I hope
somebody enjoys it.
Until recently, it was a given that in many American households the
only people who viewed tattoos as high art were considered low lives.
"Body art" might have been considered swanky stuff in the barracks and
barrooms, but it was hardly the subject of serious critical study.
According to Mark Lawson, gallery director at the Milwaukee Institute
of Art and Design, there's more than a little irony inherent in that attitude.
"Buying a painting from an artist shows an appreciation of his art,"
Lawson explained. "Getting a tattoo from an artist shows a commitment to that
art."
Visitors to MIAD can explore varying degrees of that commitment in
"Eye Tattooed America," a new exhibit at the school's gallery, 273 E. Erie St.
It's a collection of work created and influenced by tattoo artists.
Included in the exhibition are authentic "flash," the papers on which
tattoists display their designs, as well as paintings, drawings, sculptures
and photos.
Originally organized by the Ann Nathan Gallery in Chicago last summer,
it found its way to Milwaukee via Lawson's efforts.
"I had seen it in Chicago and was really impressed with it," he said.
"When the organizers heard of my feelings they asked me if we'd like to show
it here.
"I like it because it fits into a personal interest of mine, and
that's art that was created from within by the artist for a personal reason.
It wasn't created to demonstrate any school or movement, it doesn't fit easily
into any category."
While it might be hard to specifically categorize the dozens of works
on display as part of the exhibit, it's impossible to ignore them. The gallery
has been transformed in a riot of bright colors, religious icons, exotic
beauties and unholy demons.
Tony Fitzpatrick's "Ocho Dog" is chaotically claustrophobic journey
into a hell that's at once personal and universal. Likewise, Guy Aitchison's
"An Homage to Self Punishing and Their Private Little Hells" is triumph of
Technicolor terror.
Works such as these have much in common with the outsider art that has
won critical acclaim in the last few years. They're also similar in style to
the Jim Nutt Retrospective currently being shown at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Both make regular use of religious symbolism and ideology, lending
their art a particular resonance far beyond the actual pictures on the canvas.
Similarly, the macho iconography of early tattoo artists such as Owen
Jensen and "Good Time" Charlie Cartwright (bleeding daggers, black cats,
unlucky card hands and dice rolls) carries with it sinister connotations.
According to Lawson, such resonance is a hallmark of all the works on
display during the exhibition.
"The iconography is what opens the door for the viewer," he explained.
"You see that grinning skull or that pierced heart and it starts you down a
path.
"Where that path leads depends on your own experience and background."
Of course, it's not all a trip into the heart of darkness. Several of
the artists displayed share an elaborate and playful style forged during the
golden days of the psychedelic revolution.
Chicago resident Ed Pashke paints vivid portraits of imaginary
subjects from the wild side of town, while Bob Roberts appropriates Oriental
imagery for his elaborate dragon designs.
The three dimensional work on display is also intriguing. Thompaul
deVita's flash illustrations on pieces of fruit shipping crates and other wood
scraps are simple but direct.
Less obvious are beautifully detailed wooden sculptures by George
Kaluba . Their geometric painted patterns are reminiscent of the cultural
decorations that are the forerunners of the modern tattoo, and their regal
bearing suggests royalty.
In an essay that accompanies the catalog for the exhibit,
curator/artist/tattooer D. E. Hardy traces the history of the skin as a
canvas.
Borrowing from anthropologist Clifford Geertz, he defines American
tattooing as a parallel "shadow world," an unarticulated part of society with
its own definitions and fully developed identity.
Given that the "Lollapalooza Generation" is developing an interest in
exploring this shadow world of body piercing and decoration, Lawson said the
exhibit is especially timely.
"Tattoos are becoming a part of the person iconography of a whole
group of people," he said. "At one time it might have been just for the bikers
and the sailors, now its attracting the bankers and the college students."
"Eye Tattooed America" will run through August 5 at the MIAD Gallery.
A free public opening reception will be held Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. Gallery
hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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