SO. If you have been reading my recent bloggings. I had gone and gotten myself tattooed in The Exchange and Called it Art. The iconic image of the Snake and Rose. Beauty concealing danger. I am my art. Decoration and pain. The body as canvas....
Lies,lies,lies.
It was a transfer from a Staffordshire based company Roood Boogie Temporary Tattoos. Visit their online shop @ http://www.stallholder.net/index.php?option=com_community&view=profile&userid=423&Itemid=378
The idea itself was "borrowed" from a Birmingham based performance Artist. Seeing the Roood boogie folks on facebook and knowing that a colleague and fellow artist at The Exchange had all the equipment meant that the idea was practical.
The aim of this piece was essentially to drum up interest around myself as an artist and also the upcoming Surface exhibition on the 8th of July. A publicity stunt. The local rag would run a piece with photos, it would create a bit of a buzz, people would want to engage a bit more with what were doing as a group.
At no point was it meant to deliberately offend anyone, or make light of Tattooing and the amazing art work that today's tattooists produce. It was essential that it looked real as possible and showed that the conditions were sanitary and safe as it would be had it been real.
In the end, a couple of colleagues text me wishing me luck. One person came and asked me about it at the opening night preview. She had been making a bee line for me to find out more. I felt a bit bad when i explained it was all a hoax. The feedback was good though. She thought i was completely mental and that it was a radical idea and wanted to know more. It was worth it because it was so much fun to do. We all had a laugh sorting it out. A grown woman drawing on a grown mans arm in pen. People pretending to drink wine and be interested. I was as nervous as if it was actually going to be permanently applied. My adrenaline was pumping. That in itself was performance art i reckon.
Why maybe it didn't work
- It happened in Stoke-on-Trent. Nuff said.
- Tattoo culture has exploded over the last few years so maybe it wasn't such a shock
- The end product of photos simply looked too unrealistic
- Sending a really shitty email to the assistant editor of the sentinel a week before, didn't help. HAH.
- It wasn't promoted enough? But it was supposed to be a promotional tool, not an entire project.
In conclusion
- I'm really glad that it happened and thanks so so much to everyone who helped and got involved. You are brill.
- Artists should be tricksters from time to time.
- A BIT* of bullshit never hurts anyone
- It was a different and fun way of marketing a product. Which in this case was the exhibition.
One last thing. Find Roood Boogie on facebook. Their customer service was second to none and they were very very helpful. Cheers.
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