brainwavez.org | Tattoos Inspire Art In Body Of Work

Tattoos Inspire Art In Body Of Work
A brainwavez.org Cultural Expedition In Cape Town, South Africa

By: Mandy J Watson on 26 January 2012
Category: Culture > Features
Tags: #tattoos

What do you get when you combine tattoo-inspired art with tattoo artists? Putt-putt, of course. (Also, art.) The 4th annual Cape Town International Tattoo Convention is about to begin, and festivities kicked off earlier this week with the exhibition Body Of Work.

On Tuesday the exhibition Body Of Work, a selection of artworks inspired by tattoo art, opened in Cape Town as part of the extended events surrounding the 4th annual Cape Town International Tattoo Convention (Souther Ink Xposure), which is being held at The Pavilion at the V&A Waterfront over the weekend.

The original artworks are by tattoo artists as well as contemporary artists and are presented in a variety of mediums, including painted skateboard decks (by Jade Doreen Waller), limited-run prints (Clement de Bruin and Simon Berndt, among others), ink on paper (Matthew Oldfield and Raoul Goetze, among others), photography (Janine Kuschke) and mixed-media works (Manuela Grey, among others).

Among the artworks are a selection of customised motorcycle helmets featuring art by South African tattoo artists. The helmets are being auctioned to benefit the Think Bike initiative. The art, by Derek Baker, Rico, Ronald Jacobs, and others, was sprayed or transferred to the helmets by street artist Ice 7.

The event also included a putt-putt art installation, designed by Manuela Gray, in which themes and motifs associated with tattoo art have been reinterpreted as putt-putt holes and collectively form a playable six-hole course. The themes of the holes include "True Love", "Forever True 'Til Death", "Homeward Bound", and "Cape Of Good Hope" (in which the obstacles are giant waves along the course that evoke the stormy seas that sailors historically had to traverse in order to reach the harbour in Cape Town).

Body Of Work's opening night was held at Bree Street Studios in Cape Town but the artworks, as well as the putt-putt course, have now been transported and installed at The Pavilion as part of the tattoo convention. Local and international tattoo artists will be attending the convention to showcase their work and additional events include live music performances at clubs around the city.

The 4th annual Cape Town International Tattoo Convention (Southern Ink Xposure) runs from 17:00 on Friday, 27 January 2012, to 20:00 on Sunday, 29 January 2012, at The Pavilion at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Day passes cost R100 to R120 and a weekend pass is R250.