Shawn Barber continues his documentation of tattoo culture through his latest collection of paintings. His work features portraits of tattooed individuals and also scenes from a tattoo studio. The exhibition, titled "Tattooed Portraits: Snapshots," can also be viewed online. Jess Hemerly interviewed Barber for 7x7:
“I have no tattoos but I admire beautiful ink, and there's something about your paintings that makes me want to cover myself in tattoos. What draws you to ink as a subject?”
Shawn Barber: The medium saturates everything that I do. Tattooing gives so much more than it takes. It allows an individual to acknowledge life with permanent markers. Getting tattooed is a leap of faith that reminds you of that exact time and place for the rest of your life.
Shawn Barber http://sdbarber.com/
