Recently opened at NYC’s Joshua Liner Gallery is the solo exhibition “Memoir: The Tattooed Portraits Series” from LA-based painter and tattoo artist Shawn Barber. The new paintings, including an epic six-by-nine-foot triptych, explore a continuation of the ongoing series Barber has been cultivating: a visual documentation of the contemporary tattoo culture. Using his classical training as well as his intimate knowledge of his subject matter, the portraits catalogue the corporeal art of tattooists, their tools, as well as their studios and process. Capturing the intimate moments shared between client and tattooist as well as the final results of the body altering rituals, the works place a serious focus on the culture and identity of tattoo artists through Barber’s distinct style of having actions and different viewpoints share the same compositional space. View more images of the new work as well as peaks at Barber’s studio after the jump.
