Tattoos, like fine art, offer another way in which to express ourselves through visual imagery. The line, especially, has had a long history—prehistoric, in fact. Evidence of its existence first appeared in cave drawings in Southeast Asia, and according to researchers, some of them could be around 35,000 years old. Tattooed lines have a long […]
Author: Sara Barnes
Illustrations by Rose Wong Consider Death in a Tan Void
Illustrator Rose Wong ponders existence in her series “Consider Death.” Minimalist in its approach, she pits a solitary character among bold florals and geometric forms that seemingly go to nowhere—they’re islands among a tan void that’s devoid of anything. It exists with no known purpose, and you can’t help but feel a little sad when […]
Chaotic Glitch Art Tattoos by Timur Lysenko
Timur Lysenko has been tattooing for 10 years, and his style is constantly evolving because he’s willing to try new visual techniques. Some of his most striking works mix photorealistic faces with glitch art, where the human subjects emerge from stiff pixels and chaotic lines. “Three years ago I made my first tattoo where I […]
Marian Merl’s Perfectly-Placed Blackwork Tattoos
The placement of a tattoo can be as important as the image itself. A poor location means that the design will bend and twist in strange ways, distorting even the best work. Marian Merl has a knack for for this aspect, and his monochromatic designs flow with the body, sometimes fading into it like a […]
Pose as If Someone is Watching: Transforming Sexy into Mundane
In today’s age of oversharing, the minutia of life is constantly broadcast. A camera is always on and makes striking a pose an important part of modern life. Illustrator Laura Callaghan satirizes it in her colorful compositions in which women run the gamut of positions—from sexy to slovenly—all while looking utterly bored. Even when her […]
Elschwino’s Vibrant Tattoos Favor Artistic Expression Over Rules
German tattoo artist Elschwino crafts his body art using vibrant colors and energetic line work to make his subjects—surreal portraits and animals—visually pop from the skin. They represent a playful perspective on the New School style and favor artistic expression over the sets of rules that govern other approaches like American Traditional. Elschwino is compelled […]
Skin and Walls: Bold Tattoos by Street Artist Luca Font
Luca Altini, aka Luca Font, occupies two distinct parts of the art world. He got his start with graffiti, tagging walls when he was 15 or 16 years old. Tattoos came later, but both are created in a bold, graphic style and inspired by a love of video games and skateboard graphics. Supple skin and […]
Psychedelic Tattoos Inspired by David Cote’s Lucid Dreams
Color permeates every part of David Cote’s tattoos. Vibrant reds and piercing blues give the surreal subject matter a striking presence, as animal and human silhouettes become frames for strange cosmic scenes. They’re heavily inspired by Cote’s own fantasies.“I feel like my creativity is more active just before going to bed,” he explained on a […]
Beauty in Blocks: 3D Animal Tattoos by Sven Rayen
Sven Rayen is one part of Studio Palermo, a private tattoo shop based in Antwerp, Belgium. Working in a geometric style, his art reimagines animals with three-dimensional blocky bodies. Often, they’re fused with a sense of realism, where tree branches and feathers oscillate between hard angles and elegant forms. This style showcases the beautiful rigidity […]
Intricate Moss Embroideries Ease Anxiety with Piled Stitches
Moss might seem like one of the most basic plants, but Emma Mattson shows how beautiful it is with her intricate embroideries. Using a variety of stitches, the artist creates sculptural hoop art that piles high—just the same as its flowerless leaves. This repetitive embroidery is a therapeutic way for Mattson to cope with anxiety. […]