On the 21st June 2011 I had the pleasure of hearing Doctor Matthew Lodder give a talk on his thesis – Tattooing as Artistic Practice. I have raved, in an adolescent fashion, about Matt Lodder in previous blog posts…
The back of Matt Lodder's beautiful business card.
Matt Lodder’s talk was extremely insightful, he posed a significant question: if tattoos are art, then why have they never been analysed as art objects? Discussions about tattoos tend to centre around the psychology of the tattoo wearer and motivations behind getting tattooed. So Matt’s thesis begins where many other discussions end – the tattooed body as art.
The talk raised important questions about the inherent problems with analysing the modified body as art. There are issues with authorship: who is the artist – the wearer or the tattooist? Problems with ownership and copyright.
Lee Wagstaff
Matt coloured his talk with examples to illustrate these issues. Lee Wagstaff, an MA printmaking student, transformed his body into a living piece of art. Lee designed all the graphics that would be inked onto his body, as the recipient he set out his objective clearly. The tattooer reproduced Lee’s ideas, he was the functionary. However the stylistic quirks of the tattooer will inevitably effect the way the final tattoo looks.
Tim, Wim Delvoye
This example, plus others such as Wim Delvoye’s Tim, illustrate that tattoos can be art. Tim was sold for €150,000, for this price the piece has to be exhibited three times a year, of course meaning that Tim himself has to travel to wherever the artwork is to be exhibited.
Well, Doctor Lodder talked about his ideas far more eloquently than I, so if you get a chance to hear him speak I highly recommend it…
After all this academia we needed wine and discussion in the pub…
Alice Th'ink and Matt Lodder - in the pub for an apres-talk vinoNo paparazzi please
Wine leads to chat about our own inkings and below is Matt’s beautiful padlock tattoo.
Matt Lodder's padlock tattoo - I am hoping to get a padlock tattoo very soon too and I love this one.
Matt also has the words: Curiouser and Curiouser on his wrists, of course I love the Alice in Wonderland reference, being named Alice and having an Alice in Wonderland tattoo myself.
I met the lovely Siobhan Lyons in a little pub on Columbia Road, of flower market fame, on a drunken Saturday afternoon.
Heart this heart tattooHope
Tickle meStarry eared
I also had the pleasure of meeting Siobhan’s friend Jess Jobst. The girls had been drawing copies of their tattoos onto each other.
Siobhan and Jessdon't rub me it's fakeReal or fake? Siobhan with Jess's tattooDon't rub me it's biro - Jess with Siobhan's tattooEiffel Tower - Jess's real tattoo
A beautiful story about people we will never forget and Forget Me Not tattoos.
I have known the Noten family since I was about five years old. They were the exotic family who moved to the sleepy town of Market Harborough (my midlands hometown) from Holland. They wore bright clothes, while I was forced to wear school uniform. They talked openly about sex, while I blushed at the thought of a snog. They were different and I instantly fell in love with the whole family and their dutch eccentricities.
At the end of our primary school days, the Notens decided that England was no longer for them. So they packed up and moved back to the land of clogs, bicycles and *whispers* weed. My family and I have never lost touch with them and we remain the best of friends. When we meet up it is like we have never been apart, the drinks and the laughs always flow with ease.
The Noten familyNever forget
So, when the news came out that Mama Noten (Annemie pictured middle, above photo) had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, everyone whose life she has ever touched was shocked and upset. Although the years have proven tough, Annemie and the Noten family have dealt with her illness with the same spirit they have in life – with passion, with determination and with individuality. Annemie has even had her makeup tattooed on, if she can no longer do her own makeup, then she will ensure she still always looks good.
Noten Family Love - Floor, Micheal and Marcela Noten
Forget me not tattoos
I met up with them all a couple of weeks ago for Annemie’s birthday. The family drove over to London and all the familiar faces from Annemie’s English past gathered in a pub on the banks of the Thames to surprise her. It was an emotional, but very lovely day. We caught up with each others’ lives and Annemie told me a beautiful story about about how she had always wanted to have matching tattoos with her children (Floor, Marcela and Michael pictured). A simple Forget Me Not flower to ensure that they never forget the bond that they have shared in life. I know that they will never forget Annemie Noten, I don’t think anyone who was ever met her will.
Location: The Royal Oak, Columbia Road
