Art of Tattoo

ART OF TATTOO is a unique collection of contemporary ink-inspired artwork exploring the history of the maritime tattoo, featuring photography, interactive pieces and mixed media from Europe, Asia, the Americas and New Zealand.

Trinity Buoy Wharf has a colourful maritime history as a busy working wharf in London’s Docklands. Historic Orchard Place was once lined with pubs and a range of rogues who were more than ready to welcome sailors back to dry land. It is the ideal location to mull over the origin, ritual and meanings of tattoos as they were introduced to England and Europe.

Derived from the Tahitian 'tatau', Captain Cook introduced the word 'tattoo' to the English language on his return from the South Pacific, where sailors were impressed by native Polynesian tattoos and began to acquire skin art themselves.

Fletcher Christian of ‘The Bounty’ fame had nautical stars inked over his heart, demonstrating that maritime semiotics go beyond an anchor symbolising a sailor crossing the Atlantic or a full rigged sailing ship meaning that he had voyaged around Cape Horn.

Animals feature strongly in the tattoo menu of seafarers, e.g. a sparrow for every 5000 nautical miles travelled, a turtle on it’s back legs for crossing the equator, a pig on the left knee meant ‘safety at sea’ and a rooster on the right ‘never lose a fight’, a dragon for journeying to China…

In 1892 the future King George V inspired the tattoo trend in Europe after he acquired a ‘Cross of Jerusalem’ tattoo whilst visiting the Middle East. His sons followed suit whilst on a naval tour of Japan, and were swiftly copied by the crowned heads of Europe.

After a brief mid 20th century decline body etching has become part of mainstream culture, boasting celebrity fans including Samantha Cameron, with an estimated 20 million Britons believed to have at least one tattoo.

This exhibition takes its inspiration from this heritage, presenting the genre of tattoo art in a variety of media, displayed right on the Thames riverside at the historic Electrician’s Shop situated in the centre Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Trinity Buoy Wharf is within easy reach for visitors to the 9th London Tattoo Convention at Tobacco Dock at Shadwell. There will also be a reception at Luxembourg House the following week.

ART OF TATTOO contributing artists: Simone El-Rana, Scott Irwin, Rikki-Jean, Scott Lukas, Mik Mullen, Yliana Paolini, Doralba Picerno, Eun-Sen Sin, Richard Sorensen and Ines Avala.

Presented by First Weekends with support from the Luxembourg Ministère of Culture and the Ambassador at their London Embassy