"Modern Artists Tattoos"

[Jaycel Adkins]

Saw this on the Daily Beast....honestly, after seeing the tattoos, I'm like, '....fucking whatever.'

Garage Magazine

Controversial Contemporary Tattoos

Aug 31, 2011 11:30 AM EDT

Artist Damien Hirst designed a tattoo for one woman’s vagina for a photo spread in the new Garage magazine. See exclusive (NSFW) pictures of tattoos by contemporary artists from John Baldessari to Jeff Koons. By Isabel Wilkinson.

Hanging a Damien Hirst painting on your wall—or visiting it in a museum—is one thing. Getting a Hirst tattoo on your vagina is quite another. But that’s what 23-year-old Shauna Taylor did when she agreed to get a butterfly tattoo from the artist on her crotch for a spread in Garage magazine, the new art and fashion bible from art collector (and former Pop magazine editor) Dasha Zhukova, which hits newsstands next week.

The black-and-white image appears on the cover of the magazine—with a butterfly sticker hiding Taylor’s tattoo. “Peel slowly and see,” it reads. Inside, a photo spread titled “Inked” has been making headlines for its controversial subject matter: well-known contemporary artists including Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, and John Baldessari designed tattoos for a series of “willing canvases”—an assortment of young men and women who were recruited for the project. They gathered in Los Angeles to be photographed by Hedi Slimane, former designer of Yves Saint Laurent and Dior Homme. The result is a series of expressive black-and-white portraits of the sitters and their tattoos. Prince’s signature smiley face was tattooed on Conrad Lochner, a 31-year-old from New York. AJ English, a 24-year-old model living in L.A., got a Raymond Pettibon on his bicep. Leaf Chang, 30, received a Jeff Koons tattoo across his chest—and artist Dinos Chapman tattooed his own right arm with the text “I’m With This Idiot.”

The project raises questions about the permanency of contemporary art. “What are they worth? Something more than the skin on their backs?” asks Garage’s Becky Poostchi. In an art market so volatile that one year a blue-chip artist can run cold, committing to a tattoo from a “hot” artist seems like the ultimate investment. The sketches for the tattoos (which were given to tattoo artists in London, Los Angeles, and New York) are now themselves valuable works of art; many are now the property of the Gagosian Gallery. Slimane’s photographs in Garage are highly artistic—but they also serve as documentation for a project that is, despite its permanency, entirely fleeting. After all, Taylor’s going to pull up her pants, Lochner’s going to put on his shirt—and the public will never see these pieces of art again.

Would you want a tattoo by a famous contemporary artist? For Taylor, the answer was a definite yes. “I would have been stupid not to be part of this project,” she said, explaining: “I have a piece of art on my vagina. Not one single person can ever say they gave birth through a Damien Hirst piece of art. I can [if I ever give birth].” And it’s clear she’s proud of her new acquisition: Taylor reportedly showed the tattoo to Hirst after the work was done—and then promptly threw a garden party to celebrate it.

Garage is available at select newsstands on Sept. 5 and will retail for $19.99.

[briankelly]

i think it is strange that the tattoos are "by famous artists", even though they are all made by some pretty big names in tattooing.

[Jaycel Adkins]

What disappointed me about the spread was that the tattoos weren't in anyway compelling/arresting/beautiful/thought-provoking/subversive or really anything, which for me is kinda the point of art. Holds the 'modern artists' responsible for that.

[Ursula]

My best friend has her vagina tattooed too, so do lots of other people. No big deal to me at all. I thought the photo spread was shit and it didn't even show the vagina tattoo in question.

[briankelly]

i like a lot of those artists, but don't think i would go to them to have them design my tattoos.

[tatsthompson]

I have a rat fink tattoo from a pinstriper buddy of mine. He doesn't tattoo, but I think it's way cooler than this crap.

[dari]

I don't get it.

[Jaycel Adkins]

@dari

Sadly, I am starting to think that for 'modern' art, that is pretty much becoming the goal.

[dari]

I mean, I suppose it'd be cool to have a tattoo drawn by Paul McCartney, if the design didn't suck, but I think I'd much rather have a cup of coffee with him. Or more preferably, a dress designed by his daughter.

[MsRad]

I mean, I suppose it'd be cool to have a tattoo drawn by Paul McCartney, if the design didn't suck, but I think I'd much rather have a cup of coffee with him. Or more preferably, a dress designed by his daughter.

i thought it was drawn by Paul McCarthy, who is a very different person and makes crazy weird videos (and gives interesting lectures).

[Chelsea Shoneck]

Those tattoos just scream "hipster" to me. :\

[MsRad]

http://youtu.be/4C3yjIet2Ig

[dari]

Still don't get it.

[David Flores]

One of those tattoos looks like the Kool Aid guy, which would be fine except how do you need someone to design that for you?

[MsRad]

Still don't get it.

me neither. he's a weirdo. not as weird as Raymond Pettibon though. he's straight up crazy.

[Tight-Lines]

me neither. he's a weirdo. not as weird as Raymond Pettibon though. he's straight up crazy.

Isn't that the dude from HIMSA!!!!!?????????

[Tight-Lines]

My best friend has her vagina tattooed too, so do lots of other people. No big deal to me at all. I thought the photo spread was shit and it didn't even show the vagina tattoo in question.

One day ill have my vagina tattooed...