Artist Statement
My interest in 'urban' forms of tattoos started during my research on gangs whose members use tattooing as means to denote identification and affiliation to a group. However, one can observe a growing infatuation with this art on a more mainstream level in our urban centres. Therefore I decided to do customised tattoo portraits of people I knew.
I chose models that did not have any tattoos and I offered that they choose how to express their interests and passion through the sorts of tattoos that they requested. The subjects all chose their own elements to represent and identify them in the form of a tattoo superimposed on their portraits.
Courtesy of the Artist
April 2011
This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 10
Artwork Images
Portraits Tatoués
Marie-Hélène Cauvin
2007—ongoing
Ink, charcoal, watercolour, pastel and sitckers on BFK Rives paper
76 x 111.8 cm each
Installation view
Photo by Alfredo Rubio
Related
Cauvin, Marie-Hélène
Marie-Hélène Cauvin’s innovative paintings and prints explore imaginative spaces, both real and symbolic, and her recent work explores themes such as violence and insecurity in contemporary societies.
Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot for a Biennial
Accompanying and complementing the main premise of Sharjah Biennial 10, Plot for a Biennial explores the concept of a ‘conversation’ through printed matter.