Shawn Barber: The Tattooed Portraits – An Outsider’s View of Another World
Story and photos by Mitch Gurowitz
My trip to the Joshua Liner Gallery for the opening of Shawn Barber’s Memoir: The Tattooed Portraits Series was yet another door opening into another world for me. I went there to view the work of a fine artist who specializes in painting tattooers and tattooed people. While I’m no stranger to art or to galleries, I’ve only recently joined the ranks of the tattooed a few months earlier as a celebration of my 50th birthday.
My mind skipped between the excitement of seeing Shawn’s artwork up close and meeting him and the subjects of some of his work, and also concern that the reception would be a gathering of a very exclusive and private group of professionals… A group that may not appreciate an outsider walking into their world… (more…)
Noon Tattoo Artist Magazine #30 Article Preview
Interview By Gene Coffey
Gene Coffey: There are a lot of people in Europe now that do your style.
Noon: Well, not really my style.
They’re definitely influenced by your style though…
Shawn Barber Tattoo Artist Magazine #30 Article Preview
Interview By Kore Flatmo
Kore Flatmo: Were you making art that whole time? Or did you put it on the shelf?
Shawn Barber: Yes. I was always drawing comics. Doing murals on friends’ walls, posters for friends’ music shows and album artwork. I got my first tattoo at 16, continued to get a more and more tattoos.
So there was an attraction early on.
Yeah. I wanted to be tattooed.
When you got that first tattoo, did you think, ‘I’d like to do this’?
I thought, “This guy doesn’t know how to draw.” [Laughs]… (more…)
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