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INKEDblog takes you beneath the skin of today's tattoo culture. Our mission is to celebrate tattooing as a modern art form which incorporates art, fashion, style, and pop culture. While paying homage and respect to the past, we look to present a contemporary take on the present and future of skin art.
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Wednesday Jul 27, 2005
Every BODY Has A Story - Cristina
"The painting Friedrichstrasse, by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, was the inspiration for the tattoo. The 1914 painting depicts a few German prostitutes and their potential clients; the figure on my leg is the central figure in the painting. I'm a huge fan of German Expressionism, and Kirchner's work in particular. His street scenes, of which Friedrichstrasse is one, are particularly evocative. Kirchner's work was eventually labeled "Entartete Kunst," or Degenerate Art by the Nazis. He was one of the most pioneering artists of the 20th century.
I was drawn to the aesthetics of Kirchner's work the first time I saw it. When planning my leg tattoo I tried to think of the loveliest images I could. Tattoos, to me, are mainly aesthetic. I want images that I like to look at on my skin. I considered matching Art Deco or Art Nouveau designs down my calves, and rejected them. Then I turned to my favourite artist. As soon as I saw this painting, I knew it was the one.
I love the defiant gaze of the woman. She's as close to a pin-up as I'll probably ever have on my skin. I love the dichotomy between the woman's fancy clothes and her profession. I'm happy to be honouring Kirchner, who had such a difficult and unhappy life. I love the brushstrokes of the original painting.
My artist, Cecelia at Braindrops, in San Francisco, is amazing. I wouldn't have trusted anyone else to tattoo this image on me. Even though my leg is only half-finished, you can see what an amazing job she's done.
The tattoo looks like a painting on my leg. You can see the brushstrokes. It's amazing. The only way I could possibly be happier with it is if she were complete."
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