"Flash" is an homage to the traditions of hand drawn tattoo designs building off of centuries of history, iconography, and craft. This project was constructed through my lens as an artist and an art historian, making me acutely aware of the way tattoo history has been dismissed within the broader canon. This pushed me to explore and experiment through my practice. "Flash" reimagines the tattoo shop as well as the human body as a gallery space. It challenges the perception of tattoo flash as a “lower art form” within academic institutions. "Flash" strives to acknowledge and emphasize the artistry of tattoo flash by elevating its status within the fine art setting.
Tattoo flash describes any pre-drawn tattoo design that discards the essentiality of custom designs for a given client. Popularized in street shops, flash is most commonly associated with traditional “Sailor Jerry” designs. Flash sheets, compositions of multiple flash designs, are still found lining the walls of walk-in shops today. They act as decoration, a potential option for a client’s tattoo, and a representation of an artist’s mastery of and appreciation for the craft of hand drawn flash.
