Tara Felts
Art Exhibition
Title: Temporary Canvas
Location: TRAK, The Working Art Space, 2 Albert Street, Sheffield
Opening: Sunday, December 6th, 4pm
Exhibition Dates: December 4th, 2015 – January 1st, 2016
Gallery Hours: 10am – 4pm every day
Guest speaker: Bill Flowers
I remember going into a tattoo shop when I was only fifteen. I didn’t really plan it because I thought they’d ask me for the I.D. I didn’t have. My friends got piercings and I came out with my first tattoo.
I wasn’t prepared for the reactions of other people. Positive or negative, it seems like getting ink is an invitation for people to tell you what they think. I let the opinions of other people prevent me from going back for more.
Four years later I started studying Visual Arts and I became friends with a tattoo artist in my class. My second tattoo was drawn by me and tattooed by my friend, Lou Shaw. Since then I haven’t looked back.
I don’t mind if people don’t like my tattoos; there will always be prejudice, especially with the older generations, but I don’t feel like there are any situations where I should be asked to cover the art on my skin.
My images are inspired by my love of tattoos and my thoughts about life being temporary. Some say tattoos are permanent, but I find them to be an ephemeral art form. Life is short and skin is a temporary canvas. Clothing prints are also an art form with a limited life span. This exhibition will showcase screen prints on clothing and other textiles.
I use white ink on black textiles to create unique, bold prints. I have also introduced phosphorescence green ink (glow-in-the-dark) to my work and created images that change in the dark or under UV black light. I’ve worn my prints while working in a nightclub and they glow really well there.
I have continued to study art and acquire tattoos. I still get a lot of comments, even from my family members. People make such a fuss about tattoos being permanent but I don’t see it like that. Life is short and I want to live colourful and creatively. Tattoos are a form of self-expression, like fashion, they are a reflection of personality and personal choice.
Tara Felts
