Adding texture to an artist’s body

The Ink Link is an ongoing project at CN&CO that showcases the diversity of tattoos. One of the great things about a tattoo is that it goes against the commonly-held viewpoint that “what you see is what you get”. There’s a misguided belief in certain quarters that only “some” people get a tattoo. We are putting paid to that perception through the stories showcased in the Ink Link.

This instalment of The Ink Link is by Carel.

Unexpectedly meeting amazing people is one of the joys of travel. On a recent visit to my friend Roy Ockers in the small Tuscan village of Montefollonico, I met the latest artist to have won the Banditto art residency, Saxon JJ Quinn.

Saxon confirmed my bias towards smart, talented, fun and funny people who have cool relationships with their mums and love their partners and kids! Plus, the man is an artist with tattoos – what’s not to like?!

In looking at some of the art Saxon created while on the residency, listening to him talk about his art and exploring more via his socials (there are wonderful photos and images on his Insta, proving that artists must also be smart documenters and promoters of their art to drive more engagement and sales) I was struck by the canvas he often uses – it is itself an artwork.

Saxon adds to this canvas additional texture, (recurring) motifs, interesting biographical, subconscious and literal elements of his life and the way he experiences the world to produce a rich piece of art. Not too far a stretch to make the comparison to adding tattoos to a body – already a wonderful canvas which can, and to my mind, is enhanced by the body’s “owner” – the body’s artist as it were. As Saxon says: “When people walk away from my shows, I want them to walk away feeling something.” And one certainly does that when walking away from the artwork Saxon has created on his own body canvas.

Saxon got his first tattoo as a teenager (with his dad, who died not long after, on an overseas trip). His mum (the artist Diane Coulter who creates superb figurative work) was not that pleased – perhaps a reason why some of his tattoos – including the full-body, superb back piece – has nods to his mum and some of her work. Others are a nod to his wife Cynthia and his two kids whom he constantly, lovingly references.

Some of Saxon’s tattoos are large, others mere markings. Some were done by friends, some by tattoo artists and a couple by himself. The different styles and thinking, for me, again link to his work – they are exciting, complimentary textures adding to the body canvas – some planned and working well, others less so. Some, perfectly constructed, others, poorly – but all adding to the overall, magnificent, piece. And with Saxon having found numbing cream, I doubt he is going to stop – soon we will see a few more big pieces, including a crocodile on his stomach (when you engage with his work, find the crocodile motif …)

In chatting with Saxon about art, tattoos, beer, travel – in fact everything and nothing – I told him about the InkLink blog – for more than a decade now, we have been showcasing the richness of tattoos and the diversity of people who have them and the many (special) reasons that people have for inking themselves.

I told Saxon that I am always amused when people (less so now) ask me – what about when you are 70? Well, my answer was and remains – at 70, we’ll all have some (a lot!) of sagging skin, many other things to worry about. And really, the canvas will just be richer and provide further ways to interpret the art. As Saxon says – not long ago, very few grandparents had tattoos – soon, many (most?) will have a tattoo or two.

Yep, the times they are a-changing. And while it is often easy to get lost in the mayhem of our daily grind, the tragedy of and frightening happenings in Ukraine and Gaza, the poor servant leader politicians in South Africa and many other places, art – and artists like Saxon – through their work (and that includes their own body art) remain a source of deep comfort and inspiration to me.

Thank you to all of you for moving the world froward and for making it a better place. And to those, like Roy and the Banditto residency who enable and support these artists, a special thank you also (Roy, with your multitude of great tattoos and with some exciting happenings in your life in September and new tattoo then, I think your Inklink is way overdue!)