"Travelin‘ Mick is a photographer and journalist, who has been relentlessly roaming the world in search of the last remaining tattoo cultures of this planet to record and thus conserve them for posterity.
It is his distinctive goal to promote the understanding of the importance of tattooing to the history and culture of mankind and as a veritable form of art.
Tattoos have been an integral part of the shaping of identities of societies and individuals throughout our history over thousands of years as well as a possibility to express our individuality and creativity.
Thorough research is meant to find out more about the relation of mankind and its societies with body art.
By visiting and documenting the last remaining traditional tattooing practices on all continents, he tries to preserve those cultures and show them to the world in images that express the beauty and pride of ethnic groups and traditional communities, who still bear the marks of their people.
About „In Your Face“:
Travelin‘ Mick is delighted to bring his photographic exhibition „In Your Face“ to Iceland. Exhibiting for the first time in this part of the world, he hopes that his documentary and artistic photographs can help to change the prejudices tattooed people often meet around the globe.
His intention is to lessen the fear of tattoos in a society that has grown up with prejudice about gang tattooing and which all too often associates TATTOO with FEAR.
Viewing this exhibition gives an opportunity to change these notions and henceforth connect TATTOO with BEAUTY and PRIDE.
„In Your Face“ shows the beauty, dignity and pride of the many traditionally tattooed ethnic minorities and religious groups throughout the world.
Often these permanent marks function as an openly visible symbol for their own identity.
The people thus marked are proud to belong to their societies and want to show this to the world: „Look into my face“ they are telling the camera.
„I bear upon me the mark of my people. Without my tattoos I am nothing. Can‘t you see where I belong? I am a member of my family, of my clan, of my religion, of my society!
LOOK INTO MY FACE. Do not fear me. I am human, I am beautiful!“" Icelandic tattoo expo
