Photographer Portraits Journey Beneath The Tattoo

Gino Dartnall - Gino Dartnall - 24 years old. Gino started tattooing his own face at 18 to cover up facial work someone else had previously had done Photographer Mark Leaver captures tattooed people with a deeper perspective. . . . His new collection of images, entitled 'Tattoo', is intent on redressing assumed public prejudices surrounding tattoos. The study seeks to showcase, as a passion and individual self-expression, the practise for visual body modification through inserting indelible ink into the skin's dermis layer. All the while, examining preconceived misconceptions and misunderstanding of the facial and bodyart community - as a subculture. Actor Johnny Depp once said: "My body is my journal, and my tattoos are my story." Leaver allows the viewer a unique opportunity to learn about the tales behind the tattoos. The photojournalist took time to discover the fascinating background stories of each of its subjects - revealing the colourful creative characters behind the tattoos. His ensuing project presents portraits of its subjects in their home and work environment, with pets and loved ones. Recent surveys have stated a fifth of all British adults and thirty five per cent of people aged between 30-39 sport tattoos. Whilst In the USA 40 per cent of those aged 26-40 and 10 per cent between 41-64 have tattoos. Mark Leaver says: "Tattooing is more popular at the moment than it has ever been in history. This is down to many things, one of the main being that tattooing is endorsed through celebrity culture as result making them fashionable. However I wasn't interested in the thousands of people with a sleeve or back piece which they cover up when they go to work. Its facial tattoos which grabbed me and the direct confrontational nature of them. "Historically facial tattoos have had a huge amount of taboos around them. People associate facial tattoos with a number of negative things including suicide rates, criminality and depression. This couldn't be further from th - Friday 6th June 2014 (1 Picture)


Journey, Gino Dartnall and Tattoo 1

Journey, Gino Dartnall and Tattoo
Photo credit: Mark Leaver/mdleaver.com


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