Brian's Ink Speaks About Art

I met Brian in Barnes & Noble, Union Square, back in August and he shared two tattoos with us. Put your thinking caps on, folks, because Brian, who is a video artist (website <a href="http://taxiplasm.net/">here</a>), has very cerebral ink.<br /><br />First up is this tattoo, on Brian's left biceps: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva0MJ76DUUVSSVImYOoeg8kRC3RO8DmJEyY1IAGRAm2VQrV_xQL1SM2PbXRtcrJwbwsDbq1Cca2Jpsi0pcQbwKo9OqEM3FyZkF9qgdknJKJ7MfwzUxlJtTeJcOGQM2noJomMxXEdF/s1600/Kubin+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva0MJ76DUUVSSVImYOoeg8kRC3RO8DmJEyY1IAGRAm2VQrV_xQL1SM2PbXRtcrJwbwsDbq1Cca2Jpsi0pcQbwKo9OqEM3FyZkF9qgdknJKJ7MfwzUxlJtTeJcOGQM2noJomMxXEdF/s640/Kubin+wm.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br />This tattoo is based on an illustration entitled "Every Night We Are Haunted by a Dream" by the artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Kubin">Alfred Kubin</a> (1877-1959). <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXf9RLSOAu9ZZE0HAr6bEGDCUGVQmI9aerwylCNQNALvXnhCkVQ-gPHatlNRmtSeO-M1_rOmd-WeJ1whwq8tHUUkMYTYqqGizyusUIftJYPY5ZC7iNXczR_24PFUn8x_0B6UeeU66/s400/every+night.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="340" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Jede Nacht besucht uns ein Traum (Every Night We are Haunted by a Dream)</em>, ca. 1902-03</strong><br />Pen and ink, brush, wash, and spray on paper<br />39.1 x 31.8 cm (15 3/8 x 12 1/2 in.)<br />Albertina, Vienna</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXf9RLSOAu9ZZE0HAr6bEGDCUGVQmI9aerwylCNQNALvXnhCkVQ-gPHatlNRmtSeO-M1_rOmd-WeJ1whwq8tHUUkMYTYqqGizyusUIftJYPY5ZC7iNXczR_24PFUn8x_0B6UeeU66/s1600/every+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Brian explained that this work corresponded very closely to the publication of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freud#Major_works_by_Freud">Sigmund Freud's</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Interpretation_of_Dreams">The Interpretation of Dreams</a>, and that Kubin's illustration represents "art between the cusp of pre-surrealism/expressionism and surrealism". It speaks to Brian's understanding of the perception of dreams and art.<br /><br />Brian also had these words inscribed on his inner right forearm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4N4s_99L7jjFlQ9OrVGxLoaspw8l7RT0vUsksREGFlKfqjuNO5DqabxBFEU_U8nxLSwdPYytMBHOkZ_jw_3OlBLVLvxSKdWIZ2tbixXltVx29TA5x1AiQ5DoTnqlb3PQNn6kjG-iZ/s1600/Camus+quote+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4N4s_99L7jjFlQ9OrVGxLoaspw8l7RT0vUsksREGFlKfqjuNO5DqabxBFEU_U8nxLSwdPYytMBHOkZ_jw_3OlBLVLvxSKdWIZ2tbixXltVx29TA5x1AiQ5DoTnqlb3PQNn6kjG-iZ/s320/Camus+quote+wm.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br />The words "Cr<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}</style> <![endif]--><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">é</span>er Dangereusement" are the French title of a 1957 essay by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus">Albert Camus</a> entitled "Create Dangerously". This "essay on realism and artistic creation" likewise spoke to Brian who acknowledged that "all art is a political act". It makes perfect sense, if you think about it, in that no great work of art was ever created by the artist playing it safe. It is those who created dangerously that are remembered as trailblazers and icons in their respective fields.<br /><br />Brian had both of these tattoos done in Austin, Texas.<br /><br />Thanks to Brian for sharing his artistic ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Brian's Ink Speaks About Art

I met Brian in Barnes & Noble, Union Square, back in August and he shared two tattoos with us. Put your thinking caps on, folks, because...

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