Shawn Barber's tattoo paintings

Shawn Barber has a new series of paintings up at San Francisco's Shooting Gallery. Continuing his documentation of tattoo culture, this collection features portraits of tattooed individuals and also scenes from a tattoo studio. The exhibition, titled "Tattooed Portraits: Snapshots," can also be viewed online. BB pal Jess Hemerly interviewed Barber for 7x7:

7x7: I have no tattoos but I admire beautiful ink, and there's something about your paintings that makes me want to cover myself in tattoos. What draws you to ink as a subject?

Shawn Barber: The medium saturates everything that I do. Tattooing gives so much more than it takes. It allows an individual to acknowledge life with permanent markers. Getting tattooed is a leap of faith that reminds you of that exact time and place for the rest of your life.

"Shawn Barber Makes Us Want To Cover Ourselves in Tattoos" (7x7)

Shawn Barber: Tattooed Portraits (Shooting Gallery)

• [benher]

  Alas, another ocean between myself and a great show.

• [UnnecessaryUmlaut]

  These are gorgeous. And if you’re in SF, they’re up for a couple more weeks. I think the show ends Sept 9 or 10.