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My Story, My Tattoo exhibit goes beyond skin deep

Wellington County Museum exhibit features photos of body art and the story behind them.
20160205 TATTOO PHOTOG AND CURATOR Bridgeman
Wellington County Museum curator Amy Dunlop and photographer Chris Piccinetti pose at the museum's My Story, My Tattoo exhibit. Troy Bridgeman, guelphtoday.com

Every tattoo has a story.

That's the essence of the multi-media exhibit My Story, My Tattoo currently running at the Wellington County Museum.

The exhibit runs from January 9 to March 27. It features the stories and tattoos of more than 30 people from Wellington County as well as the artists behind these creations of ink and skin.

Large photographs by Wellington County photographer Chris Piccinetti allow guests to view the tattoos close up and see the detail and artistry of each design.

Some of the people featured have dozens of tattoos covering most of their body and some have only one small tattoo but everyone has a story.

“It was a great opportunity for me to capture these images and help people tell their stories,” said Piccinetti. “I didn’t realize there were so many different types of people getting tattoos.”

A short written biography is displayed beside each photo and audio and video stations throughout the exhibit give visitors a chance to hear and see the compelling and, in some cases, amusing stories behind each image.

Last Saturday, as part of the exhibit, the museum hosted a panel discussion titled Tattoo: Art Form and Phenomenon that featured a number of local tattoo artists.

Museum curator Amy Dunlop said the panel discussion looked at tattooing as an art form and a cultural phenomenon.

"We are highlighting tattoo artists and what tattoos are," Dunlop said.

Nearly 300 people showed up for the official opening of the exhibit Jan. 16 and there has been a steady flow of visitors ever since. 

Entries in the guest book reveal that some visitors are tattoo enthusiasts and many more are simply curious about the popular art form.

One of the panelists at last Saturday's event was Mac Young from Guelph's Nighthawk Tattoo and Gallery.

He talked about the growing popularity of using tattoos to cover scars and planning and customizing tattoos for that purpose, Dunlop said.

Young was the second person exhibit participant Tanya Olsen called when she found out she had breast cancer and would undergo a double mastectomy.

“As soon as I got the diagnosis I knew I wasn’t going to do reconstruction,” Olsen said.

“I needed not only something to give me a goal while I went through treatment but something I was going to look at for the rest of my life.”

Panelist, Daemon Rowanchilde from Urban Primitive on Tower Street in Fergus specializes in therapeutic tattoos that express a person’s spiritual health and identity – a tradition dating back through many ancient cultures.

Master of ceremonies for the event was Joan Larsen, owner of Stigmata Body Art on Carden Street in Guelph. Larsen has seen many positive and negative changes in the tattoo industry over the years.

“The shop is entering it’s 17th year but I have been in the industry 27 years,” Larsen said. “Now a days any kid who has seen a show about tattoos will open a shop with no experience.”

She cautions people to do their research before getting a tattoo.

Other panelists included body-piercing artist Meaghan Colman from Stigmata Body Art and Angela McDonald from Thrive Studios on King Street East in Cambridge. 

McDonald discussed the growing popularity of micro-pigmentation, which ranges from permanent makeup or cosmetic tattoos to nipple tattoos following mastectomies and reconstructive surgery.

For more information on the exhibit call 1 800 663-0750 Ext.# 5221  or visit the museum website at www.wellington.ca/museum.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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