A huge "Well Done You" to the Napoli Tattoo Expo and the l'Associazione Culturale Napolindelebile for putting on one heckuva show. They were able to do exactly what you'd expect of a modern expo like this: Display art that is beautiful, thought provoking, and emotional using the human body as a canvas and skin as the paper.
Walking into the Palapartenope Theater in Fuorigrotta, I could not have been more clueless about what to expect. I'm not a tattoo fanatic, I don't have one on my body. I'm a bit older, and tattoos (I thought) are a young person's thing. I found myself assuming that I was going to walk into loud headbanger music, bright lights and tattoo shops lined up like restaraunts at a "Taste of" event. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Entering the arena, by parting dark curtains, I see that the entire space has been done in black. Colors jump out at you with a vibrance that's due to some pretty sophisticated lighting. Soft Hip-hop jams and space jazz are playing, accompanying you while you walk and check out the art, the canvases and the artists. A body painting exhibition is on stage when I walk in. Two women and a man are being adorned with their artists visions.
76 tattoo artists are in their booths, answering questions and performing their art on enthusiastic customers.
There are photography exhibits, paintings and sculptures centered on body art for one to examine. There are merchants selling everything from belt buckles, rings and tattoo ink...
To motorcyles and manicures!!!
And the art, Oh-My-God, the art. In one word-awesome. From full sleeve cherry trees in full bloom, menacing dragons and tribal tats to contemporary renderings and small little teddy bears. The quality and beauty of this artform was on full display.
Again, to the curators of this wonderful expo " Well Done You"
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