I WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOU
Mapping the tattooing culture of Knowle West
In collaboration with Knowle West Media Centre and digital agency Play Nicely, we created an exhibition and story collecting booth that mapped the tattooing culture of Knowle West, Bristol by documenting the tattoos of local residents and examining the power of their personal narratives.
I Will Always Have You mapped the tattooing heritage of Knowle West, Bristol by engaging with the public and documenting their tattoos, examining the power of their personal narratives and the construction of character. We wanted to extract the memories and remembrances that are stored in people’s body art.
In collaboration with Knowle West Media Centre and Play Nicely, we created a Mobile Tattoo Parlour. This is a tattoo parlour with a difference – instead of inking new tattoos it digitally collected people’s pieces of body art and recorded the stories behind why they had them. The project offered an opportunity for people to share the memories, lost loves and tall tales that are etched into their tattoos. By gathering these stories, we hoped to explore and better understand the growing popularity of tattoos across the UK and the richness of the tattoo culture of Knowle West.
Take a look at some of the stories collected by following the link below:
“We’re such a close knit community, everybody wears their hearts on their sleeves, literally, I suppose. ”
Collaborators
Jo Lathwood - fabricator
Play Nicley - digital agency
Karen Dickinson - research and production support
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