When:
September 2, 2016 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm America/Chicago Timezone
2016-09-02T10:00:00-05:00
2016-09-02T17:00:00-05:00
Where:
artspace
710 Texas St
Shreveport, LA 71101
USA

THE ART OF SHAWN BARBER

Shawn Barber is a nationally recognized painter and photographer who studies the Tattoo as an Art form. This exhibit will include participation by area Tattoo Artists, Demonstrations, School Tours, and an Artist’s Talk.

Once seldom seen on anyone other than biker babes, sideshow freaks and old salts, the tattoo has become a $1.65 billion dollar industry and today is proudly displayed as fine art in galleries from London to San Francisco as well as on 36% of all U.S. Millennial adults. On August 25th, renowned Ringling College of Art oil painter, illustrator and teacher turned tattoo artist, Shawn Barber, will open his exhibit of tattoo painting and portraiture at artspace in downtown Shreveport.

Barber documents contemporary tattoo culture through painting and portraiture that showcases inked individuals with a mixture of careful brushstrokes and dripping pigment. He has taught illustration, drawing, painting and the business of art at various universities including his alma mater Ringling College of Art in Sarasota, FL and the Academy of Art’s and the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Barber’s portrait of President Obama was on the cover of The Wall Street Journal and his illustrations have appeared in The Rolling Stone and in various newspapers, magazines and on record labels. He has shown his paintings in galleries around the world from Queensland, Australia to London to Houston. His commercial clients have included American Airlines, Converse, The Grammy Awards, Harley Davidson, Target and Scholastic Books.

After years of paying homage to the art of tattooing through his portraiture, it was a logical progression to add tattooist to his resume. Barber’s friends Bryan Bancroft and artist and tattooist Henry Lewis encouraged him, and he picked up a tattoo machine and began as an apprentice with Mike Davis at Everlasting Tattoo. He has learned from and been tattooed by some of the best tattoo artists in the world. He travels often to both tattoo conventions and to show his art and admits that he struggles to balance his passion for painting and tattooing.

This exhibition will be paired with:
Shawn Barber Artist Talk
Shawn Barber Painting Workshop