ENTRY DESCRIPTION
This photograph and the project it is from aims to document the increasing popularity of tattooing in modern popular culture, as both an art form and a form of expression. The protagonist, unlike many other projects, which focuses on this ever-growing art scene, is the artist themselves, the man/woman behind the needle. This project aims to pay homage to these artists, instead of the client made canvas that the majority of these projects focus on.

Tattooing has an incredible aura about it of being both actively involved in popular culture as well as counter culture, its increasing presence in modern society has created it’s own thriving art scene which is undoubtedly going to go down in modern art history.

This photograph was taken in 'Flamin' Eight' in Camden, London. All of the artists there were incredibly welcoming and friendly, but as soon as I came in to photograph my attention went straight to their dog. I found out from the owner that the dog rides to work strapped in on one of the artists bikes and I found the juxtaposition between this big, otherwise intimidating man and this cute, small dog. I gave an insight into the man himself and questioned the stigma around tattoo artists you get in the modern day.

AUTHOR
My name is Ben Bardsley-Ball, I am a third year photography student at the University of West London, my passion for photography surpasses any passion I have ever had in my life, my fight to achieve high levels as a photographer will be continuous and is what pushes me to be the best photographer I can be. For my whole life I have always found art to be one of the most important expressive parts of our society and I consider myself very lucky to be able to use photography as a medium of self expression. I adore photography, its truth factor always astonishes me, photography to me is about showing people what is right in front of them, but that they could not see. My areas of photography that I enjoy working with more than any others are documentary, music, portraiture and nature.

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