FOREWORD

Since its relocation to the purpose-built Riverway Arts Centre in 2006, Pinnacles Gallery has prided itself on an engagement with cuttingedge and contemporary visual arts.

A plethora of exhibitions have been presented over the years addressing progressive concepts; prompting consideration of topical local, national and global issues and trends; and celebrating artists whom continue to push technical and technological boundaries, in the process challenging long-established fine art conventions.

The exhibition A Permanent Mark: the impact of tattoo culture on contemporary art is perhaps the most ambitious such project to date. Acknowledging the (in general terms, with some notable exceptions) broader acceptance of tattooing in modern Western society, the exhibition investigates the impact tattooing and tattoo culture has had on the contemporary art ‘industry’.

It encourages us to consider afresh the age-old, unsolvable question – ‘what is art, and is this it?’ Is general society’s acceptance of tattooing and tattoo culture putting it on the verge of greater acceptance as a legitimate art form ‘worthy’ of display in our finest arts institutions? Or is it fated to be considered a trade or craft forever more?

For certain, the contemporary arts industry is not at a point where tattooists are uniformly assumed to be ‘artists’, and perhaps nor should it be. That is a question the exhibition is not able to answer, as each tattooist approaches their practice differently, assigning varying levels of importance to the conceptual and technical elements of their work.

A Permanent Mark: the impact of tattoo culture on contemporary art does however assemble works by significant national and international artists operating at the intersect of contemporary art and the tattoo industry. These artists are already held in high regard within the arts industry, and their work has been impacted to varying degrees by tattooing and the tattoo industry.

It is significant that this exhibition is launched in 2015, a truly momentous year for the arts in Townsville. Winter is a particularly busy period that is sure to attract the nation’s attention.

Beyond A Permanent Mark: the impact of tattoo culture on contemporary art, Townsville will in this period host the largest biennial Strand Ephemera to date; will be the Australianexclusive venue of the mammoth WOW, World of WearableArt touring exhibition displaying nearly 30 years of the institution’s finest works; and will again deliver iconic annual events such as the Australian Festival of Chamber Music

Also presented in this period at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery will be the Gavin Wilsoncurated exhibition Country and Western: landscape re-imagined 1988-2013, featuring key works from numerous private, regional and state collections.

Of course projects such as A Permanent Mark require the vision and contribution of numerous parties to be successfully delivered. I must firstly extend my thanks to all staff and volunteers at Gallery Services and Townsville City Council. To all of the participating artists, and those individuals and institutions kindly loaning works, I am grateful for your time, effort, and generosity. Lastly but certainly not least, the exhibition’s success has been ensured by the funding contributed by Townsville City Council; the Gordon Darling Foundation through the Darling Travel Grants; and Arts Queensland through the Projects and Programs Fund.

I trust audiences will both enjoy and be stimulated by A Permanent Mark: the impact of tattoo culture on contemporary art, and like myself will look on with interest at the evolving influence of tattooing in the contemporary arts.

Shane Fitzgerald MANAGER, GALLERY SERVICES