ART-IST

The Art of Tattoos

Tattoos have long been seen as something that only sailors, prisoners, the rebellious types and Pacific Islanders would dare have. Over recent years however, what was once a subculture has become mainstream fashion. According to a 2016 US survey, 29% of the respondents had one or more tattoos; nearly half (47%) of the millennials said that they have been inked.

Funnily enough, even though they had a bad rep for a very long time, tattoos are one of the oldest forms of art. And a rather unique one as it came up in different parts of the world roughly the same time but practically in isolation. The oldest tools used for tattooing are about 12 000 years old and the oldest remaining tattoos were found on a mummy discovered in the Ötz valley in the Alps and date back to between the 5th and 4th millennium BC. What really sets tattooing apart from other art forms is that it is applied to the human skin.

Kelly Reissner is a young artist who has chosen tattooing not only as an art but also as a profession. Since setting up shop in 2017 she has quickly made a name for herself with her exquisite work and bold designs.

Originally from South Africa, Kelly got into tattooing after her plans to study fell through. Having always been artistically inclined and taking art as a subject at school she developed a keen interest in tattoos. After completing an apprenticeship at The Crows Nest in Greenside, Johannesburg, she moved to Windhoek and opened Kissing Cousins Tattoo Parlour.

“I’ve never liked mainstream art, it always seemed so overrated - the fact that everyone was into it. I have always preferred the more alternative styles so it made sense for me to go into tattooing,” Kelly explains. She describes her style as being influenced by the music she listens to, album cover designs and graphic novels, especially horror fiction. Always looking for something different than what everyone else does and likes, playing with different paradoxical combinations that at first seem to be worlds apart but end up complementing each other.

Kelly describes the technique of tattooing as being similar to painting. “You use the same kind of muscle memory, just different techniques. Obviously, the canvas being skin makes it a lot different. It’s not a flat surface. It’s moving and it’s alive. Being able to create something on this medium that makes the client happy and that looks good is not only a challenge but also very rewarding,” she says.

To see Kelly’s work, follow her on Instagram at @khells_bells

Le Roux van Schalkwyk