The Tattoists

  • Morgan De Laporte

In 2018, I began a project focused on tattoo artists with the aim of creating a series of portraits that showcase the culture embodied by their body art. Drawing inspiration from Richard Avedon’s book “In the American West,” I use high-contrast black and white portraits captured on location in natural light with a medium format camera. The purpose of this approach is to separate the human subject from the tattoo designs, thereby enabling the viewer to establish an emotional connection with the artist through the portrait and see the art they carry as a roadmap to understanding their culture. Each artist has a unique map that takes the viewer on a journey through their soul. This is an unfinished project that I hope one day will be put together as a book.