Untouchable transcenders of time
Norman O’Flynn confronts viewers with large portraits of tattooed tribe
People with inked designs covering their bodies say tattooing is addictive. Some say it is because of the adrenalin rush caused by the pain of a needle piercing their skin, others wax lyrical about the satisfaction of owning their bodies and marking their personality through permanent designs on their skin. The psychic payoff is significant enough for tattoo shops to have become ubiquitous in malls in SA. Artist Norman O’Flynn suggests tattoos function like the rings inside a tree trunk; they accumulate over time. Experience is selectively archived on the skin. In his new exhibition, Better and Better, he confronts viewers with large portraits of a veritable tattooed tribe, Timekeepers. This group appears to have transcended time. Like cartoon characters, they appear immortal; all svelte and good-looking without a wrinkle or belly roll in sight. Yet they have been through a lot; their bodies are covered with marks and designs. Apart from the usual clichéd tattoos — ranging from merm...
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