I’ve always had a soft spot for David Shrigley, ever since my older sister gave me some of his books when I was a teenager. Apparently my drawings were reminiscent of his, a fact I find rather worrying now. Mad, odd and very funny, Mr. Shrigley’s only crime is to spawn herds of half arsed wannabe doodlers without his uncanny and disturbing wit.
I’ve had tattoos for almost ten years now (do the maths, I started illegally young), and in that time have considered getting some odd images. The only thing that stopped me getting a tattoo of a bat when I was 20 was a terrible bout of tonsillitis coinciding with the appointment. By the time I was off antibiotics I had thought better of it.
Not that I think I would have regretted the bat, in fact I still think it would have been pretty awesome. I strongly believe that you live with your tattoos, and even if you wouldn’t get them if you had the chance over again, that’s no real reason for regret. I’m happy that I’ll be an old lady with wrinkly tattoos and dangly great earlobes.
For the upcoming AND Festival David Shrigley will turn his hand to the tattooist’s art at our favourite cards and nickknack shop, Utility on Bold Street. Well from the information of theAbandon Normal Devices website, I assume he’ll be designing the tattoos, and a properly experienced professional from Liverpool studio Tattoo studio Dermagraffiti will be doing the painful part (hopefully upstairs in their nice clean airy studio).
I won’t lie to you; my mouse did hover over the link to make an appointment. But then I reconsidered, where the hell would I want a tattoo like that? Wouldn’t go with my flowers and arty abstractions at all!
However, I understand the appeal. A few years ago would have leapt at the chance and I doubt I would have regretted it… and if it seems right to you now, I doubt you’ll regret it either!
