Art Matters

In this episode, we look at art that's skin-deep, displayed – not in galleries – but on the human body. Where does the history of tattooing meet the history of art? How have tattooed people been represented in paintings – and in the media? Why have some tattooers resisted the label of 'artist'? How did the fashion for Japanese prints among the Impressionists impact the world of tattooing? And who are the Da Vincis of the tattoo world? This episode's guest: Dr Matt Lodder is a lecturer in contemporary art and Director of American Studies at the University of Essex. His research primarily concerns the application of art-historical methods to the history of Western tattooing from the seventeenth century to the present day, with a focus on the professional era from the 1880s onwards. He has given invited lectures at venues including the V&A, the National Museum of Scotland, and the Museum of London. He has published academic papers in publications including Sculpture Journal and contributed forewords for over a