(I don't think tattooing pigs or any other animal is okay, by the way. Just saying that in case people think I'm endorsing this. Is it art? Yes, in the same way that other shock art moves people to comment on society.
I've also noted that my belly icon next to this article is a little depressing! Maybe part of that was seeing myself on video dancing at the hafla. Time for Pilates again...)
Wim Delvoye's Art Farm of Tattooed Swine
One of the more controversial tattoo art stories of the week is that of Belgian artist, Wim Delvoye's Art Farm in China. Delvoye has been tattooing pigs as an art statement for years, but most recently, he's rented a traditional Chinese farm to take his statement even further; what he calls "harvesting" his art. Currently, there are 24 tattooed pigs on the farm, some with classic Americana flash designs, Russian prison tattoos, and even a pig covered in Louis Vuitton's trademark logo.
Three fine artists/tattooists work with Delvoye on his Art Farm: Cheto Castellano from Chile, and Chinese artists Lian Ji, and Mu Dai Qian. None have ever tattooed animals before.
None of the animals sought out a custom tattoo on their own.
While the tattoos themselves do not contain specific messages, Delvoye says that, as pigs grow in size, the tattoos stretch and fade, a visual reminder of human illusions and wishes that have faded. He told ThatsChina.net:
"Tattooing somehow expresses a lot of heavy wishes, like Jesus Christ, or liberty,[...] or you're happy because you're in love; big events in life, big ideas in life, big ambitions, big wishes, projections...all these things are very human, they're human wishes and projections, and to put them on a pig, makes these wishes, these desires, so ridiculous."
In using tattooing as a means of critiquing human desire and aspirations in his artwork, it makes me wonder if Delvoye is also debasing the art of tattoo, especially where the act of tattooing is sacred as well as its symbolism.
http://www.wimdelvoye.be/afc.html
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Comments
I agree with the artist who says it points out the ridiculous nature of some tattoo art. I think it's good for humans to be reminded of the ridiculous. Not that it's a deterrent; I think we need the ridiculous, in the same way that rabbits go mad in Spring, how dogs play-fight, how horses kick up their feet just for the fun of it.