A tattoo artist has found himself in the firing line after social media users branded his ‘tattoo original’ as the ‘worst they’ve ever seen’.
Body art can go either one of two ways – really good or incredibly bad, as some are quick to find out.
One aspect that should be pretty straightforward, however, is the tattooing process, you just sit there for however long it takes for your tattoo to be complete, while the artist drags the needle across your skin.
But for this tattoo artist, it can be a way to get experimental.
Rixard Tattoo first got his start in the world of tattooing after his roommate left him a tattoo machine in 2012, so he gave some people in his neighborhood a few tats.
He told Inked in 2020 that he began to go down the route of ‘tattoo performances’ four years ago, and a few of his ‘tattoo originals’ have since gone viral.
From using wine stains on a t-shirt, tattooing someone’s Speedo line or using a Roomba to ink a person’s ankle, he further told the outlet that all his performances are ‘marked by situations of special difficulty, absurdity and previously unthinkable impediments’, and he often pulled inspiration from various artists who ‘make very visual and explosive online content’. However, it seems that not everyone is a fan.
Rixard Tattoo has previously gone viral for his unusual ‘performances’ (Instagram/@rixardtattoo)
In June, the artist posted a video on Instagram as part of his ‘Body Adornment Series, which showed him tattooing a woman’s arm in public.
In the video, he appears to wrapped some kind of cable around the length around her arm and used that as a template to draw around.
His unique style received some criticism, with social media commenters shocked at what they saw him doing to his client.
One person wrote that it was ‘beyond terrible art’, while a second branded it as ‘the worst tattoo I’ve seen in my life’ and they ‘would’ve asked for a refund immediately’.
A third said: “I felt so uncomfortable watching this.”
Although, others saw the vision.
One user said: “Why don’t people understand the level of aesthetic to your art, no one f**king cares if it looks good or bad its the idea behind it.”
Meanwhile, another said it was their ‘fav one yet’, and someone else wrote: “Easily my new favorite piece of yours, textile looks so killer.”
When asked by Inked how people had reacted to his work, he said that his performances were often ‘well-received’ and have been shared by people ‘on both ironic, trashy tattoo pages as well as more serious tattoo platforms’.
However, following the massive reaction to a piece he did called ‘Foot’, which involved him tattooing someone’s head with his actual foot, he began to study the ‘social media impact’ of ‘what’s apparently perceived as more superficial, crude, macabre or complicated content’.
He added: “I study the staging of tattoo-performances and unconventional actions that produce tattoos, in relation to contemporary art approaches and the tattoo world.”
Maybe it’s something you have to be into to really appreciate?
UNILAD reached out to Rixard Tattoo for further comment.