As described in the press release for my show at San Francisco’s White Walls Gallery in June 2014:
“Created with the belief that art is all around us, Justin Kerson’s latest twisted and morbid series of work titled Blood and Ink uses cotton and linen to capture the blood and ink of freshly done tattoos. Through blood and ink, Kerson wanted to emphasize that, in art, the process and concept are just as important as the end aesthetic results. He explains, “much like the shroud of turin preserved Jesus immortally” he has immortalized the art of tattooing through his linen archivable blood and ink prints, which have a shelf life that far surpasses that of a single lifetime.

Interested in tattooing as an evolving art form that has undergone several transformations in societal connotations, Kerson seeks to transform the art of tattooing for the fine art world. As opposed to paint that will last for hundreds of years and sculptures that will last for thousands, tattoo art only lasts the duration of a single lifetime. Through the work of Blood and Ink, Justin has found a way for the tattoo itself to be archivable and tangible; to be bought, traded, inherited and sold.”

All tattoo were designed by Mike Giant, Karen Rose or Brian Kaneko.