Father & Child 2009

This new body of work is an exploration of the image of father and child. The image of the mother and Child is one of the most iconic images in the western world. Imagery of father and child is not so enshrined.

The corporeal attachment of the mother and her child takes place during gestation, giving birth and in some cases breastfeeding. Her child is marked on her body internally and hormonally and is an inherent part of the bonding process. By piercing his own body with the image of his child, is the father also attempting to internalize as well as externalize his relationship? Are the tattoos signifiers of a sense of loss or belonging? Is it the symbolic creation of some sort of altar within a human temple?

The art form of tattooing uses the human body as its canvas. As a system of communication it provides a crucial databank of beliefs, values and history of individuals, groups and cultures.

The 9 images will be shown in the Royal Hibernian Acadamy titled New Work from August to December ’09.  This is  part of an ongoing project which will be completed in 2010. I continue to photograph fathers with the names or portraits of their children on their body.