VMFA Tattoo - Wearable Art

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JAPANESE TATTOO CAMPAIGN: Perseverance, Art and Tradition

Over the last decade, Richmond’s fallen in love with the type of art that doesn’t hang in galleries—murals, graffiti, typography, and especially tattoos. As part of the third-most tattooed city in America (per capita), the VMFA has brought some of the world’s most gorgeous tattoos to a city with a unique appreciation for the medium.

Working with the creative team at NDP, Alice Blue Studios utilized original photography, CGI and Photo Illustration to bring the vivid, striking tattoos to life in advertisements all over the city. The final visuals highlight the tattoos’ power and beauty, bringing an ancient art into modern-day Richmond.

Meaningful. Powerful. Authentic. Attracting a new audience (tattoo enthusiasts) to a venue that doesn't usually host them (the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) requires a deft touch. Tattoos are, in essence, a coat of arms—uniquely and deeply personal to the wearer. We wanted to honor that and create an ad campaign that was as authentic, powerful, and meaningful as the tattoos themselves.

The result was an iconic campaign winning top honors all over the globe, including the highest photography award - a Platinum Graphis for the Photography Annual 2017.

PROCESS

The beauty of this campaign is in the simplicity and exquisite detail that was taken to transform each hand drawn tattoo into wearable art, integrating with the beautiful photography of the talent. Brian Bruno of Absolute Art Tattoo illustrated each tattoo with vivid colors and details, mirroring the style of the Japanese art form. Creative Director Josh Zuercher created design templates to mirror and mimic the shape of the clothing. Josh also oversaw all photography details to ensure lighting and graphic detail provided the perfect canvas for the artwork. He then created skins and folds surfaced with the talent's skin. The final and most critical stage of the production involved wrapping and detailing the Tattoo within the folds and surface of the skin, matching all lighting and contour. This integrated production exemplifies what the artists at Alice Blue do best!