Tatoo artist Danielle Distefano created the 100 portraits in her first solo show 100 Ladies in just six months. Though the portraits are rendered in the traditional tattoo style, each one is so distinct that they are entirely liberated from their genre and granted unusual, expressive life. An extraordinary biography is implied by each mysterious face. Looking at all of them together, the effect is more cumulative and than repetitive.
Each piece builds on a larger picture that becomes more than the sum of its parts. It makes for an unexpectedly rewarding and inviting experience. I'm afraid the show closes at the end of August so you only have a little time left to get down to Young Blood Gallery and check it out. (Sorry for slacking and posting about it in the middle of the month.) If you like ladies, hurry up.