Painted People photography show in Thurso reflects an ancient tradition of tattoo art
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A new photography and sound exhibition which has just opened at the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso documents tattoo stories from Caithness.
Painted People is part of Lyth Arts Centre's Northern Stories Festival and features a series of striking portraits by Susie Mackenzie from John O'Groats showing contemporary tattoo stories of Caithness residents and how these hark back to an ancient Pictish tradition.
"For the last 19 years I've been doing weddings and portraits," said Susie who is a professional photographer.
"Lyth Arts Centre asked me if I'd take photographs of people with tattoos who have interesting stories to tell. There were three locations where the photographs were taken – the Pulteney Centre in Wick, Lyth Arts Centre and here at the visitor centre.
"We had an open invitation for people to come and have their photo taken and we advertised online and at places where people have tattoos done."
Susie said she used a black backdrop with just one light and a softbox dish to create the portrait shots of local folk and their tattoos. The stark background helps focus the viewer upon the ink-on-flesh artwork and the images are complemented by audio transcripts of the models. Susie has previously been commissioned by the arts centre to document its festivals with photographic stills as well.
Aimee Lockwood is the freelance exhibition coordinator who helped set up Saturday's show in Thurso. "My role involved liaising with everyone, getting everything printed and installed on the wall and just arrange it all. I'm really glad it turned out well."
Lyth Art Centre's director, Charlotte Mountford, said she got the idea for the exhibition when she was moving from her then home in Leicester to Wick when she took up her new position in the far north.
"I was listening to a Radio 4 documentary about the Picts when I was driving and I thought that would be a really interesting project – and that was five years ago. We finally made it happen," Charlotte said.
"We worked with Susie a lot over the last couple of years on various different things and I know she's really talented. She's very good with people and made them feel comfortable and let them open up – that comes through in the exhibition, you can really see that."
Charlotte added by saying that 2022 is the "year of stories in Scotland" and Northern Stories Festival, which the current exhibition is a part of, is the art centre's commitment to that theme.
"We really wanted to capture the stories behind people's tattoos. A lot of people see folk with body art and maybe make judgements about them. We wanted to get under the skin of it, excuse the pun, and find out what the stories are behind these tattoos, why people get them and to try and tap into the innate human need to have body art.
"It's something people have done for thousands of years and has a strong history in northern Scotland."
The photography and sound exhibition runs until November 25 and more information can be found at lytharts.org.uk/event/painted-people-exhibition/
North Coast Visitor Centre is on Thurso's High Street and the opening times are as follows:
October: Tuesday – Saturday (10am – 5pm).
November: Tue/Wed/Thur (12pm – 4pm). Fri/Sat (11am – 4pm).
The exhibition is free to attend and no booking is required.
