Untitled ["tattoo" book] 1971

This untitled book by James McCracken Jr. is filled with tattoo designs and was made sometime between the 1960s and 2017. It’s all about line; thick, thin, confident, and sometimes shaky! The designs are like little glyphs or symbols, and in this particular image, two figures face each other. What could they be saying? The simplicity of the drawing has a directness and a raw quality, like automatic writing. I can imagine McCracken working quickly, letting the pen flow without too much self-editing. This lets the unconscious mind come through. There's a kinship with the work of Forrest Bess, who also made visionary paintings rooted in his own mythology. Like Bess, McCracken taps into something primal and deeply personal. It makes you wonder: what’s lurking beneath the surface? Art doesn’t always have to give you answers; sometimes it's enough to ask questions.