Untitled ["tattoo" book] 1971

Editor: Here we have James McCracken Jr.'s 1971 ink drawing, nonchalantly titled "Untitled ['tattoo' book]". I’m immediately struck by how playful and almost cartoonish the skulls appear, even though the subject matter is quite morbid. What’s your take? What story do you think this piece whispers? Curator: Whispers is a good word! For me, it echoes that 70s fascination with both rebellion and symbolism, almost like a biker gang’s logo redesigned by Dr. Seuss! Do you get a sense of the repetitive nature in how those skull chains are designed? There's this kind of infinite loop happening. I find it almost…optimistic? I wonder, did McCracken see death as cyclical rather than final? Or is he having fun flipping off mortality? It’s funny, do you think the artist considered designing actual tattoos? Editor: Oh, that’s such an interesting perspective! I hadn't thought of it in terms of optimism, but seeing it as a cycle does make it less bleak. Before your comment I mostly saw these cascading skulls as a symbol for our transient existence! I had no idea ink drawing could trigger so many thoughts. Curator: Isn’t that the best thing? Art being this infinite hall of mirrors, each reflection subtly shifting depending on the light (or the interpreter)? Makes you wonder where McCracken's head was *actually* at when he did it. Probably someplace fascinating. What did you learn from this work today? Editor: I agree completely, art does give more than you ask. And in this case it challenged me to step away from my initial reaction and view it with fresh eyes. Thanks for offering those points; now I feel as though I’ve really seen the piece! Curator: Anytime! Maybe we can look at what inspires and influenced the tattoo culture around 1971, such a formative period! It was an honour.