Sailors in Tattoo Parlour 2017

Joe Machine’s ‘Sailors in Tattoo Parlour’ is a raw, figurative painting, likely made with acrylics on canvas. I imagine Joe, leaning in close to the canvas, his hand moving with a mix of precision and urgency. The composition is tight, the sailors are crammed together, all their attention focused on the act of tattooing. I like the way they are all wearing the same outfits, but their faces and body language suggest distinct personalities. There is something brooding in this image, a kind of melancholic atmosphere. The artist's use of color is striking, with the pale flesh tones contrasting against the dark background and the bright flashes of the tattoos. You can almost smell the cigarette smoke hanging in the air, feel the buzz of the tattoo gun. This piece reminds me of other artists, like Philip Guston, who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. What unites them is the act of making, the process, the joy of putting something on the canvas. Artists are always riffing off one another’s ideas, creating a visual conversation that spans centuries. Painting, in this sense, is like a form of embodied expression, full of ambiguity and open to endless interpretation.