© copyright kelley richardson. all rights reserved.

This project is a photographic exploration of the phenomena of tattooing in Santa Cruz, California.

As a photographer, this is my personal, visual description of this community. I am documenting the artists, the process, the studios, the individuals who elect to have their flesh adorned with art, and the environments in which they live, work, and play.

As a tattooed member of this society, this work is meant to interpret, translate, and document this cryptic language which is communicated through inscriptions in the skin.

Ultimately The Santa Cruz Tattoo Project will be published as a book. It will include thoughts, interviews, drawings, plans, and other ephemera collected during this photographic journey.

The website was created to provide access to my work, in order to share this process with my community, as the book is in process. The online store was conceived to generate funds as a means to keep the project moving forward. In addition, this site serves as a portal to many of the artists working in this genre and the local studios who have supported my project as it has evolved. I wouldn't be able to do this without their support.