The History and Changing Perceptions of Tattoos

On Jan. 21, the Long Beach Creative Group is hosting a panel discussion, titled The History and Changing Perceptions of Tattoos. The panel will include Kari Barba, legendary Long Beach artist and owner of Outer Limits Tattoo, Goodtime Charlie Cartwright, who pioneered the single needle technique to create professional black and gray fine line images and Jack Rudy, who started working with Cartwright in 1975 and has since become renowned as a master of black and grey tattooing. Moderating the panel will be Josh Chesler, who wrote about the professional tattoo world for the LA Weekly.

Barba began her tattoo career at 19 and, since then, has blazed trails across the industry. She’s earned hundreds of awards for her work, helped to develop the style known as Color Realism, and championed the use of gloves and other sterile standards. In 2002, Barba acquired the space once used by Bert Grimm, and now also houses a museum.

Charlie Cartwright started his career at 15, working out of the back seat of a car, using the hand poke method to create hand drawn, one-of-a-kind, images. After serving in the Navy, he moved from San Diego to LA County, where he impressed Jimbo Laporte, co-owner of West Coast Tattoo, that eventually landed him a job at The Pike in Long Beach. As The Pike declined, Cartwrignt opened his own shop in East Los Angeles and, with the help of Jack Rudy and other artists, developed a technique that used a single needle and using black as the foundation of artwork that became almost ubiquitous throughout the industry.

Jack Rudy left the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and began an apprenticeship at Good Time Charlie’s Tattooland in East Los Angeles. His style is renowned for the masterful use of light and dark shades of black and grey, creating softer and strikingly realistic images. He now owns Good Time Charlie’s TattooLand in Anaheim.

The panel discussion is presented in conjunction with Tabu Tatu, an exhibition of 27 artworks created by eight tattoo artists, including Barba, Shawn Barber, Tom Berg, Rino Gonzalez, Alan Padilla, Jhon Gutti, Christina Ramos, and Sergio Sanchez. The exhibition opens on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 1 pm, and runs through Feb. 3. On Jan.14 the community is invited to share their personal stories about the significance and meaning of their tattoos. On Jan. 26, there will be a free screening of the 2013 documentary, Tattoo Nation, focusing on Cartwright, Rudy, and Freddy Negrete. The screening starts at 7pm.

The LBCG is supported, in part, by the Port of Long Beach, the Arts Council for Long Beach, and the ongoing support of the Briggs Family Trust.

The LBCG is an established consortium of experienced artists, educators, and art enthusiasts engaged in creating exhibit space and opportunities for local artists through curated exhibits and events. Since 2019, the Rod Briggs Gallery has enabled the group to consistently and professionally present the depth and diversity of artistic expression in Long Beach and the surrounding communities.

During exhibits, the gallery is open to the public Fridays through Sundays, from 1pm to 4pm. No appointment is required. 

Time: 2 to 4 p.m., Jan 21

Cost: Free 

Details: https://longbeachcreativegroup.com/ 

Venue: Rod Briggs Gallery, 2221 East Broadway, Long Beach