As a way to further explore the interdisciplinary dialogue of our current exhibition, "Something Along Those Lines," SMFA will host a two-day tattoo performance by Brooklyn-based artist Katrina Chamberlin on October 25 + 26.

"Something Along Those Lines" features modern and contemporary artists whose works draw on performative, sculptural and conceptual engagements with the line, including Gego, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Sol LeWitt and more. In Chamberlin's Mnemonic, visitors will have the opportunity to receive a permanent tattoo of a small blue dot on a location of their choice. The resulting identical, permanent marks—shared by a group of otherwise disconnected individuals—form an invisible network of interconnected points.

"Chamberlin's Mnemonic is an exciting and important addition to the show," explains exhibition curator Evan J. Garza. "This work echoes the relationship between concept, content and collaborative mark-marking in LeWitt's Wall Drawing #118, and further activates the performative act of drawing—and drawing connections. While LeWitt's work here is highly ephemeral, Chamberlin's performance is, in a sense, a kind of conceptual antithesis, taking random interconnected points and making them wholeheartedly permanent. LeWitt's wall drawings were deeply collaborative, and the reliance on the participant for the success of Chamberlin's performance genuinely reflects that spirit."

This performance relies on participation from the general public. To sign up for a tattoo appointment, visit http://mnemonic.genbook.com.
Special thanks to Suze and Hourglass Tattoo Inc., Cambridge, MA.

Mnemonic performance by Katrina Chamberlin
October 25 and 26, 2012; 10 am–5 pm daily
Barbara and Steven Grossman Gallery, SMFA

image: Courtesy of Katrina Chamberlin.