Tilt is a local tattoo artist who owns and operates Newlife Tattoos on Green Street. He refers to his tattoos as “classic” tattooing, and many people in the community highly recommend his shop. This past weekend, he opened up a show at Indi Go gallery, displaying 100 of his back tattoo designs. The exhibit ends January 12th — so get over there and check it out.
The exhibit is organized quite nicely: the paintings are of the same size, lined up on the walls, with a number and written description next to each. The organization and clean look of the exhibit make for a sleek, easy, enjoyable experience.
The designs are truly interesting to look at, and there are a variety of different styles, subjects, and inspirations. Tilt mentioned that there is one design in particular meant to pay homage to the paintings of Audubon.
Tilt “colors inside the lines” very well, with not a brushstroke out of place. There are moments that his incredible shading makes you think “no human could do this.”
Another character in this story is Kaleb Wachala, who is an English teacher in Rantoul and also a customer of Tilt’s. He collaborated with Tilt to write the descriptions of the designs. The descriptions are concise, well-written, and tell a story.
Kaleb Wachala with his mother and father (above)
A published book is to follow this exhibit in the near future, featuring all 100 of the designs and the written descriptions.
Above: Tilt (left) and Kaleb (right)