works in progress

www.myspace.com/ProjectNEXT

phase one,
it started out simply as a means to work with my friends collaborating on paintings. After a few months I realized that to create a large body of this style of work would have a wonderful impact on my creative side. At first I started contacting all of the tattooers that i had met and thought would be interested in the project, by this time i had set a goal of 20 panels. After a few weeks of propositioning people it became apparant that just the people i knew immediately wouldnt be able to fulfill such a goal. So i began researching other artists. Some i found through internet presence others through reference.
in the end it turns out each project brought about its own challenges and uniqueness, almost like being assigned a new project each time with no definate end result, or time frame for completion apparant. i've learned a few things from this project, one how you may expect the next step from the person to go one way and when you get it back its something completly opposite, and the other that no matter how the project started out it always finished with an exciting piece that neither artist could forsee.

phase two

the goal here is to bring together the tattoo comunity in a different light. to highlight the main career building feature of most artists, that of being on the road and being influenced by other artists. all of the initial studios involved had no idea that they were going to be introduced to this project and all future involvement was strictly voluntary for the progression of the pieces of work. each studio was chosen for its reputation as artists and positive leaders in the tattoo community. with the first phase there was an agreed upon end result , with this step its a matter of the canvas traveling from studio to studio , artist to artist each adding their own influence just like an artist being on the road or going to conventions looking for inspiration. my hopes are high for interest in this part of the project. lets see where it takes us.

Flyer Intro for rogue paintngs

Hello fellow Tattooer,

My name is Darin Slavik and I’m a tattooist working in La Habra, Ca. at Trigger Happy Tattoo.
I've started a collaborative painting project where I’m working on a group of canvases with a bunch of artists. I've got other tattooists and artists working on this project.

A basic rundown of the project is this, I contact an artist and we decide on a theme, then I start the painting process, after that I mail it off to the other person and they develop the painting a little further, then the process just repeats until we both decide on a finished product. I’m keeping the canvas size fairly small 11x14 so it can be easily mailed back and forth and isn't a huge undertaking for either person since time is a very valuable commodity. Currently I have 20 canvases in progress. After they are all done I’m going to have them framed and documented and put into galleries here in LA and in Dallas , possibly others.

What you have in your hand now is the second phase of the project. I have started 5 canvases and mailed them to what I feel are very influential artists to the tattoo community. The basis of this part of the project is for the canvas to be like a tattooer that has taken to the road to learn and collect work on its travels. Essentially a rogue painting with no set destination or determined end result. At the end of its travels it will join all the other canvases to be displayed and documented accordingly. These paintings are to travel around from artist to artist from spring break to the end of summer . On Sept. 23rd I ask that whomever has the painting please mail it back to me. Participation in this project is strictly voluntary , if you have no interest in adding to it please pass it on to another artist who may feel they have something to contribute. There is no set amount that you can do to the painting , or any boundaries to what may be changed. I think of it like the art fusion experiment but traveling from artist to artist. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. Also please document your step of the project photographing it before and after you are finished with it. If you could email me the progress of each piece I will incorporate them into the documenting of each canvases journey. Please don’t feel limited to the artists only in your studio, if you want to pass it along at a convention or other meeting of fellow artists. The goal is to collect as much art as possible. Also please don’t forget to sign the back of the painting and feel free to include any other notation or business cards to show its travels.

Right now you can go to my website www.drain13.com/projects.html and see all of the panels in progress right now. Thanks for your time.

Darin