How do we “reveal” ourselves when we “conceal” ourselves?
This question drove French artist Christophe Beauregard to explore the art of tattoo removal.
In “Repentance,” Beauregard photographs people having tattoos removed. And in every photo, he symbolically obscures the subject’s face.
The project is an attempt, says Beauregard, to reveal “that which is disappearing.”
“Beauregard draws parallels between today’s body art scene and the pentimenti in historical paintings — the traces of an artist’s work initially hidden under layers of paint that become visible over time,” notes The Guardian.