Dallas Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology
Arts Committee
presents

ALAN GOVENAR, Ph.D. 
Gallery Tour and Talk

"Tattoo: Art and Impulse in the Western World"

(Click on image for larger view)

Saturday, 
April 28, at 6:00 p.m.
5501 Columbia Gallery
Dallas

DSPP ARTS Committee is sponsoring a gallery tour and talk, "Tattoo: Art and Impulse in the Western World" on Saturday, April 28, by Alan Govenar, Ph.D. Dr. Govenar's talk and presentation will explore our changing perceptions of skin and the human body as reflected in changing views of tattooing and tattoo art. 

The evening will begin with a cocktail buffet reception for Dr. Govenar at 6:00 p.m. at the 5501 Columbia Gallery, followed by his talk at 7:00 p.m. across the street from the gallery at the Texas African American Photography Archive. Govenar will be drawing on the remarkable collection of historical tattoo "flash" (design drawings/paintings) he has amassed with his wife, artist Kaleta Doolin, as well as on his own photographs and films of people with unusual and intricate tattoos whom he has interviewed over more than 20 years, to illustrate his talk. 

In his essay, "Outside and In: Tatto FLASH and the Creative Impulse", Dr. Govenar writes, 

Tattooing is one of the most taboo art forms in the history of the Western world. Scorned for centuries because of its association with pagan relitions and the values of "uncivilized" people, tattooing has persisted on the peripheries of Anglo-European cultures. Despite Judeo-Christian bans to deter its practice, tattooing continued to evolve, developing a distinctive imagery and iconography...Tattooing is, by definition, an "outsider" art, but as the twentieth century draws to a close, it has become more acceptable as a form of creative expression. Tattooing today is visible almost everywhere, cutting across cultural boundaries and existing social stratification. The tattoo has a new identity, and interest among the general public about its history has grown. For some, tattooing may only be a fad, linked as much to current fashion as popular ideology. But for others, the redefinition of tattooing relates to a deeper process of cultural transformation and the reorientation of religious values. Current attitudes toward tattooing are indicative of changing perceptions of skin and the human body. 

Dr. Govenar is president and founder of Documentary Arts, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1985 to present new perspecitves on different cultures. He is also co-director (with Kaleta Doolin) of the 5501 Columbia Arts Center and of the Texas African American Photography Archive. He has published books and articles, and has exhibited his photographs, films, videos, and artist books in galleries and museums across the country and abroad. His documentary on tattooing, Stoney Knows How, received a National Endowment for the Arts grant for production and was selected as an Outstanding Film of the Year by the London Film Festival. It was featured at the Museum of Modern Art, New York and broadcast on the Discovery Channel and PBS stations nationwide. 

This DSPP Arts Event is open to the public as well as to DSPP members and their guests. 

Reservations must be made by April 15, 

Reservations may be made with Judith Samson at 214-750-7692 or at jgsamson@swbell.net  (please include a contact telephone number in case I need to call you). For map to gallery, go to www.mapquest.com, enter 5501 Columbia Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75214, and choose from menu size and detail of map of area, whether to print map or map AND directions from your location. 

Contact Judith Samson for additional information.

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