The Tattooed Gloves By Ellen Greene

Chicago artist Ellen Greene makes leather gloves with sailor ‘tattoos‘. The Tattooed gloves explores the contrast between two opposing traditions. The vintage leather gloves function as a feminine article of clothing and traditional tattoo as a masculine art-form. The gloves evoke a sense of purity, modesty and formality. In opposition the tattoo can suggest sexual freedom, rebellion and criminality. The tension between the object and the image creates a beauty that is both androgynous and non-traditional. This beauty defines her personal aesthetic and inspires the original tattoo designs that adorn these vintage gloves. These gloves are not wearable. They are art.