Tattoo Kids 1987-1997

The common thread between the point-and-shoot images in Tattoo Kids 1987 – 1997 is photographer and curator Lola Paprocka herself. By combining two series from the same decade – her childhood in Poland on the cusp of transition from a communist state to western democracy (shot by herself and her mum) with found images of British and Dutch tattoo conventions – Lola presents a unique documentation of two drastically different social settings.

Young Lola is the seed; a happy curious and rebellious spirit existing within the conservatism of a post-Communist state – and the rising tattoo scene (which Lola later became a key part of, helping run some of Europe’s most influential studios) is the cultural manifestation of her subversive tendencies.

Tattoo Kids 1987 – 1997 is a playfully suggestive chronicle of a life and culture on the fringes of society’s straight and narrow. It’s an offbeat self-portrait – as perfectly surreal and full of layers as the curious girl at its heart.

Curated by Lola Paprocka
Foreword by Shelley Jones
Editing and Design Michael Bartz
Published by Palm* Studios