Kari Barba
Kari Barba | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1960 Minneapolis |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Illustrative Realism style tattooing |
Kari Barba (born July 10, 1960) is an American tattoo artist and painter from Minneapolis.[1] Barba has been practicing art for over 45 years and is best known for her work for women within the tattoo industry.[2] Barba is based in Long Beach, California. She is the owner of Outer Limits Tattoo in Long Beach, CA, the oldest tattoo shop in the United States. She also owns Outer Limits Tattoo in Costa Mesa [3]
Background
[edit]At 19 years old, Barba began her tattoo art career.[4] In 1980, she moved from Minnesota to California to pursue tattooing full time.[5] By 1983, she opened her first tattoo shop in Anaheim, California, Twilight Fantasy.[6][7] From the beginning, Barba prioritized hiring female tattooers in order to diversify the notoriously male industry.[8]
Since 1985, Barba has earned more than 500 awards for tattoo excellence. She won the Best Tattooist and also Best Overseas Tattooist twice.[9] In 1985, she won Best Black and Grey Tattoo in Seattle, WA.[10] In 1987, she won her first National Tattoo Associations' Tattooist of the Year.[11]
Barba is known for her illustrative realism style.[12] She is one of the first artists to tattoo in the style of color realism.[13] Barba was one of the first tattoo artist to wear gloves and wrap her equipment, and therefore recognized for spearheading the sterile standards in the tattoo industry.[2]
Her accomplishments include the acquisition of a historically important tattoo shop and museum. In 2002, Barba acquired 22 S. Chestnut Pl in Long Beach.[14] The location, originally opened by renowned tattooist Bert Grimm, has operated as a tattoo shop since 1927.[15] The shop also houses a tattoo museum paying tribute to The Pike and artists past.[16]
A silicone arm tattooed by Barba was featured in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in 2018.[17] Barba is regularly part of the jury of experts for the Mondial du Tatouage in Paris, France.[18]
Barba's final apprentice is her granddaughter and tattooist Mia Barba.[19]
Exhibitions
[edit]- 2021 "Art Under the Skin", Caixa Forum Museum, Madrid, Spain[20]
- 2018 "Tattoo", Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California[17]
- 2017 "Tattoo" Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois[21]
- 2014 Tatoueurs Tatoués, Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Paris, France [22]
Personal life
[edit]Barba is married to wife of 18 years, Teri Mullins. Barba's son, Jeremiah Barba, is a tattooist and shop owner. Daughter, Nakia Barba is a successful professional at Orange Coast Community College. She has two granddaughters, Mia, who is also a tattoo artist and apprentice under Kari. Berlin is 10 yrs old. [23]
References
[edit]- ^ "From Bert Grimm to Outer Limits, This Long Beach Tattoo Shop Remains the Oldest in the World – OC Weekly". www.ocweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ a b "Kari Barba: The Queen of Modern Tattooing – Scene360". Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ Preston, Devon. "Visit 11 of the Oldest Tattoo Shops in the World". Tattoo Ideas, Artists and Models. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ "Peace in Life: Interview with Tattoo Artist Kari Barba". Tattoodo. 2020-08-31. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ "Meet Kari Barba: Business owner, Tattoo artist and painter". SHOUTOUT LA. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ "Kari Barba — Tattoo Artist in Long Beach". ink-match.com. 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
- ^ "Meet the Maker - Kari Barba". MADE by Millworks. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ Yuen Thompson, Beverly (2015). Covered in Ink: Tattoos, Women, and The Politics of the Body. New York: New York University Press. pp. 13–14, 45, 63, 127, 135–137. ISBN 978-0-8147-6000-0.
- ^ Lal Hardy (15 March 2012). The Mammoth Book of Tattoo Art. United Kingdom: Little, Brown Book Group. p. 39. ISBN 9781780339214.
- ^ Eng, Lily (1991-03-27). "An Indelible Mark : Trends: Kari Barba, who owns a tattoo studio in Anaheim, has drawn a reputation as a master among American tattooists because of the care and artistry she puts into her work". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ Articles, National Tattoo Association News &. "Flo's 2-Bits||March - April 2021". National Tattoo Association NTA Cruisers Online News Magazine. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ "TattooNOW Show with Tattoo Queen, Kari Barba". reinventingthetattoo. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ "'I ain't having no chick tattoo me': Kari Barba's smiling revolution". lbpost.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Stories, Local. "Meet Kari Barba of Outer Limits Tattoo in Long Beach - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". voyagela.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Chesler, Josh (2017-10-16). "Long Beach Legend Kari Barba Broke Tattooing's Glass Ceiling Without Even Realizing It". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ "Outer Limits Tattoo | Costa Mesa Shop Info". outer-limits-tattoo. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ a b "Press - Tattoo Exhibition Spotlights Southern Californian Artists at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | Natural History Museum". nhm.org. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ "Le Mondial du Tatouage 2018". www.heartbeatink.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Stories, Local. "Meet Jenny Nguyen - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". voyagela.com. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ "CaixaForum Madrid presents the biggest exhibition ever devoted to the history of tattooing". Fundación "la Caixa". 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Vankin, Deborah. "Tattoo you: Freddy Negrete, the black-and-gray style and an L.A. museum's new interactive exhibition". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ Mahdil, Maison. "TATTOO". None. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ "Jeremiah Barba of Conclave Art Studio Talks About His Tattoo Heritage – OC Weekly". www.ocweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- "From Bert Grimm to Outer Limits, This Long Beach Tattoo Shop Remains the Oldest in the World". ocweekly.com/. 2016-03-02. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
Further reading
[edit]- Covered in Ink: Tattoos, Women, and the Politics of the Body https://www.tattoomediaink.com/t4w122/