Local artists Alex Houlton and Gonzalo Delacruz present “The Last Voyage,” an ode to one of the most prolific tattoo artists the world has known.
The closing reception for this show, Saturday at 8 pm in the Lasting Dose Gallery, is the last chance to see this show in its entirety. Houlton gives his pieces an authentic nautical feeling by using deconstructed hulls of a 70-year-old sailboat that he discovered in a boat graveyard close to the bay area. These repurposed pieces become the canvases for his interpretations of Delacruz’s original designs.
Houlton is a long-time sailor and former sailing instructor is new to the area from California where he lived in many places along the coast.
“I have always wanted to do this series because I have always loved sailing and I love the meanings and history behind the Sailor Jerry tattoos. I also do a lot of woodworking with reclaimed materials. When I found out Sailor Jerry was born in Reno, I knew this was the time and what better place to host the show than a gallery attached to a tattoo shop,” Houlton said.
The community resources of the blooming art scene of Reno has helped Houlton pull off this labor intensive task with relative ease compared to the space and cost prohibitive nature of his former art community of Venice Beach, the rising cost priced him out of the neighborhood six months ago.
“With the amazing support of Reno Art Works and the Generator I was able to acquire the materials I needed for this project with their help and not go into debt! This project would be impossible for me to do in L.A,” he said.
The Gallery installation can be seen at 888 S Virginia at the Lasting Dose Gallery until the end of the month. Contact the Lasting Dose Gallery for hours of operation, or to schedule and appointment.
