Dawson Staudt

Working at the intersection of history and material culture, I’m a mixed media artist and tattoo technician dedicated to the stories embedded in the forgotten artifacts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. My practice centers on the curation and repurposing of found objects from the 1890s through the 1930s, drawing deep inspiration from the aesthetics of tramp art, hobo jungles, and railroad monikers. By weaving together industrial remnants and naturalistic forms, I explore the enduring tension between labor, technology, and the land. My work serves as a meditation on “worldly fixes for spiritual problems,” questioning how collective memory is documented and distorted while highlighting the resilient search for belonging amidst economic and social upheaval.

This commitment to historical preservation extends into my tattoo practice, where I operate with the technical rigor of a traditional craftsman. Eschewing modern artifice, I embrace the mechanical intricacies of the craft—building my own machines and creating custom flash that echoes the philosophies of pioneers like Samuel O’Reilly and Bert Grimm. Whether etching a narrative onto skin or assembling a mixed media piece, I view my work as an intimate ritual of anchoring the past within the present. My dual practice serves as a testament to the marginalized voices of history, transforming symbols of survival and mobility into a timeless visual language that speaks to the profound human struggle for connection.