10:53 AM
 Baltimore Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam
This past weekend's Baltimore Tattoo Convention got plenty of press, including slideshows and video. The Baltimore Sun offers this photo gallery view from the floor of the convention and also an interesting article on the convergence of tattoos and tech at the show. Reporter Steve Kilar makes note of all those gaming, as well as texting and Facebooking their experiences in the midst of getting tattooed. He also mentioned that a number of artists were using their iPads to sketch out designs, and smartphones to take credit card payments. Personally, I like the chatting and connection with the artist while getting tattooed, but if Angry Birds better distracts from the pain, launch those wingless suckers. TV cameras from ABC News to Fox were also there to capture the scene, and yeah, plenty of tattoo cliches abound, but still a peak into the event for those of us who couldn't make it. My favorite coverage is often found on Flickr, where members post their own personal photos from these shows. I particularly like these portrait and performance photos. Check 'em.  |
Tattoo TAGS: Baltimore Tattoo Convention ews photos video |
06:47 PM
 After many years of conventions, reading BMEzine.com, and having the Lizardman wiggle his bifurcated tongue at us, news items on "extreme body modification" don't really register with me, especially as they tend to have the same "Look at the freaks" format. But when over a hundred news outlets pick up the same story, it warrants attention.Creating all the buzz is Dave Hurban, a tattooer and piercer at Dynasty Tattoo in New Jersey, who implanted magnetic micro-dermal anchors to attach an iPod nano to his wrist. In an interview with Digital Trends, he explained the procedure and impetus behind it. Here's a bit from that article: Hurban wasn't making a grand statement about the human reliance on technology in modern society, about how we are all on our phones and Mp3 players so often that they might as well be embedded in us. He also wasn't trying to sell us something using the jaded cynicism of a viral publicity stunt. According to Hurban, 'the ultimate reasoning was that I just thought it would be cool'.Is it wrong that I think it's pretty cool too? Of course, my big issue with it all was not with the implant but with the fickle and fleeting Apple product cycles -- an issue that Digital Trends also brought up, particularly as the magnets were positioned specifically for this device. Dave's response: "I did it because I'm living in the now. I did it because it's cool now. Even if they do come out with a new iPod, the fact that I did this when this iPod was out, that's what matters." Carpe diem, my friend. To see the whole procedure, up close and bloody, check the video below. |
Tattoo TAGS: Dave Huber implants iPod nano microdermals news |
02:00 PM
 Photos by Clayton Patterson
In the Villager, artist, activist and documentarian Clayton Patterson offers some history on the NYC Tattoo Convention, which runs this Friday through Sunday at the Roseland Ballroom. He also notes in the article what you can expect from this weekend's show, including traditional tatau by Brent McCown. There will also be other artists doing hand tattooing in addition to buzzing machine work from stellar artists from around the world. I'll be there Saturday and Sunday. Hope to see y'all there! |
Events TAGS: Brent McCown Clayton Patterson NYC Tattoo Convention |
11:06 AM
 While we don't usually cover cosmetic tattooing, I wanted to share this particular article in the news this week because it's a compelling story of one victim turning to tattooing to make her self more beautiful and to help others as well.CBC News profiles Basma Hammed, a medical cosmetic tattooist in Toronto who first came to the profession by personal necessity when she couldn't find help elsewhere. As CBC reports, when Basma was a two-year-old girl in Iraq, a pan of hot oil accidentally fell on the left side of her face requiring multiple plastic surgeries -- a total of 100 procedures -- but none with success in covering the large red scar tissue or with creating the look of a natural eyebrow. She began by getting a tattoo machine and creating the eyebrow permanently herself. It was then that she realized she could tattoo her face matching the skin color of the healthy tissue. So she went to aesthetician school and soon began working on herself -- with much success as you can see above. Today, she runs her Basma Hameed Clinic, where she helps other burn victims as well as breast cancer patients with areola reconstruction and others wishing to cover surgical scars (among other procedures). Watch her tell her story and discuss medical tattooing below. |
Tattoo TAGS: Basma Hammed CBC News cosmetic tattooing news |
06:23 PM
|
The Hold Fast video series of tattooist interviews are so good we don't need to make up a drinking game to watch 'em -- despite it being produced by Sailor Jerry Rum. I particularly like the video above with renowned Japanese tattoo specialist Chris Trevino aka Horimana, who studied under master Horiyoshi III for five years and now works his craft at Perfection Tattoo in Austin, TX (which was founded by Bob Moreau in the late 70s). Also check the videos with Deluxe Tattoo's Ben Wahhh, Think Tanks' Adam Rosenthal and Julie Becker, among others. The Sailor Jerry peeps have been traveling around in their infamous Airstream interviewing tattooists across the country, and a number of those artists have even offered Sailor Jerry tattoos right inside. They've also organized pop-up tattoo shops at numerous venues. This Saturday, May 12th, the Airstream will be on NY's Lower East Side outside of the PKNY Tiki Bar, and inside, in the back-room pop-up shop, will be Alex McWatt from Three Kings Tattoo offering a limited number of iconic classic flash. You can watch Alex's Hold Fast video here. The fun runs from 10:00pm to 4:00am. And try not to have too much rum before the tattoo please. |
Tattoo TAGS: Adam Rosenthal Alex McWatt Ben Wahhh Chris Trevino Hold Fast Julie Becker Sailor Jerry video |
03:56 PM
 Photo by Gemma AngelThere's a great interview in HuffPo UK -- entitled "Unlocking The Mysteries Of The Tattoos Of The Dead" -- with Gemma Angel, a tattooist and PhD student who studies the preserved tattoo skins of the Wellcome Collection, a London museum that houses an array of medial artifacts. [We wrote about Wellcome before here.] In the Q&A, Gemma discusses her favorite preserved work (a large chest piece), her efforts finding who were the people behind the skins, and also who were those collecting these skins. There's a great quote related to the latter: I think these collectors knew they were doing something that was a bit dodgy. I've come across references to one or two scandals which came about as a result of particular doctors harvesting and preserving tattoos - you might keep a pathological specimen from a human body for a teaching aid for medical students, but can you really justify keeping a tattoo? It seems there's some aspect fetishisation involved, of the tattooed image, and the skin itself. It's complicated, and I don't know if I'll ever get to the bottom of it, but I've got some time yet. Through the article, I found Gemma's own personal site brilliantly titled Life and Six Months, based on this Sam Steward quote: "With some grim humour I always answered the question about how long a tattoo would last by saying: 'They are guaranteed for life - and six months'." Check her site and see more photos of the tattooed flesh in the HuffPo piece. |
Tattoo TAGS: Gemma Angel news preserved tattooed skin Wellcome Collection |
12:56 PM
 The winner of Joe Capobianco's "Blood Puddin" contest is ... Iowa's own Mark Eckman. Mark was chosen by Randomized.com out of all those who Tweeted at us and posted in our Facebook group page. Congrats!Mark will be getting a signed copy of Joe's latest publication "Blood Puddin" as well as 3 mini prints, 5 full color stickers, 6 "Capo Gal" buttons, and a set of "Best Ink" temporary tattoos. You can find them all for sale at Joe's online store. To check some of the artwork in person, this Saturday, May 12th, is the opening of "The Art of Blood Puddin" at Hope Gallery Tattoo in New Haven, CT. The exhibit will include new works by Joe as well as a host of other artists including Eric Merrill, Julio Rodriguez, Amber Carr, Carlos Rojas, Carlos Torres, Joe Linsner, David Nestler, Alisa Bruneli, Steve Prue and many more. More info on the show here. Thanks to all who played along. Lots more contests to come! |
Tattoo TAGS: Blood Puddin Contest Hope Gallery Joe Capobianco Winner |
04:22 PM
 In the past decade, we've seen an explosion of fine art by tattooists in galleries and museums, and it's been quite an exciting movement in the industry; however, there seems to be a lack of progress when it comes to representing the work of women tattooists in many of these shows.
Giving a platform for these women from around the world is the Ladies, Ladies Art show at Tattoo Culture in Brooklyn, NY opening next Thursday, May 17th from 7-11PM. This exhibit, curated by Elvia Iannaccone Gezlev (Miss Elvia), Emma Griffiths and Magie Serpica, is in its second year and promises to be just as phenomenal as the first, with the work of nearly 100 female tattoo artists featured. The first show was primarily a salute to the modern godmothers of tattoo including Madame Vyvyn Lazonga, Pat Sinatra, Debbie Lenz and Juli Moon, who were all in attendance. For this show, the focus is largely on the next generation of women artists, largely from NYC but hailing from all over the country and around the world. Check their site for the list of talent. Here's more from the curators: We can't help but notice the growing number of amazing women who choose to pursue the art of tattooing in its finest forms, as a job and as a lifestyle -- a craft that was only reserved to men until a few decades ago. A real revolution of the arts is happening! This is a chance to celebrate the female presence and spirit in tattooing, from the masters who paved the way to the established professionals who set the trends and to the talents of tomorrow. Enjoy, support and buy a piece of original art!For a preview of the art on display, see the Ladies, Ladies Facebook photo gallery. Next Thursday's opening is sure to bring tons of people, especially as it's the night before the NYC Tattoo Convention and many tattooists are in town, so it's probably best to get there early. If you can't make it Thursday, the exhibit will be up for two months at Tattoo Culture. Hope to see y'all there! UPDATE: Just learned that Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand will be at the opening, showing a special historic tribute to the women tattooers of the past and onward. Another reason to head over there!  Art by Claudia DeSabe Art by Miss Elvia Art by Karin Schwaiger |
|
11:51 AM
 Oh, you are going to be mad. I'm talking Just John Tattoo mad (see below).
Last July, a mass of professional tattooists and collectors rose up to boycott TLC's "Tattoo School" -- a show where the disillusioned are led to believe they can learn to tattoo in just two weeks. This sparked online petitions, Facebook pages, and angry YouTube videos. Oh, and death threats. But things quieted down when TLC said it was just a one-off program and not a series. Well, "Tattoo School" is now a series. Check a video premier of the show on Entertainment Weekly. Also the Futon Critic posted TLC's press release, which offers this explanatory gem: Over the two-week intensive course, students will be tested on three 'real world' challenges that mimic the situations they may find themselves in as a working tattoo artist. Each challenge will test a specific skill or technique that is required to become successful in the business. From sketching to inking human VIP clients, the students will be subjected to all aspects of tattoo artistry. Upon graduation, the student with the best final, original tattoo is gifted with a golden gun, which will last for their entire career.A golden tattoo gun! Ya know what will last their entire career? The shame of taking the easy way out to learn a craft and get 15 While I've been mellowing -- or rather given up -- a lot of my anger over tattoo TV [as I noted in my "Best Ink" post], there's something just so ... sad about it. So sad I can't even find something funny about it to properly mock. What's particularly upsetting is that, even with a boycott of tattoo school grads by reputable studios, many will indeed get jobs because of America's particularly obscene obsession with TV celebrities. How do you explain Kim Kardashian's fame? People will want to get a tattoo, even a bad tattoo, by someone who has been on TV just to say that a "celeb" did it. We've seen it already with the competition shows where the weakest artists (but great self-promoters) are the "stars" at conventions. They also get paid to show up at nightclubs and suddenly have waiting lists for sub-stellar work. Maybe the best course of action is to not make them celebrities -- or bring more viewers to TLC -- by giving them publicity with blog posts like this one or angry videos. Maybe we need to pretend "Tattoo School" doesn't exist and instead promote excellence in the industry. In that case, I apologize for writing this and will go back to artist profiles on those who deserve it. |
Tattoo TAGS: Boycott Tattoo Tattoo School TLC |
11:31 AM
  Calfskin has been an artistic medium for millenia (much to the horror of the ancient vegans), and it continues to communicate fine art today. In Munich, Germany, the Chaos Crew Tattoo Studio artists have used this medium for their own art -- a tattooed poster entitled "We get history under your skin." On Vimeo, which houses the video shown below, the artists explain the project: We developed a poster that impressively shows the Bavarian tattoo artists' skills: just as tattoo motives tell countless stories, we interwove the most important events of 2011 into one huge tattoo. History was tattooed onto calfskin to promote the art of tattooing in its most authentic form - on real skin.Such 2011 events include the capture of Osama Bin Laden, Occupy Wall Street, the Egyptian revolution as well as the Greek financial collapse, Amy Winehouse's death and Dirk Nowitzki's NBA win as shown in the panel above. See more close-ups of the skin poster on DesignBoom. And definitely check this wonderfully produced video, showing the process of creation, from drawing to display. [Links via Complex Magazine.] |
Tattoo TAGS: chaos crew tattooed calfskin video |
