The BBC covered the show as well with a particular bent on tattoo regret. I was immediately put off by the usual tired line: "Tattoos are no longer the trophies of rockers, sailors, bikers, bohemians and criminals, they have gone mainstream." [It's also used in the next linked article.] Dr. Matt Lodder found a line in a 1926 Vanity Fair article declaring that tattoos were no longer just for sailors, but have "percolated through the entire social stratum." So please, reporters, cut out the cliches. Then the BBC reporter goes on to ponder whether there would be less tattoo regret if people could "test drive" a tattoo, so she gets a temporary tattoo and goes to the convention to see what the reaction to it is. People winced. Rightly so. At least the focus of the writing was on those who do not regret their tattoo choices like Joe Monroe, Cammy Stewart & Lestyn Flye of Divine Canvas. They are shown in a short video of the show embedded in the online article.



My favorite reportage is The Guardian's "Tattoos: Eyecatching But Art They Art?" by art critic Jonathan Jones. Again, there was "Once associated with sailors, gang members, or circus performers, these markings are now a mainstream cultural force." I too winced. But the rest of the writing makes up for it. Here's a taste:

It is the weight of ritual, the sense of undergoing something that changes you, that stops me personally from ever considering a tattoo. But it must also be part of its attraction. Just by visiting a tattooist such as the celebrated Danish artist Eckel you can change who you are. The change is permanent. You are a work of art.

In the Pacific, anthropologists have associated tattoos with a fragmented conception of identity, a belief that a person is not one but many things. Putting on the shining painted skin of a warrior changes your nature.

Are people now seeking to change their natures, to become fabulous new beings? Perhaps there is something digital and post-human about it all, a new sense of self that is no longer bounded by being inside your own skin, but penetrated - as by a needle - by social media and constant internet information, so you feel part of a larger entity, that imprints itself on your body.

For less talk and more imagery, check the Flickr sets of these photographers:

* Ed London Photography (First image above)

* Rhodri Jones/Rodrico (Image of Jo Harrison tattooing above and facial tattoo below).

* Wild Orchid

* Solamore

... Aaaaaand they're up.

Check Brian's photos from the London Tattoo Convention on Flickr.

Tattoo by Chad Koeplinger on Cian Wright of SwallowsnDaggers.net.

When do you people leave?

I was pulled aside and asked this, rather politely, by the night manager of the Ibis hotel where tattooists packed the bar and restaurant celebrating the end of a successful London Tattoo Convention. They'd all soon go back to their studios around the world, but as I looked at the mass of scary looking dudes beer swilling and back slapping, I knew that it wouldn't be soon enough for this frazzled hotel employee.

We weren't badly behaved. We were just intense. Three days in a place where thousands converged to feel and give pain, to preen and gawk--all surrounded by buzzing, blood and the blare of heavy metal--well, it demands a little steam letting.

The London convention is one of the world's largest. As I mentioned last week, over 20,000 people descended upon the historic Tobacco Dock in 2009; this year, however, it seemed a bit less although the organizers didn't give an official head count yet. Lines to get in still went down the block (and we won't even discuss the bathroom lines). But everywhere you looked, tattooists were working.

The artist roster was a Who's Who of Tattoo. Any type of tattoo could be had; the masters of all these styles were there and some even opted to take some appointments from the floor and not book up completely in advance. I wonder if those who managed to score time appreciated their luck.


Tim Hendricks tattoo on Sharon of Classic Ink & Mods.


The last tattoo show we attended was the Traditional Tattoo & Wolrd Culture Fest in Ireland, which felt like a mini-Woodstock. In sharp contrast, the London show was an amped Warped Tour:  kilowatts of commotion, crowds to lose your friends in, packed pubs, freakshows and Fuel Girls. The energy was just bouncing off the vaulted brick halls.

Within this historic warehouse, artists worked in a maze of glass enclosures. It was like an art zoo, where tattooists were fed cash to perform artistic feats. This menagerie was easy to get lost in, but one you want to get lost in; where you could unintentionally find a tattooer whose work you've never known before that blows you away.

This year, however, I didn't have the luxury of getting lost and making these discoveries. I stayed in my own glass exhibition space with Edgar Hoill as we sold out our massive "Black & Grey Tattoo" box sets and displayed Edgar's photography on the gallery walls.

Also with us was Lars Krutak, our favorite tattoo anthropologist, whose latest book "Kalinga Tattoo" is a stunning--and also massive--hardcover featuring photos and stories of the ancient tattoo tribe in the Philippines. [More on that book coming up.]


Indio Reyes signing his artist pages in "Black & Grey Tattoo."

Because I spent most of my time shilling books, I didn't do my usual flitting about. Thankfully Brian did, taking plenty of photos and bringing back some good stories, which he'll post once he recovers from the hand-poked toe tattoo he got from Clare Goldilox.

[I also did a hand-poked tattoo, my first tattoo ever actually. And I did it on Clare's bum. It was not my finest moment. [Although she does have a fine bum.] When I'm feeling more shameless, I may just do a post on it. Or maybe not. Needless to say, I won't be tattooing ever again.]

In fact, lots of post-convention late night tattooing takes place, and sometimes it takes place after a bottle of Jack Daniels. You know the stories of people taking a sharpie marker to draw all over the guy who passes out at a party? Ok, now imagine that with a tattoo machine.

Those stories were traded during that final convention night revelry at the Ibis bar, but no machines were whipped out and skin scratched. We left with hugs and handshakes, and the hotel employees finally got their rest.

The London Tattoo Convention made the headlines again, although less so this year, but what's out there is pretty good. Here are a few of my faves:

For their In Pictures section, the BBC has a beautiful slideshow of the event including the photo above of Martin Poole, a tattooist in Cornwall who does hand tattooing. In fact, he has done most of his own facial work. I interviewed Martin and will try to have our talk up later this week.

Cheekier photos and captions can be found on Asylum UK's The London Tattoo Convention's Best & Weirdest gallery, which also has shots beyond tattooed butts like the one below.

 

And finally, this video by the Telegraph entitled "My dad's gonna kill me - getting your face tattooed" with some excellent footage and interviews on traditional tattooing among other scenes from the convention floor. Check it below.





My thoughts on the show are up soon as well as those from Brian, who took his own great shots.

Today, the London Tattoo Convention kicks off and I promise to lay off the cider to bring y'all a coherent account of the events here. [*crossing fingers behind my back*]

Check out my usual bad photos from last year's show, including the one of above of the beautiful Alice of the Dead (who has a great deal of work from dotwork guru Xed le Head.

Artists have arrived from every corner of the earth, from Borneo to Brooklyn, to swap stories, check out the art in the galleries, buy baby clothes with ACDC logos on them from vendors, and hell, maybe they'll do a few tattoos. With 20,000 people expected over these next three days, there is plenty of skin to be decorated. Last year, the convention made The Guinness World Record For "The Most People Being Tattooed Simultaneously." No joke. It's an actual record.

The convention is already getting some press, but I anticipate news coverage and slide-shows will start popping up online as early as this evening so I'll be posting those links as well as my own redux.

I should also mention that, in addition to my bloggedy blog posts, I'm here to promote my latest book. More on that (shamelessly) coming up.

Yesterday, I mentioned Michelle Myles and how she has posted clips of the Tattoo Wars Old School episode on her Daredevil Tattoo site. I just saw the video she took and edited (shown above) on the London Tattoo Convention (which I blogged about here and here). The female tattooed Fellini did a great job capturing the show, and I'm diggin the tune by Mike Mok and the Em Tones.

Contraband Candy, who specialize in metal and alt culture videos, has this fantastic video below from last year's show, which includes interviews and the best part -- the tattoos shown in the video have the artist credits!! A rarity, and an appreciated one. The video is accompanied with a sweet Rockabilly sound as well.

I'm in recovery from this weekend's London Tattoo Convention, which means I'm in a Heathrow Airport pub nursing a cider and overpaying for WiFi. Evidently, I'm not alone in my post-convention haze. In disrobing at security, exposing my sleeves, the agents seemed jaded. Yet another freakshow passing through. Yawn.

Despite my crazy convention schedule, I've yet to become apathetic to the walking works of art that surround me there. Yes, it's about the art but it's also about being able to go up to attractive people and say, "Hi. I'm Marisa from NeedlesandSins.com. Could you take your pants off please?"

And they do.
And I photograph it.

Check the new pics I  added to the convention Flickr set.

The Independent also has a review and photos from the show like the one above.

Looks like my plane is boarding. Will have the tattoo news for you tomorrow when I'm back in Brooklyn.

Photo of Rie Gomita by Reuters via Edmonton Sun

After the longest flight of my life from NYC sitting next to a missionary hell bent of savin my soul, I arrived sleepless at the Tobacco Docks for the first day of the London Tattoo Convention. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a line queue of people that stretched along the massive venue -- and while I wasn't ready to have thousands see me make-up free with luggage under my eyes the size of steamer trucks -- I knew it was the start to a sweet party.

I ducked into the back entrance for artists & vendors and head to the Freaks Book shop booth, where I'm working with the fabulous Lorenzo to sell copies of my Black Tattoo Art book. I grabbed a copy and some flyers, and made my way around for shameless promotion, and naturally, drinks with friends.

I also managed to take my usual bad conventions photos. Check 'em here.

For great pix, see Edmonton Sun for the Reuters slideshow of images from Day One, like the ones above and below. Also check the Sky News photos and report.

The massive Tobacco Docks complex is impressive. Artists worked non-stop in glass framed partitioned spaces with natural light streaming in from the sun roofs. In the vaulted brick basement, you can buy anything from corsets to kicks, lobe plugs to pasties. Indeed, there were plenty of pasties with burlesque performers hypnotizing the crowd with tassel twirls, and some bump-n-grinds. A line up of bands played on two stages, and the numerous pubs were packed. Fine art works of the Tara Project and El Rana were on display on one floor while the Graffiti Kings worked on a mural on another.

As I walked around, looking at the crowd, which spoke in multiple tongues, I couldn't help but think of high school and its cliques. You had your dreadlocked hippies and mohawked punks, dark goths and neon ravers. The rockabilly pin-up girls were the popular cheerleaders while the bikers evoked the jocks, not necessarily for their toned physiques but because I could picture them taping some guy's hairy butt and flushing his head down the toilet.

And like high school, I tried to figure out where I fit in. I hugged and kissed members of each crowd but at the end of the night I found myself alone in a corner with my laptop uploading the day's photos and thinkin 'bout how I'd blog it all....I was the nerd.

More tattoo geekery from the convention to come.