An exciting painter, tattoo artist and new dad, Chris Dingwell, recently rolled into Brooklyn on his way to a painting jam, and I managed to pin him down for brunch to chat about his work, tattoo law, convention gossip and convince him to be in my next tattoo book. [He didn't have much choice in the latter as he was in my hood, and I know people who could help me be very convincing.]
Chris works expertly in a variety of styles, and I particularly dig the work in which he takes his own unique painterly approach. Here's what he says of his portfolio:
"The simplest way that I can put it is to say that my work is about taking things apart--visually that is. Obviously, to me at least, my tattooing is very different from my painting for the simple reason that the tattoos I create are for other people; they are my client's ideas. It's simply my job to take their ideas, disassemble them, work out the most visually interesting parts, and re-assemble into a cool tattoo. Unlike other tattoo artists who become known for doing a signature type of tattooing, or a signature style--Traditional,
Bio-Mech, Pin-up, what-have-you--I strive to apply myself to a wide range of ideas, images and styles. Every client is different, and every tattoo idea as well, so I try to work as broadly as possible. In the end, my work still looks like mine, but I hope it expresses as much of the client as well by the end of the process."
"My paintings, and my most painterly tattoos, are much more abstract and personal. It's not just about taking things apart visually, but physically and psychically. Someone once told me they thought my portraits looked as if I was peeling someone's layers away like an onion, and that to me is the perfect metaphor for what I am trying to create with my work, no matter who or what the subject is."
Austin has become ground zero for exceptional tattoo artists -- the city seems to be flooded with recent transplants from around the country. [Also home base of The Lizardman.]
One such artist is Joey Ortega of Triple Crown Tattoo who puts his own spin on the Americana genre. Here's how Joey describes his tattoo style:
"Though my work is deeply rooted in "Traditional" tattooing, I would say that it's more in
depth and stylized..."Neo-Traditional". Working as a custom artist, I find inspiration from true images, Japanese art, Art Nouveau, Mexican folk art and iconography, anything vintage or antique, and all the other random ideas bouncing around in my head. One of my favorite parts about what I do is working with my customers to create a piece that is uniquely theirs."
Samuel M. Steward, PhD was an English professor, a writer of esteemed literary works and gay porn. He was also "a furtive but exuberant erotic adventurer." [Put this on my own tombstone please].
As Sam notes in the intro, the book was autobiographical, a journal of his tattoo life with "no intention to retell old stories, to perpetuate myths or errors, to upgrade the 'art' of tattooing, nor to make more dense the fog of the mystique around it."
It does talk about the characters he tattooed, the politics between tattooers, and sex. Lots of it. He says, "...in one way or another, more than three quarters of the tattoos applied were put on because of some aspect of sexual motivation." No wonder sex researcher Dr. Alfred Kinsey took such an interest in it.
The book is by biographer Justin Spring, whom the NY Times says had "no idea what this sexual outlaw and little-known literary figure had left behind after his death in 1993" when Spring finally tracked down the executor of Steward's estate. The NY Times adds:
Ultimately Steward abandoned university life and entered the tattoo
artist's demimonde full time, but his determination to indulge his
sexual identity fully came with enormous physical, professional and
psychological costs. In Mr. Spring's telling, the frustrations of living
in this closeted era combined with his obsession drove Steward to
alcoholism and prevented him from living up to the early promise he
showed as a novelist. He suffered through long periods of dark
depression, loneliness and self-destructive behavior. Dangerously
violent characters and sex fascinated Steward, and his overtures and
adventures frequently landed him in the hospital.
"He paid the price for being himself," Mr. Spring said, "but at least he got to be himself."
One of my favorite styles of tattooing is the feverish abstract art movement that has its greatest popularity in France, Belgium and even Montreal but is created by top artists around the world. One of those artists is Loic of Needles Side Tattoo in France.
Loic, who has been tattooing for ten years, has his studio in Thonon Les Bains but you can also find him doing regular guest spots around the world. [This October, you'll find him in Brooklyn, NY at Tattoo Culture.]
He likens his tattooing to DJing: "A DJ uses different musical elements and effects to create one unified sound. I do the same but with images, using different artistic styles to create one discernible picture."
To see more of Loic's work, check his Facebook page.
[Very Shameless --> For more on this style of tattooing, check the "Art Brut" chapter in my Black Tattoo Art book.]
It's not easy setting up an interview with a tattoo legend who doesn't need any press and has no time for your shit. [Or at least my shit.] Thankfully, the Godfather of Black & Grey tattoo, Jack 'From Way Back' Rudy of Good Time Charlie's Tattooland still does a lot of conventions, and I was able to stalk him sufficiently--with the help of Edgar Hoill--to get his thoughts on everything from single-needle tattooing to kustom kars.
As one of the godfathers of Black & Gray tattooing, you're the best person to educate people on the basics. First, please describe the black & gray style.
It's something that has evolved over the years. Originally, when Charlie [Good Time Charlie Cartwright] and I started doing it, we called it "Black & White" like the photography, but then realized--with skin tones being different and so forth--that "Black & Gray" was more accurate to what we were doing because it was, ya know, from solid black to every shade of gray imaginable. It originally was a California prison style that we adopted. Being the first ones to do it in a shop, it just started out with very humble beginnings and has evolved into what it is today. It's a style with obviously no color, using solid black to the lightest shade of gray and everything in between with a person's own skin as contrast. It's actually a difficult style to master; a lot of people try to do it, and many people can do it well, but there are a lot of people who can't.
[...]
What do you think are the elements of a good tattoo, black & gray or otherwise?
I think that contrast is always an important factor; you know, sometimes using a dark background to make something light stand out. There are a lot of different aspects that make a tattoo good, regardless of what style it is: good line work, good shading, solid color (if that's what you're doing). It's more than just a good design; it's placement, it's the structure of it, where it's at...Can you tell what it is? Do you have to get right up on it? Because some miniature fine line stuff you got to get right up on it to tell what it is while other things you can read from across the room. Or if you're trying to do tribal, you want it as solid as possible. Does it move with the body? Does it go with that part of the body? There are so many factors that make a good tattoo good.
Beyond tattooing, you also have a passion for classic cars and hot rods,and co-founded The Beatniks car club where many of its members are tattoo artists and collectors. What's the connection between tattoo art and customizing 50s styled cars and rods?
Hmmm, for the Beatniks, this is a club that is 18-years-old and counting, and all of the members are very heavily tattooed. There are a lot of tattoo artists in the club as
well, but it's not exclusive to tattoo artists by any means. All of the Beatniks share a love for tattoos and tattoo art. There are quite a few artists in the club as well who are not tattooers.For us, it's just part of the deal. There are a lot of people that are into old hot rods and customs who are not tattooed and don't have any desire to get any. For us, it's just always been part of the whole lifestyle--it's a little different for us. With most of us as artists, that talent shows in our kars, in our kustoms
and hot rods as well.
In continuing to highlighting tattoo art featured in my upcoming book, I figured I'll give ya some biomech goodness courtesy of Dan Hazelton.
I've been a fan of Dan's work for a while--not just his tattooing but also his airbrush art on everything from canvas to cars to guitars and indoor decor like his work for Ice Bar. Tattooing professionally since 1996, this Milwaukee native spent 9 years at Absolute Tattooing in Menomonee Falls working on finding his style and building clientele, and now can be found at his own private studio in West Allis, WI (by appointment only).
I asked Dan about the influences in his art, and here's what he said:
"My influences consist of the amazing Guy Aitchison, Robert Hernandez, Aaron Cain, and Paul Booth to name just a few--all of whom are greatly responsible for my style. I like to do a lot of biomech and sometimes throw in some expression-filled faces or skulls. Some eyes and mouths are always good too! That is my main focus lately. I do tend to dabble in other styles but it's getting rare. [...] For the past few years, I've really gotten into digital painting. It's like a painting video game! Very collaborative friendly too."
Check out Dan's digital prints, like the one below, which he has for sale on his site.
To view more tattoo work, check his Facebook and MySpace pages for regular updates.
It was way past midnight and we had all thoroughly over-served by the bar-staff at the pre-party for the Traditional Tattoo and World Culture Festival. At this point in our European trip, Marisa and I had gone from tiny airline seat to tiny hotel room to a tinier airline seat to an even tinier hotel room - so we were utterly gobsmacked when we discovered that Matt Black of New Wave Tattoo (London) was staying alone in a three-bedroom suite in our hotel.
It's often said that the United States and the U.K. are "different cultures joined by a common language," but it appears that we share another common element in our trans-Atlantic Venn Diagram: MTV's Cribs.
While I'm writing my monster redux of the Traditional Tattoo & World Culture Fest, I thought I'd give ya a preview of a wonderful experience we had: watching the skin sewing method of tattooing done by the always awesome Colin Dale of Skin & Bone in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Brian entered Colin's tattoo tent just as a reporter from Bizarre Magazine had begun to interview him, and so Brian was able to capture a part of that discussion (about three minutes) where Colin talks about the history of skin sewing. There are also close-ups of the procedure in the video that will make you feel that phantom pain while watching. [FYI: the video starts off with a quick line where Colin makes fun of my NY accent.]
"As a general rule, expert tattoo artists were respected elderly women. Their extensive training as skin seamstresses (parkas, pants, boots, hide boat covers, etc.) facilitated the need for precision when 'stitching the human skin' with tattoos. Tattoo designs were usually made freehand but in some instances a rough outline was first sketched upon the area of application."
Read more on skin sewing here. And check Colin's stellar tattoo work in its many forms here.
Yesterday, the Nowness premiered its film on Horiyoshi III: a beautiful collage of tattoos, historical imagery and scenes from Yokohama (home to his studio) surrounding an interview in which the master explains symbolism in Japanese motifs, his methods, the culture of tattooing and how he wants to see greater acceptance of the art.
Entitled Horiyoshi The Third: The Skin Carver, photographer and director Johnnie Shand Kydd's not only looks at Horiyoshi's master craftsmanship, but also "examines the recent influence of tattoos in fashion while taking a look at the tattoo legend's latest clothing and accessories line."
We just got into beautiful Cobh in County Cork, Ireland for the Traditional Tattoo & World Culture Festival this weekend, and the artists are all artists pouring in. Just saw the wonderful Colin Dale of Skin & Bone Tattoo in Denmark, whose Nordic dotwork is spectacular. We also got to hang with Cammy of Divine Canvas on the flight over from Edinburgh, Scotland. [Air Lingus unintentionally(?) grouped the tattooed freaks together on the plane, so the party has started early.]
Brian and I decided to fly into Edinburgh, Scotland for a couple days of sightseeing before the fest and on our itinerary was Red Hot & Blue Tattoo, Paul Slifer's shop, which is home to a number of stellar tattooists. [Paul's work is shown above]
Ok, when I visit tattoo studios and I'm not getting tattooed, I never want to take artists' time away from work and nerd out on them, but the Red Hot & Blue crew were so gracious with my geekiness. Jason aka Zig Zag, had just finished a piece, so he had time to chat and we got to look through all their great portfolios, so I wanted to give a shout out to the shop and say thanks for the hospitality.
Here are just snippets of work from the Red Hot & Blue artists.
