5/17/12
Breaking News: A tattoo artist in Newfield, New Jersey by the name of Dave Hurban has taken functional body art to new levels by implanting micro-dermal anchor magnets into his arm as a place to keep his iPod Nano. The Nano clicks into place when placed on the four, small, round magnets sticking out from his skin, and resembles a strapless watch.
In Tennessee, the governor has signed new legislation that makes it illegal for anyone without a license to posess tattooing equipment, and seeks to increase reporting on the illegal practice of minors getting tattoos to the Health Department.
Updating a previous story, Kurt Brown has been given the green light to start inking people up in Concord, MA, making him the only practicing tattoo artist in the area, and the owner of what will be Concord's first ever body art shop. Some locals turned out to protest the proposal, but the Board of Health unanimlously approved the measure.
And finally, Miley Cyrus has gone back to sporting a nose ring after a three year hiatus from the fashion statement she once wore. However, that's nothing compared to the huge head tattoo her brother Trace Cyrus got. Seriously, check this thing out:
The up and down history of tattoing in Japan hit another dark period after the flourishing Edo years. After years of governmental upheaval, a monarchy led by an emperor was restored to power. Immediately, tattoing was seen as shameful once again. The empire wished to make a positive impression on the West, and felt that Irezumi designs would make the Japanese look like savages.
Irezumi went underground for the native Japanese. Oddly, Irezumi artists were allowed to work on foreign visitors by government decree, and many sailors from other countries would return home with intricate, beautiful designs to show off. This grabbed the attention of the elite of the world, and a number of royal foreigners came to Japan to get tattoos in those years.
As for the local people, those with tattoos were not allowed in public baths, and Irezumi became solidified as belonging to the criminal element of society. The Yakuza, or Japanese Mafia, embraced Irezumi. They believed that the pain endured during tattooing was a sign of courage; this is especially true of the intensive work involved in the full back and body designs that distinguish Irezumi.
The Tlingit (pronounced "Klingit") are a native American tribe indiginous to southern Alaska. Ear piercing has a long and important history among the Tlingit.
In traditional Tlingit culture, ear percings were symbols of status and wealth. The reason for this was that ear piercings only took place as a aprt of a Potlach, a great feast where gifts were exchanged among the people. It was expensive to host a Potlach, and the host of such a feast could hire someone to pierce the ears of either his sister's children or his grandchildren, which raised their status in society. The expense of the Potlach, plus the cost of hiring the ear piercer was so great that ear piercings were seen as marks of nobility.
"I was there from the beginning."
No matter what it is in life, there is somethng seriously cool about being there the very first time; being a part of the creation of an event, a movement, an institution that will change the course of an industry forever.
That's exactly what the United Ink Convention is all about: We're not just putting on a show, we're taking a major step to bring the body art world to a new level of visibility and legitimacy in the broader culture of America and the world.
The film industry has it's Oscars, music has the Grammys, Television has the Emmys, heck even ESPN has the Espys! Isn't it about time that we had our own way to recognize the best and brightest of our thriving industry? Tattoo Lou's certainly thinks so, which is why we will be hosting the United Ink Awards Ceremony as part of the United Ink Convention this July.
The United Ink Awards is the first and only industry elite recognition ceremony for body art practitioners. We will be giving out top level awards for all sorts of categories, including:
• artist of the year
• best new artist
• lifetime achievement award
• best realism
• best color bomb
• best biomechanics
• best traditional
• best neo-traditional
In addition to the Awards Ceremony, we will also be using United Ink to unveil the first ever official Tattoo Hall of Fame. Finally, there will be a place for us to honor all of the pioneers and visionaries who came before us, who paved the way for all of us in the body art industry. They dealt with fear, discrimination and countless obstacles to lay the groundwork for the rest of us, and now we're going to give them the recognition they deserve. A panel of industry experts at United Ink will be selecting the first class to be honored with induction to the Hall, creating a legacy that will span far into the future.
Come join us, and be a part of history in the making at United Ink. Someday, when your kids and grandkids are talking about The United Ink Awards and The Tattoo Hall of Fame, you can just smile and tell them "I was there when it all began."
The details:
United Ink
July 27th-29th, 2012
Friday 2pm-11pm
Saturday 12pm-11pm
Sunday 12pm-7pm
At Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island NY
Tickets: Ticketmaster.com, at the Coliseum box office Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, or at the door.
For some people, the face is just as valid a canvas as the rest of their bodies. Maybe some of them ran out of room elsewhere, maybe it's all part of a full-body theme, but whatever the reason, some people take the unusual step of getting inked in the most prominent of places. Here are the craziest, most striking facial tattoos we could find:
5.
Here, we clearly see a man with a checkered past. It's written all over his face; a past, that apparently included an unsuseccsful attempt to find work as a table cloth.
4.
Some people just love to play the victim. As Halloween makeup, this works just fine. As a permanent tattoo, maybe this isn't a positive image to go for 24-7?
3.
We have to include Cat Man here, who's tattoos are just part of a number of alterations that leave him "feline" fine. Some terrible puns are just too good to pass up. It's like a law of the universe or something.
2.
If you took any acid or shrooms lately, you might not be certain if you're tripping your balls off or just looking at some dude with a tattooed face. it's a dude with a tattooed face. Probably. Go consult your shaman to be sure.
1.
And finally, our winner. Imagine being this guy's wife or girlfriend trying to sleep next to him. Wake up from a bad dream and "AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! Oh, it's just you baby. Could you…maybe turn over? Face the other way? Thanks a bunch, sugar pie."
One of the hottest trends (no pun intended) in tattooing today is chef tattoos. Let's face it: recently, for whatever reason, chef's have become pretty badass. They weren't always that way, or maybe they were and we've only recently noticed. At any rate, from The Food Network to Emeril, Anthony Bourdain and others, chefs are the new rock stars of society, and they're getting inked up just like their musical bretheren. Here are some of the best of the new chef tattoo trend:
Skull tattoos are common, along with crossed knives. We're particularly fond of this one, complete with flames and eye patch.
Sometimes chef tattoos are more useful than decorative. Tired of reaching for the measuring tools? Just ink them on!
Let's break it down: chef's are awesome. Muppets are awesome. The Swedish Chef, on a chef is awesomeness squared. Class dismissed.
Finally, there's Cuisin-art. Haha. But seriously, the realistic reflection on the bowl here is incredible. Incredi-bowl?? Ok, time to stop.
What's your favorite chef tattoo? Who's your favorite chef? Is this post making you hungry? Share in Comments!
5/10/12
The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting there are new regulations in Davis County Utah regarding body modification and tattoo parlor practices. Decorative scarring and subdermal implants are now illegal to perform in the county. Also, a number of new guidelines were introduced to make tattooing safer and better regulated. Apparently, a lot of the new regulations stem not from customer complaints, but from tattoo parlors and artists themselves.
An artist has applied to open the first tattoo shop ever in Concord, MA. It was actually illegal for anyone except a doctor to give tattoos in MA before the year 2000, when a judge struck down that law as unconstitutional on the grounds that it violated free speech. It's taken twelve years since then for someone to try setting up shop in Concord.
Finally, from Staten Island, politicians are considering a bill that would make it illegal for owners to get their pets tattooed and pierced. No word on whether any owner who violates that law will also have to have their head examined, though it's probably a good idea. Next up, pehaps some regulations on rediculous dog outfits might be in order?
The birth of modern Irezumi, the elaborate, full body Japanese tattoo style, blossomed during the Edo Period, from 1600-1868.
It all began with the development of woodblock printing, which happened around the time of the publication of Suikoden, a popular illustrated Chinese novel. The pages of Suikoden were filled with images of powerful warriors who's bodies were covered in designs and shapes of dragons, flowers, tigers and much more.
The popularity of Suikoden led to a desire for people to adorn themselves like the warriors in the book. The growing demand caused many woodblock artists to shift into becomming tattoo artists, and a craze was born that has led to some of the most elaborate and beautiful body artwork done today.
Coming this summer, tattoo artists and fans finally have their Oscars, their Grammys, their very own Super Bowl.
The final weekend in July, the entire body art world will be blowing the roof off of Nassau Coliseum at United Ink, the biggest and best tattoo convention you have ever experienced, guaranteed!
Tattoo Lou's will be your host, and you've gotta check out who'll be coming to join us! We're talking:
Chris Torres – NY INK
Roman Abrego – Best Ink
Shane Oneill – "Winner" of Ink Master
Dave Nestler – Internationally known Pin Up artist
Brandon Bond – International award winning artist
And so many, many more.
What else do we have for you? Try 150,000 square feet of pure mayham, featuring hundreds of tattoo artists and vendors from around the world, daily tattoo contests, and a live Art Fusion Gallery. Plus super sexy events like the Miss United Ink Pageant, hot after parties and the United Ink Awards Ceremony, where we will honor the best of the best in the body art scene.
How to make sure you're a part of history? Here's all you need to know:
When: July 27th-29th, 2012
What time: Friday 2pm-11pm, Saturday 12pm-11pm, Sunday 12pm-7pm
Where: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island NY
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com or at the Coliseum box office Mon-Fri 9-4pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Kids under 12 get in FREE.
Go to www.newyorktattooshow.com for more info, and we'll see you there!
God save the queen! And her nipples!
The person most credited with popularizing female nipple piercing is Isabella of Bavaria, Queen of France, who reigned in the 14th Century. Isabella was quite the fashion maven it turns out, and she popularized "the garments of the grand neckline." Apparently, she was a fan of dresses that were open in front, to the point where they would be cut down to the navel. This trend eventually exposed the nipples, or as she called them her "little apples of paradise," which she had rouged and pierced with jewels hanging from them. Legend has it that her style caught on and inspired many women to wear similar outfits and to pierce their nipples for display.
