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INKEDblog takes you beneath the skin of today's tattoo culture. Our mission is to celebrate tattooing as a modern art form which incorporates art, fashion, style, and pop culture. While paying homage and respect to the past, we look to present a contemporary take on the present and future of skin art.
Home / Art
Monday Oct 16, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
| Friday Sep 29, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Sep 21, 2006
Life Is Terrific
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
Monday Sep 18, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Sep 11, 2006
Heaven Awaits
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
Monday Aug 28, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Marc here.
Monday Aug 21, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Aug 18, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Aug 07, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Jul 28, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Jul 24, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Jul 18, 2006
Emancipate Yourself..
Photo nicked from Piel Canel's Flickr page here.
Thursday Jul 13, 2006
Na$ty
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
Saturday Jul 08, 2006
Photo of the Day
Photo by Mr Yrland
Friday Jul 07, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Jul 03, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Jun 26, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Jun 22, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More photos from Mark here.
Thursday Jun 15, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Jun 08, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here
Monday Jun 05, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
New Episodes of INKED on A&E This Wednesday
INKED on A&E is a sponsor of INKEDblog
Thursday Jun 01, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday May 30, 2006
Seen On The Streets of Amsterdam
Monday May 22, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday May 18, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday May 17, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday May 16, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday May 15, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday May 11, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday May 10, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Apr 11, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Mar 20, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More From Mark Here.
Wednesday Mar 08, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Mar 03, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Mar 01, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Feb 21, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here
Monday Feb 06, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here
Thursday Feb 02, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Jan 30, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here
Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here
Tuesday Jan 17, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here
Monday Jan 09, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Jan 03, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Dec 27, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
Tuesday Dec 13, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Dec 08, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Dec 07, 2005
Baby Devil Tattoo
You can learn more about Numskull, who created the baby devil stencil here.
Monday Dec 05, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Nov 28, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Nov 23, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More photos from Mark here.
Monday Nov 21, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Nov 18, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
To see more of Mark's photos, click here.
Thursday Nov 17, 2005
One Man's Body - A Photo Essay by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
Monday Nov 14, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Nov 11, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Nov 09, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Nov 08, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Nov 01, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Oct 31, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Oct 19, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Oct 17, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Oct 13, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More photos from Mark here.
Tuesday Oct 11, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more photos from Mark here.
Wednesday Oct 05, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Oct 03, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Sep 29, 2005
Our Current Obsession - Finger Mustache Tattoos
A couple weeks back we featured the story behind Matthew Walton's finger mustache tattoo. What we didn't know at the time was just how prevalent finger mustache tattoos were. Yesterday, Needed.com did a terrific roundup on the diversity of mustache tattoos. Amongst our favorite photos are the tear drop finger tattoos featured this week on
moblog.bmezine
Photos from Modblog.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Every BODY Has A Story - Alice
INKEDblog: What's your favorite tattoo?
Alice: My right arm piece. It has a lot of elements that I really like – skeletons, graves, bats, lightening bolts.
INKEDblog: What was your first tattoo?
Alice: A butterfly on my right leg. I liked it at the time (I was 16)
INKEDblog: How many tatt's do you have?
Alice: Um, I’m not sure. Like 15?
INKEDblog: What's the worst tattoo you've ever seen?
Alice: Any to do with the Tazmanian Devil or sports teams. We get a lot of that out here in Vegas.
INKEDblog: What do your tats signify to you?
Alice: Beautiful artwork
INKEDblog: In 30 years when you look at all your ink, how do you think you'll feel?
Alice: They have become a part of my body and a lot times I don't even notice them. I got them for me and don't expect anyone to notice them, and I don’t really care if they do.
INKEDblog: What do you plan on getting next?
Alice: Um... finishing my right sleeve hopefully.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Sep 26, 2005
Justin Pelegano's Tattoo Stories - "Under Cover"
"Good luck finding Liberation’s first tattoo. It’s forever buried under a impressive cover-up. And from the sounds of it, for good reason.
“I had gotten my first tattoo at fifteen, and the ‘artist’ butchered my arm….I don’t think he could spell ‘sterilization’, never mind practice it.”
Cover-up tattooing calls for a certain practicality on the part of the artist and a willingness to “go bigger” on the part of the client. And because hiding old ink is never an easy task it often means a hefty time commitment in the chair, sometimes spread over several sessions. A good cover-up artist is a patient visionary. Lucky for Liberation he found one in Mulysa Mayhem.
“I lived in Massachusetts at the time so it was hard for me to seek out a great artist because tattooing was illegal there. Everything was underground and you had to meet people by word of mouth. I found this artist named Mulysa Mayhem through a friend of mine... She saw the horrible tattoo on my arm and felt a great deal of sympathy for me [so] she offered to give me an excellent price on a cover-up. We needed something large so she showed me some books of artists she liked, and H.R. Geiger was one of them. The second I saw the book I knew I had to have his artwork on my body. I had never seen anything like it. It was so dark and sexual. I decided on a piece called ‘Guillotine’. I loved the dichotomy of the image which to me glorified both life and death, and it had this supernatural feel to it.”
After some twenty-four hours of work (spanning multiple sittings), all signs of the original butchery were gone. And Liberation was hooked. He revisited Mulysa for another Geiger tat – this one a Debby Harry portrait – and has since inked his body with homage to other favorite artists such as Frida Kahlo and David Wojmarowicz. “The reason I choose to get the tattoos over buying [their prints] is simple. These are mine. Nobody else can have them, not the way I do. And nobody can take them away from me. All of my tattoos are by artists I have felt a connection with in one way or another and…I can’t think of a better way to honor them than to have their work on my body. I wouldn’t trade [my tattoos] for anything. They are a road map of my life to this point. When I look at them I can tell you which friends I was hanging out with, what was going on in my life, and what music I was listening to.”
Eager to give credit where credit’s due, Liberation traces his map, and his passion for striking body art, right back to Massachusetts and that fateful cover-up. “Mulysa is one of the most talented and sincere artists I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I honestly can’t say enough great things about her.”
Check her out here.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Sep 23, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Sep 21, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Rockabilly Tattoos
Today, writer Jessica Lund takes a look at the connections between tattoos and Rockabilly
Pin up girls… Gorgeous Cars… Cherries… Hearts…Rockabilly.
Rockabilly is a music style that started in the fifties as a conglomerate of bluegrass, blues, boogie woogie, and country music. Born out of the fertile rebel bosom of the American South, Rockabilly became not only a style of music, but also a distinct genre, an anti-culture that existed to be the antithesis of the hyper-rigid fifties.
Rockabilly as a fashion style has been around ever since, but like most fashions, it’s had up and down swings. Currently pretty damn hip, it’s not hard to find tough looking guys with greased back hair, and woman decked out in sexy vintage wear.
Movies like Grease and Cry Baby have kept the workin’ man Rockabilly image and its bad boy spirit alive, along with a generous helping of contemporary authentic Rockabilly bands.
Personally, my favorite Rockabilly band in Portland, OR is The Flapjacks. All these guys look like they walked out of prison an hour or so before the gig, but the music is tight, the upright bass excellent and the crowd, undeniably enthusiastic.
Vintage in style, Rockabilly tattoos are a combination of sailor tattoos and key elements of fifties fashion. From the sailor’s anchors, sparrows and pin-up girls, to the 1950’s iconic gorgeous cars and ironic red hearts, Rockabilly tattoos are what most people think of when asked to imagine a classic American tattoo. Nearly sixty years later, Rockabilly tattoos remain fresher than ever.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Sep 20, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photography here.
Monday Sep 19, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Sep 15, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
A Trip to Invisible NYC
Cat Hartwell sent us this report on Invisible NYC in the Lower East Side of New York:
Walking down Orchard Street I recently stumbled upon a little gem. Is it a gallery? Is it a tattoo shop? It’s both. Invisible NYC offers a minimalist art space that provides local artists a place to hang their work, but nestled away in the back of the gallery hide a couple of tattoo stations. After all, tats and art go together like cheese and crackers.
On September 8, Justine Reyes launched her show My Uncle Vinny which will be up until October 8th. Reyes has been following her family around with a camera for the last two years recording them with their personal belongings. Reyes has showed her other work at the 5th Annual Barcelona Festival of Contemporary Art, the Proyecto Circle at the 8th Havana Biennale in Cuba, and the exhibition Fragments of Contemporary Urban Experience which traveled from San Francisco City Hall to the Michaelis Gallery in South Africa. Her latest work, Mask Series, will be featured in the January edition of Le Book.
My Uncle Vinny focuses on the obvious, her uncle Vinny who looks like most of the guys you see lounging on the streets of Nolita sipping on lemonade and playing poker in the summertime. The series pairs large portraits of her uncle with smaller photographs of his collection of trinkets and toys.
My personal favorite item was the wooden sparrow tipped to lay on its side, but hey – this comes from a girl with two birds tattooed on her forearm. If you get a chance to stop by, it’s worth a look… and you may even find a new place to get your ink.
Justine Reyes
My Uncle Vinny
Sept 8 – Oct 8
Invisible NYC
148 Orchard Street
NYC
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's work here.
Wednesday Sep 14, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
Tuesday Sep 13, 2005
Miss Van's Tattooed Girls
We've been fans of the Barcelona based artist, Miss Van, for quite some time. If you are as well, you may have noticed that she's recently been adding tattoos to the girls in her work. If you're in New York, you can check out new work at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery:
Miss Van: Don't Be Shy
September 10 thru October 8
Jonathan LeVine Gallery
529 West 20th Street, 9E New York, NY 10011 ph:212-243-3822
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
Monday Sep 12, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
Friday Sep 09, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
Thursday Sep 08, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
Tuesday Sep 06, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Thursday Sep 01, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Wednesday Aug 31, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
Quotable Tats
Quote Garden is an amazing site that features a collection of terrific literary and classical quotations beautifully inked on boedies around the world. A couple of our favorites include “seize the day; trust not unto the morrow” and an ace quotation from Motley Crue – “If you wanna live life on your own terms, you gotta be willing to crash and burn”.
Photo above from the amazing BME. Click here to enlarge.
Friday Aug 26, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Thursday Aug 25, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Wednesday Aug 24, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Tuesday Aug 23, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Monday Aug 22, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Friday Aug 19, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
Tuesday Aug 16, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
Monday Aug 15, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Friday Aug 12, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Thursday Aug 11, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Wednesday Aug 10, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
Monday Aug 08, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Aug 05, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Aug 03, 2005
Paul Frank Tattoo
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
Russian Prison Tattoos
One of the most beautiful and symbolically oriented tattooing subcultures can be found in seemingly unlikely locations: Russian prisons
Prisoners there have developed an extremely intricate symbolic language that communicates information not only about their sentences and crimes, but their birth places, personal habits, politics, prestige, and families. There have been several books written on this fascinating subject, including Danzig Baldayev's Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia
and Alix Lambert's photographic survey Russian Prison Tattoos: Codes of Authority, Domination, and Struggle.
Tuesday Aug 02, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
Congrats to Sue and Chuco
Congratulations to Sue Cornell and Chuco Caballero, who this past weekend were the place winners of the "Overall Male" and "Overall Female" contest at the Philadelphia Eddie Tattoo Convention, held this past weekend.
Monday Aug 01, 2005
Polaroids by The Polaroid Kid
You can see more of Mark's work here.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Friday Jul 29, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake.
Thursday Jul 28, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
You can see more of Mark's photos here.
The Changing Face of Navy Tattoos
The newspaper for the Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia offers an inside look into Navy tattoo culture. While tattoos have become increasingly mainstream, they're also remaining popular with groups traditionally associated with them. What's interesting is that while sailor's keep getting tattooed, they're often choosing to go with more individual designs instead of the boats and American flags of the past. And as tattoo artist and retired chief petty officer Ken Knight points out, sailors are also getting just as many tribal designs and barbed wire circlets as everyone else in the country.
Wednesday Jul 27, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Tuesday Jul 26, 2005
Morton Salt Girl Tattoo
Photo by Mark The Cobrasnake
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More of Mark's photos here.
Monday Jul 25, 2005
UV Black Light Tattoos
Thinking about getting a UV Black Light tattoo? If so, be sure to check out Frank's "Too Much Information" blog in which he describes the process of getting one done.
He writes:
"From the shot above, you can see that some of the (non-tattoo) ink from the stencil layout remains, but that will wash away in the next days, and you can see the red from the (irritated) skin, which would normally be hidden underneath any opaque ink, such as a black one. Since we didn’t know how well the ink would take, and since we didn’t want to scar the skin deeply, we decided to only do a light filling this time, and I’ll return for a second pass in a few weeks. This way, during daylight, once it is all healed up, there should be no traces of the tattoo, which will only be revealed with a black light source."
You can learn more about UV inks at Chamelion Body Art Supply's website here.
Friday Jul 22, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Jul 21, 2005
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More of Mark's photos here.
Tuesday Jul 19, 2005
Big Red
From our friend Nick Walker in the UK: "Check this guy out. Andy the roofer who’s been working on the house next door to me. Mustah HURT that one. The artist’s name is Dave Ayres at the Skin Deep parlor in Bristol."
Cheers
Nick
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Monday Jul 18, 2005
Sherri Wood's Tattoo Baby Doll Project
For many years Sherri Wood has been collecting cloth dolls at thrift shops and then sending them to some of the county's most prominant female tattoo artists who then draw original tattoos on the dolls bodies. Sherri then hand embroiders the art on the dolls.
Sherri explains in her artist's statement:
"The dolls, like their artists, are of different races, religious and sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds. Each collaborating artist is asked to consider her response to tattooing the doll along with my feedback and response to embroidering the doll. From there she is encouraged to name and then write a short statement or story about her doll.
I have been working on the project since 1998. The idea originated while I was in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts. While studying the history of embroidery, I was simultaneously fascinated by all of the incredible tattoos I was seeing in San Francisco. Like embroidery, tattoo seemed to carry on a similar tradition of deeply symbolic images that worked to form community and served to define and empower those within the community in various ways. I chose to recycle and transform used and discarded dolls as a direct vehicle for merging the two art forms.
The Tattoo Baby Doll Project serves to break down barriers and prejudices about women’s work and roles, tattoo subculture, craft and art. The project strikes a subtle balance between these varied traditions and the communities they represent, thus questioning the lines that define, separate and empower each tradition. It draws together two distinct and distant marginal groups. Yet the unusual juxtaposition between embroidery and tattoo makes sense because it exposes an underlying metaphor intrinsic to both marginal groups. It is through the recognition of shared metaphors that cultural hierarchies and personal prejudices begin to break down."
Statement by Sarah Peacock, tattoo artist:
"Lydia, oh Lydia, oh have you seen Lydia...?!" Marx Bros. Lydia's tattoos represent many strengths and great courage. She wears a combination of Western & Eastern art; the 3/4 "robe" reflects traditional Japanese tattoos of the irezumi, whilst the imagery belongs to American "old school." Both touch on remarkable beauty, but also give light to social taboo... the Japanese irezumi (literally those with the "insertion of ink") are still very underground. In America it is acceptable for a woman to have one or two delicately placed tattoos, but a fully covered woman is perceived on a much different level, someone to be glimpsed at, watched, commented on, but rarely approached, and often feared. To achieve a full bodysuit of this proportion takes great commitment and endurance for both the wearer and the artist. For this reason I have immortalized Lydia in the backpiece, nestled upon the sacred lotus, under the canopy of tattoo machines, glowing like the Madonna of Guadalupe. On her front, mermaids swim alongside coy carp, giving strength through the waters of the emotions. The bluebirds on her chest show the miles she has traveled on her journey to completeness. So take a good look at Lydia and reflect on her beauty. Next time you see here, go and talk to her.
You can learn more about the project here.
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More here.
Evan's Muncha Tattoo
"Saw your entry about Alfonse Mucha, and thought I'd like to share my
Mucha tattoo with you guys. What an amazing artist, huh? Few from
that period (or ever for that matter) could capture the female form as well as Mucha could. Anyways, awesome website, keep it up. Peace..."
.. Evan Zimmerman
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
More here.
Thursday Jul 14, 2005
The Road Less Traveled
Robert Frost's The Road Less Traveled is one of our all time favorite poems. So we were psyched to see that someone had inked it on their arm, as it makes for a really incredible textual tattoo. We can all relate to the dilemma of coming to a fork in the road, and having to make a choice that will ultimately affect our direction in life. Originality, and thinking ‘outside society’s prescribed conformities’, is always more admirable than letting others dictate your thoughts.
Very cool tattoo.
Artist is Tattoos by Kane - Immortal Images Tattoos in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Photo above was nicked from About.com here.
Tuesday Jul 12, 2005
Remembering Keith Alexander
On June 22nd, we featured an absolutely beautiful koi tattoo that was meticulously documented by Keith Alexander as he went through the process of getting inked. Sadly we learned from BoingBoing this morning that Keith was killed yesterday in a bike accident in New York City.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Keith's family and loved ones.
Alfons Mucha Body Art
Among the photos we've been digging on Flickr recently is this terrific salute to the artwork of Alfons Mucha in Kristin's photo stream. If you are not familiar with Mucha, his work is synonomous with the Art Nouveau style. He was born in the town of Ivančice, Moravia which is now part of the Czech Republic.
Wikipedia says of Muncha:
"His singing abilities allowed him to continue his education through high-school in the Moravian capital of Brno, however drawing was first love since childhood. He worked at decorative painting jobs in Moravia, mostly painting theatrical scenery, then in 1879 moved to Vienna to work for a leading Viennese theatrical design company, while informally furthering his artistic education. When a fire destroyed his employer's business in 1881 he returned to Moravia, doing freelance decorative and portrait painting. Count Karl Khuen of Mikulov hired Mucha to decorate Hrušovany Emmahof Castle with murals, and was impressed enough that he agreed to sponsor Mucha's formal training at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.
Mucha moved to Paris in 1887, and continued his studies at Académie Julian and Academie Colarossi while also producing magazine and advertising illustrations.
In 1894, he produced the artwork for a lithographed poster advertising Sarah Bernhardt at the Theatre de la Renaissance. Mucha's lush stylized poster art won him fame and numerous commissions.
Mucha produced a flurry of paintings, posters, advertisements, and book illustrations, as well as designs for jewellery, carpets, wallpaper, and theatre sets in what came to be known as the Art Nouveau style. Mucha's works frequently featured beautiful healthy young women in flowing vaguely Neoclassical looking robes, often surrounded by lush flowers which sometimes formed haloes behind the women's heads. His style was often imitated.
Mucha visited the USA from 1906 to 1910, then returned to the Czech lands and settled in Prague, where he decorated the Theater of Fine Arts and other landmarks of the city.
When Czechoslovakia won its independence after World War I, Mucha designed the new postage stamps, banknotes, and other government documents for the new nation.
He spent years working on what he considered his masterpiece, The Slav Epic, a series of huge paintings depicting the history of the Slavic peoples, unveiled in Prague in 1928.
He died in Prague July 14, 1939 and was interred there in the Vyšehrad cemetery.
By the time of his death, Mucha's style was considered outdated and old fashioned, but interest in his art revived first in the 1960s, and continues to experience periodic revivals of interest and influence on contemporary illustrators. Much of the interest in Mucha's work can be attributed to his son, author Jiří Mucha, who wrote extensively about his father and devoted much of his life to bringing attention to his father's art."
Friday Jul 08, 2005
Cramps Tat
Amongst the recent party photographs snapped by our Mark The Cobrasnake, is this terrific salute to the classic rock band, The Cramps.
Piety and Permanent Pen
For some, religion and tattoos may seem slightly incongruous. However, religioustattoos.net illustrates that passion and piety are often the driving forces behind many a Judeo-Christian tattoo. For those who may feel that tattoos are sacrilegious, be sure to read the detailed section on how the bible not only fails to condemn indelible ink, but also actually promotes it. Religioustattoos.net has some beautiful photos -- covering the entire religious gamut, from Crosses to Angels to Jesus and his mother Mary.
The image above is the work of Dennis Dwyer. You can see more of his talents here.
Tattoo Of The Week - Camille Rose Garcia
This week's pick for "Tattoo of the Week" comes from a snap we took recently at the Renegade Art Fair in Brooklyn. Being huge fans of the LA based artist Camille Rose Garcia, we thought this tat was terrific.
You can learn more about the art of Camille Rose Garcia here.
Thursday Jul 07, 2005
Tattoo Photos By Mark The Cobrasnake
Amongst the photos we've rececently received from our friend and INKEDblog contributor, Mark The Cobrasnake, was this terrific tattoo snapped in LA on July 3rd. It's quickly become one of our favorites
Friday Jul 01, 2005
Permanent Portraits
What better way to express your adoration for someone than getting their face permanently emblazoned across your arm? Bmezine has an excellent gallery of portrait tattoos – some of which are as beautiful as they are bizarre. The series of ‘The Late Show’ tattoos are pretty funny. We’re curious to know why someone would get Paul Schaffer tattooed on themselves, but maybe we’re just not in on the joke. But we’re definitely laughing at the caricature of Dave Letterman -- how big are his eyes? There are some pretty ace interpretations of the Virgin Mary, although I think she’s definitely a little more sexed up than many staunch Catholics would like to see. The variety of this gallery is pretty surprising, it couldn’t get more antipodean – they’ve got everyone from Jesus to Scarface (although maybe some of you might think there’s a connection). There are loads of tattoos of kids faces, which we have to admit are pretty damn cute -- it’s the modern day version of carrying your kids picture in your wallet.
That ONE Tattoo You Haven't Gotten Yet - RESPONSES
That ONE Tattoo You Haven't Gotten Yet
What's that "one tattoo" that you'd love to get but for one reason or another - guts, money, not having the perfect design - you just haven't gotten yet?
Here's some responses from INKEDblog readers:
From Kevin: "My "I'll get it sometime" are tiger stripes, all the way from my right hand, up to the right ear. My nickname from my friends is Tigger, as I am a little HyPeraCTivE sometimes, buncing around... and I love those big cats. When I saw the movie Dusk til Dawn, I fell in love with the idea to get striped. The causes that I don't have it yet are clear: fear (of pain) and the ever hanging possibility that I'll need my skin clean for a job... and wearing high necked, long sleeve shirts summertime is pain in the... Yes money is a problem too... It isn't cheap to get decent quality around here (I'm living in Budapest, Hungary, Europe). I'm not a "collector" I have only one done yet... and that was done ten years ago. Took me a month to get the artist to draw the right one, but I love it, and never tought about removing or overwriting it. So if I ever get another one it will be just as carefully selected.
From Samara: "I have a tattoo that I have neither the money nor the artistry nor the guts for. I would like to have either an octopus crawling/swimming up my left arm (tentacles stretched upward), or a giant squid battling a ship (preferably pirate) that would take up my entire left leg."
You you have a vision of that one "dream tattoo" that you haven't gotten yet, drop us a note at getinked@inkedblog.com
Sunday Jun 26, 2005
Sleepytime Tat
Saturday Jun 25, 2005
Submit Your Typographic Tattoos
Earlier this week we received an email from Ina Saltz who last year wrote and article on typographic and textual tattoos for STEP Inside Design Magazine. She's now actively expanding the subject into a book and will be doing a presentation on Typographic Tattoos at a typographic conference next month.
So if you would like to submit your textual tattoos to be included in Enid's work send them to her at ina@saltzdesign.com or isaltz1@nyc.rr.com. She's looking for those which are ideally completely or predominantly typographic (western lettering/characters only, although the language can be other than English) The tattoos can be individual letters, typographic logos, words, phrases or passages of text, or simply a name. SEND JPEGs that are close-up, sharp and as hi-res as possible. Ina will respond to every submission and will call or email to interview you about your typographic tattoo.
Friday Jun 24, 2005
Kick Ass Arabic Tattoos With… Odd Meanings
We love Arabic tattoos. The script has a movement and flow to it that seems made for body art. A famous Iranian artist once compared Arabic script to running horses, a comparison that has never ceased to thrill us.
But what happens when you take an ancient and beautiful language and create really strange phrases? Everyone’s heard horror stories about mistranslated tats, but who’s really going to call you on what they say?
Here are three beautiful tats we want to start seeing!
“I don't know if I’ll succeed in life or not, probably not, but I’ll let you know later.”
“I think I will be happy in my life because my wife does not spend too much money.”
“I am devoted to smoking.”
Wednesday Jun 22, 2005
Killer Koi Tattoo
Nootroope.net has a seriously beautiful series of pics of Keith Alexander’s quest to get the perfect Koi tattoo. For us, this is one of the best, and most thoroughly documented, examples of someone who's planned out and then executed his dream tattoo (from blank skin to completed work) with absolute perfection. On the site he's even illustrated each session with text, images and relevant quotes and links.
If you’re thinking of getting a tat, we highly recommend that you check out his well-documented process. And if you’re not, you should check it out just for the super tight images. The design he has chosen is not only beautiful, but has a cornucopia of meaning and tradition behind it. “The Japanese consider the Koi to be the most spirited fish, so full of energy and power that it can fight its way up swift-running streams and cascades. Because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals”.
The tattoo artist who did the Koi: Chris O'Donnell
Tuesday Jun 21, 2005
Taking It To Another Level
While putting together the INKEDblog site for this week's launch, we sifted through thousands and thousands of photographs of tats. The photo above, taken by the infamous Mark The Cobrasnake at Music Midtown in Atlanta, featured this week on Svedka's Gardenofsweden.com is definately our favorite.
What Does the Location of Your First Tat Tell About Your Personality?
Maybe it’s a personality thing, but we can always spot the people whose first tat was on an ankle, versus an arm or a back.
So, what does your first tat placement mean?
Upper arm/Shoulder: Loyal, brave, and steadfast
Ankle: Flighty, capricious, and friendly
Leg: Serious, shy, and hardworking
Butt: Flirtatious, secretive, and insensitive
Hand: Artistic, sensitive, and aesthetic
Elbow: Rowdy, tough, and social
Back: Serious, artistic, and persevering.
Monday Jun 20, 2005
The Horror of Paul Booth
If you can make it past the freakish animation and deathly morose soundtrack on Paul Booth's Last Rites website, then you’re doing better than we did on our first attempt. But it’s hard to ignore the talent of what Rolling Stones Magazine called the “the new king of rock tattoos”. Paul Booth has done some pretty amazing work, and can boast a number of bands that he’s inked – Slayer, Slipknot, and Pantera to name a few. Paul is widely considered a master of the art form, and has earned international acclaim with innumerable tattoo awards, heavy industry press and a global cult following. There are some amazing pictures of his work on the site, and his attention to detail is flawless. Check it out here.
Mr. Cartoon
Undoubtedly the pantheon of cool in the world of tattoos, Mr. Cartoon has left his indelible mark on all the masters of hip-hop, and the rest of the rock genre. This kid is undeniably a staple in today’s art world, and has a client roster that would make the execs at Shady Records jealous – 50, Eminem, Travis Barker, Method Man, Nas, and Pharell Williams. A true modern master, his work is culturally inspired -- his lettering is clean and slick, and his roots are hedged heavily in hip hop. Aside from his famous ink plots and big name affiliations, Mr. Cartoon is also co-owner of the very successful street garment known as Joker Brand. Last month he found the time to exhibit his work with five other LA artists at Ironeye Gallery. He is also working on a tattoo documentary called Ink, which is sure to make its mark on the big screen some time soon.
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