BME Book Review: Black & Grey Tattoo

bookreview

I was thrilled to find out I would have the opportunity to review the newest tattoo book on the market, Black and Grey Tattoo: From Street Art to Fine Art by our old friend Marisa Kakoulas (who wrote Legal Link for BME) and co-authored with Edgar Hoill. I’ll admit, I was also a little nervous, after all, Marisa is a friend and what would I say if the book wasn’t up to snuff? All those worries went out the window when I finally got my hands on it.

black-grey-tattoo

This is actually a three volume set and to my knowledge the first multi-volume set featuring the work of some of the world’s greatest tattoo artists. From street art to fine art indeed, the range and diversity of the work is amazing and the talent is unquestionable.

Read on for my review!

Marisa called this book mammoth and she wasn’t joking, it is mammoth in both scope and weight! Make sure you lift with your knees when you pick this thing up! Marisa says it weighs around 22 lbs but it felt more like 50 to me!
Ok, enough joking around; let’s talk about what’s inside. The first thing that strikes you are the covers. The work adorning each front is simply breathtaking and with the embossed title running along the front of this hardcover set, this is the kind of book you’ll want to keep on display. Volume one is dedicated to traditional black and grey tattoo work (336 pages), volume two is dark and horror (400 pages) and volume three is photorealism (272 pages).

black-and-grey-tattoo1 black-and-grey-tattoo2 black-and-grey-tattoo3

Flipping it open you’ll find that the included text comes in not only English but German and Spanish as well. There are portraits of the artists as you are introduced to their work so you can see the man (or woman) behind the art. Not only are you treated to some of the most incredible tattoo work I have ever seen; there are also drawings and paintings by the artists showing you they are unquestionably fine artists ranging from across the globe.

Tatu Will

Tatu Will

Interviews with some of the greats are included but this set is heavy on the photos and light on the text putting the focus exactly where it belongs, on the art. Sometimes books about tattoos become more about the authors opinions than the artwork but you won’t find any of that here. Marisa and Edgar keep their voices to a minimum, letting the artists’ work speak for itself. How refreshing! This set is first and foremost, a celebration of the art of tattoo, but don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to be a tattoo enthusiast to enjoy this. The striking photography and incredible work make this book a must for anyone with an appreciation of art and photography. This book would feel just as at home next to other fine art books as it would in a tattoo studio.

Edward "Chuco" Caballero

Edward “Chuco” Caballero

The tattoos range from full body suits to knuckles. The work, as I mentioned, is breathtaking. Volume One includes interviews with Jack Rudy, an icon with over 35 years of experience and Jesus “Chuey” Quintanar, a man whose work speaks for itself. In Volume Two, you’ll find interviews with the master of the dark tattoo, Paul Booth, and Xu Zhicheng, out of Beijing whose bold work has earned him international respect. Finally, in Volume Three, Bavarian Andy Engel, who specializes in realism and well-known portrait artist Bob Tyrrell round out the stellar cast of interviewees. In addition to these fine artists you’ll also find work by renowned artists such as Freddy Negrete, Brian Everett, Mark Mahoney, Dan Henk, Kari Barba, Tim Kern, and Tim Hendricks to name a few.

I won’t give anything away, you need to read these interviews for yourself when you pick up your own copy. Each artist has something unique to say and their interviews are coupled with some quotes from other artists and clients to round out the set but it’s by far the photos that make this set so desirable. I wanted to pick out a favourite from each volume but found that I couldn’t. There were so many photos and the work was so top notch that it is impossible for me to say any one photo is a favourite over the others.

Bob Tyrrell

Bob Tyrrell

Dan Marshall

Dan Marshall

While many of the names were familiar to me, most of the work was not and with each turn of the page I was blown away. I admit, part of me was envious, both of the talent that these artists possess and also of their clients who are fortunate enough to carry this art on their skin. I’m a fan of portraiture and expected the Photorealism volume to be my favourite but found myself admiring each volume equally.

Abey Alvarez

Abey Alvarez

Tim Kern

Tim Kern

It is so nice to see a tattoo book that is exactly what it should be, a celebration of the art and the individuals who make it possible. I have a small collection of tattoo related books and I’ve seen many others that for one reason or another I don’t own. Black and Grey Tattoo stands out among those books, it sets the bar high and makes its home comfortably among the massive tomes of classic art and photography, matching them in quality and class.
With over 1000 pages and coming in its own beautiful box, this would make a perfect gift for the holidays or a birthday, or buy it for yourself, because you deserve it! This stunning coffee table book is something you’ll be proud to display whether you’re tattooed or not.

If you want your very own copy (you know you do), you can find it on Amazon, currently retailing for $414 USD, or $422.83 CDN. In Europe you can get the book from Hermansky Books for $248 EU.

Also, if you act quickly, Marisa is selling some of her author copies at a reduced rate, so you can contact her for a copy. She only has a limited number so don’t wait.

Black Grey Tattoo
Hardcover: 1008 pages
Publisher: Gazelle Distribution
Languages: English, Spanish, German
ISBN: 3934020852
Dimensions: 15.1 x 11.8 x 5.4 inches
Weight: 22.5 pounds

Marisa Kakoulas is a New York lawyer and writer. She is currently blogging over at Needles and Sins.

edgar Edgar Hoill is a photographer and editor of Lowrider Arte Magazine. You can visit his website: OSOK

MMMBrains

Today’s Halloween inspired pic comes from BME’s resident Hanson expert, IAM: ilovehanson, who you might recall had her knuckles tattooed in tribute to the band.  Ilovehanson, and her boyfriend IAM: Adrian, recently attended the Lawrence KS, zombie walk, and from the pictures it looks like they had a great time amongst the walking dead.

You can check out another picture of Adrian in the big nostril gallery.

Keep sending in those Halloween pictures.  We’re less than 20 days away from the best holiday of the year!

Everybody walk the dinosaur

If you’re not familiar with the TV show “Dinosaurs”, you’re missing out.  The show was a live action, Henson puppeted sitcom featuring your typical 50s sitcom family, except they were all dinosaurs.  The mother and father were clearly taken from The Honeymooners, which was also the inspiration for The Flintstones.  You had the teenage son and daughter, and the lovable (and somewhat obnoxious) talking baby that had the catch phrase “Not the mama!”.  It lasted 4 seasons, and is one of the few TV series, and the only sitcom, to end with the death of every single character.  You read that right.  The plot of the finale revolved around the coming ice age (accidentally started by the main character), and end with the baby asking what will happen next, as the camera pans out and shows the house being buried under snow.  The final scene is from a reporter and ends on the line ”And, taking a look at the long-range forecast, continued snow, darkness, and extreme cold. This is Howard Handupme. Goodnight. (pause) Goodbye.”

As always, with a TV that memorable, you end up with fans of the show.  Rory (IAM: ScumCity) sent me a message the other day about his newest tattoo.

Dinosaurs

Now Rory is a huge Dinosaurs fan, he loves them so much, he’s even started to look like Earl (the father).

Earl

The resemblance is uncanny!

You can get a closer look at his knuckles in the hand tattoo gallery.

The Hand of Horror

It seems the the closer we get to Halloween the more we take notice of those things that go bump in the night.  Horror films seem to be on TV in greater frequency, the decor in stores shifts towards ghosts and goblins, and the occasional image will stand out just a little more than it normally would.

hand

This tattoo, from the portrait gallery,  was one such image that stood out amongst the other submissions this week.  It was sent in by BME user Alexenglish, and was done by Elson Yeo from thINK Tattoo Singapore.

I want to say it looks like an image of a Yurei, but i’m not 100% it is.  Regardless, it really stands out an a fantastic hand portrait, that appears to be part of a sleeve.  What really stands out most is how the blood and the shading carry down in between the knuckles.  Often with hand portraits they’re capped above the knuckles, but in this case the design not only goes past that point, it works the shape of the knuckles into the design.

Well, Halloween is just over a month away, any big costume plans picked out yet?  Or are you the type that decides last minute?

Co-ordinating Colours

Do these shoes go with this purse?  Does this shirt match these jeans?  We’ve all been privy to some form of this exchange at some point in our lives.  We may have asked a question similar, or been asked it, and if neither of those, we’ve probably overheard someone ask some variation of these questions.  The fact is, the vast majority of people tend to consciously control their external appearance to a degree that they deem is aesthetically pleasing to themselves (or at least to the people they intend to appear in front of).

Sure we can laugh at people who go ridiculous lengths to “look their best”, I’m sure most people who watch Jersey Shore snicker when The Situation talks about his GTL routine, and his before-club rituals.  Yet when you think about it, going to excessive lengths to control your outward appearance is exactly what we do all the time.  Piercings, tattoos, scars, etc, are all just our versions of the Jersey Shore appearance regimes.

Take a look at these knuckle tattoos uploaded recently by OhRubie..

knuckles

On their own they look great, I’m personally a big fan that the apostrophe was included, but seeing that she’s painted her nails to match the colouring in the lettering really makes the entire piece stand out.

So have you ever done anything similar?  Co-ordinate something you’re wearing with your mods?  Maybe not with make-up, but with clothing or accessories, like changing your plug colours to match your outfit, or buying a specific colour pair of shoes to match the tattoos on your legs.

Could this really be the “World’s First Human Centipede Tattoo?”

This tattoo claims to be the “The World’s First Human Centipede Tattoo”, and I am tempted to believe it. Has anyone else gotten a tattoo inspired by the, not really a hit, movie “The Human Centipede“? If so let me know, we can check up on dates, cross check references and determine once and for all if this tattoo by  Jimmy Knuckles at Shaman Modifications in Austin is rightfully declared the world’s first “Human Centipede” tattoo!

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Modified Mamas: Molly

Babies, babies, babies. Doesn’t it seem like everyone you know is having one right now? In the middle of trying to figure out what to post about I got the news that another friend is, you guessed it, “expecting”. It got me thinking about how many people I know who are either expecting or have recently had babies, and then I realised that the majority are women I know from IAM! Imagine that. So I’ve decided to put together a series of interviews with some of my favorite modified moms.

To start of the series, we have Molly, a young hip mom to daughter Audrey. Or, as she calls her, Odd. Click “read more” for the full interview.

Molly and Audrey

When in your own personal life did you start modifying your body?

I’m from a small town, I wasn’t even aware of modifications outside of the occasional eyebrow or lip ring until I was 17 and I moved to a larger town/small city and made a few friends there who worked at piercing/tattoo shops. I eventually had my lip pierced, and then a few months later switched that for two upper lip piercings (commonly called double monroes I guess). I got my first tattoo the same day, for an incredibly stupid reason. I was dating a young tattoo artist and we were bored. It’s a pretty horrid piece really, with a ton of scar tissue, but it was my first one so I remember it fondly. From there I just kind of ran with it. I realized that it was something I found esthetically pleasing on myself and others. I started stretching my ears, getting more tattoos, and reading up on different modifications through BMEzine actually.

How would you say that your own parents have influenced that decision?

My step-dad likes to tease me and say he got me into tattoos. This is a lie, he has a few silly little pieces (including Calvin and Hobbes and a chinese characters armband) and if anything, he should have shamed me away from them! My mom has never expressed an outright disgust or disapproval for my tattoos. Although when I got a memorial tattoo for my dad on the back of my neck, her response was “It’s a little big, isn’t it?”. She seems pretty used to it all now, and even compliments my pieces sometimes. But I can tell she’s still kind of worrying about the stigma attatched and me limiting myself in career choices. Thankfully, my family is pretty supportive and understanding and I’ve never been put in a position where I’ve had to choose between something I love and my family that I love.

Have your views changed since you became a parent.

I wouldn’t say that my views have changed, I still love tattoos and my earlobes and my piercings. I would never be embarassed by them just because I’m a mom, and I’m not going to regret them either. I do tend to notice more when people stare or make comments, just because I don’t want Audrey to ever be made uncomfortable. And it bothers me that somebody could make her feel this way someday over the way I look. Hopefully, we will raise her in a way that keeps her open-minded and comfortable with herself and her family, no matter what she’s like as she grows up.

Out for a walk

Out for a walk. Photo by princeclare.com

Tell me a little bit about your journey into parenthood

I hadn’t really planned on being a parent. I’ve always had the idea in the back of my mind, but I just never felt I’d be ready. I’d also been told by two seperate doctors that my chances of ever concieving were between 1 – 5%, for a variety of health reasons. So it was just kind of something that wasn’t going to happen for me. I actually didn’t find out I was pregnant until 3 months into the pregnancy when a female room mate mentioned that she’d gone to the clinic for a test of her own that had come back negative. She was explaining the symptoms she’d felt that she was sure meant she was pregnant, and each thing she mentioned I mentally ticked off as something that was happening to me. So I decided I should probably do a test just to be sure, and VOILA. Positive. It turns out my room mate had actually been having sympathy symptoms for me.

My partner, Zach, and I had only been dating for about three months at this point. We were very happy, and I was losing my apartment so he’d offered to share his place with me until I could find something else. It was literally the day I was moving into his house, while he was at work, that I found out I was pregnant so you can imagine the stress. I told him, and it took us about two weeks to come to a firm decision about keeping the baby.For awhile, it was very hard to get used to losing my chance at being a carefree, 20-something year old with a bunch of friends and a busy social/work life. Being a parent was the polar opposite. And a lot more difficult than anything I was used to. But it was also incredibly fulfilling and made me so proud and happy.

What are some of the challenges you face as a parent?

I’ve had issues, I’ve been stereotyped and ignored. But I arm myself with knowledge and force people to take me seriously. I’m not going to sit back and let other people make the decisions regarding my body and my daughter’s life. I’ve dealt with the stigma attached to someone with visible modifications. I’ve had other moms make snide comments towards me, doctors refuse to accept that I have educated myself on what is right for me and my daughter, and a general public that is convinced that I’m the stereotypical, trashy, un-wed mother. I’ve also had to face the fact that I am an incredibly impatient person, and babies require incredibly amounts of patience. I’ve had to try to change the way I react to different things, and find things to keep myself calm. I’ve also dealt with losing a lot of friends who are still young and living entirely different lives than I am. Pretty much the moment I could no longer go out and get drunk every night, I was ditched. I’ve made a ton of amazing friends though to make up for that, ones who are supportive, helpful, understanding, and always there for me and my family.

Molly and Audrey

Are you employed at the moment? What are your plans professionally for the future?

I am currently employed, I work at a music venue/bar. Sadly we will be closing at the end of January so I’m looking for a similar job. In February, money permitting, I should be starting a Yoga teacher training program. Yoga has been a huge help, both physically and mentally, during my pregnancy and after so I’d love to pursuahae it as a career. I also hope to eventually get back to school, I’d love to do an English major in University and possibly be a teacher one day.

What sort of modifications do you have at the moment? Do you have any in plan for the future?

I have stretched earlobes, basic nostril piercings, and a fair amount of tattoos. A sleeve in the works, my knuckles done and some other scattered pieces. I plan on stretching my ears larger, it just depends on how cooperative they are. I also plan on being pretty covered in tattoos. I’ve got ideas for my chest, arms, legs, hands, neck, etc.

How would you say being a parent has impacted on your personal journey with modifying your body? Have you ever faced discrimination when spending money on your mods?

Being a parent has not swayed my decisions regarding my body and the things I like. I would never get a vulgar or inappropriate tattoo since I have a child, but that’s not something I would do anyways. I’ve never faced judgement over spending money on modifications, but we’re also fairly stable financially and Audrey is spoiled rotten by family. She doesn’t miss out on anything because of our spending. And we would never withold from her to give to ourselves.

and baby make three

and baby make three

What message would you like to share with expecting moms or women who are thinking about having a baby?

Having a child is an amazing experience. It can be overwhelming, stressful, frustrating, heart breaking, and the most difficult thing you will ever go through. But it is also amazing, rewarding, and life-changing in a good way. You need to educate yourself as soon as you know you’re pregnant. Read information about pregnancy, about labour and child-birth, parenting and possible things you’ll have to deal with. This is the most important thing I think. I dealt with a lot of problems with doctors assuming I was just another young girl who got herself into a mess. But once I could show that I knew all about what was going on with my body, and what I was going to go through, I found I was listened to more and trusted to voice an opinion.

Thanks Molly!

Back On Course


Good afternoon, folks! Let’s kick off our day with this fun addition to our esteemed collection of hand and knuckle tattoos by Jeff Miller at Body Art Tattoos in Stratford, New Jersey. What can we say? We enjoy vaguely-antagonistic-but-good-humored-nonetheless tattoos. We hope this gentleman gets some good use out of his newly adorned knuckles.

And hey, it’s Friday, ModBloggers. Right in the face.