It’s been a while since we’ve featured a piece from Swastika Freakshop here on the ol’ ModBlog (no, really, it has!), so here we have yet another epic backpiece by Marc, this one coming in under the title “Boom Shiva.” As always, holy hell is there a lot to like about Marc’s work, and this is no exception.
See more in “Religious and Mythological Tattoos“ (Tattoos)
Well hey, it’s Matthew and some friends, getting ready to do some painting, I see? Well, if you guys need any help, you just let me kn-
…oh. Well…hey, yeah, I guess that’s a good way to make sure you don’t get any paint on your clothes. If it’s all the same to you guys, though, I think I’ll prob-
Yeah I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.
See more in “BME/Culture/People“ (Culture)
Continuing today’s love affair with Russia, here we have a heart-shaped implant by Moscow’s Sergey Tyler (of Tattoo Factory) in the hand of, hmm, a corpse? Wait, no, that’s not dirt—it’s just harmless blood. Ha, well, don’t I feel sheepish. Really though, great picture; first person to claim it was Photoshopped gets a stern lecture from The Iron Sheik. Don’t think he won’t do it.
(Photo from Hack.)
See more in “3D-Art Implants“ (Implants) (members only)
Admittedly, I’m woefully out of touch with cyberpunk anything, so pardon me if I’m missing a reference here and just projecting my own experiences, but is this not a dead ringer for Samppa? I mean, it is Samppa, isn’t it? The photo comes to us from Goldust and was taken at the Moscow Tattoo and Bodyart Festival this year, so hopefully we’ll get some much-needed clarification here. Whether it’s him or some other grilled-up cyborg, though, it’s damn fine work.
And, after the jump, and not-so-ambiguous tribute to another artist who is no stranger to seeing his likeness engraved in others.
This cutting of Emilio is by Martin Page, who was also responsible for the implants in this 3D portrait of Emilio from a little while back. (No relation, of course, to this glorious monument.)
See more in “Moscow Tattoo and Bodyart Festival“ (Tattoo Conventions)
See more in “Skin Removal Scarification“ (Scarification)
Not much to add to this handsome close-up photo featuring piercings by Ryan Ouellette at Precision Body Arts in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Actually, here’s something to add…
…another lovely close-up piercing shot! This one-day-old horizontal eyebrow piercing comes to us from Verona, Italy. You know, I love the more “extreme” submissions we get, but there’s still something very satisfying about relatively simple, well-executed, well-photographed piercings.
See more in “Labrets“ (Lip Piercing)
See more in “Horizontal eyebrows“ (Eyebrow Piercing)
Good afternoon, ModBloggers! Have you saluted ol’ Queenie up there yet today? No? Well…the ever-watchful eye of the British Empire has a death gaze for you, after the jump.
(Tattoos by the great Sean Karn at Fuzion Ink in Norfolk, Virginia. More Karn here.)
See more in “Sean Karn Tattoo Mini Portfolio“ (Tattoo Artist Portfolios)
I’ve never served in the Navy but I like to think I know a thing or two about seamen, and I just don’t think this pinup by Sean Polland (at Creative Visions in Monterey, California) is wearing her uniform correctly. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a single ship on which this would be acceptable attire. I’m just saying…maybe a little more attention to detail would benefit everyone in the future?
(I’m kidding! I’m kidding. Make with the sexy dames, now and forever, kthx.)
See more in “Pinup Tattoos“ (Tattoos)
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Elayne Angel admits she’s more conservative about piercing than many others, and as far as her new book, The Piercing Bible, is concerned, that probably works to her advantage. Over five years in the making, the book is billed as “the definitive guide to safe body piercing,” which ostensibly seems like a dicey proposition; there could be some (understandable) apprehension to an actual guide to piercing for public consumption. Angel cuts this off at the head, though, in an early section in which she states that “piercing (is) not a do-it-yourself hobby,” and that this is not meant to be a handbook for hacks or people who think they can blow off an apprenticeship. On piercing kits sold in some shops, for example, she writes, “These are no safer than a home root canal kit and must be avoided.”
What the book actually is is a user’s guide. As it methodically goes through all the necessary steps one should consider before getting pierced (choosing a good shop, advice for kids and parents, etc.), it strips away any notion of piercing as something underground and deviant. Angel explores the different motivations one may have, but places the act itself in the context of normal behavior—something so normal, in fact, that one can write a sober, conservative guide to it.
As the book progress, Angel discusses most piercings in detail: what is appropriate placement? Appropriate jewelry? Appropriate anatomy? How long will it take to heal? A long section on aftercare follows, filling in any holes that may have remained. Beyond that, many of the latter sections of the book are dedicated to piercing as an element of modern culture, whether it’s looking for work with visible piercings (and what a person’s priorities should be), dealing with prejudice and even what to do if one wants to become a piercer oneself.
It’s an incredibly thorough piece of work, but it doesn’t fall into the trap of becoming a manual. There’s enough there to help you understand each procedure and what goes into making it successful, but stops short of making you feel as if you can perform a certain procedure simply because of what you’ve read. There’s really not much bad to say about The Piercing Bible; Angel only briefly touches on subjects like microdermals, with which she has little experience, so there’s certainly room for expansion here, but as both an offering to the mainstream and a guide for the experienced, the book is certainly a success.
Visit PiercingBible.com for more information.
As well, here’s my interview with Elayne Angel, in which we discuss how the book came together, her career as a piercer and how Hurricane Katrina changed her life. Stream or download the podcast below. Enjoy!
[podcast]http://news.bme.com/wp-content/uploads/bme-podcast-20090502.mp3[/podcast]
Right-click and “Save Target/Link As” to download the .mp3 directly
Music featured:
The Gutter Twins – Down the Line (Jose Gonzalez cover)
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – Coma Girl
The Twilight Singers – Bonnie Brae
Tell me about it! I find a nice powder blue velour tracksuit accompanied by a jaunty ascot usually does the trick. It’s the outfit for all seasons! (Nobody should ever listen to me about anything.)
(Tattoo on SurfaceSimplicity by Alie at TCB in Toronto, Ontario.)
There’s the week, folks. What went down this time around?
– Swine Flu Week kicked off with this horrific image of Patient Zero.
– Apparently it was shark week, too.
– Suspenders: Pretty cool way to keep your pants up, eh?
– The Enigma took a rather roundabout way to get rid of his upper and lower lip piercings.
– Swirls and sideboob, together at last.
– We’ll be keeping an eye on this raw phoenix cutting.
– No, seriously, there were tons of sharks this week.
And that’s the ballgame. But stick around! We’re going to have a brand new podcast up tomorrow (finally) and some other good stuff over the weekend, as well. And next week…well, I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but we’ve got something fun cooked up that we think you’ll all enjoy (as long as it works out). And yes, it’s APP-related. Suspenseful!
Until then, ModBloggers, enjoy the weekend, stay safe, and, as always, thank you for your continued support of BME.
My my, how cultured we are this evening! First Dali, and now this poem by Edgar Allen Poe, “From Childhood’s Hour,” as worn by SeamlessKameleon. I think in big text pieces like this, the letters should either be identical or look like neat, natural writing; this falls nicely in the latter category for me.
(Tattoo by Cherri at Lovedog in Santa Cruz, California.)
See more in “Lettering Tattoos“ (Tattoos)