Most of the time genital bisections have enough scarring and inaccurate cutting to hide the original underlying anatomy, but sometimes I see split penises that are so cleanly done that they might as well be part of an anatomy text. In the one below you can see exactly where the urethra once was, as well as all of the internal functional elements. Click the picture to unpixelate it.
I think outsiders to body modification probably assume that scarification is a very masculine and “tough” or “brutal” artform, which is ironic given that in a historic context it often serves as a feminine form of expression. In any case, it’s come of age to the point here in the West that we’re able to see it fill that role. I wanted to show two pieces from Shawn Porter‘s ScarWars. The piece on the left is by IAM:vampy on IAM:square, and the piece on the right is a “scar fusion” piece by Brian and Jesse Villemaire on IAM:amnesiac. Both are between two and three months old in these pictures.
ScarWars II is tentatively scheduled for February 2006 in Los Angeles (but don’t quote me on that). Keep an eye on the SW website for more info.
Sorry about that, I had to correct the gender imbalance in this entry.
Congratulations to Danny from Wakantanka here in Mexico (so far the only APP studio in the nation) for having one of his customers (and piercings) featured in PLAYBOY magazine this month. Here’s one of the photos (click for an uncensored version); pick up the (Mexican edition of the) magazine for the rest.
If you’re ever in Mexico City, Danny’s studio is definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a safe and experienced place to get work done.
Here’s a few pictures of Vixen aka Melanie Brink (visit her on IAM or myspace). The custom tattoo work she’s got is by Ryan Brink of Good Neighbor Tattoo in Escondio, California. The photos here are from a recent shoot she did with Dawn Earles, and you may also recognize her as the lead singer of Superna.
Rape is an act of violence that, in practice, takes something beautiful and turns it into something ugly. We are familiar with acts of rape in prison, of our women, and of our children.
Rape by tattoo is not a new concept; most of us are familiar with the numbers etched onto the arms of concentration camp victims. (Survivors’ stories are in the news all the time, but they’re generally not part of the BME Newsfeed. We did, however, log David Blaine honoring Primo Levi by getting Mr. Levi’s number, 174517, as a permanent tribute.) I first read about this cruel practice in the noir thrilled Flood. In a very moving scene, the beautiful Flood shows the scar from when she used gasoline to burn off the tattoo bikers put onto her thigh. Later, I learned more about it in the rec.arts.bodyart FAQ. What makes this a particularly brutal crime is that the survivors’ scars are visible as well as emotional.
This crime has been prelavent in the news in recent months. Dr. Gregory Roche removed a vulgar tattoo from the face of a New York teenager after some former friends and he got into a fight over a girl. A gay inmate in Texas has been granted permission to sue the state; in addition to sexual abuse, the inmate’s face had been forcibly tattooed.
Recently, the tables were turned in the UK. Jackie Clarke lured her alleged rapist to her home, drugged him, and then used a pin and ink to tattoo “Rapist” onto his penis. While fellow victims around the world may cheer her on, the judge hearing her case says that her actions “amount to torture.”
A pimp in Illinois tattooed his nickname, “Mr. Cream,” onto the bodies of two teenage girls. In a happier turn of events, justice may be served: he crossed state lines, and the FBI and US Attorney now plan to make an example out of Mr. Cream.
