Something new... 09/17/2010
 
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Work by Volka, Buena Vista Tattoo Club
It seems everywhere I look at the moment, I'm being bombarded by images of work by the artists at Buena Vista Tattoo Club.  I've been aware of them for a little while, but recently it seems that their work is everywhere, certainly in the tattoo press.

And what fantastic images to be bombarded by.  The work of Volko Merschky and Simone Pfaff is refreshingly different.  It's not often that you find work that is really new and unique, but these guys seem to be breaking a lot of moulds.  They refer to this style of tattoo that they have created in their studio in Wurzburg, Germany, as 'Realistic Trash Polka'.

I actually don't think that it's the sort of thing that I'd want as a tattoo for myself - I'm far too rooted in the old school to use a whole arm or something for this style (although I might be persuaded otherwise in the future), but I am  blown away by their creativity, and by the way that their work is seeming to redefine what constitutes a tattoo.

One of the most famous tattoo artists of the last 100 years (certainly in the Western world) is Sailor Jerry.  From the 30s to the 60s, he worked in Hawaii.  He is often considered to be the first artist to create a fusion between traditional western designs, and the work that was usually associated with Japan.  He is still considered a master, and his revolutionary style would now be classed by many people as classic tattoo imagery.

In the last few years, studios like Buena Vista Tattoo Club, and Boucherie Moderne in Brussels, have been bringing something new to the scene.  As far as I can see, the primary driving force for this is the use of graphic design skills and elements being incorporated into tattoo design.  The result is stunning pieces of living design work, challenging concepts and ideas about what a tattoo is and can be.  Of course, all of this is helped along by the fact that Volka, Simone, Jeff, and the likes are producing technically excellent tattoos.

So far, this movement seems to be breaking out within Europe.  It would be interesting to see, with all of the current hype around it, how quickly it develops in North America.
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I've been listening to a lot of Elvis and Cash recently.  A lot.  I particularly like playing it while tattooing.  I think that it has something to do with rockabilly being so linked to Americana and the slightly romanticised image that I have of tattooing in the 1950s.

Anyway, with the new studio nearly ready for action, I've been inspired to ask people what they would ideally be listening to when they get tattooed.  You know, a bit of research to see what the punters are after.  I posted this question on Facebook and Twitter a few days ago, and got an interesting set of results.  So, without further ado, here's a pick of the bunch:

Neil Young - The Needle and the Damage Done
T-Rex - Bang a Gong or Get it On
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Johnny Cash - Man in Black
Albert Hammond Junior - Yours to Keep
Elton John - Tiny Dancer (I prefer the Ben Folds version)

Some people just suggested artists:

Viv Murrell (bit of shameless self promotion there, I think...
Rise Against
The Ramones
John Mayer
Foo Fighters
Guns N Roses

Another person suggested something slow and soft to calm you down.  Not a bad thought.  In fact, I have thought something similar before.
Interestingly, at least two people named things that they had actually listened to whilst I tattooed them.  I think that goes some way to showing how important music is to the tattoo process.

And of course, James Bower would like me to sing him a sea shanty.  James, if you ever get a tattoo, I would love to sing nautical songs to you.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?  Perhaps I'll put together a compilation album or something...
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I hadn't heard that Beckham got a new tattoo.  It was seen for the first time in January, when he took off his shirt at a football match. 

It's a picture of Jesus, of all things.  Thoughts?

The upcoming World Cup in South Africa will probably be a great opportunity to see some really nice work from around the world.  Keep an eye out!
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Tattoo Tales... 07/19/2009
 
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I found this on the Reuters website.  An interview with a tattoo artist from Portland, Oregon.  it's a pretty interesting article.  Most of what the guy says is fairly obvious, I think, but it's always good to hear insights from people that have been in the business a long time.
A couple of things stand out to me from it:

How do some of these artists get such great media coverage?  What Reuters shows of his work is pretty good, but I know artists FAR better than this.  What makes him so suitable for fame?  So primed for international glory?  Answer: writing a book.  It seems that Jeff Johnson of the superbly named Sea Tramp Tattoo Company has written a book about some of his experiences in the tattoo industry.  It seems to have been inspired by the fact that you hear a lot of interesting things from people of all walks of life when you are tattooing. 
I've touched on this a bit before, in terms of enjoying tattooing friends because the conversation is usually so easy.  But there is a huge advantage to tattooing people you don't know - you don't know them.  They might be interested in some weird martial art that you've never heard of, or be a concert flautist.  Perhaps the girl that you expected to be a skateboarder is actually the head of a Masonic Lodge who teaches Irish dancing in her spare time.  Tattooing puts you in the company of a huge variety of people from all walks of life.  And not only that, you're sat down with them for large chunks of time. 
I think that often the process of talking to someone that you don't know about what's going on in your life can be very therapeutic too.  Perhaps that's sometimes the reason that people get tattoos - it gives them someone to talk to.
If you've got the wherewithal to write a book, then you're probably going to have a lot to say after 19 years in the tattooing business.  The book, by the way, is supposed to be excellent.  If anyone fancies buying me a copy...

The other thing that I noted in the article was Jeff's final comment about tattooing more intimate places on a woman's body.  His take on it is that it's like being "a bouncer at a strip club - you just don't see anything anymore".
I'm not entirely sure about that, although I have heard the suggestion from an artist I know that it's like being a doctor - that there's a professionalism about it that removes the sexual from the situation.

I don't really know, and I'm resolved not to tattoo certain areas of the body.  I took good advice from my good friend, Jean-Pierre Rioux, who said that you shouldn't do anything that you feel uncomfortable doing, certainly don't do anything that your wife wouldn't feel comfortable with you doing, and always make sure that you have someone else around if the area is a little questionable. 

But more on that another time - I'm off to write down some stories of people I've tattooed...

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