Vincent Myers specializes in tattooing nippl

Few tattoo artists tell their clients they could win a wet T-shirt contest.Then again, few tattoo artists are quite like Vincent "Vinnie" Myers.
In his shop in a modest strip mall in Finksburg, a half-hour drive from Baltimore, Myers specializes in tattooing nipples and areolas onto women who have undergone breast cancer surgery.
Using precisely mixed pigments, he creates a perfect 3-D illusion of the real thing -- and in doing so, enables women who have undergone mastectomies to feel fully like women once again.
"It's far more rewarding than anything else I have ever done," said Myers, 49, who has dedicated the last decade of his 28 years as a tattoo artist concentrating on post-op cosmetic tattoos.
He has treated around 3,000 breast cancer survivors so far, including many referred to him by surgeons at Baltimore's prestigious Johns Hopkins medical center and other hospitals around the United States.
"When it's completed and they see the final results, most women feel very emotional because they realize: 'The thing is over, I'm whole again,'" Myers said.
Myers, a Baltimore native, discovered tattooing when he was a US army medic in South Korea in the 1980s. In 2001, a friend asked him if he might tattoo some patients who had undergone breast reconstruction.
Typical of the women who have gone under the needle at Little Vinnies Tattoos is Susan, 58, an elegant retiree with a wish "to look as normal as possible."
"I'm doing this for me. It makes you feel prettier," she told AFP the other day as Myers pulled on a pair of blue latex gloves and prepared to work is magic.
'There's a huge mental impact'
"Any complications? Any allergies?" the tattooist asked before carefully mixing pigments in tiny pots and joking that Susan "might win" a T-shirt contest once the tattoo is done.
"We're going to go with, not peach, but more like taupe, a little bit more blue," he said, before smearing a bit of pigment onto Susan's fair skin to determine if he had mixed the exact color for her complexion.
"The perfect reconstructed breast doesn't look like a breast without a nipple," said Myers, whose fee ranges from $350 to $1,000 depending on the complexity of the task at hand.
"You get out of the shower in the morning, you look out at yourself in the mirror, and you have no nipples -- there's a huge mental impact," he said. "It's critical that the visual appearance is as close to normal as possible."
Hospitals also offer post-mastectomy tattoos, but Myers said they are typically carried out by nurses with no more than "a couple of days" training.
On average, it takes Myers two hours to complete his work, during which he will determine the color and size of the areolas of each patient.
"They will be some shade of color on the areola itself and a darker shade on the nipples because that is normally darker," he said.
"Then you do a kind of grey shadow on the bottom side to highlight the top side so as to give it some depth using 'trompe l'oeil' to make it look like it's three dimensional."
When he is not in Fricksburg, Myers is often on the road, treating women in New York, Philadelphia, Charleston in South Carolina and the Saint Charles surgical hospital in New Orleans.
Myers reckoned that only a handful of his fellow tattoo artists do what he does, and in order to meet a growing demand, he has already trained two others in the secrets of his unique craft.
Some 200,000 cases of breast cancer are detected in the United States every year. Half of them require breast reconstruction, even if surgeons using the latest techniques try to retain as much of the nipple area as possible.
It helps, Myers said, that his tattoo shop is just that a tattoo shop, not a medical clinic. Patients feel more relaxed "and you can have a little more fun here than you can at the hospital."

A Demographic Of Tattoos

Historically, men have been much more likely to get tattoos than have women, especially men who are members of particular groups, such as the military or motorcycle gangs. Recently, however, this trend has reversed, with about 60 percent of tattoo clientele being women (Mifflin, 1997). This particular change is difficult to explain, and it seems that it may not be so much that women are reversing the stereotype, but rather that tattooing is equalizing between the sexes. One of the enduring sex differences in tattooing is the location of the tattoo. Most women choose a location on their bodies for the tattoo that they will be able to conceal relatively easily, whereas men often choose a location they will be able to reveal relatively easily. The torso, especially the hips, buttocks, or breasts, is the most common location for women, while men usually place their first tattoos on their arms.

Tattooing is generally a peer activity with about 64 percent of tattooees coming to the shop with friends or family…. Several authors compare the decision to be tattooed with impulse shopping. Groups of friends are together, someone suggests getting tattoos, and they go to the nearest tattoo shop or one that someone may have heard of before. The vast majority of clients never research the process of tattooing nor the reputation or skill of the tattooist. Linking impulsiveness with tattooing creates a fascinating tension. By definition, tattoos are permanent. The choice of tattooist and design, therefore, should be a process rather than a capricious act. This impulsiveness can mean that the individual does not receive a well-designed tattoo, but in spite of the spontaneity of the act, the tattoo generally conveys multiple meanings for its bearer.

Both Blanchard (1994) and Sanders (1989) identify four primary overlapping functions of the tattoo. First, the tattoo functions as ritual. In a culture in which there are few rituals or rites of passage outside religion, the tattoo can serve (as it did for indigenous people who practiced tattooing) as a physical mark of a life event. These life events are interpreted as significant by the bearer, if not by society, and can vary from the winning of a sporting event or competition to the completion of a divorce to the remission of cancer (becoming a ‘cancer survivor’). The tattoo also functions as identification. By inscribing established symbols on the body, the tattooee is identifying him/herself as part of a given group. Groups can be as broad as ‘American’ to the very specific, such as a family or partner’s name.

A third function of tattooing is protective. The tattoo can be a symbol or talisman to protect its bearer from general or specific harm. Sanders (1989) relates an interview with a man who had a tattoo of a fierce and angry bee inscribed on his arm. The man told Sanders that he was allergic to bees and had been stung so much that his physician feared the next sting might prove fatal. Having decided he needed protection against bees, the man decided to get a bee tattoo/talisman to frighten the bees from stinging him again. Finally, the fourth function of tattoos is decorative. Regardless of their particular psychosocial function for the individual, tattoos are images (even words become images as/within tattoos). By modifying the body with tattoos, the individual has chosen to add permanent decoration to his/her body.

Having this decorative function, tattoos are often associated with exhibitionism. Although there is indeed an element of desire to reveal tattoos, there is often an equally profound desire to conceal tattoos. Revealing the tattoo has several functions, including showing the individual’s stylishness, identifying a group to which they belong, and demonstrating their rebelliousness. The desire to conceal can stem from the deeply personal meaning of the tattoo for the individual or from the deeply embedded social stigma. While the tattooed person enjoys the positive attention from his/her peers generated by the tattoo, most of these same people feel embarrassed about the negative reactions they get from others, especially when this reaction is coming from friends and family. People with tattoos try to avoid and resent questions such as ‘Why would you do that to yourself?’ or ‘Do you know what kind of people get tattoos?’

Even as tattooing becomes more prevalent in the USA, there is still a persistent taboo on tattoos. People with tattoos often feel that they should cover their body markings in public or risk social rejection. Tattooing remains a marginalized occupation, in spite of its record for professionalism and safety. Why is it that the tattoo can be so enshrouded by a myth of deviance, and elicit such disgust? What are the meanings that American culture has constructed for the social practice of tattooing? And how does this practice negotiate the social and cultural space in the USA to build personal meaning for the individual marked by tattooing?

The Im-Morality Of Tattoos

In October 1991, a five thousand year old corpse was found frozen in a glacier between Italy and Austria. The body of this man (later called Otzi) is considered the best preserved corpse of the Bronze Age every found, and dates to around 3300 B.C. The skin of Otzi has become of great interest because it bears several tattoos: a cross, six straight lines fifteen centimeters long, and numerous parallel lines.1 Tattooed mummies have also been discovered. One of the best preserved is Amunet, a former priestess of the goddess Hathor at Thebes during the XI or 21st Dynasty of Egypt (2160-1994 B.C.). In approximately 1400 B.C., Levitical law (Leviticus 19:28) reveals that tattooing was a known practice in ancient Israel and amongst their Mesopotamian neighbors. Tattooing is also mentioned by a remarkable number of ancient Greek and Roman writers including Herodotus, Plutarch, Plato, Aristophanes, and Pliny the Elder. In the first century, the Roman historian Herodian described animal body markings of the Celts, and then described the people of northern Britain as “Picts” after the display of such images. Tattoos are also mentioned by Julius Caesar in his description of the Gallic wars. Throughout church history, tattoos are referred to in edicts, councils, and personal correspondence amongst clergy.


In 1769, James Cook coined the word tattoo after observing the “rapid rhythmic rapping” as needles where hit with a stick into the skin of Tahitians and New Zealanders. By the late nineteenth century, Charles Darwin observed in his book The Descent of Man, that aboriginal people within every country were tattooed. On December 8, 1891, the first electric tattoo machine was registered by its inventor, Samuel O’Reilly, at the United States Patent Office. This invention was based on an embroidering machine patented by Thomas Edison in 1875. Tattoos began to draw the attention of the public media and in 1936, Life magazine created a stir with an article that claimed one in ten Americans are tattooed. Differing numbers indicate the extent of tattoos within our society today. National Geographic News stated that 15% of all Americans are tattooed7 and the Alliance of Professional Tattooists estimates over 39 million Americans have tattoos. Details magazine published a poll that stated 22% of 18-25 year olds have at least one tattoo. It is also estimated that that 60% of those tattooed are women. Another study estimates that over half of all adolescents are planning on getting tattooed. Tattoos have invaded popular culture, and can be seen on celebrities, lawyers, accountants, Madison Avenue executives, and professional athletes.8 According to US News and World Report, tattooing is the country’s sixth fastest growing retail business and growing at the rate of one new tattoo parlor opening its doors every day. One estimate cites 30,000 tattoo artists working in the United States today. There are also at least eight major tattoo magazines published regularly

TATTOOS ARE IMMORAL
One primary position concerning tattoos is that they are immoral because they desecrate the IOG. Proponents of this view would say: 1. Structurally, tattoos are immoral for they violate our conscience (Romans 2:15) because they violate the Law (Leviticus 19:28). In reference to his tattoo, one Christian writes, “With my depraved and back-slidden mind, I justified an abomination to God Himself, who instructs us through His divine law not to print any marks on our bodies (Leviticus 19:28).” 2. Functionally, tattoos are immoral. As God’s representatives, we are to care for creation (including our bodies) through exercising responsible dominion. Tattoos mutilate the body which is supposed to be nurtured and sustained, and make it vulnerable to infection. Tracy records the negative perception of tattooing in her book, In the Flesh: “Practices such as piercing, scarification, and branding are linked to anorexia, bulimia, and what has been called ‘delicate self-harm syndrome,’ which is an addictive, repetitive, non-decorative form of skin cutting, usually on the arm or legs. This is considered an expression of absolute hatred or anger.” 3. Relationally, tattoos are immoral because they hinder unity within the body of Christ. Tattoos could be seen as immoral by a fellow believer, and may violate their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-12). Steve Gilbert states: “many people – especially those belonging to nonconformist groups – get tattoos to demonstrate their defiance of traditional authority… Many studies link multiple tattoos with antisocial personality, an increased incidence of assaultive behavior, impulsivity, and difficulties in heterosexual adjustment.” 4. Teleologically, tattoos are immoral because they glorify the ungodly and vulgar, instead of God’s righteous character. Tattoos may also convey vanity and arrogance; vices inappropriate for believers (1 Peter 3:3). Jean-Chris Miller verifies this point by stating that, “Death and darkness have always been a classic tattoo theme – skulls, snakes, demons, spiders, and spider webs are all conventional tattoo imagery.”

TATTOOS ARE MORAL

The other primary position concerning tattooing is that it is moral because it is simply an expression of the IOG. Proponents of this view would say: 1. Structurally, tattooing is moral because humankind is created with the ability to appreciate beauty and art, and decorate themselves accordingly. The Body Art Book identifies “aesthetics” as one of the many reasons why people get tattoos 2. Functionally, tattooing is moral since humankind has free will and believers are free in Christ to do what they want with their own bodies (1 Corinthians 6:12). Jean-Chris Miller bluntly states, “It’s your body and you can do what you like with it.” 3. Relationally, tattooing is moral for it accounts for diversity amongst believers. Just as God created humans with different colored skin, so people who are tattooed with different colored skin shouldn’t be prejudiced against. Unity should not be based on outward appearance, but on spiritual matters (Philippians 2:2). Amy Krakow begs for unity amongst humankind when she exclaims that tattoos are, “Just ink; body art. Not some scarlet letter telling the world we’re wanton criminals, sexual perverts, biker scum, sailors, soldiers or just plain weird.” 4. Teleologically, tattoos are moral for they are a medium by which a believer can communicate God’s character to the external world, as well as to their own internal world. A. Gell expresses the external as well as internal communicatory nature of tattoos by saying, “The inside-facing and the outside-facing skins are… one indivisible structure, and hence the skin continually communicates the external world to the internal one, and the internal world to the external one.

Typographic Tattoos

MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE WORLD OF TATTOOS began in the most unlikely of ways. I was traveling cross-town on the M86 bus when I spotted an interesting-looking young man with a large text-only tattoo on his right forearm; it spelled out “happy” in a typeface which I instantly recognized as Helvetica. The fact that it was in lower-case letters and so tightly kerned that the letters were touching was especially intriguing to me as a designer and a typophile. I had never seen a tattoo quite like this one—sans serif! Not being in the habit of talking to strangers in New York City, I debated mightily before approaching him…but my curiosity finally got the better of me. “Are you a graphic designer?” I asked. Why, yes, he was. “And would you mind if I took a photo of your tattoo to show my students? I teach typography at City College.” No problem. I whipped out my digital camera and managed to get one shot and to grab his proffered business card before I jumped off at my stop. That evening I uploaded the photo and went to the Web site on his business card to send him the image with a proper thank you message. Imagine my astonishment to find our entire conversation recounted on his blog! As often happens when encountering something new, having seen one typographic tattoo, I now started to see them everywhere (it was August and a lot of skin was visible). Always searching for interesting topics for my column in STEP Inside Design (a professional magazine for graphic designers), I seized upon the notion of documenting this new style of tattoo: unadorned words rather than images. Fortuitously, not far away, a huge tattoo convention was happening that very weekend. I called my editor, who arranged for a press pass.

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The circus-like atmosphere of the tattoo convention was an eye-opening experience for me…a hundred or so people being simultaneously tattooed; electric needles buzzing, almost drowned out by blaring rock music; tattoo competitions on the big stage; and a very eclectic crowd. I had no trouble finding examples of typographic tattoos for my article; in fact, I started to realize that
this typographic tattoo thing was pretty widespread. Even after my article on typographic tattoos was published in the January 2004 issue of STEP Inside Design, I continued to see these tattoos everywhere: I seemed to have developed a “third eye” for these marks and an instinct for who might have one. If I saw any evidence of a tattoo, or I thought someone just might have one, I no longer hesitated to approach them: in fact, I became quite brazen! Almost all were eager to show me their tattoos, and lost no time in exposing various body parts to give me a close-up look (however inappropriate that might have been at the moment). Wherever I went (to a party, to the beach, to an opening or some other professional event) I discovered a typographic tattoo or someone who knew someone who had one. At the same time, there appeared to be a hyperactive public and media awareness of the tattoo world: two nationwide reality television series about tattoos debuted almost simultaneously; new upscale tattoo Web sites proliferated; and a glossy and luxe tattoo magazine, Inked, packed with high end advertising, launched its premiere issue. The timing seemed right for my very specialized look at typographic tattoos.
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As I began to attend other tattoo conventions and follow the tattoo subculture, I noticed certain patterns. Most of the people I photographed were young, had gotten their tattoos recently, were educated in or already practicing in the creative arts, and were quite well-informed about their choice of typestyle. This was a newly defined stratum of the tattooed. These affluent, culturally aware, sophisticated, and highly educated young people were choosing to adorn themselves with tattoos consisting of typographic messages rather than imagery. Increasingly, the typography of the tattoo became the image itself. The words serve as a literal text as well as figurative art, revealing intimate beliefs, life’s challenges, and value systems.
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The texts of the tattoos were not at all what I expected; there were literary passages, poetry—even Shakespeare and Dante. Words have power. Words are precise and specific. That is one reason why so many of the newly tattooed have chosen to express their most deeply felt beliefs in the form of text. Words of devotion, words of defiance, words of pain, words of love…all are expressions of inner emotions made visible (and readable) on skin. Whether borrowed from literature, poetry, song lyrics, prayers, motivational phrases, names of loved ones, or popular culture, words in all their glorious forms serve as inspiration for tattoos created out of letterforms. Adding fuel to this trend is the fact that many younger tattoo artists are often design school grads with a broad knowledge of  typographic choices. They have studied letterforms, and have been trained in the nuances of letter design. Both the tattooed and those tattooing them are responding to our visually driven culture. Patrons of tattoo parlors, sensitized to the differences amongst various typefaces by the availability of many fonts on their computers as well as by our highly graphic and typographic ubiquitous daily media experiences, often design their own messages. They understand the implications of their choice of lettering style—the forms of the letters themselves have the power to amplify the meaning of the text. The typographic tattoo trend described is also being driven in part by the new elite: celebrities in the world of sports, film, modeling, and music who have gotten “message” tattoos and made them even more socially acceptable. These boldface names include Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, David Beckham, Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan, Diddy, Jon Bon Jovi, Nelly, Charlie Sheen, Tommy Lee, Melanie Griffith, Pink, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Sean Penn, Dennis Rodman, and almost every player in the NBA. It became clear that the people who were getting these typographic tattoos were quite different from those who were traditionally associated with tattooing. I was surprised to find that no one had yet documented this trend. Having a lifelong passion for and involvement in the design and use of letterforms, I thought that a lengthy exploration of this phenomenon would be a worthy undertaking. Perhaps a bit of background would now be in order.
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I WAS A VERY EARLY AND AVID READER. I remember being fascinated by the letter forms themselves as far back as second grade, where I often daydreamed while gazing above my teacher’s head at the lowercase and uppercase letters of the alphabet displayed atop the blackboard: aA bB cC, etc. I loved making up stories about each of these letters, which seemed to have distinct personalities and lives. For example, the capital B was a buxom lady carrying a bag of groceries. The capital letter I was a soldier, standing at attention. At age ten or eleven, somehow I acquired a broad-edged dip pen and some ink, and I loved to doodle with it, making shapes that had thick and thin strokes by holding the broad edge of the pen at different angles. I didn’t know until my first year of art school, at age sixteen, that the broad-edged pen was the classic tool used to create letterforms. Calligraphy (from the Greek, kalli graphos, or “beautiful writing”) was a required course at Cooper Union, where I was finally properly instructed in the techniques of letter-making…it was an art form that I hadn’t known existed, and it quickly became my favorite form of artistic expression. I loved letterforms as an artist because they were beautiful images in their own right. I loved letterforms as a reader because they made words and sentences, they conveyed meaning and they were the instruments which “embodied thought”…what could be better? Our letters had a grand and glorious history; without them, how could civilization progress? My calligraphy teacher, Don Kunz, only allowed us to write “important” texts, as our calligraphic efforts were worthy of nothing less. He taught us that by studying the interconnected shapes of the letterforms we could learn universal principles of art, principles that applied to every artistic field: balance, harmony, rhythm.
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So it is not surprising that I gravitated toward a career which allowed me to express my talents using letterforms (or typography) as a major creative tool: editorial design. For over twenty years, I worked in some pretty intellectually heady environments, as a “visual journalist,” that is, as a magazine design director, whose job it was to amplify and clarify the meaning of the written word for the reader, using type and image. Also, while still in my twenties, I was elected President of the Society of Scribes, a calligraphic organization whose members nationwide numbered more than two thousand at one point. From 1976 until 1996, I taught calligraphy to adults in Cooper Union’s Extended Studies evening program, and I continued to practice calligraphy, doing many personal and professional projects.
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FAST FORWARD to August, 2003, the time of my encounter on the cross-town bus. By now, I had become a full-time professor of design, a design writer, and a frequent speaker at design and publishing conferences. My interest in that Helvetica tattoo was purely academic at that point, but I could not have foreseen how this tattoo would alter the course of my life.
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What began as a simple act snowballed into a book, the first to exclusively document the phenomenon of typographic tattoos. Although I had initially planned to write about the history and appropriateness of the letterforms used to convey a particular message, (which is why I chose to include only Latin letterforms) I found myself drawn to the stories behind the tattoos, the individual and unique motivations for making such a permanent commitment. Ultimately these stories dictated the structure of the book, divided by the themes of the tattoos: love and self-love, religion and politics, homage, celebration or exorcism, memorialization, exhortation, and remembrance. I decided the stories behind the tattoos needed to be told in order to understand why people chose to put themselves through the pain and suffering that even the simplest tattoos require.
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Interviewing my subjects, I discovered that their reasons for getting tattooed ranged from whimsical and impulsive to profound and deeply considered. Some tattoos were motivated by personal tragedy; others by joy. Whether tattoos were obtained to excise personal demons or to mark a rite of passage, these personal revelations fascinated me, and so the book became a different journey from the one I had expected. These narratives aroused my sympathy and compassion, subsuming my original intention simply to analyze typographic forms. Certainly, the process of producing “Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh,” (Abrams Image, 2006), transformed my sensibilities, dispelled many of my stereotypical notions, altered the ways in which I interacted with others, and sparked insights about the human condition.
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I brought these stories and body art to light so that readers might consider their own beliefs and power to transform their bodies, souls, and perhaps even the world around them. Interestingly, a number of my subjects, who often were the first in their families to get a tattoo, thanked me for legitimizing their choice of expression through my work, for making it more acceptable within their familial or societal circle. Tattoos may be more mainstream than ever before, but in some segments of society they still carry a stigma. I often find myself proselytizing (for lack of a better word), trying to convince people that, indeed, tattoos can be, and, increasingly, are, intellectual, literary and “highbrow.”
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“Body Type” is currently in its third printing and has turned out to be a cult hit, especially amongst designers and type aficionados worldwide, and keeps popping up in many design blogs. I regularly receive fan mail and photos sent to me from all corners of the globe (the latest is from Tasmania). I hear about “Body Type” sightings in far-flung international bookstores as well as all the major chains and specialty bookstores, and Urban Outfitters chose to feature it in their 100 stores nationwide. Since “Body Type” was published, I have been interviewed on Access Hollywood, Fox News and CBS News, among others. “Body Type” has been recognized by the New York Public Library and the American Library Association, which both recommend it for young adult readers. I have had two shows of my photography from “Body Type,” accompanied by a great deal of newspaper and magazine publicity. I have judged tattoo competitions, and Inked magazine has published a six page story on my continuing work on “Body Type,” Volume Two. So I have become inextricably linked to the tattoo world, and I am continuing to collect typographic tattoos for the second volume of “Body Type,” which will be published in 2009. It is amazing how many wonderful typographic tattoos continue to find their way to me!

Ideology Body Modification - Tattoo

This presentation will look at how this phenomenon has been addressed by individuals within the modded (i.e., modified) community. The explanations and justifications cited by members of this community to define, explain, defend, or laud their practices can be considered ideologies. An ideology is a worldview, a component of an individual or a group identity, a way of defining in-group and out-group, and a way of dealing with crises that confront matters of identity. Yet, an ideology also has the following components: it is articulated, conflictual, subjective, and public. In what follows, my intention is to explore how people with post-modified bodies1 strategically use their modifications in discourse; and to investigate how modification ideologies function. My intention is not to define a single and coherent ideology that can be applied to every modified person in the world, rather I will explore how some individuals within the on and off line community of www.bmezine.com (or the Body Modification ezine) use their modded identification in times of crisis. I say on and off line because although much of this community is virtual there is a good amount of these people that hang out together offline.

Much of this is evidenced on BME members’ IAM or personal membership pages and also in the proliferation of many local BME inspired events that range from ritual flesh-hook suspensions to bbqs and parties. It is also worth noting that the subjects of this presentation are either from the U.S. or Canada. I chose the examples used in this paper because they use themes that are common in the BME community and because I think they offer up interesting points of entry in considering the larger body-art modification community. For a thorough discussion of the post-modified body see Matthew C. Lodder’s web page to download a copy of his master’s thesis “The Post-Modified Body: Invasive Corporeal Transformation and its Effects on Subjective Identity: http://iam.bmezine.com/?volatile. In addition to the coining of the helpful phrase “post- modified body,” Lodder diligently and insightfully explores modification on its own terms as a personal choice, rather than as an indication of social malaise or personal pathology. This allows for an interesting analysis of the self, identity, and the body.


Ideology has several definitions and uses. This presentation relies heavily on sociologist Ann Swidler’s definition of ideology in her book Talk of Love: How Culture Matters, which explores how people use different cultural scripts or metaphors for their love relationships and how such usage alters in times of crisis. Swidler views ideology as a specific modality of culture in relation to empowerment (95). So before defining ideology, it will be necessary to briefly describe what she means by culture. Culture, for Swidler, is made up of the following: “[t]rained capacities to think and feel”; it helps to “internalize skills, styles, and habits”; it is used “to delineate group boundaries”; and “offers ideas and images that constitute a view of the world” (73-75). Most importantly is how culture works. The model she proposes is the “‘identity’ model. The fundamental notion is that people develop lines of action2 based on who they already 2 A line or strategy of action is best understood by reference to Swidler’s notion of culture as a repertoire or toolbox. In other words, it’s the culture one has internalized and uses in approaching everyday situations think they are” (87). This is of utmost importance in a discussion of body modification as an ideology. Especially, if we consider what has been said of postmodern identity as plastic and reflexive, no longer is identity ascribed, it is achieved or chosen. This makes for a more self-conscious sense of identity. The collective culture of body modification is loose and difficult to pin down, at times. Rather than offering up some systematic worldview, the general subculture revolves around identification. Since a self-identified and coherent culture of an explicitly named and self-referential “modified culture” is emerging (somewhere between parallel and collective behavior, see Bainbridge, p. 368-369), but not necessarily formalized and organized politically—in comparison to black, queer, or feminist culture, for example—the most obvious cultural marker is the modified body. Although, it can be argued that sub-groups within the larger modified body phenomena are clearly defined and self-aware: e.g., modern primitives. This lack of formalization—or status as an organized social movement—makes their subcultural identity of central importance, especially when that identity is put into question, or is used explicitly to pathologize one’s cultural or personal experience. Broadly speaking, Swidler likens ideology to a worldview. More specifically, she uses it in contrast to the terms of common sense and tradition. “An ideology is an articulated, self-conscious belief and ritual system, aspiring to offer a unified answer to problems of social action” (96). However, we must not be misled by the term system. It should not be understood so much as a logically consistent model—even Swidler admits Such as internalizing the concept of time, without such a cultural notion, how would one be able to navigate the corporate, 9-5 culture?; Lines of action are “ways actors routinely go about attaining their goals. … Culture affects action by shaping that repertoire of routine, natural styles, skills, and habits that together organize and sustain a strategy [i.e., line] of action” (82).

Instead, we might consider it to be a set or collection of cultural signs that become a “unified answer” when engaged. Ideologies (especially, subcultural ones) are less coherent in themselves than made coherent as a result of being engaged around specific identity issues or power struggles. In her essay “Culture in Action” Swidler notes of ideologies that “rather than providing the underlying assumptions of an entire way of life, they make explicit demands in a contested cultural arena” (279). Underlying assumptions are left primarily to common sense and tradition. Common sense is “unselfconscious as to seem a natural … part … of the world;” and tradition presents itself as “fixed” and an “expected [part] of life” that “establish[es] expected forms of conduct, even when people consciously feel quite disaffected from those traditions” (96). For Swidler, then, ideology is not only an articulated system of signs, but also a self-awareness that coheres around a specific social problem. Her definition also implies an oppositional nature because it is contrasted with common sense, which Swidler derives from hegemony or the “dominant conception of the world” (94-95). However, she does little to infuse an explicit notion of conflict within her definition of ideology. Conflict will be important to our discussion, however, because it fosters a sense of crisis, which is needed to in order to help create the social space necessary to engage ideology. In An Introduction to Ideology, Marxist and critical theorist Terry Eagleton examines the origins of the term ideology and how it has been used in various ways since its springing forth from the head of Enlightenment thinker and French revolutionary Antoine Destutt de Tracy while imprisoned during the Reign of Terror. Eagleton addresses such a lack of conflict in the sociological use of ideology. Although, he agrees with the sociological point of view that ideology “provides the ‘cement’ of a social formation … which orients its agents to action” he emphasizes that such a usage “too often [has a] depoliticizing … effect, voiding the concept of ideology of conflict and contradiction” (222). Eagleton’s insight and analysis of the many faces of ideology will be helpful here. In addition to emphasizing conflict, Eagleton notes other necessary characteristics of ideology: it is subject and action oriented, universalizing, and naturalizing. Subjective is not to be considered synonymous with private. Ideology is subjective in that it is “subject-centered” or identity-based. The utterances “are to be deciphered as expressive of a speaker’s attitudes or lived relations to the world” or the dominant culture (Eagleton, 19). This could be considered an engaged subjectivity.

This quality of engagement points to the universalizing or “making public” quality of ideology. Universalizing, Eagleton explains, is the processes of making “values and interests which are … specific to a certain place and time” and projecting these onto “the values and interests of all humanity” (Eagleton, 56). I would like to nuance this term a bit, especially the “all humanity” part. First and foremost it is the tendency to engage the public. The immediate public, at times, may also be the lived world or universe, so that it could be considered “all humanity” as far as the subject is concerned. Secondly, the scope of the engagement will necessarily expand past the specific place, time, and individual because it is engaging the values and interests of the dominant society. A consequence of engaging the lived world is the tendency for proponents of an ideology to naturalize their interests. Naturalizing is an attempt “to identify [beliefs and interests] with the ‘common sense’ of a society so that nobody could imagine how they might ever be different” (Eagleton, 58). For purposes of this presentation, naturalizing has less to do with completely supplanting existing notions of what is considered natural or God given, than a re-alignment or re-framing of pre-existing notions of what is natural. The most important consequence of all these characteristics is that they are necessarily action-oriented. In Eagleton’s words ideological discourses “must be translatable … into a ‘practical’ state, capable of furnishing their adherents with goals, motivations, prescriptions, imperatives, and so on” (47). This action oriented-ness is also implied in Swidler’s reference to culture as influencing a person’s line of action by providing certain cultural tools, which incidentally shape what kind or type of action is possible. Finally, it is important to return to one of the points Swidler has made about ideology: that it is “articulated” or uttered. Swidler studies how people talk or articulate their positions on love and marriage. Beyond this talk, though, she also has a lengthy section on semiotic codes.3 Her description mostly revolves around behavior. Her study, taken as a whole, then, would tend to look at articulation as something both verbal and non-verbal (i.e., bodily or behavioral)4. Eagleton describes the discourse aspect of ideology as follows: Ideology is a matter of ‘discourse’ rather than of [mere] ‘language’ … It represents the points where power impacts upon certain utterances and inscribes itself tacitly within them. … the concept of ideology aims to disclose something of the relation between an utterance and its material conditions of possibility, when those conditions of possibility are viewed in the light of certain power-struggles central to the reproduction … of a whole form of social life” (223).

3 “A semiotic code is a self-referential system of meanings in which each element in the system takes its meaning not from its inherent properties or from some external referent, but from the meanings created by the code itself” (Swidler, 162). [e.g. normative gender: people are assigned gender based on genitalia and expected to act as either male or female and all action is understood within this framework , as well.]

4 In the book Semiotics for Beginners published both online and in print Daniel Chandler, lecturer in Dept. of Theatre, Film, and Television Studies at University of Wales, Aberystwyth, breaks semiotic social codes into the following categories: verbal, bodily, commodity, and behavioral.

Eagleton’s description of the discourse or articulation of ideology gets to the center of the conflictual aspect of ideology: power-struggle. This points to the understanding that discourses and semiotic codes are social constructs that constrain and facilitate power by defining proper and improper action. Considering these characteristics: ideology (especially an emergent subcultural one) is an identity-based and centered, self consciously chosen use of culture that articulates an active and conflictual engagement of the dominant culture. Although, this definition is useful, it is seemingly static. In other words, it seems that ideology is somehow always “on” or always on the tip of a subject’s tongue. It is necessary, then, to return to Swidler in order to nuance the function of ideology and view it as something that is turned “on” or engaged at certain times while turned “off” or not engaged at others. Swidler talks of settled and unsettled lives (personal) and periods (social). Her point is that “we cannot look to the characteristics of the ideology alone for a full understanding of its causal significance” (103). Rather, she wants to draw our attention to the greater social context. She posits that ideologies tend to be engaged in times of crisis. I want to extend her argument to include that the reality of unsettled times and crises is grounded primarily in the perception of individuals or groups, rather than primarily in material reality (Smith, 1998; for subcultural perception of outside threat p. 152; for perceptions and beliefs being “real in their consequences” p. 173). For material reality always needs to be perceived or interpreted in order to be understood. Perception is the lived experience of material reality and cannot be thought of in terms of being unreal and thus degraded as false (Eagleton, 22). So, it is exactly with this understanding of unsettled times or unsettling experiences both perceived and material that ideologies as defined above become engaged. That ideologies are self-conscious and articulated points to the interdependence between one’s identity and ideology. It is exactly over issues of identity and the body that body modification is engaged as an ideology in the larger Western context.

Identity is a common theme in the articles on BMEzine. There are many reader editorials that discuss crises that develop when their modifications confront social norms or vice versa. In one posting, a soon-to-be-modded high school student is annoyed and perplexed by his school’s policy, which mandates that bandages be worn over all facial piercings if students wish to avoid expulsion: [E]verybody has the right to do what they wish to their body. A nose ring should not affect anybody’s rights to anything. A tattoo should not have an affect [sic] on your future. By suspending and expelling our children from school due to their modifications, we are telling them that … they must change their appearance and look more “normal” to satisfy others, and not themselves. We, the students, do have ONE weapon,. This is a new act passed by Congress regarding freedom of expression in the form of things such as clothing, piercings, etc. The second is the good old First Amendment [or freedom of speech]. There are many things that make this excerpt interesting. One is that the student is identifying with the modded community even though he is not yet modded. This quality, if isolated, speaks to the power of identity within the body modification community. Within the framework set forth in this paper, it is evident that this student responded ideologically toward this attack on modified students. The student clearly articulates, an oppositional, subjective-engagement of dominant culture and attempts to naturalize body modification with rights language. For example, he states that “[E]verybody has the right to do what they wish to their body,” as well as a direct reference to the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
Suddenly, this issue is not just about an individual or a group of students at a specific school, but about the rights of an entire populace organized or cohering around the issue of body modification. As an emergent ideology, body modification must still rely on the language of common sense and other traditions. The student borrows heavily from rights language and from the common-sense adage that people should be themselves. (Consider Carl Elliott’s references to scripts of authenticity yesterday.) This student’s articulation of a body modification ideology came about because the subject’s lived world (i.e., school) became hostile to his desire to become modified. This example represents how ideologies are engaged in unsettled times.

Why Get yourself a New Tattoo?

Everyone’s looked at tattoos of varied designs, types, colors, forms and patterns. Apart from the proven fact that tattoo designs are fairly easy to remove through laser treatment, medical procedures along with other techniques, they’re somewhat permanent. Many individuals have rather particular reasons behind these types of long term markings plus some have experiences and stories behind every one.

One particular reason behind a normal tattoo is merely for appearance. The tattoo design might be one which looks like one particular seen on some sort of celeb. It can also be a style that’s just satisfying on the eye.  Possibly the tattoo design features vibrant colours or even cool patterns which appeal to a person’s eye. Appearances are certainly one typical reason behind numerous tattoos.

One more reason why 1 may get a new tattoo can be as some sort of memorial. Close friends as well as loved ones who’ve passed on in many cases are memorialized via tattoos. These types of memorials will also be frequently made in the memory of your particular celeb.  These may be created with flowers, crosses or any other patterns and also dates of birth and also death. They could include specific phrases which were important to the departed.  They could also include complex tattoo designs which are replicated off a real picture.

Kids and also relationships really are a popular reason behind having a tat. Hundreds of thousands could have tattoo designs created incorporating a kid’s, partner’s or even lover’s name.  Typically a lot of these will likely be combined with additional designs like flowers, butterflies, patterns and also similarities.  Kisses, stars and also writing words tend to be found on partner or companion name tattoos.

Many individuals are going to have body art created in order to honor particular occasions experienced throughout their lives.  Achievements, trying times along with other special occasions in many cases are exhibited as a life time reminder of some important period in someone’s life.

Tattoos additionally symbolize religious status for a lot of societies.  They may additionally be considered a symbol regarding social position.  A few social organizations are notable for particular tattoo designs which may need a fellow member to obtain exactly the same.  Other people are notable for getting tattoos generally, no matter their particular styles.

Showing uniqueness and also individuality in many cases are the most typical reasons behind having a tattoo design.  If an individual likes butterflies, they may obtain a individual tattoo or even several tattoo designs showing off butterflies.  If one more likes a specific area by which they’re employed, they may have got body art symbolizing the things they’re doing as a living.

There are more methods to look at showing individuality by tattoo designs, however. A lot of tattoos are created to reveal traditions. Historic symbols which are linked to the history of a lot of civilizations in many cases are exhibited upon those people who are of a specific culture’s decent. For instance, somebody of Irish decent might select a tattoo design showing the Claddaugh design and style whilst another with Egyptian decent may well favor one just like ancient ancestors and forefathers. On another hand, many select styles similar to particular cultures exclusively for aesthetics.

No matter where you would like to have your own tattoo design applied on your body or even the place you have the treatment carried out, you need to realize the reason why you really would like this tattoo, tats are everlasting. Getting a new tattoo design designed for the appropriate reasons, and also good reasons which are genuinely important to you will certainly increase the satisfaction of the tatoo design for countless years.

A New Tattoo Style

When you enter an exceptional tattoo business, you definitely observe that there is almost no restrictions to tattoo design. Lots of customers prefer a tattoo that is either fairly simple and furthermore standard, for instance an individual’s label or even initials, or probably a design that’s totally unique and additionally special to them, there are a choice of designs that are immensely preferred.
Tattoos of Native American formats is one of the most well-liked. For those who are well-informed, designs could be created which stand for tribal association. One’s label can furthermore be made into a tribal layout for those who or your expert has the competence to do so.

Oriental designs are additionally quite favored. Most tattoo workshops have a large selection of these, varying from detailed artwork to smaller signs. A few of those which are chosen the majority of commonly include the Chinese icons for great luck, success, consistency, passion, and eternity; the zodiac indicators are also preferred. These layouts might appear standard, and do have an instead hidden result, it takes a substantial amount of skill to draw them appropriately, due to the fact that the density and slimness of the personalities is vital. An Asian design will certainly have that result if you are in search of something which is sophisticated and sophisticated.

You will probably see star-of-david tattoos and crucifix tattoos, although that the typical religion is that one must not acquire tattoos. For a whole lot of modern-day people, additionally those that take their churchly ideas really genuinely, obtaining such a tattoo will not be considereded as breaching religious requirements, nevertheless a concern of pride in exactly what they think.

Celtic designs frequently appear in tattoos, additionally. From among one of the most basic formats which everybody comprehends, corresponding to shamrocks, to the detailed Celtic cross which less acknowledge the initial meaning of, this society has produced a vast collection of appealing artwork that might be used in tattoos.

Many individuals have some idea what they such as, and everybody’s specific choice is no more challenging than discovering it or having your professional develop it. No matter your summary, interests, way of living, you ensure to locate a tattoo design that interest you and is unique to you.

If you get in a great tattoo company, you certainly see that there is just about no restrictions to tattoo design. You will most likely see crucifix tattoos and Star-of-David tattoos, regardless of the reality that the traditional spiritual belief is that one should not acquire tattoos.

You will probably see star-of-david tattoos and crucifix tattoos, although that the typical faith is that one should not get tattoos. If you enter a wonderful tattoo business, you definitely see that there is simply about no constraints to tattoo design. A number of customers desire a tattoo that’s both fairly uncomplicated and likewise essential, for instance an individual’s label or additionally initials, or potentially a design that is entirely unique and furthermore one-of-a-kind to them, there are a selection of designs that are enormously preferred. Tattoos of Indigenous American designs is amongst the most liked. You will most likely see crucifix tattoos and Star-of-David tattoos, regardless of the truth that the standard spiritual belief is that one should not acquire tattoos.

Tattoo of the week

The other day I mentioned to Nicholas that we should get tattoos. Can't really remember his exact reply, but it was pretty much a "no" ;) Searching for tattoo photos - I found I like the simple shapes or words, it's kind of inspiring! I really kind of want to get one, maybe something small. But I'm a baby when it comes to pain, I don't know if I could do it! Plus, there's the fact that it's just so permanent! Well, these pictures are still nice to look at.

What about you? What are your thoughts on tattoos? Does anyone have one?

"Lady-Like" tattoo By Robert Klara

As a mother of three, Shelly Coffman didn't really have a ton of extra time to become a "mompreneur," but she did. And with her MBA and an extensive background in securities law, it wasn’t exactly logical to go into a business with a product historically linked with sailors and convicts, but she did that, too.

Coffman recently rolled out a collection of what she calls "Lady-Like Tattoos" under her brand name, Poppy Drops.

Full disclosure, here: They're just temporary tattoos—but that’s actually the whole point. "These tattoos were designed with me in mind," said Coffman. "I’d always wanted a tattoo, and I’d always chickened out. So this was born out of my desire to have an option. Say you’d like to have a tattoo, but you work in a profession where you [can’t]. You can wear this on the weekend if you’re feeling a little edgy and still take it off before the business meeting on Monday."

Of course, there are plenty of temporary tattoos out there. But Coffman found them all to be too large, too masculine or just too juvenile to suit women's tastes. (Examples: Hello Kitty sells a temporary tattoo combo for $6, and Earth Henna will sell you an entire Body Painting Kit for about $24.) That’s when Coffman saw an opening in the marketplace for what she calls "a more dainty, demure tattoo" for ladies only.

Poppy Drops features three collections, each a diminutive flourish of stars, birds or hearts, and each priced at $6.95. There's also a collection of script words—a popular tattoo sub trend. And since all of Coffman’s tattoos are made with 100 percent food-grade vegetable dye, "if you have sensitive skin, you don’t have to be worried," she said.

While Poppy Drops is creating a new body-art niche for women, the line is actually an offshoot of Coffman's original tattoo collection for girls. "I developed it as a solution to a problem a lot of moms face," she said. "Their little ones want to get their ears pierced, and there’s no great alternative." Her resulting kids collection—designed to be worn on the earlobe but is suitable for anyplace on the skin—includes ladybugs and mermaids.

Most of Coffman's sales currently come through her website, but Poppy Drops is ready to ink a deal with a major retail chain (one Coffman prefers not to name) and also just got picked up by e-tailer Daily Grommet. "This product is a problem solver," said the site’s senior community manager Tori Tait. "Moms like them because they’re not permanent, and kids like the styles." Daily Grommet plans to stock the Lady-Like tattoos at some point in the near future.

Meanwhile, it looks like there are plenty of women who, like Coffman, would love to have a tattoo—so long as it washes off.

Cheryl Cole completes tattoo collection with huge design

British pop star Cheryl Cole is finished with tattoos after having a huge rose design inked onto her back over a painful two-day period. The Fight For This Love hitmaker stunned fans on the opening night of the Girls Aloud comeback tour in Newcastle, England on Thursday night (21Feb13) when she showed off the massive inking on the small of her back. The design, two red roses in bloom, was completed after 15 hours in the tattooist's chair over an agonising two days last year (12), and Cole admits her latest body art will probably be her last. She tells Britain's The Sun, "It was really painful but I think I'm done with tattoos now. It wasn't for any particular reason, I just liked the design. It took 15 hours in total. "I actually got it five months ago - but it's somewhere on my body you wouldn't expect people to see it very often. It was done by this amazing artist called Nikko Hurtado who basically travels round the world going to conventions." The star boasts a number of tattoos, including a Polynesian tribal symbol on her hand and barbed wire around her thigh.

Tattoo Collection of NBA Superstars

MN Chan/Getty Images

Tattoos are certainly prevalent around the NBA.

Very few players are inkless, but some of them are among the best in the league.Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul don't have any tattoos. Neither do Blake Griffin andDwight Howard.

They are the exceptions. By far.

Out of those that have them, some players have fantastic tattoos, like 90 percent of Chris Andersen's body or Nikola Pekovic's sweet gothic tats.

J.R. Smith and Matt Barnes also have a lot of nice body art. It's always good when it looks like ink is crawling up your neck.

Other players have crappy tattoos, like Richard Jefferson's cartoon "RJ" on his bicep. 

Still other tattoos can be puzzling. Rudy Gay has "NRA" in script on his left hand, but he's not a gun enthusiast. It's a tribute to his grandmother.

And he's far from the only player to pay tribute to lost loved ones by getting themselves inked. Monta Ellis has an elegant and intricate family tree drawn all over his arms and torso.

But what about the superstars' ink? Well, let's grade 'em!

The most tattooed woman in the world

We had the pleasure to be approached by Eva. A mother from Norway who has traveled the world showing off her body suit masterfully done with over 300 hours of work in the chair. She then was approached by Guinness World Records and was recognized as the most tattooed woman in the world. We were lucky that she wanted to share her story with everyone, and now we bring it to you. Read on to find out more about her life!

Q: Hello Eva,  Give us your basic information:

A: My name is Eva Svindland, I am 45 years old,born and raised in Norway,in a little town named Egersund on the west coast.

Q: At what age did you discover tattoos? Can you tell us a little about that

A: My father was an old sailor. So when I  was just a litle girl,3-4 years old,  I remember him coming home from the sea showing me his newest tattoo from each time I saw him until the next time he had to leave us again. He had the typical old school-tattoos. A heart with a knife through and a snake twisted around it. A banner with the name of my mother in it and stuff like that.They were really old school.Several of them he got done in Singapore.

Q: Which one was your first tattoo? Does it have a story behind it?

A: My first tattoo was a blue rose I did at Henky Penky Studio in Amsterdam. I actually looked for that rose for 7 years before I found it. It was from a movie with Peter Strauss in it

Q: In which point did you decide to cover your body in this amazing art? How did you arrive to this decision?

A: I have always been very fascinated about the black& grey bodysuits, in japanese style.I am not so happy about color. I searched the internet for some years to find an artist which I liked the work of and thought which one suited me best.

I found Noi Siamese 3 and wanted him to do a hanya on me. And when he met me and saw that I was an adult woman,not a teenager he asked me if i would be his model.We decided to go for half bodysuit.We started it in October 2008 and was finished so I could travel to Manchester in March 09, to show off his work for the first time. ( I remember winning the class over 42 other copetitions at that convention).

I traveled and competed on several conventions in 2009 with only half bodysuit.And then we took a break and started to build on the hole bodysuit in the end of September 2010,and started to compete again with full bodysuit in march 2012,in Rotterdam. Then I  traveled around in Europe  to show off his work on some conventions.And in June summer of 2012 I went to Iron ‘n Ink-festival, in Long Beach, to show his work. That was kind of an adventure for me.On Friday I won 1st place in Best Japanese.Saturday I didn’t go to the boat,Queen Mary, because there was no class for me to compete in.But when I arrived on Sunday, several people come asking for me and told me to hurry up.Because I should be on stage in 20 minutes to compete in a class called Best over All, female. I won that class too. And when the people told me that I should compete in a class called Best of Show I told them to stop messing with me,because that is the class I compete in with my cats when I take them to cat show,haha.

But there was a class called that,so I had to go up on stage again, and I won that class too, wow.I beat the model of Hiroyosho the 3. with one point.

When it all was over a delegation with strangers came over to me and started to talk to me about my tattoo. I didn’t know any of them so I told them that I am not an object.First of all I am a mother and a housewife,who happenes to have a big tattoo. One of the men looked at me and said:”I see you, and I can totally respect that”. But we are talking about a world record here.I asked what he meant and told him Isobel Varley is the woman with the world record. I even told him that she lives in england and she has a lot more ink than me. Then he said: “I’m talking about the real stuff,the black&grey”. That man turned out to be Jack Rudy 

They had noticed me on Friday and brought in people who were veterans in the game.So when I was on stage on Sunday, I noticed it was not the ordinary young generation who dominated the audience.There were a lot of “grown up” men in the audience who were looking at me. And from then on I was allowed to say I am the most tattooed woman in the world ,in black & grey 

Q: Has your ink impacted you in any way on your social life? Do you feel like your life has changed after your work?

A: Of course the tattoo has had a big impact on my life. I got more focused on my body,I started training and lost 17 kilos . I didn’t want to look like an old fat woman when I was naked on stage  And I also got more and better self esteem from it.The first time I had to go on stage in just a little string was horrible. Now I can do it without hesitating at all. I know I have beautiful art on my body and I am very proud to show it off  Also, I know the artists never judge my body or me.They are professional and only look at the artwork.

You like tattoo a freight train!

Could there possibly be a better tattoo to celebrate ModBlog’s new superfast servers that Jon set up for us last night? I know how happy it makes me as someone who used to have to wait minutes for edits to my entries to be accepted, so I hope it makes you happy as a reader as well.

I’m also really happy to see that tattoo artists have been posting more healed work lately, showing the public what they’re really capable of. If this trend continues, it will really separate the great tattoo artists from people who are simply great artists. Just because someone can paint doesn’t mean they can lay in a tattoo that will look good for your lifetime (as you may recall from the controversial entry on tattoo fading and a couple followup entries). I’m very happy to point out that California-based tattoo artist Cory Norris (corynorrisart.com) is more than capable of doing both. Even though this photo of Ricky’s chest that he did looks like it was taken the day it was done, it’s actually fully healed in this picture, even though the blacks are deep, the red flames are incredibly vibrant, the shading in the clouds is still rich and you can make out the ghostly seething skulls inside, but the touch I really like is the deep red glow inside the eyes of the skull in the train’s engine, as if it has hellish glowing coal embers for brains.

Thanks again to Cory Norris  let’s hope top artists keep on posting healed work, really letting the world know who can be trusted to implant art that will last a lifetime  not just win you a “best of show” tattoo convention plaque and then fade out a month later. Let’s put the emphasis back on real tattoos. Click to see it a bit bigger of course.

Tattoos Rick Genest Zombie Boy Part 2

When he was a kid, he had a deep love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and he said he wanted to live in the sewers like them. Growing up, he found an amazing attraction for zombies. He’s a great fan of George A. Romero’s Living Dead movies, and he decided one day to look like a zombie.

Rick reached out to Canadian tattoo artist Frank Lewis when he was 21 years old, where they started working on Rick’s ideas together to bring out exactly what he wanted on his tattoos. He started by getting his hands tattooed with the outlines of bones, and after a rough time with his mother about his future and after she saw how committed he was in bringing outside what he wanted, she fully supported him during a transformation that has lasted 6 years and is still going.

In 2009 he played a background role in Circ du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, and he started gaining notoriety thanks to a Facebook page created in 2010,which discussed his taste for tattoos. This page went on to have over 1.5 million fans and one of those days Nicola Formichetti, Lady Gaga’s fashion director, stumbled upon his page, and he got in contact with Rick. In January 2011, Rico headlined Thierry Mugler’s Fall/Winter fashion catalog,leaving an incredible impression of everyone.

Rico’s pursuit of modifying his body to look like what he loves the most only shows a strong and committed personality that doesn’t pay attention to what anyone else does or says. He’s a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover, specially after we saw a video of him doing anti-bullying talks at schools.

Tattoos Rick Genest Zombie Boy

Rick Genest was born in August 7, 1985 in Canada. He comes from a working family, and he’s the oldest of 2 brothers. He has always been a particular person with a very strong personality, and got his first tattoo at the age of 16.


Moving out of his house when he was 17, he started to hang out with the punk rock crowd in  Montreal, living and surviving in abandoned buildings and housing, he got his street skills honed in while he was growing with a tough and hard to understand crowd of people, who baptized him with his nickname “Zombie Boy”. He respectfully waited until he was 18 years old to get his second tattoo, and he started envisioning what he had inside: an amazing love for zombies and the undead, and he brought it to life using his skin as a canvas and tattoos as paint.


When he was a kid, he had a deep love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and he said he wanted to live in the sewers like them. Growing up, he found an amazing attraction for zombies. He’s a great fan of George A. Romero’s Living Dead movies, and he decided one day to look like a zombie.

Old Man Full Body Tattoos

Ten years ago tattoo95fr had already begun to his journey towards a full body suit, here he is today, in all his glory.

Psychedelic Bodmod Yin-Yang

A few days ago I posted about the third “double canvas tattoo” that Marc (Little Swastika) had completed. He has quite a few of these in progress he tells me there are four on the go at present but this one is particularly unusual because the mirroring only works in this very peculiar configuration, a sort of psychedelic bodmod yin-yang.