Issue #7 The Identity Issue cover star revealed. Tattoo artist Wendy Pham, Conspiracy Inc. Berlin, Germany.
Photographer: Haris Nukem
Stylist: Olivia Snape
Clothes and jewellery: Ksuko
Makeup and hair: Keely Reichardt using MAC Cosmetics
Assisted by: Rosalie Woodward and Liz Cummings
Thanks to The LP Café, Watford
Front cover design: Hustler Squad
Tattoo artist Wendy Pham is the face of The Identity Issue of Things&Ink. When Wendy first joined Twitter, she wanted to remain genderless in her online presence – she didn’t want to be recognised as an artist, just because she has ‘a vagina and boobs.’ (she tells us more about this in her open and honest interview in issue #7). So we created an androgynous cover shoot around this concept – strong, striking and unsexualised.
The issue is available to order from our website, thingsandink.com. And will also be available to purchase from our stand at Liverpool Tattoo Convention. And at the launch party of our exhibition on Thurs 22 May, join us on Facebook.
I’m sorry but I’m not sure I’d call that cover ‘unsexualised’. She is making the classic Page 3/porn star face, with the come hither eyes. I’ve seen that pose a thousand times on the cover of Bizarre, Nuts, Zoo, Playboy… Putting a jacket on her and covering up the majority of her breasts (I see there is still some cleavage there) does not remove the sexualisation!
In fact, I think I would go as far as to say that this is the MOST sexual cover Things and Ink had had!
I completely agree with you, Natalie. In fact, I was surprised to see this cover from Things & Ink, a magazine that I adore and was initially attracted to because it didn’t do the one thing all other magazines seem to: further sexualize tattooed women. I’m not saying there isn’t strength here, and I do think that it is a powerful thing to be in control of one’s sexuality and sexual nature, but “androgynous” is not a word i’d use to describe to this cover, and moreover, is being “in control” of how one is sexualized really the only way we can think of to portray a powerful female?
Rather than be sexual she is powerful and strong.yes it may be sexy but its more of a fuck off i am in control sexy! She is awesome, looks amazing, has so much attitude
I’m not disputing that she looks good, but disputing the assertion that this cover is unsexualised. It isn’t. And Jay is right – there are thousands of ways to portray strength and control.
I’m just disappointed I guess. Like Jay, I was drawn to Things and Ink because it promised something more than Bizarre (which I grew tired of due to its portrayal of women) and there have been some stunningly powerful, strong pictures of women on its covers thus far. I’m confused why they had to go down this road with this one, especially given that the blurb above states that Wendy Pham originally remained gender neutral on her Twitter account because she wanted to be known for her skills rather than her body parts. It just seems so odd!
the only reason that you see this cover as sexual is because you find Wendy attractive, if it was a different artist then maybe you would think otherwise. It was a collaboration between Things&Ink and Wendy, the theme was androgyny but Wendy’s own body could not be changed. Is it her bold, red lips that you find so sexual? Maybe if these were different you would find the cover less sexy.The cover portrays her as strong and powerful, in a way that she wanted to be too. The pose isn’t classic porn star, her arms are crossed over her body, rather than being open to display herself. Yes her lips are open …..