Find out how professional skin art made its way to the capital and get a look behind the scenes at four contemporary London tattoo studios. Tattooing in London has a long and rich history, dating back to a time before Captain Cook made his adventures to the Pacific. The exhibition Tattoo London, at the Museum of London, will offer insight into the history of professional tattooing in London as well as revealing life inside four contemporary tattoo studios in the capital.
Also on display will be newly commissioned artworks by tattooists from the featured studios: Lal Hardy at New Wave, Alex Binnie at Into You, Claudia de Sabe at Seven Doors and Mo Coppoletta at The Family Business.
Self Portrait as Jigoku Dayu by Claudia de Sabe, 2015
Editor Alice Snape recently got tattooed by Berlin-based Myra Brodsky, 27, aka spinsterette on Instagram, while she was guesting at Seven Doors in east London. Alice couldn’t resist asking Myra some questions while under the needle…
Tattoo artist Myra Brodsky and editor Alice Snape at Seven Doors in east London
“Myra’s work is heavily influenced by art nouveau and the Victorian age – the periods of art that I am drawn to… so I couldn’t resist getting a tattoo by her while she was over in London. I picked a moon and hand from her flash, and conducted this interview while I was getting tattooed… just imaging the buzz of the needle as you read.”
Alice: “How long have been a tattoo artist for?”
Myra: “I started tattooing in late 2008, after studying visual communications at university. My parents were always very anti me going into tattooing, but my father has now passed away and my mother has moved to Spain, so they are not part of my life anymore and are not aware of what I do. My parents were very religious and this is probably where their attitude came from. I was born and raised in a very conservative, jewish family.”
Design tattooed on Alice from Myra’s flash
Alice: “What do you think drew you to tattoos then?”
Myra: “It was really actually by accident that I came into tattooing. I never planned it, I never had the wish to become a tattoo artist. My best friend started to tattoo, and I thought that seemed kinda fun. So she immersed me into the tattoo world, she had all the gear at home, and I started tattooing too. At first, just for fun – it was never big business or starting something serious. I did shitty little tattoos on my own body, but never thought it was something I could make a living from… I thought my parents would hate me and turn against me.”
“What did you do for a job at this time?”
“I worked for an ad agency. I found it really boring.”
“When did you start tattooing properly, as a job?” “I actually started tattooing when I was still at university too, I used to have to do 12-hour days. I was still working at that agency and attending university and I was already tattooing. It was a lot to do. I found it easy as I didn’t have the wish to meet up with friends in my spare time. I was dedicated to my work, being productive was great. Now I need tattooing for my living.”
“Do you think that is something that is hard being a tattoo artist? Would you want to change it or be something else?” “Yeah. I mean being self employed is hard in general. I hate that. I hate doing my taxes, I am really bad at counting, I cannot count at all! If I had the choice I would be a magician. My father comes from the casino business and when my sister and I were still young we used to go to Las Vegas pretty often. My sister and I grew up watching shows like David Copperfield. I admire those magic shows, even if it is an illusion, I love it. I wish I could do that.”
“Do you think that has a big impact on your work?” “Totally. I love all that imagery surrounding all those magic things. I also believe in magic powers. Whenever I have a problem I call my fortune teller instead of going to the doctor. They tell me different things, I can ask her anything. When I was planning my tour through Europe I asked her which shops would accept me. In London, she said there would be a chance that only one shop would accept me and now I am here at Seven Doors.”
“Do you plan to live in New York?” “I want to move there and work Red Rocket tattoo in Midtown.”
“Do you think that is part of the beauty of being a tattoo artist being able to travel around?” “I think it is a good thing. I know a lot of people who aren’t into travelling, but I am because I don’t really feel comfortable in just one place. I get bored so easily. I think it is a fun game to have to challenge yourself to act like a local in so many cities. I like that kind of game.”
“What is your favourite city you have been to so far?” “New York. I like London too. You cannot really describe New York in words. It is just perfect.”
“How would you describe your style as a tattooist?” “I would say I don’t really want to put a name on that. I can only say what inspires me and what I use as reference. These are actually images from all of the great eras from the past, in art history. I know a lot about art history. Most of the things I take are from art nouveau and the Victorian age and Edwardian age. Art Deco is also nice but it is too geometric for my kind of thing. I rather like organic decoration elements, because you can always take them and change them for every part of the body.”
“Do you like doing bigger pieces as well?” “I prefer doing bigger pieces. But I don’t get to do many of them, I think because I’m not in one place all the time.”
“What would be your favourite thing to tattoo? If you could do anything on someone’s back what would you do?” “I think it would be a scene out of a classic novel or play. Maybe a play by Shakespeare or a novel by Kafka. Anything that is already existing, that I could adapt. That is what I like, because I think it is timeless.”
“How would you like your style to progress in the future?” “I am planning on starting more big pieces with more detail, more history behind them. More details and meaning in general.”
Myra at Seven Doors
To view more of Myra’s work and to see where she will be working next, follow her on Instagram @spinsterette
We proudly present: The Things&Inktattoo love story of the year! The wedding chapter… Two Christmases ago, we set ourselves the challenge to find the ultimate tattoo love story! And we did it… we found the amazing couple Roxanne & Greg (read more in previous blog posts)
And we headed over to Trinity Buoy Wharf weddings in East London earlier this year to join them on their very special wedding day… Photographed by Things&Ink Photographer Heather Shuker for Eclection Photography.
Take a look at some of the photos from their wonderful wedding day, including Sailor Jerry, of course… we’re so happy we could share the day with this stunning couple whose love just shines through.
A few days before the wedding, they also got their fingers tattooed by Alexis Camburn at her studio Two Snakes Tattoo in Hastings. Greg and Roxanne designed the ring/tattoo together. The star and the moon simply symbolising that they are each other’s moon and stars. The four dots represent Roxanne, Greg and their two cats (so cute!)…
“From the offset Heather put us at ease and made us feel relaxed and comfortable on and off camera,” said Roxanne and Greg about photographer Heather Shuker for Eclection Photography. “She captured the essence of our wedding perfectly and everyone who has seen our photos has been blown away by the great job she has done. What we especially liked was that the images are a great mix of relaxed formal and candid. Giving us snapshots of our guests celebrating with us as well as some amazing photos of us with family and friends. We cannot thank her enough for all the wonderful moments that she captured.”
“Our wedding was everything we’d hoped for and more. We were deeply touched with the help our friends and family gave us decorating the venue and doing the flowers. The day itself was amazing, everyone seemed to be enjoying it as much as we were, covering themselves in temporary tattoos, swigging rum from the bottle with us and tearing up the dance floor,” said Roxanne and Greg about their wonderful wedding day. “Looking back on the day, we can honestly say that we had the most colourful rainbow, rum fuelled, fiesta ever and to top it all off we were married and sharing this with the people most dear to us. We’d do it all again if we could but I’m not sure we or our guests could cope with that hangover!”
Inspired by our Horror Issue cover, starring the stunning tattoo artist Emily Alice Johnston in a fetish inspired shoot featuring beautiful latex outfits, we thought team T&I should celebrate and maybe try out some latex wearing, too. And what better place to do it than at the World’s largest Fetish / Body Art Club: Torture Garden, and their Christmas Ball at Electrowerkz in north London? Our editor Alice Snape had never been before… here she tells us all about her first time.
If you’ve never been to Torture Garden before (named after the 1899 novel The Torture Garden (Le Jardin des supplices) by Octave Mirbeau, which was set in a Chinese Garden of Torture.), I highly recommend it. Although I have to admit it, I was a little apprehensive before I attended – not because I am a prude, but because I had never been to a fetish club before and I had absolutely no idea what to expect, or what was expected of me. I also had no idea what to wear!
A friend recommended Meat Clothing and I spotted a gorgeous pink latex dress on their website and ordered it immediately. And, I have to say, I felt pretty special in it. I had never worn latex before, and a pink babydoll was pretty perfect for my first time.
Editor Alice Snape, horror issue cover star Emily Alice Johnson and managing editor Keely Reichardt pre Torture Garden.
Managing editor Keely and I got ready together on the evening… drank some fizz and perfected our make-up. As Keely has been a couple of times before, she explained a little about her last experiences… and how much fun she had! We also met up with our horror issue cover star Emily for some pre drinks too…
As soon as we arrived at the TG Christmas ball location, Electrowerkz in north London, I felt like I was transported to another world of fetish, fun and fantasy. People were dressed in latex, stunning lingerie, collars and gimp suits… and Electrowerks had been transformed into a magical Christmas fantasy land. Still a little nervous, we did a round of shots and then went off to explore…
Managing editor Keely ready for her night at Torture Garden
I ended up spending the entire night roaming around to see what was going on. There were lots of different rooms – one just for couples and a dungeon (for those who want to explore their sexuality, although there are also strict codes of conduct, touching anyone without permission is strictly forbidden), there’s also shows, performances and dance floors, too. I chatted to interesting people, finding out about their kinks, and of course, it’s ok if you don’t have any, too… TG accepts anyone (as long as you dress up! If your outfit wouldn’t turn heads in the street – don’t bother wearing it to Torture Garden). TG is a space where you can be whoever you want to be. You can escape reality for the evening into a magical world. It is for hedonists, party people and those who just want to let go for one night. TG attracts open-minded individuals, from clubbers to alternative arty weirdos, burlesque cabaret fans to sophisticated BDSM regulars (famous visitors have included Dita Von Teese, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Boy George, Katie Price and Courtney Love)…
Editor Alice and a pre TG selfie, of course
The evening drew to close far too quickly… and I couldn’t believe it was 6am by the time Keely and I left. We literally forgot all of our worries for one evening and danced and chatted and met interesting people. And everyone we met was so respectful. I had worried that I might get hassled (I have a boyfriend and didn’t want to join in), but I didn’t. In fact, I probably got hassled less than a standard night out, where drunken men often grab women without permission. On the way home, Keely and I chatted about how we couldn’t wait to attend the next event… and plan another incredible outfit. There’s no other situation where you can wear whatever you want and be exactly who you want to be, surrounded by people who are just as weird as us. See you at the next one?
Cheshire born and now London based, photographer Danny Baldwin explored a range of art forms, from drawing and drama to music and modelling, before finding his niche as a photographer. It was actually while modelling that Danny discovered a world where his creative vision could be channelled by flipping sides from in front to behind the lens. Influenced by fashion and counter-culture, Danny’s style mixes colours, tones and textures, and emphasises the power of beauty and shapes.
In his new exhibition, Skin Deep, Danny documents a seismic mood change within the fashion industry that has seen agencies shift from representing only models with no tattoos, or those that are easily hidden, to building entire campaigns around elaborately inked individuals. Encouraging acceptance and celebrating individuality, freedom of expression and creativity, Skin Deep features 100 black and white nude images of professional tattooed male models shot against a stark black, signature background. We found out more in this interview with Danny…
> What attracted you to photographing tattooed models? Why?
The underlying message is to encourage acceptance and freedom of expression, Skin Deep has been created over the course of a year to show the versatility of beauty and ink, and is something I could relate to myself. I needed it to be something that I understood, had knowledge about and was part of my life – and I wanted to represent and celebrate the rise of the tattooed model and its acceptance, slowly, into the fashion industry.
RICKIHALL@NEVS
> What is your background? Have you always photographed people?
Yes I did a general photography course at college in Cheshire when I first started as a photographer and this covered all types of photography, when I was doing landscapes etc i used to have imagine people there to be able to create the image. I decided very quickly one of the main reasons I am a photographer is because of the people, so I continued my studies at London College of Fashion studying fashion photography
> Why only men in the project?
I decided when I started this as a personal project that It had to be relatable to myself, it had to say something from me and be pure to my vision and I felt – as a tattooed male myself – I would be able to better understand the body of the male and their process of thought. I want to represent the male models in a way I haven’t always been able to represent them due to client limitations.
MATTHEWMORRIS@BMA
> The portraits are in black and white… is there a particular reason for this?
Due to the scale of the project and the timeframe of over a year of shooting, I wanted to create something distinctive that showcased the models and their tattoos in a consistent way and I felt this was the best way to do it. I shoot a lot in black and white as I love shape, line, texture and movement and really feel this can be explored a lot deeper with a black and white image.
BUD&AIDEN@BODYLONDON
> Are you tattooed yourself?
I do have a collection of tattoos and plan to have more done in the future months and years. I have my left top arm , finger, both feet, all my toes and most recently I have had the title of this project “skin deep” on my inner lip which was done at One By One tattoo studio in soho, London. All my tattoos have a deep rooted and significant meaning to me and are connected to parts of my job as a photographer, people who have impacted my life and the evolution of myself. They look quite macabre but they are more my own personal affirmations.
> What are your hopes for this exhibition? How many portraits does it include?
The exhibition will feature over 100 portraits of the selected agency signed male models, which I hope will showcase their diversity. I want to show a wider audience something that is visually stimulating and celebrates how these people are breaking the mould. They are being true to themselves in an elite industry and expressing who they are through the medium of tattooing, which I think is an incredible art form and I don’t know why it has taken so long for the two worlds of tattooing and fashion to collide and be more accepted in the mainstream. I think the bigger picture is about encouraging acceptance and celebrating individuality, freedom of expression and creativity.
Danny has just reached his fundraising target on Kickstarter, so it looks like there will be a physical exhibition of Skin Deep in London next year. Look out for updates from @thingsandink and @skindeeplondon.
