Author: Kimberly Baltzer-Jaray

Philosophy Lecturer, Writer for Things & Ink Magazine
Posted on

A Hula Boy Tattoo, At Last!

In the very first issue of Things & Ink, I wrote an article called “Old School for Girls”. In it, I posed the question – Is it time to recreate the traditional pin-up tattoo for a female audience? – and I expressed my interest in getting a hula boy tattoo. After the article came out, I became rather determined to find an artist willing to tattoo a hula boy on me. He had to be handsome, sweet, fun, and with the right level of kitsch. He had to fit my style, complement the colourful tattoos already on my right arm which represent my love of all things ‘Hawaii kitsch’ – pink flamingos, palm trees, hula girls, tiki huts, etc., you get the idea. He had to be perfectly me.

I am extremely happy to report that in October I found the perfect tattoo artist for the job (Thanks, Reka & Maya for your help!), and in November when I was visiting London she gave me what my heart desired most … and then a whole lot more! Her name is Eszter David, she’s an incredibly talented artist from Hungary, and she works at one of my favourite tattoo shops in the whole wide world, Hell To Pay. She took on the challenge with excitement and enthusiasm. I told her he needed to have a traditional feel in the way he was drawn, but I wanted some non-traditional features – some tattoos and a moustache, were a couple of ideas I mentioned. I left the rest up to her, and she exceeded all my expectations. She did a ton of homework in order to draw the right hula boy attire. She put a ton of thought into every little intricate tattoo she put on his body. She gave him lovely, stylized short and shiny hair, and a sweet flirty smile. Needless to say, she completely got my personality and taste, including the level of kitsch I wanted and my arm artwork demanded. He was absolutely PERFECT!!

Check out Eszter on Instagram, FB, and of course at the Hell To Pay shop and FB page. She’s a super talented female tattoo artist who is the master of many styles. Really I cannot say enough wonderful things about her as a person and as a tattooist. I look forward to seeing her again in 2015, for more ink, good music, and some beers.

And, as Ester said, “Hula boys & pink flamingos forever!” She’s a girl after my own heart!

Posted on

The Tattoo Project, a Book Review

I’m a person who loves supporting worthy causes and projects, tattoo related or not. So, when a friend sent me a link to The Tattoo Project, I fell in love instantly and wanted to help. After speaking with the creative genius behind the project, Vince Hemingson, I decided I would talk about the project in the next issue of Things & Ink, and try to spread the word about it, help bring attention to the Kickstarter fundraising campaign, and just increase awareness about the project and how worthy it is. To help accomplish this and to give me a more concrete idea of what the project was about, Vince sent me a copy of the book. My first reaction after opening the box was how heavy it was (it’s 240 pages of thick, glossy, high-quality paper, and a lovely hard cover), the superior construction of the book itself (it’s very well-made and will hold up to lots and lots of perusing), and the images are absolutely, incredibly, gobsmackingly stunning. I was in bliss, and it has been a long time since I felt that with a contemporary book featuring photographs of tattooed people. My Things & Ink article will speak more to this.

I spent just over 2 hours just turning pages, taking everything in the book had to offer visually. The book consists of images shot by 11 fine arts photographers (both men & women), of several tattooed subjects of both sexes, and the photographs were shot over a 3 day period in Vancouver, B.C.. There are over 200 full-page images in the book, plus the forward by P. J. Reece, documentary director’s notes by Jack Silberman, a description of the 3 days of shooting the project by Bob Baxter, details about Pennylane Shen who curated the exhibition for The Tattoo Project, and then photos of the exhibition event, and then the acknowledgments (you can see all of this in the shot of the table of contents in the gallery below). Also, each photographer has a small write-up on their introduction page that includes details about them and sometimes their thoughts and/or approach to the project shoots or what they hope to demonstrate through their images. A very lovely personal touch that gives you some insight into the photos that follow and the personal style of that photographer. The way the book is assembled, the contrasts in style between all the photographers is highlighted and their uniqueness is celebrated. There is a wonderful flow from one photographer to the next, and the effect is just immensely aesthetically pleasing. I enjoyed and really liked the works of each photographer for, and for different reasons. I loved the subjects too, their tattoo styles and bodies so unique and all so lovely for their own natural reasons. There’s a lot of diversity in age, body size, and tattoo style. The tattoos in this book are also very lovely in and of themselves, apart from the skin they are on.

Every image is overflowing with artistic expression and passion; whether the subjects are male or female, naked or clothed, each is photographed in a way that communicates an intention for beauty, respect, celebration and adoration of the tattooed subject. There’s no smut in here; there’s no extreme sexualization; there’s nothing derogatory or demeaning or sexist. One photographer has a retro pin-up style, but it’s rather lovely, cheeky and sweet, not pornish at all. Vince told me in a conversation that the pursuit of beauty is its own reward, and that is very evidently on the minds of the photographers for this volume. He also said that he feels it’s important for everyone to be a feminist, and that sentiment is also very present and loud here too. The photographs of these tattooed folks are at times reminiscent of paintings I’ve seen in galleries or books, that classical celebration of beauty and the human form you see in pieces by artists like Botticelli, Delecroix, and David. Some of the men’s shots, the body poses, remind me of classic ancient Greek sculptures. It’s so wonderful to see modern photography, tattooing, and a classic sense of artistic beauty brought together in a project.

Honestly, this book is a must-have for anyone who adores, celebrates, and seeks to be part of the positive elements and energies of the tattoo culture. It’s tasteful, it’s very artsy (and classy) and it’s just so damn beautiful to look at. It’s tattooed people photographed in a way that anyone can look at and enjoy: adults and kids alike. I will proudly put this on my coffee table, maybe with a chain on it as someone might take it. It’s tattoo culture at its highest form.

Be sure and visit the Kickstarter page for the Tattoo Project, check out the video and all the wonderful things you can get for donating. Please share this post or the links below with friends, family or those you know who are in or who adore tattoo culture. This project is so amazing, this documentary MUST be made.

Here’s everything important you need to knowing about The Tattoo Project:

The Tattoo Project takes a journey to the heart of “who we are.”
“Beauty is skin deep, but a tattoo goes all the way to the bone.” 
~ Vince Hemingson

The Tattoo Project is Hemingson’s attempt to prove that his apocryphal quote is true. Experimental photo shoot, gallery exhibition, and coffee table book—so far The Tattoo Project has made waves in the photo and tattoo worlds. But where’s the documentary film? – It’s one Kickstarter campaign away.

The Tattoo Project documentary team is turning to the tattoo and photography and art communities to help them over the final financial hurdle of editing the over 24 hours of amazing footage captured from the original three-day Tattoo Project Photo Shoot and the opening night of their one-of-a-kind Gallery Exhibition. If successful, the crowdfunding campaign will result in a one-hour broadcast quality documentary, and for the Special Edition version, another hour of behind the scenes footage and interviews with the creative team.

The film is the chance to tell the stories revealed by The Tattoo Project. To go beneath the skin and behind the eye to explore the zone where tattoo art meets portrait art. It’s a journey to the heart of “who we are.”

In this short video, Director Jack Silberman explains the vision for the film and gives a sneak preview at some of the amazing footage that will be used.

Says Hemingson: “I have always been struck by the extraordinary power that tattoos have to reveal a person’s inner self. What we wear on our skin is an outward reflection of who we are on the inside. So the symbols people choose to decorate their bodies with, they’re proclaiming to the rest of the world, “This is who I am.”

Can photography capture both the external self and the inner self? That’s the big question, and the heart and the soul of The Tattoo Project. As Hemingson says, “If the body is a temple, then our tattoos are its stained-glass windows.” Tattoos tell stories. Our film reveals those stories to you.

Useful Links:

www.thetattooproject.com

www.facebook.com/TheTattooProject

Kick Starter Project: http://kck.st/1mXYFTY

The Tattoo Project Promotional video: http://youtu.be/gBLBmFnrJaU

Media images from The Tattoo project for download: http://bit.ly/1u41WDN

The Vanishing Tattoo Documentary: http://youtu.be/ql7xxYxSag8

Media coverage of the Tattoo Project

Marisa Kakoulas, Needles & Sins, Review of The Tattoo Project: http://ow.ly/x7Vbu

Bob Baxter, Review of The Tattoo Project Weekend: http://ow.ly/x7V2X

Bob Baxter, Review of The Tattoo Project Gallery Exhibition: http://ow.ly/x7V5n

For more information please contact: Vincent Errol Hemingson
Email: vince@thetattooproject.com

Vince Hemingson is an award-winning photographer, screenwriter, best-selling author, filmmaker and the creator of www.vanishingtattoo.com, one of the internet’s largest, most popular and critically acclaimed websites related to tattoos and body art, which is visited by some ten million visitors every year. He co-produced, co-wrote and co-hosted The Vanishing Tattoo documentary film, which was broadcast on National Geographic International and was seen by tens of millions of people in over one hundred countries around the world. Hemingson is regarded as one of the world’s leading researchers into tattoos and their place within popular culture and he is often called upon to comment about tattoos and body art to the mainstream media.

Posted on

In Honour of HR Giger

On 30 May 2014 the public memorial service for HR Giger was held at the Fraumünster reformed church in Zurich. It was an occasion to bid farewell to a man who influenced so many and so much. I wish I could have attended with my Giger Gang friends, but sadly my budget was not in shape for European travel. So, I thought maybe a personal tribute was in order, a way to pay my respects and say goodbye.

Note: I am still gathering things related to the influence Giger had on tattoo artists, I do want to broaden it to include people with Giger tattoos, but that project is taking a while to come together and truthfully I’d love one day to see a book of Giger and Tattoo Culture. So, maybe my efforts can help with that. 🙂

A few years ago I wrote a blog essay on my ‘Birth Machine’ thigh tattoo, one of the most obvious ways to see Giger’s influence on my thinking and my body. Check it out here. For all things Giger, check out his personal website. And some great posts about Giger can be found here and here. And there’s many more online.

I first became acquainted with his artwork at a very young age, in the 1980’s. I fondly remember being mesmerized by the Debbie Harry ‘KooKoo’ album cover, and the Emerson, Lake & Pamer ‘Brain Salad Surgery’ album cover (both were owned by family members). I have a soft spot for the first two Alien movies; I saw both before I turned 13. I loved the creatures, the sets, and I loved the fear they induced.

Giger never failed to put me in a total state of awe with his smoky velvet textures, the heavy moods present in his works, and his alien or industrial landscapes. I have always loved his depictions of strong, maternal, sexual female creatures. His female creations are never victims or purely objectified pieces of meat to be devoured. They always seem very confident and fierce, something you’d love and fear at the same time. The sexuality in his paintings is thought-provoking and aesthetically beautiful (never pornographic or tasteless). He had such a unique way of blending sexual content with power, maternity, fear and anguish, and he did so as seamlessly as he blended human and machine elements.

The most wonderful feeling I have when I look at Giger’s work is that of being at home: It feels like I’ve found an artist who speaks my language or rather paints my mind on a page. I’ve always been fascinated with things many people consider dark: I love reading about the history of torture devices, or the ways they would test if someone was a witch during the trials in the USA and in Europe. Ever since childhood, I found myself more interested in the villain in books or movies, or even taking their side and wishing they had won: I cried when Darth Vader died in Star Wars. And ever since I can remember I have had horrible nightmares. Often as a kid I didn’t like going to sleep because I had so many monsters in my head. I knew once I shut my eyes I’d be running from something. I was so embarrassed of this too, I felt so alone, since none of my friends had this issue. When I learned that Giger too suffered from nightmares, using them as inspirational material for his art and thus achieving a kind of catharsis, I felt at ease and like I’d found a friend in terror. I never feel alone when I look at his work, and studying it deeply helps me exercise some demons as well.

Thank you, Giger, for being my friend in the darkness. I will never forget you or what you have meant to me. I am surrounded by your work; you are always here to inspire, to heal, to provoke, and to push the boundaries of those who enter my work space.

© Andy Davies May 25, 2014
Posted on

RIP HR Giger (1940 – 2014)

HR Giger, Museum Corridor, ©Louis Stalder

 

We are shocked and saddened by the news that the great surrealist and father of biomechanical art passed away yesterday at the age of 74: RIP, HR Giger. We at Things & Ink wish to offer our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and admirers.

Giger had a profound impact on the fine arts, pop culture, cinema, and tattoo culture. His brilliant mind and creative genius gave us creatures and settings featured in the Alien movie series (1979 – 1997), Species (1995), and most recently in Prometheus (2012), and the video game Dark Seed (1995). If you ever wish to immerse yourself in ‘Giger reality’ more deeply and vividly, go visit his museum and bar in the historic, medieval walled city of Gruyères, in Switzerland.

His biomechanical style, with its beautiful smokey textures and unsettling realism, has been a major tattoo style for over 30 years. Our writer, Kimberly Baltzer-Jaray, discussed this influence in Issue #4 (The Art Issue), in her article titled: Tattoo Styles. In the article you will find pictures and a short interview with the talented tattoo and airbrush artist, Rico Schinkel, a great Giger fan and friend. Be sure and check it out.

The one great assurance we have is that Giger will never be forgotten, lost or become obscure. His imaginings, his art, his creative gifts are very much woven into the fabric of the 21st century, and in the flesh of countless people.

Posted on

KMFDM Tour: A Lived Experience

KMFDM has been one of my favourite bands for more than 20 years, so getting the chance to see them live (again) and spend most of the day hanging out chatting about tattoos and music was wonderful fun.  On October 28th, I took the day off work, packed my camera bag and headed to Toronto, to the Phoenix Concert Theatre.  Kapt’n K, Jules, Andy and Steve, along with the crew and the opening band, CHANT, which that night was Bradley Bills alone (passport issues kept his bandmate in the US), were so lovely and a real joy to sit and share stories with.  Then there was the music … absolutely sublime.  Best birthday present EVER!

What you will find below are the complete transcripts of Jules, Andy, Steve and Bradley, on how tattoos have modified their lives. Listening to these guys tell stories is what inspired me to write about lived experience, since they so clearly demonstrated it.  At the bottom of the blog is a gallery of all the shots I took that day.  Click on the image to see it bigger and with some details.  I’ve also included some tattoo pics of KMFDM crew members David and Josh in the gallery as well.  It’s everything I couldn’t squeeze into my article (found in Things & Ink #6: The Modification Issue).  Enjoy!      ~Kimberly

 

-Jules Hodgson-

I came quite late to the tattoo game, so my first one wasn’t until 2000. A “tribal” on my right arm that was done in Japan by Permanent Mark. After its completion it was clear that I had gotten what looked like a tribal version of the old Kellogg’s corn flakes rooster. I’m in the process of having the covered up. The piece of flash on my upper right arm was done a year or two later at a shop in Tampa, FL while on tour with KMFDM. I recall Steve getting something done at the same time.

Next up was the glorious back piece that was done by my ex girlfriend who was apprenticing at a shop here in Seattle (where I live). I thought it would be novel to combine the”diamond” logo (Pig being the band that myself, Andy and Steve were in prior to joining KMFDM) with the fist symbol from the kmfdm “symbols” album. The addition of flames also seemed like a grand idea. The fact that she and I were in the process of splitting up and it was her first tattoo on something that wasn’t a grapefruit didn’t deter us from going ahead with the plan and the results speak for themselves!

The line work on my left arm is about 6 years old and I’ll complete the sleeve one day. It’s a bio-mechanical “twisted metal” thing that I’m sure is going to look amazing when I find the time and money to complete it. It was done by Jesse Roberts at Lucky Devil Tattoos in Seattle.

Most importantly, and most recently I’ve been covering up the “tribal chicken” with a more traditional roses and cobra sleeve. It’s a thinly disguised band tattoo – mine and Andy’s other band The Spittin’ Cobras. So as not to mislead your readers, it’s not industrial in any way. Think more punk/metal/hard-rock-n-roll. Sort of Motorhead vs AC/DC vs Judas Priest on PCP! How was that for a shameless plug? HaHa!

I’m really excited to get this finished. It’s being done by good friend Chani Murat, owner of Good Karma Tattoos in Edmonds, Washington. Every time we’d see each other she’d rib me about getting my tribal chicken covered up, so we got to it and started on my sleeve a wee while ago. Next up is going to be a heart and banner with my dog’s initials on my right wrist, and after that, who knows? Probably not another tribal chicken, though…

 

-Andy Selway-

I started getting tattooed at about age 14 or 15, at a tattoo shop in Ipswich, UK.  Me and a friend saved up lunch money, about £5 each, and went to this back alley shop.  These were little flash. Most are now covered over by other bigger tattoos. I had an uncle, one of my dad’s brothers – uncle Arthur – had a prison tattoo. Few playing cards on his arm. I saw them and I just wanted them.  Always wanted to fill up.

God, the early ones were awful, so needed to cover up and go bigger and bigger. Then just had to fill up the rest when the empty spaces were noticed. Once you fill arms, chest  and such, might as well do your back … and then you’re full.

Many are tour mementos – tattoos as tour souvenirs and band tributes (Swine, Pig, KMFDM, etc.) when tattoo artists are willing to do them for free.  My left forearm, this 3-headed purple thing was by a fan boy. Got it 2 days till end of the tour. Started it – 1.5hrs – immediately prior to going on and drumming – and 1.5hr after playing. Beyond painful.  You know Andy, Jules and I have been present for each others tattoos (most of them). Since 1997 or so we’ve been together (1996 he and Steve were in PIG, then Jules came in 1997).  I gotta mention these guys too, for my tattoos and other art:

  • Dan Gold, Astronaut guy on my arm, London Ink (Graffiti artist, Denmark)
  • Artist for cobra tattoos & Spittin’ Cobras band logo – Mark ‘Firehazzard’ Hodgkinson, he has a website and Facebook
  • Skunx Tattoo London, London, UK.  Nick Reid is close friend
  • Bones Lininger (my cobras tattoo) Fort Lauderdale, Bones Tattoos & Barbers (shop no longer exists?) – now an independent artist in Florida. I have plans to see him for a big back piece and some touch-up work on other tattoos
  • Kenny Dick (my knuckles) Lucky Seven tattoos, West Palm Beach, FL

 

-Steve White-

So, briefly I suppose living and growing up in London UK in the 80’s I wasn’t aware of Tattoo art, as virtually nobody had anything other than the odd prison/ school yard pin and ink (cue Skinheads with a spider’s web and tear on their faces). The art hadn’t really developed as it has today, so apart from the odd aged roadie or biker at a rock festival there were no peers.

When Jules, Andy and I toured the US in ’97 as Pig supporting KMFDM we became more aware of the advanced US development of Tat Art . We wore suits onstage in those days so we were protected from revealing our virgin flesh. Andy,  I remember, had a couple of coloured scabs that he insisted were Tats and he eventually had a tour tat that turned sceptic and peeled. Not a particularly enticing experience for Jules and I so we didn’t give them much more thought. Eventually it became apparent to me that this tour was fast becoming the time of my life and the only fitting memento would be an indelible one… A few years later and now on tour as KMFDM , it didn’t take us long to find a keen fan boy artist in Tampa to deliver our first ink. I rushed the decision and chose some colourful flash. He proceeded, while I gently snoozed, to choose olive-green as the only hue his colour blindness could register. I awoke from the tour fatigue and the gentle stabbing of the needle (quite a soporific experience despite what others warned ) to find a large bloody, verdant smudge on my upper arm. However, despite my disappointment at the shoddy needle – work, I gushed like a teenager onstage that evening, with my cellophane, bandaged arm, dripping and bloody a true rock ‘n roll badge of honour. Not one known for succumbing to peer pressure, I felt I had captured the essence of my foreign adventure and never missed a photo opportunity to show it off.. Ha!  What did I care if it more resembled a piss stain on my Khaki pants than a multi-coloured, fire-breathing Dragon?

These days teenagers with full sleeves and full chest pieces (and that’s just the women), have made me a little more wary, not to mention the huge hourly rate increases due to said popularity. However I’ve collected a few and still catch myself staring longingly at others ink and I feel good to be part of the experience . But unless we start selling truck loads of records again or that colour-blind fan boy from Tampa calls me, that will be all for now …

 

-Bradley Bills-

It definitely enriched my life experiences for the better. As a musician, it’s always wonderful to share the experience of writing music with another musician, so likewise, as an artist or even a human who loves art – when you get tattooed, you are sharing that art experience with the artist in a very open, intimate, and personal way – especially if it is custom art and represents something of deep meaning in your life – like my larger pieces (the Dragon and the Whale). But, another great thing about tattooing and art is that it doesn’t ‘HAVE’ to be all serious and full of deep meaning. Art is FUN, and like the silly anchor I have on the back of my leg, it was a fun and liberating experience to run get something with some friends so we had something to share. If I never got ‘inked’ then that would be fine, but then I wouldn’t have these experiences.

For ‘Tattoo credits’ – here are the shops and artists in Austin, TX who worked on my big pieces:

 

-Gallery-