Embracing female tattoo culture
Beautiful short documentary following Johny Midnight, a south London based artist, as he completes a painting, from start to finish, of Battersea Power Station.
Johny’s gallery/studio is in Balham, south west London, gallerymidnight.com
Midnight from James Stittle on Vimeo.
Director: Andrew Grayshon
Cinematography: James Stittle, shot on Sony FS7 using Canon Lenses
Editor: Olli Abbott
The 100 Hands Project, curated by our editor Alice Snape, forms the centrepiece of the exhibition Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed at the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall, which runs until January 2018. Here Alice talks about the innovative installation and what it means for contemporary tattoo culture.
It was the stunning work of tattoo artist Claudia de Sabe that made me fall in love with tattoos. From the moment, I discovered her work, I knew I wanted to be heavily tattooed. I wanted to turn my own body into a work of art, become a collector of delicate, beautiful work by an array of different artists. So, of course, Claudia was the first tattoo artist I put on my list when I was approached by National Maritime Museum Cornwall to curate the 100 Hands Projects.
Curator Alice Snape standing in front of the 100 Hands at NMMC
For me, there is absolutely no denying that tattoos are art, that’s not a question up for debate. Of course, all tattoos are not created equal, some are “good” and some “bad”. Tattooing is another medium and tattoos can be analysed in a way that any other works of art can – watercolours, sculptures, sketches, oil paintings. This means that some are worthy of being housed in a museum. The problem is, of course, tattoos simply aren’t objects that can be put in a frame or housed in a cabinet. They are on the skin of living, breathing people, which means ordinarily they disappear from existence once the wearer’s life is over.
The 100 Hands Project is a way of representing the three-dimensional, living nature of the tattoo. I have handpicked 100 of the best tattooists all working in the UK right now providing a snapshot of the work tattoo collectors are currently getting inked onto their skin, from black and grey and geometric to neo-traditional and colour realism. My selection includes the most respected, talented and popular artists. And they have each created an original design on a silicone arm.
“For my submission I simply tattooed something that I would love to tattoo in real life, for a customer,” said Claudia de Sabe, when I asked for her inspiration behind the piece she created – a stunning Japanese peony in purple and red. And the reason she wanted to be part of it? “There’s still a lot of misconceptions on tattooing and every exhibition can perhaps be of help in establishing a secure space for this art/craft within the artistic community. Ten years ago, an exhibition like this would have taken place maybe at a tattoo convention for three days, but not at a museum for this same length of time, which is incredible.”
Tattoos are so much more than just beautiful designs, they’re reminders of the unique stories that can be told on human skin. So, bringing an intimate and personal art form into a museum space gives the practice a new, institutional legitimacy and a special kind of accessibility, dispelling outdated misconceptions and showing just what is possible when artists put ink into skin.
And now the exhibition has finally launched, seeing the arms come back together inside the museum is a spectacle to behold. After hundreds of painstaking hours, 100 blank arms are now works of art that have become part of tattoo history. No matter what the inspiration or motivation behind each piece, each work of art has become one to make an installation that will have an impact on the future of this thriving, creative and magical industry.
List of 100 contributing artists:
Louie Rivers, Travelling tattooist, Exeter
Joe Carpenter, Five Keys Tattoo Studio, Norwich
Ricky Williams / The Family Business / London
Jo Harrison UN1TY / Modern Body Art, Shrewsbury / Birmingham
Caleb Kilby, Old Habits / Two Snakes, London / Hastings
Kate Mackay Gill, Private Studio, West Sussex
Jake Galleon, Studio XIII, Edinburgh
Paula Castle, Broadside, Swansea
Meg Langdale, The Burton Tattoo Collective, Leicester
Joanne Baker, Grizzly Art Collective, Coventry
Han Maude, Infinite Ink, Coventry
Antony Flemming, World of Tattoos, Ruislip Manor
Sophie Gibbons, Tommygun Tattoo, Plymouth
James “Woody” Woodford, 1770, Brighton
Pauly, Second City Tattoo, Birmingham
Dexter Kay, King of Hearts, London
Mike Stockings, Legacy Tattoo, Haverhill
Jondix, Seven Doors, London
Olivia Dawn, The Tattoo Company, Wilmslow
Matt Difa, Jolie Rouge, London
Kathryn Kirk, Addiction Tattoo & Piercing, Bangor, Northern Ireland
Tamara Lee, The Circle / Two Snakes, London / Hastings
Aaron Hewitt, Cult Classic Tattoo, Romford
Louis Molloy, Middleton Tattoo Studio, Manchester
Abbie Williams, Lost Time, Peterborough
Amy Savage, The Warren, Canterbury
Araceli Forever, Death’s Door, Brighton
Anrijs Straume, Bold as Brass Tattoo Company, Liverpool
Allan Graves, Haunted Tattoos, London
Neil Dransfield, Oddfellows Tattoo Collective, Leeds
Dominique Holmes, Black Lotus Studio, London
Chrissy Lee, Colchester Body Arts, Essex
Lucy O’Connell, Red Tattoo and Piercing, Leeds
Delphine Noiztoy, The Lacemakers Sweatshop, London
Gibbo, Oddfellows Tattoo Collective, Leeds
Sway, Sacred Electric Tattoo, Leeds
Harriet Rose Heath, Crooked Claw Tattoo, Sheffield
Little Andy, The Church Tattoo Studio, Birmingham
Lal Hardy, New Wave Tattoo, London
Dane Grannon, Creative Vandals, Hull
Hannah Keuls, Good Times, London
Akuma Shugi, Wolf & Dagger, Hove
Ché Crook, Level Crooks, Bristol
Miss Jo Black, Black Inc, Frome
Philip Yarnell, Skynyard Tattoos, Westcliff-on-Sea
Lucy Blue, Cobra Club, Leeds
Clare “Goldilox” Deen, Incandescence, Birmingham
Alex Candela, Black Market, Leicester
Matthew “Henbo” Henning, Redwood, Manchester
Jack Goks, Cloak and Dagger, London
Jelle Soos, Swansea Tattoo Company, Swansea
Matt Finch, Atelier Four Tattoo Studio, Truro
Dan Hague, La Familia, Newquay
Paul Hill, Vagabond, London
Dawnii Fantana, Painted Lady Tattoo Parlour, Birmingham
Kerry-Anne Richardson, Cock A Snook, Newcastle
Chris Jones, Physical Graffiti, Cardiff
Kat Abdy, Cloak and Dagger, London
Touka Voodoo, Divine Canvas, London
Rosie Evans, MVL Tattoo, Leeds
Joao Bosco, Parliament, London
Claudia de Sabe, Seven Doors, London
Emma Kierzek, Aurora Tattoo, Lancaster
Tacho Franch, Follow Your Dreams, Sheffield
Justin Burnout, Ghost House Collective, Derby
Mitchell Allenden, Dock Street Tattoos, Leeds
Lewis Parkin, Northside Tattooz, Newcastle
Mister Paterson, The Fifth Chamber, London
Charissa Gregson, Bath Street Tattoo Collective, Glasgow
Otto D’ambra, The White Elephant, London
Holly Ashby, House of Thieves Tattoo, Birmingham
Fidjit, Dharma Tattoo, London
Deryn Stephenson, Tenacious Tattoo, Sheffield
David Corden, Semper, Edinburgh
Sarah Whitehouse, Redwood Tattoo, Manchester
Fil, Broad Street Tattoo, Bath
Radu Rusu, Atelier Four Tattoo Studio, Truro
Ella Bell, Dust’n’Bones Tattoo, Plymouth
Ashley Luka, The Square Tattoo Studio, Solihull
Danielle Rose, Sanctuary Tattoo, Dundee
Matt Youl, Painted Lady Tattoo Parlour, Birmingham
Liam Sparkes, Old Habits Tattoo, London
Sadee Glover, Black Chalice Tattoo, Swindon
Jemma Jones, Sacred Electric Tattoo, Leeds
Gemma B, Black Ink Rebellion, Newquay
Kodie Smith, Edshead Tattoo Studio, Chelmsford
Billy Hay, Bath Street Tattoo Collective, Glasgow
Henry Big, Rain City Tattoo Collective, Manchester
Freddie Albrighton, Immortal ink, Chelmsford
Daryl Watson, Painted Lady Tattoo Parlour, Birmingham
John Anderton, Nemesis tattoo, Seaham
Hanumantra, UN1TY, Shrewsbury
Just Jen, Den of Iniquity, Edinburgh
Iain Sellar, The Black Lodge, Bristol
Olly Streeter, La Familia, Newquay
Cally-Jo, New Wave, London
Sophie Adamson, The Projects Tattoo, Plymouth
Loz Thomas, One By One, London
Kayley Henderson, Northside Tattooz, Newcastle
Tasha Pollendine, Physical Graffiti, Cardiff
We couldn’t resist a trip to south London’s Hither Green, when tattoo artist Tiggy Tuppence invited us down to her brand new (and Disney inspired) tattoo studio Briar Rose. It’s the most perfect place to get tattooed and she’s thought of every last detail, including an antler chandelier that reminded of her Beauty and the Beast‘s Gaston…
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? I worked in the games industry, but I hated being in an office environment, it felt static and uncreative. I’d been thinking about tattooing as a career as I felt that it would give me the creative freedom I needed, and the opportunity to be around people I might fit in with more. I had a tattoo artist friend, who told me that it would be too hard, that I’d have to quit my job and work for nothing for years, which was a bit disheartening, so I never felt like I would be good enough to become a tattoo artist. However, I was offered an apprenticeship by Kamil in north London because he had seen my work and liked it! That was a huge confidence boost! I quit my main job to pursue tattooing, and took on a part-time job in GAME to support me. It was the best thing I ever did, and I’m so glad I didn’t give up.
Where does your inspiration come from? I’ve had many different creative backgrounds, I grew up sewing with my mother, watching Disney as well as every other cartoon going, and drawing every day for fun. I left school at 16 to do a National Diploma in Fashion Design, then I went to university to do a degree in computer games design. I’d always wanted to go into concept art for films and games, as this was the sort of art I loved. My drawing style reflects that, my work isn’t typically ‘tattoo-ish’. I’ve always worked digitally, working with a Wacom tablet and Photoshop for the last 14 years, and I love to incorporate all different colours into my work – I love colour! My inspiration comes from this rich background, and my love of cartoons, games, films, digital artists, and traditional artists.
What are your favourite subjects to tattoo? I love tattooing cats, animals, nature, flowers, birds, wildlife. Yeah, I really love tattooing cute animals. I grew up in rural west-country so I’ve always been into nature and local wildlife, living in London I miss this aspect of my home so tattooing animals is my happy place. I also love tattooing any sort of pop-culture stuff – Pokemon, Disney, Studio Ghibli, stuff from games like Okami, Portal, and Final Fantasy, and many others too.
Your new studio is “unapologetically Disney inspired”, why did you decide to do this? I didn’t decide to make my studio Disney inspired, it just happened. After I came up with the name Briar Rose it just all fell into place. I loved that I was able to come up with an original shop name, and I figured there probably aren’t too many tattoo shops like this. I just buy things as and when I see them, and before you know it I have an entire shop (and home) full of Disney!
Even down to the antler chandelier, that reminded me of Gaston, the rug in the hallway was inspired by the magic carpet from Aladdin, and the wallpaper in the main studio area made me think of The Jungle Book. It’s not officially Disney but each little element has been inspired by it as that’s just how I am! I really did put my heart and soul into making this place. I’ve got a lot of compliments on it, many of my customers have said they’ve never been in a tattoo shop like it before. I like to think I have something magical here.
Favourite Disney film? Man that is the hardest question and it comes up all the time. I ask most people what theirs is (apparently I attract other Disnerds here too) and then of course I am always asked this question back. Can I give a top 5 in no particular order? Aristocats, Robin Hood, Moana, Sleeping Beauty, and Tarzan! It feels horrible having to choose. I love them all.
Describe your studio in just three words… Whimsical, Warm, Welcoming
How did you pick the location? What kind of clients do you hope to attract? And what can they expect from their experience? I wanted a shop that was in a safe, friendly area, as I know that many of my customers who are female would have to carry cash with them. I don’t want people to feel like they have to look over their shoulder when finding my shop. I’m in the process of getting a card machine as well, which I hope will help that. Also for first-time customers, who are already feeling nervous, I think it’s just nicer to show up to a place that’s easy to find, and where you feel comfortable. This was really important to me, I want people to have a lovely experience, and then go home and feel like they’re always welcome back, even if it’s just for a chat or a coffee.
In the studio, I’ve tried to provide all sorts of things to help people feel welcome and looked after, I like to take care of people. I’ve bought all different coffees and teas for my fancy coffee machine, I’ve got phone charging ports in the waiting area, complete with Android/iPhone and USBC cables, there is wifi, customers can choose their own music if they like by playing it through our fancy Sonos speaker. Whatever makes their experience comfortable, as they’re often sitting with me for many hours at a time.
What has been your most favourite tattoo you have ever created, why? I think the one that takes the top spot will have to be a cat portrait I did. Her cat was called Diamond who had the most impressive resting bitch face, which we managed to capture in the tattoo. As an extra bonus, this girl emailed me after her appointment asking if I’d like to meet up some time, it was the most awesome thing ever and she is now one of my best friends, we talk literally every day. Love you Kerri!
How do you like to work with your clients? The shop is by appointment only so clients will email me with their ideas and organise a consultation, I think it’s important to get to know your client before drawing something for them, to get those extra personal touches into the design, but I know this isn’t always possible.
I’ll always draw up my client’s designs before they come in so they can see and make changes, I feel like the work is a collaboration where I’m the art director! But it’s important for people to be able to have some amount of say on what lives on them permanently. I’ve also become friends with quite a large handful of my past clients as well, which is wonderful. This is the best job!
Visit www.briarrosetattoo.com, or follow Tiggy’s studio on Instagram @briarrosetattoo
In this post our guest blogger Amber Bryce talks about getting her first stick and poke tattoo from Prison Style Tattoos…
I’ve always told myself that getting tattoos impulsively is a bad idea. It’s the kind of decision that leaves you with a boy’s name on your wrist, or a dog anus for a belly button, right? But in late November, I changed my mind.
I saw that Hannah Hill (AKA Hanecdote) had gotten a small stick ‘n’ poke gravestone reading “RIP ART SKL” on her bum cheek. I’ve always loved black and grey tattoos that have a simplistic, sketchy style to them – as though they’ve been doodled on a notepad during a boring geography lesson. Hannah’s tattoo (pictured below) had that appeal.
I clicked through on Instagram to see @prisonstyletattoos’s ink-filled page, each tattoo framed by a peace sign. I Dm’d him and we arranged an appointment for the following week.
Secret Studio is where Prison Style Tattoos (AKA 34-year-old Timothy V) operates from, a gated complex in East London. I knew instantly I’d like PST when he messaged asking if I wanted a glass of wine. He also had blue hair, wore cool trainers and loved Fleetwood Mac.
He got into tattooing after being turned down for a pair on his hands at 18/19. “I decided to take matters into my own hands (again, literally) and buy loads of dodgy tattoo gear online and do them myself. I’m happy to say it was a good lesson. It helped me to develop and let me do my own thing.”
I was getting a small UFO tattooed on my arm (pictured below). After checking placement we sat for a bit and chatted. I asked him what it was about hand-poked tattoos he preferred.
“I love the way by hand you can slowly build up a line and watch each poke change the identity of that line. Sounds farty but it’s such a unique experience for me each time. I love it.”
I’d always imagined that hand poking would hurt more than a regular machine tattoo, perhaps because it seems more of a medieval approach. As he dipped the single needle into ink, I laid back and so began the tattoo. Or so I was told, because I could barely feel a thing. The whole experience was ridiculously relaxed, to the point where I felt like a fraud. I’d told friends I was going to get a stick ‘n’ poke and they’d thought it sounded really bad-ass, yet in reality here I was, chilling out with a glass of wine.
“What’s the strangest experience you’ve had while tattooing?” I asked. “During a tattoo I did on my genitals, the skin around my penis tripled in size and filled with water. I actually had a bloated sea cucumber for a chap! It wasn’t until I received a response to my panicked text from the Brighton tattoo artist Adam Sage that I felt relieved enough not to go to A&E. Taxi to hospital cancelled and all returned to its sore normal the next day.” At this point I couldn’t shake the image of a sea cucumber.
After the first round of the design was done I went to take a look in the mirror. It looked faint, like half-erased pencil. Apparently some people quite like that look, but I sat back down for another layer of ink. There was a large graffiti beetle on the wall, which PST told me was done by his friend and co-creative @veratattoos. This is whom he started his pop-up parlour with. “It’s purely us doing what we love, low key, unique and on a need to know basis. It’s, I hope, a unique, personal and endearing experience for the client.”
After another few rounds of hand poking, my tattoo was finished. A UFO had landed on my upper arm, leaving the skin beneath it only a little red and raised. After a quick Instagram picture, PST wrapped it up and I took one last swig of wine. Getting a tattoo is always exciting, but this felt especially exhilarating.
As an anxious person, venturing to an unknown location in London to get a tattoo by someone I’d never heard of before at less than a week’s notice was a serious step outside of my comfort zone, but it’s this kind of rebellious impulsivity of tattoo culture that PST is hoping to recapture.
“I’m a firm believer tattoos should be spontaneous but at the same time sum up something that’s fearless and ‘non-standard’.” Before heading off into the cold, I asked him what’s in store for the future. “The plan is to be a successful, fun, busy, happy, exciting, passionate maker of hand poke tattoos and give each person who is willing a lovely, personal experience. I want to play this gig full time, baby!”
I’m already planning going back for a vegan-inspired ‘RIP cheese’ tattoo.
From the illegal underground tattooists of South Korea to Brazilian women challenging social stereotypes, Grace Neutral’s productions with VICE offer an edifying shift away from the usual fetishizing of tattoos by using them as a conduit to highlight the often contentious social and political realms of each wearer.
Grace chats with writer Fareed about her experiences in front of the lens for VICELAND’s 2017 series, Needles and Pins, and what it’s like to be an ambassador for contemporary tattoo culture.
(This is an abridged version, the full piece will be published in INKED)
Photo courtesy of VICELAND
Hi Grace. So, you were tattooing at Good Times and then suddenly you’re a media personality at VICE media. Can you tell me how that happened? Well, I was lucky enough to be approached by i-D a few years’ back to write an alternative Christmas speech about beauty, which received a great response.
i-D then made a film about me and my outlook on tattooing which also went down really well. It was after my i-D series ‘Beyond Beauty’ that VICE asked me to work with them.
And how has that journey been for you thus far? I started making films with VICE at the start of 2016 and we wrapped up the first series of Needles and Pins by the end of the year! It has been one amazing year, that’s for sure!
Photo courtesy of VICELAND
Let’s talk about the shows. It’s so refreshing to have someone from the tattoo community represent contemporary tattoo culture in an intelligent and socially and politically charged manner, unlike other mainstream shows that often debase the art form. What are you hoping to achieve with these shows? Basically, what I wanted to achieve with these shows was super simple: I wanted to tell a true story about tattooing, and offer people a proper insight into how the art form came to be the big industry it is today.
I also wanted share some of the cultures and techniques that helped evolve the art. Just like you say, mainstream shows on tattoos seem to only fetishise and poke fun at tattooing. I got sick of this – and decided I’d have to do it myself 😉
What is the extent of your role in these stories, is it limited to presenter or are you actively searching out stories and utilising your knowledge and networks gained while tattooing? There must be so much involved! I am not a TV presenter, it has never been a goal of mine. I simply got offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about my craft.
Being in front of the camera and guiding the audience through my adventures was definitely something I had to learn, but because I am so passionate about tattooing it was natural for me to quickly form relationships with a lot of the people we filmed.
For me, it’s all about finding the stories. I was very involved in the development and making of the show. For example, I knew and suggested some of the contributors you see in Needles and Pins.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learnt, whether about yourself or anything else, over the course of the shows? I have learnt so much from every single place I have visited. But the one common theme that strikes me is that that tattooing is such an amazing way to build friendships and communities. I feel so lucky to be part of the global tattoo family.
Photo courtesy of VICELAND
Most memorable moment for you? The most memorable moment filming the series was riding around LA on quad bikes with Venice Bad Boys.
Most interesting thing you’ve discovered about tattoo culture? In one episode of Needles and Pins we go to New Zealand to learn about Maori tattooing and Maori culture – and this was the most interesting discovery for me. The Maori people are so beautiful – and its history is so intertwined with tattooing, nature and magic, it was hard not to fall in love there. It is definitely a place I will return to continue my tattoo journey and education.
Has the show received any criticisms? To be honest, I haven’t heard any bad comments about the show.
Obviously there has been the odd internet troll calling me a ‘freak’ because of the way I look, but I have heard it all before and I’m very good at shielding myself from any negativity comments.
All the feedback about the show has, so far, been really positive – and I’m over the moon about that!
Photo courtesy of VICELAND
If you could do a tattoo show about anything or anyone, what would it be? The one I just made for VICELAND!
Would you agree that the normalisation of tattoos – great for reducing stigma and allowing autonomy over one’s body – has also created a new ‘beauty’ industry / ideal? Tattoos becoming less about expressing spirit and individuality and more about acquisition: the purchase of social capital and of ‘beauty.’ Yes for sure, I think the majority of tattoo artists (well, at least the ones I know and work with) understand how sacred it is to tattoo, the energy you share with that person is so beautiful, and sometimes, even life changing.
It’s been something that I have been conscious of for a long time – and I love that more and more people (not just tattooers, but also the people who get tattooed) are realising this as well.
And lastly, what have you got planned for 2017? 2017 is all about tattooing, travel and having a fucking good time while I do it!
Photo courtesy of VICELAND
