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Edward Bishop: Knuckles

Edward Bishop is a 41-year-old photographer from Brighton and author of Knuckles. The book houses a collection of photographs  depicting hundreds of knuckle tattoos. We chatted with Edward to find out where he got his inspiration and what he would have tattooed on his knuckles…

Where did you get the idea for the book from? What inspired you? The idea for the book came out of a small exhibition of the project that I put on last year in Brighton. The project was five years old and I felt that the time was right to take stock of the body of work and to do something with it. I started selecting prints for the exhibtion and the construction of the book happened organically alongside this.

Did it start out as a small project or did you set out to create a book? Five years ago my photography didn’t really involve people that much. I wanted to start shooting people’s knuckles and purely by chance the first person I approached had a couple of musical notes tattooed on his knuckles. As soon as I looked at the photo I realised that the project was going to be about documenting knuckle tattoos.

The book became a natural part of the whole project. I knew in my mind as my collection grew that at some point there would be a book, but I didn’t know what form it would take until I started bringing all the photos together.

I worked with a fantastic designer called Lucy Davidson who helped me design the layout of the book and the logo. I had another friend Sak who made the Tattoo Generator on the website where people can go and make their own knuckle tattoos and post them online.

Do you have a background in photography?  My background is in the film industry, but I moved over to become a full-time photographer about 8 years ago. I work mainly in the music industry as a portrait and documentary photographer, I also shoot small documentary films from time to time.

What drew you to knuckle tattoos? As I mentioned it was that first set that drew me in. I was hooked as soon as I took that first shot.

Do you have tattoos? People always ask when I take their photo and I say that I live vicariously through the tattoos of others. I don’t have any tattoos, but every year I visit the Brighton and London Tattoo Conventions I come a little closer to getting something done. Knuckle tattoos have a nickname of ‘jobstoppers’  for obvious reasons, but I’m fortunate enough to work in an industry where this wouldn’t count against me, so who knows, maybe next year…

Where do you find people to photograph? On the first day of the project I managed to get 5 or 6 sets just within a couple of streets in Brighton. So at the end of that that I returned home and already had a small body of work for the project.

I spent the next few months wandering around Brighton and London collecting knuckles,  and then the Brighton Tattoo Convention happened and I realised that this was a much better way of building a collection of tattoos.

I continue to shoot knuckle tattoos for a second edition of the book.  The love and support for the book has been amazing. I’m quite blown away with the reception it gets.

Which knuckles have been your favourites? Having shot 450+ sets, I tend to see the same ones come up quite often. Ones that stand out for me are usually ones that make me smile, like BADA BING, SOMERSET and SANDWICH. I saw MOUNTAIN this year at BTC, which really resonated with me. My all time favourite, and this one I don’t mind how many times I see it is STAY GOLD from the Robert Frost poem ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’, quoted in film The Outsiders – “Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold”. ‘Stay gold’ meaning holding on to the innocence of youth.

Is their a particular phrase you’d have on your own knuckles? WIDE OPEN is an expression used in the film and photographic industries to mean that a lens is at it widest aperture. I guess that would be suitable for me, given my background.

Get your hands on a copy of Knuckles by Edward Bishop here and see more inspirational knuckle tattoos, you never know you may even see your own! 

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Royal College of Art graduate develops a personal tattoo machine 

Jakub Pollág, a Royal College of Art graduate has developed the Personal Tattoo Machine which allows users to create markings on their skin to be associated with memories and meanings, rather than art. “Personal Tattoo Machine democratises the tattoo industry,” he said. “It puts a tool used only by a limited group of people into the hands of enthusiasts, who are seeking an alternative and unique way to permanently mark their meaningful memories onto their skin.”

Pollág has some homemade tattoos on his own skin that he executed with a needle and ink, but he wanted to try and make this diy experience more “user friendly” and accessible. The same way that prisoners fashion tattoo machines out of found objects is what influenced Pollág’s design for his own machine.

Pollág allows only one thickness of needle and a much slower speed within the machine so that it allows the user to focus on what they are drawing…hopefully enabling more precision.

 So far the machine prototype has been used to create 30 tattoos on 20 different subjects. However, Pollág still recommends visiting a professional parlour for more accurate designs. “This machine is not aiming to replace tattoo parlours,” he said. “It’s there to offer a more personal option. If you want a realistic portrait of your, let’s say, cat, you should still go to a tattoo parlour and not use this machine.”
Pollág is presenting his project at this years RCA graduate show in London which ends today, July 5th.

 

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Sunburnt in the name of art

While we’re all slathering ourselves – and our tattoos – in factor 50 during the summer sunshine heat, others appear to be burning “art” onto their skin in a strange, and dangerous, new social media phenomena: #sunburnart. Also called a sun tattoo or sunburn tattoo.

Search the hashtag #sunburnart and over 80 images come up that feature intricate art sunburned onto people’s skin. One guy has even created the Mona Lisa.

The hashtag has caused concern amongst dermatologists, and Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, the Skin Cancer Foundation’s senior vice president, released the organisation’s official position on sunburn:

The Skin Cancer Foundation strongly advises the public to avoid sunburns at all costs. A sunburn is not only painful – it’s dangerous, and comes with consequences. Sunburns cause DNA damage to the skin, accelerate skin aging, and increase your lifetime skin cancer risk. In fact, sustaining five or more sunburns in youth increases lifetime melanoma risk by 80 percent. On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends adopting a complete sun protection regimen that includes seeking shade, covering up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV blocking sunglasses, in addition to daily sunscreen use.

Guys, our advice to you: Be safe, don’t burn. Get quality tattoos instead – they look cooler too.

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Interview with a Tattoo Artist: Claudia Ottaviani

Italian tattoo artist Claudia Ottaviani is currently backpacking around the world and guesting at different studios. 

Our Italian contributor Ilaria chatted to her about her love for the power of tattooing, here is an insight into her karmic journey through life.  

 

Portrait by Esther Galvan

 

 

 

How would you describe your style and how did you choose it? Even if the subjects are not always inspired by traditional style, I would say it belongs to old school, both for the technique and for the colours. Last year I also approached  ornamental and dotwork style. I can not tell which one I would choose, this profession is constantly evolving, but in the end I definitely remain a colour lover!

An Italian girl around the world. Tell me about your experiences abroad. Do you find any difference between Italian and Central European customers? My work experience abroad began more than one year ago, when I moved to Barcelona to work at LTW. This year, in February, I started to organise a small tour in Europe which led me to work in many  studios: Admiraal Tattoo Studio, True Love Madrid, The Bunker and many more! When invited to do guest spots, most of the customers will choose you because they trust your work.  There is no need to convince the customer to get something less commercial, let’s just say I’ve had better luck abroad.

Can you tell me about the feelings your travels gave you, both as a person and as an artist? I started travelling when I was 19, and at 23 I found myself as a backpacker in South America, an experience that has definitely changed my outlook of life.
I’ve realised that, as much as the tattoo itself, even the travel is fundamental and should be a goal to pursue. And here I am today. New places, new tattoos, new cities, landscapes, cultures and languages. It’s very stimulating and it opens your mind.

Have you ever met obstacles along your way? How important is the support from family and friends? Obviously I found obstacles, as everyone does in their life. Rome was not that easy for me. That’s why I decided to leave it more than once, but I have never felt like an unfortunate victim. It’s life, everyone makes their path!
My family is a good one, I am really proud of them. They have always helped me and believed in me, even though my mother still does not talk to me for three days after I get each new tattoo. Friend are also a huge source of energy.

What do you like best about being a tattoo artist? How deeply can you feel your subjects while preparing them and how important is your state of mind as you create them? Being a fundamental part of the process of creation of indelible marks that people decide to carry forever on their skin is always a great honour. While travelling, the drawing part is physically more difficult, but a lot easier mentally. I will try to explain it better: in the beginning, I sometimes had to force myself to find inspiration and then start creating. Today everything is much more spontaneous and instinctive, there is no need for a particular state of mind, maybe just a general wellness.
What are your favourite subjects? Women, flowers, hands, Kama Sutra positions, everything I see as classic and elegant. This oriental inspiration reached me thanks to a friend and colleague of Barcelona, Alexis Jofre, who one day took me to a nice library. We were right in the centre of the Asian art department. My mouth was wide open in front of those beautiful books! So I had to buy one, it was about musical paintings of ancient India. I could already see a thousand new ideas in my mind. Thank you Alexis!

 

Are you also interested in religious and sacred images? Is it a choice linked to your beliefs or purely aesthetic? I am not a believer, or rather not in the strict sense of the term. I believe in many things and my vision of life is certainly closer to eastern philosophies than to western religions. That said, there are symbols like crosses, svastike, tao, om that are to me simply fascinating. I like to see the power that these simple cultural lines have, if only put together.

What do you think of the tattoo culture today?  People I’m encountering in my path and the experiences I’m having are extremely positive. Regarding the negative side, there is always karma!


Which artists do you admire and give you inspiration? Whether in the world of tattoo art or art in general. Inspiration comes from many people, and the list of names would be infinite. I admire some artists I have personally met, or with whom I had the pleasure to work with. Rodrigo DC, Alexis Camburn, Angelique Houtkamp, Lina Stiggson and many, many more!

Is there a particular subject you would like to tattoo or one you would you never tattoo? I do not like politician tattoos. I think I would love to start tattooing more animals and oriental religious figures.

What tattoos are on your skin and by who would you get a tattoo in the future? On me I have amazing pieces by: Diego Brandi, Alessandro Turcio, Cassandra Frances and many more! I really hope to get something by Tony Nilsson, Guy le Tatooer, Jaclyn Rèhe, the list could never end!

 
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SemiColon Tattoo

Project Semicolon  is a non-profit faith-based charity encouraging people to draw semicolons onto their skin to show their support for mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, self harm and suicide.

The popular punctuation mark shows that the wearer’s story is not over or finished and how they have the power to write their own future. The tattoos are bringing people together as they convey a sense of unity to anyone suffering from mental health related issues.

The semicolon has been branded as a symbol of hope, reminding those who have it that they have the strength to overcome obstacles and that they are not alone.

On the Project SemiColon website it states that:

A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.