The Nipple Artist: A video collaboration between The New York Times and POV showcases one woman’s search for nipples
The five-minute documentary tells the tale of writer Caitlin Kieran’s journey to a tattoo studio in Finksburg to have the illusion of real nipples tattooed on her body.
Tattoo artist Vinnie Myers has left behind his career in traditional tattooing and now specialises in nipple areola tattooing, which he has been doing for over ten years. Vinnie creates a three dimensional ‘normal’ looking nipple after women’s mastectomy or reconstructive surgery. He helps many women to reclaim their breasts, and love themselves again after their battle with cancer.
Surgeons also offer nipple tattoos during reconstructions but having seen these ‘round and red’ ‘pepperoni slices’, Caitlin decided to travel across America to have custom coloured subtly shaded nipples.
‘I am so thrilled with the result. I feel great, I feel physically normal, I actually feel like my body looks better now than it did before. I know I’m never going to be the woman I was, but I feel like now I’m better.’
Facial tattoos are bold and unflinching, they cannot be hidden – perhaps this is why they still sometimes provoke fear and prejudice. Mark Leaver’s photographic project tackles this issue and tries to dispel some of the myths that exist about this niche within a subculture.
These are two brand-new, unseen portraits in Mark Leaver’s beautiful (and much talked about) series of portrait photographs. (previously blogged about here, and also featured in The Identity Issue of Things&Ink). This time Mark photographs a couple of our friends, Duncan X and Blue from Into You, London.
Duncan X, 48 years old, Tattoo Artist
Duncan x
Duncan was 21 when he got his first tattoo. Duncan was in a band for 7 years until he began working at Into You as a receptionist at 30 years old. He did an apprenticeship in Soho with Dennis Cockell. Duncan’s first facial tattoo was by Curley Moore (when Curly worked at Into You). Duncan doesn’t intend on getting any more facial work.
Blue, 50 years old, office manager at Into You, London
Blue
Blue was 18 when she started getting tattooed and it wasn’t until her mid 30s that she decided to move to her face. For her, the hands and neck were a bigger deal to get tattooed than her face. Blue has been at Into You for 20 years and she wants more facial work, but not for a while – maybe at 70!
A word from the photographer Mark:
It seems oddly timed that the project has had so much publicity and attention right after I’ve graduated from university! To get the series published by the Daily Mailis an amazing (and unexpected) progression of the project. This marks a new audience which is amazing for much a niche subject – before the series was only really viewed by people from the tattoo community, for it to be in a tabloid paper is incredible.
The project is nowhere near over, I’m still shooting. I shot these portraits last week of Duncan and Blue. And I actually shot two more today and will be doing two more tomorrow. There’s still a few big names/characters I’d like to have in the project before I put it to rest.
We will continue to keep you updated on Mark Leaver’s progression with this project. His work can be viewed at www.mdleaver.com
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.
The crowds at the opening night of the exhibition at Into You, London.
Some more information behind the exhibition: Identity means something different to us all, and it is something some of us can struggle with into our adult years. This collection of original artwork and photography explores the way our identities can be informed by the world around us and what we choose to do with our bodies. Each piece is the artist’s interpretation of the theme – no restrictions or limitations. The collection is varied, exciting and thought-provoking.
The exhibition also coincides with the launch of The Identity Issue – issue 7 of Things & Ink magazine – which explores identity within the medium of tattooing, with stunning editorial shoots and in-depth features.
The Identity exhibition is currently on show at Into You London until the first week of July.
The Identity exhibition features work from: Alex Binnie / Araceli 4ever / Axa Shireen / Goldilox
Delphine Noiztoy / Duncan X / Joao Bosco /
Matt (Oddboy) Barratt-Jones / Susanna Widmann / Wendy Pham
Ramon Maiden / James Woodford / Jack Newton / Tomas Tomas Adam Sage / Luke Garwood / Heather Shuker
The event was kindly sponsored by Sailor Jerry… thanks for the rum cocktails… xx
I got my first tattoo when I was 18. My boyfriend was getting some script to begin his Japanese sleeve and I had always loved the idea of having a tattoo. I jumped in feet first, literally, having a floral henna design on my foot. The pain was enough for me to wait three years until I got another tattoo, contrary to a friend who said it had merely felt like a scratch.
Ever since I have been covering and attempting to hide my tattoos from my Grandparents. I’m not ashamed or anything like that, I just cannot be bothered to listen to the disappointing lecture that I’m sure will ensue. This will be similar to the ones concerning my A-levels and wishes to travel.
Maybe I’m wrong but I have heard their disapproving remarks before when faced with tattooed women. They are certainly traditional, perhaps a prudish couple- I have never seen them hold hands, god forbid kiss! I am the only member of my family who is tattooed, bar one uncle who has a small tattoo of his football team’s logo. The outrage and disbelief that this tiny piece of ink caused was enough for me to purposely cover my own spreading collection.
My Grandma turns eighty this weekend and I have been on a desperate search to find a long sleeved maxi dress, so that the dinner remains a celebration of her birthday and not a discussion about my life choices.
I’m sure my grandparents are not alone in their feelings, during their time they have seen tattoos growing in popularity. Perhaps they recognise them as a sign of time spent in prison, or hanging around sailors at dockyards, and possibly prostitution. I’m speculating here, I have never dared to ask them directly their opinion on the tattooed community, but from their past comments concerning tramp stamps I am not willing to take the risk of bearing all just yet.
Surprisingly though during a recent visit with my friend to her Grandparents, I was encouraged to show off my legs. Her grandma was enthralled by the colourful designs that I have acquired. She even joked that her husband’s legs would be much improved with a nice tattoo. Her delight may be due to the fact that I am not her granddaughter, who has no tattoos. I am someone else’s family; she has not seen my immaculate skin as a baby being transformed into living art! My Grandparents are not a deterrent, I have many tattoos planned, but I almost enjoy finding new clothes to wear to hide them, as well as having a sneaky piece of ink visible to see if they catch me out!
I can’t believe that I am the only one who makes every effort to cover their ink, or are you lucky and your grandparents approve of your tattoos? Do your grandparents have more tattoos than you?
