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Wedding competition winners announced!

Over Christmas, you might remember that we launched a VERY exciting competition to win  wedding photography, from Heather Shuker at Brighton-Photo.com, for the ULTIMATE tattoo love story. The competition was stiff, we had some awesome couples enter, so it was so hard picking our finalists – even with the help of our tattooed judges – Alex and Zoe Binnie, Rock N Roll Bride, Marry Me Ink and our very own Beauty Editor Marina de Salis.

But we are FINALLY, after much deliberation,  announcing our gorgeous finalists. Here they are:

Vicky Morgan and Lee Withey,  31 & 27, from Nottingham. They met working together in the same tattoo studio

Marina “These two look adorable together, and the plans for their celebration sound magical!”

Kat Williams R&R Bride “ Thailand, and Disney Princesses – yes! I can’t wait to see how a really alternative couple do this! “

 

 

Roxanne Donovan & Greg Furber,  28 & 31, from London. They met on  film set and talked of a dragon tattoo.

Kat Williams R&R Bride  “because they clearly know how to party.”

Marry Me Ink “I love how they’re both film guys and met on the Fantastic Mr Fox set!”

 

Tanya Mayor and Chris Baker, 26, from Stoke on Trent and Barnsley. They met on Instagram and now work together in their studio

Kat Williams R&R Bride “because meeting on Instagram is flippin’ awesome”

Alex and Zoe Binnie  “cute couple, look like a proper tattoo couple, bless”

We are currently arranging to do a love shoot with each of our finalists, which we will share with all of you! We will also find out some more about each of these couples before picking a winner.

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The Beauty Project at Selfridges

On Thursday 1 May, makeup artist Keely and I made a trip to Selfridges after my dad had informed me that there was a pop-up “tattoo shop” after seeing a tweet:

The Tattoo Shop

 

We were a little disappointed when we discovered that the tattoo shop wasn’t  a tattoo shop at all… there was Henna, and there was transfers, but no actual tattoos… (just tattoo imagery on the walls). Annoying considering that their website states that a tattoo and piercing shop exists on their ground floor – selfridges.com – this, in fact, was a pop-shop over a year ago.

The Tattoo Shop (the one with the henna) has popped up as part of The Beauty Project at Selfridges. The aim of The Beauty Project is to promote that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes – its aim to shatter some of the misconceptions that exist about what beauty is. Everyone is beautiful, young, old, fat, thin, and, of course, tattooed. Their un-retouched advertising campaign captures eight unknown stars chosen to represent all definitions of beauty.

The beauty project

Great idea in theory, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that on its opening night, the “tattooed” people at the event weren’t really tattooed at all – they had fake tattoos on.

But should I really complain? Is it a good thing that a huge company like Selfridges is trying to promote diversity – even if I think they could have done in a slightly better way?

What do you think of the #beautyproject? Do you think it is diverse enough?

The non-tattooed “tattooed” servers at the event:

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Would You Get Tattooed Here?

WARNING. SOME PEOPLE MAY FIND THIS PICTURE OFFENSIVE.

 

 

 


 

 

 

This is a real piece of promotional material for a real German tattoo studio! The Things&Ink ladies picked this up on their recent travels to the Frankfurt Tattoo Convention.

Would you get tattooed here?

On seeing this for the first time I was horrified, I mean what the fuck is it?

This flyer is everything that tattooing is not. To an outsider who does not have any ink, or has never set foot in a tattoo shop this image would most definitely put them off, without a doubt!

The suggestion of rape, violence and sexual degradation are disgusting and shocking. The woman is in real pain, not merely from the tattoo, but from being held down and having her hair brutally pulled. Not to mention the unhygienic conditions, where is his other glove?

The tattooist is enjoying his predatory role, taking delight in her vulnerable position. Is this image supposed to be pornographically sexy? Are they trying to glamorise tattoos in some way by suggesting that tattooed women are promiscuous and punishable? I am speechless!

Tattoos are not a form of torture; they should not be performed on a non consenting individual. They are an expression of art, personality and free choice.

The star and Buddhist logo contradict the whole set up, I doubt very much that the woman is on a journey to enlightenment.

The tattoo shop’s stand at The Frankfurt Tattoo Convention
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Identity – Portraits | Modification | Adornment. An exhibition

Artwork by Susanna Widmann

 

We are very pleased to announce our upcoming exhibition ‘Identity – Portraits | Modification | Adornment’ at Into You, London, in May 2014.

Launch party: Thursday 22 May from 7pm
Location: Into You, 144 St John St, London EC1V 4UA
Join the Facebook event, here.

 

Glimpse of a piece by Matt (Oddboy) Barratt-Jones 

 

The exhibition coincides with the launch of The Identity Issue – issue 7 of Things & Ink magazine and celebrates the work of tattooists, photographers and artists. Each piece is the artist’s interpretation of the theme – no restrictions or limitations. This collection, curated by the team at Things&Ink, is varied, exciting and thought-provoking.

Identity means something different to us all, and this collection of original artwork and photography – and The Identity Issue of Things&Ink magazine  – explores the way our identities can be informed by the world around us and what we choose to do with our bodies.

There will be work from:
Alex Binnie 
Araceli 4ever
Andrea Furci 
Axa Shireen
Aimee Cornwell 
Antony Flemming
Clare Goldilox
Delphine Noiztoy
Duncan X 
Joao Bosco 
Matt (Oddboy) Barratt-Jones 
Susanna Widmann
Wendy Pham
Ramon Maiden
Luke Garwood
Heather Shuker
And a selection of artists from Into You Brighton and London. 

The Chin Women of Myanmar, by photographer Luke Garwood
Ma Apoi aged 66

 

Come and join us to celebrate the launch and view the entire exhibition on Thursday 22 May from 7pm, Into You, 144 St John St, London EC1V 4UA. The exhibition will run for three months from that date.

The exhibition has been curated by the team at Things&Ink magazine
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Tattooed Seniors Rock

“But what’s it gonna look like when you get old?”

Does the fear of saggy skin ever put you off getting tattooed?

We definitely have no fear…

Photos from policymic.com, view by clicking the link.