Stories we wear on our skin
Philip Rhys Matthews is a London based photographer who explores world events and issues within his work. He mixes fine art and fashion photography styles to create stunning portraits and scenes. Philip also shot The Anatomy Issue (Things&Ink issue 11) cover with tattoo artist Cally-Jo.
His new collection ‘Critical Mass’ discusses how the growing population is depleting the world’s resources and draining everything that Earth has to offer.
Oil
Balance
The Spring
Supernation
Tattoo artist Santa Perpetua creates impressively abstract tattoos in her private studio in Brighton. We chat to Santa about how her tattoos tell stories and how her career started…
How long have you been tattooing and how did you start? I think art has been part of my life since I was born. My mother is an artist too, and she basically introduced me into this world. I grew up with art books, pencils and brushes around, art museums were my playground and drawing was my first way to connect with myself. But my interest in the tattoo industry started a while after that. It began when I got my first tattoo piece done in my home town: Montevideo. By that time I was 21, but I didn’t immerse myself in that world until 10 years later. A bad economic situation at that moment, my university studies, my current job as a designer and photographer, my passion for drawing, moving to Spain and some other personal circumstances made the task of starting to tattoo a bit difficult.
So although I really was into the idea of becoming a tattoo artist, I had to postpone it for a while. It became possible when I finally got settled in Barcelona and since 2008 I’ve been developing myself in the profession. Strange as it might sound, I didn’t like tattoos before. I got my first piece done in the early 90s and the level of tattooing was not as good as it is today.
But for some reason, I felt the need to record a permanent memory on my skin, so I made a really simple, silly, too small and too detailed for its size design and I went for it! When I was sat in the tattoo chair, I had a very primitive introduction to tattooing and I completely felt in love with it! I always liked to try different media to make my drawings, and tattooing was another one of them. When finallyI was able to start, I knew immediately that tattooing would be part of my life for good. Since I started I’ve never stopped learning, creating and loving this profession.
Your style is incredibly abstract, how would you describe it? Well, I don’t think we should label things in art. From my view, art allows the emotional expression of the artist to become real. My pieces could fall into abstraction, avant garde, conceptual, graphic art, contemporary tattooing. But if I had to describe them, I’d say that my artworks are just my personal approach to things. I always tell stories that are beyond a particular situation or representation. I love speaking about life, death, and emotions through my artwork. If someone comes to my studio asking to have a bird done, I always ask why they have chosen a bird. I am interested in the motivations behind the tattoo rather than the elements of it. My intention is to build a solid idea, as timeless and universal as possible rather that making just a “pretty” or “cool” image on the skin. I know it might sound a bit ambitious, but my approach to tattooing is more artistic than aesthetic.
Are you inspired by any artists? I am mad about the Dark Ages. I absolutely love that time in history. I get inspiration from the way in which art and artists were conceived – the artistic expression is divine and the artist is just a tool to represent it. But beyond that, and even admiring lots of tattoo colleagues, I mainly get my inspiration from dreaming, and also from music and painting. The list of artists on both branches is pretty long and super varied. But summing up, I’d say that everything that is well made catches my attention.
Would do you like to tattoo? Do you have a wish list of designs? After 10 years of working as a tattoo artist, and almost five years doing it in the UK, I could happily say that I have reached the point in which I do exactly what I want to do. It has been a super thorny path to achieve, but today people tend to give me free reign on all my designs. Thanks to this I’ve managed to evolve technically and artistically. Every tattoo project I take is a challenge that pushes me to improve and do my best with it, and that is extremely pleasant to me. I do not have a wish list of designs, but I do have the wish to carry on being blessed with people who connect with my artwork and trust their skin in my hands. I am immensely grateful for that.
24-year-old Alexis Lucena is a performer with Company XIV and recording artist from Long Island, New York. We chatted to Lexxe about her performances, how her tattoos mix with ballet and her future plans…
How long have you been dancing and singing? I think whenever music was on I had the itch to move to it from a very young age. My mom put me into dance when I was about three. I joined a professional academy when I was seven, stayed until graduating high school, then went on to get my BFA from the Purchase Conservatory. Singing was always indulgent for me, and ballet took up all my time. I played classical French horn for about 11 years in grade school. I taught myself guitar so I could sing along to Stevie Nicks. I think I’ve always had a deep appreciation for music. After graduating college I felt like I was getting older and not doing exactly what I wanted. I saw a concert and it all snapped into place- I called up music friends the next day and have been singing and writing ever since, this was in 2016.
How do you feel when you’re performing? Performing is such an incredible experience for me. Growing up dancing to these beautiful classical pieces and being able to embody the music was bliss. There’s something about sharing that moment with people you hardly know, showing them something they’ve never seen before- is magic to me. When I’m singing it’s even more exciting, because it’s way more vulnerable. I’m using my voice as an instrument. I primarily sing original music- so on top of using my voice I’m using my words and they are often deeply personal. Recently I caught someone singing along who knew the lyrics and just that one moment will resonate with me for a long time. I get the chills listening to good music, and performing to it. If I can share that experience with people if only for a moment then my life is complete.
Which do you love doing more, singing or dancing and why? This is a difficult question! If I had to choose, right now, it’s singing. I’ve danced more than half of my life, I’ve earned my 10,000 hours. It’s complete bliss, but at the moment I’ve been discovering different parts of my voice, different tones. And it’s really exciting. This morning I just got back to NY after recording in Seattle. I’m working on my EP, and I’ve been in a studio all day everyday for the past couple days. I’m so proud of the work I’m doing, I love everything, especially hard rock, but I’m a pop star at heart. I make music I can dance to, and when I dance the music moves me. It’s mostly just about that. And hey, I’m a REAL dancer. You can 100% expect me to throw down some choreography in my videos. No shade. But I’d love to bring back some REAL dancing- Madonna, Kate Bush, Lady Gaga Paula Abdul type dancing to the scene again.
Can you tell us about your tattoos? I’ve always been fascinated by tattoos. On my mom’s old computer there’s a secret folder of all traditional tattoos, that I planned on getting when I moved out and graduated. When I turned 18, I still wanted them but I was still en route to audition for broadway, the amount of tattoos I wanted is pretty much unacceptable.
The past two years I’ve met two primary artists that really helped me shape the art I’ve been wanting to have (Krista Olofsson and Jesús Arancibia). Almost all of my tattoos (née- a brilliant stick and poke done by fellow dancer and artist Krista Morgensen) are traditional. I can appreciate good realism, but to me I believe that the best tattoos are traditional. The ink sits better, the contrast against the skin is aesthetically beautiful – and honestly all the gothic reapers, roses skulls, are more my forte. I’m obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe and gothic literature. I have too many roses and I will probably not stop getting them ever. I’ve cultivated my body, like it’s a painting and I love it more everyday.
What sorts of reactions do your tattoos get? Initially- when I showed up to the college dorms with my first real piece , I was met with shock, but not surprise. Now a days, it took some getting used to on my family’s end but I’ve been pretty accepted. I think it’s because the quality of my work is incredible. I waited to find the right artists, and in turn I have artwork that I can look at everyday and fall in love with. My boyfriend is supportive and definitely helped to link me up with artists I needed to meet. Right now I barely have any color, but I have a theme of black and this morbid blue as a highlight on my arm that Krista started and it’s literally amazing.
I have really awesome music coming out on Control Records with William Control (formerly of Aiden). That’ll be out very soon. With music I could tattoo whatever I want and people wouldn’t care. It’s completely different than the reactions I get after the shows with Company XIV. There’s definitely some glances from the older generation, and it’s frustrating because I’m a professional artist- I don’t like to be not taken seriously. But at the end of the day I love my work and I’m proud of it – that’s all that matters. My body’s my temple and I hung a shit ton of awesome paintings in it.
Have your tattoos ever stopped you from getting parts or helped you to? They haven’t because I sort of removed myself from that scene when I decided it was time to be myself. I stopped auditioning for broadway shows. I was asked when I tattooed my hand if I was sure, and I was. I want to live my life as an individual. I have no plan b. I will not work a job that does not accept me.
After realizing this, I sent in my info for a company I’d auditioned for three times before. My dream company as a dancer – Company XIV. Would you believe that at around 8pm tonight I hit the stage for them for my 26th performance of their Cinderella? Austin the director is so open to culture and different styles of beauty. He’s cultivated an incredible place for us to be ourselves. I asked him if I could dye half my head black and he was confused as to why I even asked – it’s that kind of support I’ve always needed to be the best version of myself. I came in with my hand tattoos and he was elated for me. I am very blessed. One time I stayed home from an XIV audition my senior year of college because I was feeling down on my body. If you could’ve told that girl she’d be in the company years later- she would’ve laughed in your face. I almost believe becoming myself got me my dream job. It’s some heavy stuff to think about.
How do tattoos and ballet mix? Tattoos an ballet right now, don’t really mix. Although now more than ever I do see tattoos on professional dancers more often. I can 100% understand the notion that such a classical art form should perhaps stay tattoo-less, but makeup these days is too incredible to let that be a hinderance. It’s totally realistic to cover up some tattoos for stage, I’ve done it. But If I’m being honest, I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy a tattooed Odette in Swan Lake. On the other hand, I love contrast. It’s part of who I am. This ballerina with a dark side. I’ve always been more of an Odile, the black swan- and honestly she’d look pretty sick with some sleeves.
Finger tattoos by Krista Olofsson
Do you have any future tattoo plans? I just got my fingers done, they are lovely. I coincidentally have heavily tattooed one side of my body. It’s the side where I have pink hair. I almost like it, because I am a living paradox, I’m heavily contrasted. I’ve always been attracted to the darker side of things. I’m very expressive. I plan on finishing my arm. I’ve been itching to get some more tradition depictions of artists I love. I’m looking to get a Lily Munster Marilyn Manson mashup. I’m absolutely obsessed with Frankenhooker, she’s getting on here somewhere. Oh! And more roses. Currently I’m not very interested in tattooing my chest. I just can’t see myself with it – maybe that’s the white swan in me.
Professional photos from shows are by New York photographer Mark Shelby Perry Other photos are by Tory Ruperto, Luke McAfee and Rathbunfotos.
27-year-old Darcie from Leeds, is a Content Executive for a Marketing Agency and founder of the blog Bound in Bone. We chat to Darcie about her style, living the goth life and what you can find on her blog…
What inspired you to start your blog and how long have you been running it? I’ve been blogging since November 2015. I didn’t really tell anyone about it for the first few months because I was nervous about what people would think! I started it because I wanted my own space to write my own stuff and not have any restrictions (apart from my own nervousness). I’d been working in marketing for three years at that point and while I was creating content for other people, I really wanted something that was my own. It was weird that I had created so much for other people and nothing for myself!
Does your day job help you with your blog, or vice versa? Yes, definitely. Keeping up to date with the industry means that I can be good at my job and be armed with the latest thinking to apply to my blog too. It also helps that I have people around me at work that can help me if I paint myself into a corner with SEO or when I’m liaising with a PR for my blog, for example.
What can readers expect to find on your platform? Gothy/witchy outfits, alternative lifestyle pieces and I’m hoping to write more about feminism as I get braver talking about the subject too!
How would you describe your style? What is your favourite outfit or go-to outfit? I can be quite eclectic in my style, but I would say it definitely errs on the gothy side of the “alternative” spectrum. I’m trying out more of a witchy style at the moment. I’m really inspired by the idea of the witch as a feminist icon.
I don’t really have a go-to outfit, but I do have certain pieces that make me feel like I can take on the world. My wide-brimmed hat, double-stacked doc martens and anything in faux leather are favourites.
What to you does it mean to live a goth life? Oooh I love this question! To me, it’s about channeling a darker aesthetic in your personal style or tastes, but it’s also about questioning mainstream society’s ideals. How can you decide to be “alternative” in the way you look and yet not “alternative” in the way you think? It means not accepting everything you’re fed through the media and coming up with your own thoughts and values. It means being open-minded and willing to listen and accept other people’s points of view.
Can you tell us about your tattoos? Do you have any future plans? I have three tattoos. I have an eye on the back of my neck, a pair of cat eyes on my forearm, and Beatles lyrics on my shoulder. My first was the Beatles lyrics, it’s actually a matching one with my best friend from school. When we were about 15 we would make videos in her bedroom. They were really silly because we were dorks (still are). On of the soundtracks was All You Need is Love. So that’s what I have tattooed. She has “love is all you need” on her foot.
The story behind my eye is based around The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson. Even though she’s a very troubled lady in the book, I always saw her as beautiful, and I desperately wanted to have red hair and green eyes just like her. I wasn’t bothered by the tattoos at that point for some reason. She has loads of tattoos but one in particular that stays in my mind was an eye on the back of her neck, so that’s what I’ve got too.
The cat eyes are based around my first cat, Myrtle. I’m a cat person through and through so I wanted something to commemorate that!I would love to get more – I really want something on my chest (I’m torn between a snake or moon phases – I haven’t decided yet), I’d love something to do with Medusa, and I’d love finger tattoos too – I just need to decide what to do first!
Pay Darcie’s blog a visit to see more of her gothic style and feminist posts.
Managing editor Keely Reichardt approached tattoo artist, Fidjit over Instagram in July 2015 after spotting an ambiguous statement posted late at night. Fidjit chose to remove the post not long after it had gone live, but Keely decided to reach out to her, to find out about the life-changing event she had hinted at…
The deleted post described the language used against her in a recent court case… Fidjit is a rape survivor and endured a horrific court ordeal where the defendant was found not guilty. With only 5.7% of rape cases ending in a conviction for the perpetrator, Fidjit wanted us to share her story to make people aware of court proceedings and your rights as a victim.
“I started going out with my ex boyfriend when I was fifteen years old. We briefly broke up when I was twenty but then we got back together. Just before I turned twenty-one, he raped me.
“He had never been violent in any way before, he showed no warning signs. It happened in April 2011. I would like to keep the intimate details of what happened to myself, it’s too personal to share with everyone. There was an argument which resulted in him raping me. Immediately after it happened he broke down, burst into tears and repeatedly apologised, it seemed like he went into some sort of shock – as I did too. I didn’t cry or move or speak, I remember feeling very numb, I couldn’t process what had just happened, I just sat and listened to him crying.
“For a long time afterwards I was definitely in denial. We spoke together about what had happened, he never denied what he had done and always took full responsibility. I was in denial and so confused about what had happened that I phoned the Samaritans a few days after. I explained what had happened and they told me I had been raped and that I should contact my local Rape Crisis centre. My ex boyfriend drove me there himself and he threw up in the car park; the fact that he had taken me there got brought up in court later, but was completely ignored as he said he was just trying to be a good boyfriend. I also saw a nurse. My ex spoke to a couple of his friends about what had happened. One of his friends told him what he had done was wrong and he stopped speaking to him. The other friend told him I was his girlfriend and that it doesn’t count if you’re in a relationship?! These two friends ended up as witnesses in court. I had also spoken to one friend over the phone, he knew something was wrong and ended up guessing what had happened, I told the police about him being the first person that I had told. They said he would be my witness. They never even contacted him and he was not involved in the trial.
“Months passed and I still hadn’t told anyone else, and I continued to tell myself that it hadn’t happened but my behaviour began to change. I became incredibly withdrawn and I stopped going to my flat (which I shared with my ex) and would go to my parents every night and stay there for as long as I could until I had to go back to my flat to sleep. My parents and I are extremely close and we tell each other everything. They could see that something was bothering me. Sometimes I’d phone them with the intention of telling them what had happened but I would hang up. I knew that the second I told them everything would change forever. My best friend would be my best friend no longer, he would be my rapist. And I knew that I would have to let his mother know what her son had done, and that’s something I could never think about doing. I knew it would change her life as well as mine and his forever. I feel like because of our history I was protecting him far too much at this point.
“I carried on living at the flat until September 2011, five months after what had happened. My ex was still living there too, we weren’t together but we were just kind of going through the motions. We were still sleeping in the same bed and he was still apologising every day. The friend I had told on the phone finally convinced me to tell my parents. I was spending the night at my parents’ house and something came on the TV that just made me blow up. I became incredibly upset and was screaming about it. My dad said that this behaviour was not normal and I needed to tell them right now what was going on. I remember saying I didn’t want to and he guessed right away what had happened. It is the worst thing I’ve ever had to tell them. This is probably one of the hardest things I had to deal with after my rape; I’m the one who has to tell everyone, including my family, about this horrible thing that had happened.
“I told my parents I didn’t want to go to the police, I refused to, and I didn’t want his mother to know. I decided to move to London as I was living in Scotland at the time. I quit my apprenticeship and sold all of my furniture and I took an overnight bus down. My ex and I still kept in touch and still spoke about what had happened all the time. It was horrible, it was like torture, it just never goes away. It still doesn’t go away.
“About a year later I moved back up to Scotland and this is when I read something that really woke me up. I read an article about rape victims, written by rape victims. It was basically about the importance of reporting these things to the police as without more people coming forward it’s hard to change things –and things definitely need to change. The main thing that made me want to report it at the time was reading about the possibility of him doing this to somebody else. I had not thought about that possibility before. I went to the police station at 11pm and I knew I had to do it immediately or I would change my mind. As bizarre as it sounds, I spoke to my ex before I went to the police to tell him that I had to do something about it and I told him about the detrimental effect it was still having on my mental health. He told me he needed to, “man up” and take responsibility, and that if I needed to go to the police then that’s fine. It was a very different story when I actually went to the police and did report it.
“I had my statement taken at the police station. They take a statement from you multiple times and you have to go back many times to confirm/review your statement. Mine was not recorded, it was written down by someone and every time I reviewed it there were mistakes in it which I had to correct. They were also very specific about what I was allowed to include in my statement and what I wasn’t allowed to include. For example, he had told me why he had done it, he had told me he didn’t feel like I was “his” anymore. I was told it was irrelevant. It was many weeks after I had given my statement that I finally received a call telling me that he had been arrested and let out on bail. He refused to give a statement and just repeated “no comment” to any questions he was asked. I feel it’s important to add here that he is a middle class, wealthy, white man with his own expensive lawyer; he is basically untouchable.
“The witnesses were then both questioned . They both gave statements and both of their statements said that he (my ex) had gone to them and told them he had “gone too far”. Both of their stories matched each other’s and more importantly both of their stories matched mine. I think this is a big factor in why this made it to court. It is incredibly difficult for something to go to court because if they think that there is not enough evidence they will not take it any further. This does not mean by any means that anyone is innocent, it just means that they don’t have enough evidence for a conviction. They never made any attempt to contact my witness.
“I finally received a call saying that they had enough evidence and it was going to be taken to High Court. There were several months of waiting and he (my ex) had one hearing in which he plead not guilty. I feel I was really naive at this time and I genuinely thought that he was going to take responsibility for what he had done like he said he would.
“We got a court date for June 2014. In the time I was waiting I had to review my statement a number of times again with the Procurator Fiscal. I also had a meeting with someone to ask how I would like to appear in court. There are options that can be given to the witness; you can sit behind a curtain to give evidence, you can do it via video link, or you can be in the stand as normal but you can have a support person sitting with you while you are there. I went for the third option as I really wanted to face him. I thought that if he saw me speaking he wouldn’t be able to lie. I also had a meeting leading up to this time about the kind of things they were going to try and use against me in court. I was told that they were going to try and say that what had happened was part of some weird sexual game.
“The court date finally came. I was petrified of taking the stand. When you arrive in court as a witness they take you to a small private family room. You and whoever has come with you sit in there until you are called. In this instance the court was closed while I gave my evidence and then open for the rest of the trial, so my parents weren’t allowed to enter while I did my part. I know that this seems silly now but no one had told me that my ex would be in the room as I gave my evidence; the way they had described a closed court to me would be that it would just be me, the jury, the judge, procurator fiscal and his lawyer in the room. I wasn’t even aware that he (my ex) was in the room until I was asked to point him out. It threw me off and made me panic. The entire experience of being in the stand is hideous. I told the court what had happened and then I was questioned by the defence lawyer. I was shouted at and called a liar and a silly little girl. He said that I should have forced him off of me, and that if this had really happened I would have ran to the police station immediately. He smirked at me every time I spoke and he called me manipulative. When he asked why I hadn’t fought him off I replied, “I was terrified”. He laughed at me and said, “terrified of your own boyfriend?” I stood there crying whilst trying to defend myself but each time I tried to answer back the Judge would tell me to stop talking.
“The case ran for three days in total. The first day was my evidence and one of his witnesses. The witness on day one said that my ex had told him that he had gone too far and that yes, rape is what they were talking about. The witness solidified my story and both of our stories matched. So far it was looking quite promising that we would get a good result.
“Day two the second witness spoke. In his original statement to the police he had the same story as me and the first witness, however when he was on the stand he said that he had been forced to give that statement and that he takes it all back. He said that the Government were trying to use my ex as an example and then he started crying and saying he wanted to go home to his mum! I thought that this was great because surely he wouldn’t be taken seriously. After that, the police officer who took his statement took the stand to confirm that yes, those were the witness’s own words, he was not forced to say anything, and that he came of his own free will. Again I thought that this was a good thing because surely the Jury in a court would listen to the police officer who took the statement over the witness who was clearly lying. I was wrong.
“On the third day my ex took the stand. This is where I feel things are more disappointing than I can possibly put into words, and I know that this is an incredibly common thing that happens in rape cases. My ex was asked, “how are you today? Tell me about your family. You went to a good school didn’t you? You are working hard towards getting a degree aren’t you?” He was told that he was a good member of society, a gentleman, and even told that he was dressed very well for the trial. I was looked down upon when I gave my job title, I wasn’t asked what school I went to, I wasn’t asked about my family and I wasn’t told that I was a good member of society. Nothing derogatory was even said to him when the procurator fiscal was questioning him. When he took the stand he smiled politely, didn’t get upset, spoke of me as if I was someone to pity, kept referring to me as his “girlfriend” and then going, “oops, sorry I mean ex girlfriend.” He had been incredibly well prepped by his defence lawyer. His attitude and ability to lie in such a cold way upset me more than anything.
“Once everyone has taken the stand the procurator fiscal and defence lawyer both make speeches to the Jury to try and help them make a decision. The Judge also gives a speech to the Jury. I feel like it’s important to mention that the Judge for my case was an older man. From the minute I entered the court I felt unfairly looked upon by him. In his speech to the Jury he said that me and my ex were in a, “dedicated and loving relationship that had lasted for years, so could this really be true?” He also said that the Jury were not allowed to take into account the second witnesses statement as he is saying he did not say those things, so it has to be written off completely. The Jury were told that there were two people in the room when this incident happened. If they cannot be 100% sure that this happened then they can not find the defendant guilty.
The Jury’s verdict was not guilty.
“The second that this verdict is found I was completely on my own as far as professional support goes. I had a support person who sat with me throughout the whole procedure and she literally vanished as soon as the verdict was given. I didn’t see her again.You are left to just go home and get on with things.
“If I was to try and give any advice to rape victims, I would say to please try and take care of yourself as soon as you can. Open up to people closest to you, this can be hard but it’s harder to stay quiet. Rape is something that stays with you for the rest of your life but it certainly doesn’t have to define you. Unfortunately you can fall into patterns of self harm; I got involved with a hideous person after this who was heavily abusive. I didn’t realise that this was a form of self harm because I was so miserable about what had happened. It is never your fault and it doesn’t make you “damaged goods”. There is still so much stigma around coming out as a victim of rape but I don’t understand why. You haven’t done anything wrong and it should be no reflection on you or your character. The more people speak out then hopefully the more changes can be made in the way rape cases are dealt with by the criminal justice system.”
For anyone who has experienced sexual violence, Rape Crisis is an organisation with centres in Scotland, England and Wales. They offer support and information about where your nearest centre may be if you need urgent care: rapecrisis.org.uk/centres.php You can also call the national helpline number: 0808 802 9999 / Scotland: www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk and a Scottish helpline: 08088 01 03 02
The Women & Girls Network are an organisation based in London who offer counselling services, advocacy support and telephone counselling. All information can be found on their website: www.wgn.org.uk and they also have a phone number which deals with practical support: 0808 801 0660. If you are in need of emotional support and an anonymous space to talk call: 0808 801 0770.
