(T)attoo (A)rt

Ink"d:A Look into Tattoo Design

2010-03-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

Ink'd was a great sucess and 140 to 150 people came to this intimate exhibit. I just want to thank all those who took the time to check out the exhibit. For those who were not able to make it, here's a video of what you missed:

Ink'd Video

2010-02-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

Just a sample of the tattoos found on Purchase College. Some of them will be in the exhibit Ink'd.

Ink'd: A New Tattoo Exhibit!!!!

2010-02-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

I love tattoos and I feel they are an under appreciated art form, so when I was asked to come up with a senior project for my Arts Management degree from Purchase College I thought I should do something on tattoo art. After a lot of thinking I came up with Ink'd.

Ink'd: A Look into Tattoo Design is an exhibit that showcases not only tattoo art but the people behind the tattoos.
I originally set out to show how tattoo art can be viewed from a formal art perspective by taking images of only the tattoo itself. However, as I began to take photographs, I realized that tattoo art, more than any other kind of art form is uniquely personal. Often times, I would see common designs like the humming bird, rose, wings, etc. Each design was not only interpreted differently by the artist but also each was given special meaning by the wearer. Tattoo art has gone back to a time when art and images belong to the masses and both the artist and the viewer helped in creating a single piece. I have come to realize that to look at a tattoo is to look at the person; they are inseparable. I hope to communicate this though images of tattoos and portraits of its wearers that I have taken over a period of time and I have been lucky enough to do a small, one night exhibit at the Neuberger Museum of Art on their First Wednesday event that is open to everyone and has a lot of great programs. Here is the info:

When: Wednesday, March 3

Where: Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase College

Time: 4 - 8pm

It is important that tattoo art is taken as a serious art form and that people realize it is not simply a fad but an art movement for this generation, through exhibitions like this. So come by to see some great tattoo art and free food!!!

Tattooed Women in Freak Shows

2010-02-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

(Betty Broadbent; Tattooed Woman 1950s)

Today tattoos have become mainstream and it seems that everyone has tattoo including women. However, during the 1800s, it was taboo for anyone to sport tattoos openly especially women. In the West, tattoos were seen as a sign of primitivism and crime. They are even cases of tattoos being used as a form of punishment in antiquity. With more and more contact between the West and other cultures especially with Native Americans, people begin to be both disgusted yet intrigued by tattoo art. The practice of tattooing is picked up by sailors who develop the basic designs based on sailing that become the base from Americana tattoos.
It is during this time that the freakshow act, the Tattooed Woman began to emerge soon replacing the tattooed man and made money displaying her skin art. The Tattooed Woman was usually came from a working class background and choose to become a "freak" by marking their body that would be displayed to a usually male audience in freak shows. Many of these women came up with fictional stories of how they got their tattoos usually saying they were forcefully tattooed by Native Americans.

Early tattoo women usually were inked with sailor designs since there wasn't many designs available and were crude but as tattooing got better so did their designs. Tattooed Women were a major act in freak and sideshows from the late 1800s till the 19995 when the last working tattooed woman, Lorett Fulkerson retired.

Today there are many female performers that have tattoos but they are more of a form of personal decoration or a way to enhance their main performance. However, tattooed women really helped in making tattoos acceptable for the mainstream.

(Nora Hildebrandt; early Tattooed woman)

Tattoo of the Week: Sideshow Ink

2010-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

While I was at Coney Island I stopped by the Coney Island Museum and saw their freak show. A lot of the performers had some beautiful tattoos that decorated their skin. One of the female performers was kind enough to let me photograph her tattoos. I loved her arm piece with the mermaid and child on an anchor. It looks like all those classic paintings of the Madonna and child but with a sailor twist. It is a great example of tradtional Western tattoos of the 1800s where there were a limited selection of designs and many of the designs of the time based on sailing since many of those who got tattoos were thought to be sailors and criminals.

Her tattoo of the female ninja is pretty cool; kind of a spin on the classic pin-up.

Check out the Coney Island Museum site

Prison Ink

2009-12-10T23:23:00.000-08:00

Its only recently that tattoos and those have them have lost their association with thugs and criminals. While its true not everyone with a tattoo is a criminal, tattoos are a huge part of prison culture. Prison ink is used mainly to show gang affiliations usually the name of a gang done in ornate letters. However, they also show what position you hold, skills and specialties. There are many designs with meaning behind that has developed into almost a code. A few are:

A teardrop, usually near the eye, means that they have either killed or a friend has been killed.

A clock with no hands or hourglass means doing hard time

The Ace of Spade with an 'A' is associated with Aco Town or the Asian Boyz gang

The number 14 is associated with the Nuestra Familia

Since there are no tattoo studios in prison, many of the tattoos are done using a homemade tattoo machine sometimes made using the inside of a pen and a motor from an electric shaver.

Tattoo of the Week: BAM! POW! Ink

2009-12-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

I use to love comics as a kid and this tattoo from a woman who works at the Coney Island museum brought me back to that time. The artist not only got the font right but the colors were bright and vibrant and the shadow that surrounds the tattoos is a really nice touch. She also had this day of the dead skull, not the best I have seen but I love skulls.

Tattoo of the Week: Memorial Shoes

2009-11-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

Maria, a Purchase College student, got her tattoo done in memory of her gradmother that passed away recently, her gradmother always wore her trademark oxford shoes so she thought it would be the perfect image to get tattoo'd with. The artist behind the shoes is Amanda from Daredevil tattoos who is known for her watercoloresque tattoos. I love this tattoo cause of how simple and clean it is. It is always refreshing to see a different take on the traditional take on the memorial tattoo.

Tattooed Under Fire

2009-11-09T23:24:00.000-08:00

Coverage of the shootings at Fort Hood have flooded the media since last week. Many are still grieveing over the tragic events but a new documentary may offer an inside look to life at the soldiers that came from and are deployed to Iraq before the shootings at Fort Hood. Tattooed Under Fire is a documentary that examines soldier ink at Fort Hood and the tattoo shop they get them done, River City Parlor in Texas. I can't wait to see this movie because soldiers use tattoo art as a way to deal with all that they see and the deaths that they suffer through. They, more than any ther sub-culture, really embrace tattoo art as a medium to tell their stories and remember all thse who have fallen. The americana style of tattoo was not only embraced by soldiers but inspired by soldiers and sailors as well. It will be interesting to see how this documentary will talk about the connections between tattoos and the soldiers that wear them. You can find more info on the movie at http://tattooedunderfire.com/

Extended Trailer:

Henna @ the Neu

2009-11-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the Neuberger Museum of Art hosted an Indian night for Purchase students in celebration of their British Subjects exhibits and they invited me to do some henna/mehndi tattoo demos and here are some of the tattoo designs I did.

Tattoo of the Week: Michael Myers Portrait

2009-11-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

Jessica, a Purchase student, got this tattoo a year ago when John Jagz of Peter Tat-2 in West Hempstead, New York was given out free horror tattoos. She decided to get Micheal Myers of Halloween because it is her favorite movie and grew up with the movie and it's imagery. This portrait took 3 hours to complete but it is the beginning of a whole leg piece she is working on that will depict varies scenes from the movie.

Tattoo of the Week: Tribal-Inspired Ink

2009-10-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Another great tattoo design here at Purchase. Katie was one of the many that showed interest in being photographed for a tattoo project I'm doing at Purchase College. It was done by Mehai from Fine Lines Tattoo in NYC back in August 2009. This was her own design that she based on tribal tattoos of tribes in New Guinea and Inuit. What drew her to tribal art was that it is the culture from which tattooing originated and it connects her to a time where there were no distractions. When I asked her why she designed her own tribal she said while she respected these cultures and their art, she could never get a traditional design because there is so much cultural meaning that it can be insulting for an outsider to copy those designs.

Below are some of her other designs she has:

Tattoo of the Week: Bravery, Hope, & Joy

2009-10-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

Hanna is one of the many students here @ Purchase College that sport some ink. She has a bunch of cool tattoos but what I love about this one is the bright color and the originality of the design. The Bravery, Joy & Hope tattoo goes along with the buttons on her back but can definitely stand on their own. This piece is the work of Shawn von Oven of Shaman's Den and is about "commendrating being strong and remaining steadyfast in who I am in hard times," after a particularly difficult year.

The First Tattoo Experience

2009-10-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today, I went with my friend to get her first tattoo at Big Joe & Sons in White Plains. She was got the mysterious letters found in the Qu'ran in Arabic (kind of interesting because they appear repeatedly in the Qu'ran but no one knows what they mean). The tattoo itself was fairly simple and came out great but the service was just okay. They were laid back but the artist seemed preoccupied. During the session my friend got a bit dizzy and he made her take a break. But then he literally forgot about her and was busy on the phone. He took him about 20 to 30 minutes to remember to finish the tattoo. Once it was done, they pretty much just gave her a sheet on after-care instructions with a recommendation on best creme but didn't really go through it with her. Even though she likes the tattoo, she doesn't believe she would go back. It really shows how getting a tattoo is not just the finished product but the experience of getting it.
Gimme your opinion, leave a comment.

Tattoo of the Week: Thai Ink

2009-10-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

I went to Coney Island the other weekend and visited the museum there. A lot of the people who worked there had a lot of great tattoo art. Out of all the ink I saw and pictures I took, this one was one of my favorites. It was done in Thailand in the traditional method of tapping the ink under the skin.

The story behind the piece is just as interesting. He went to Thailand and told the artist that he could do anything he wanted from the shoulder to the elbow and around his pre-existing tattoo (cruxified bear). The artist said he couldn't just do anything, he had to get to know him. So they drink , smoked and talked till the artist said he knew what to do and he did this design.

It is all about the opposing forces of good and evil with in us.

Do you like? Leave a comment.

Tattoo of the Week: Tribal Scene Ink

2009-09-24T14:50:00.001-07:00

J.M has an amazing full sleeve tattoo that has variety of different Native American themes. There is a battle scene that really makes it look dynamic and full of movement. So I sat and asked him about it:

Who was the artist that did your tattoos?Chuk hognell, marc toves, adam,corey kadevitz, 2 other guys in guam.

What shop do they work in? Butterfly tattoo

When did you get it?
Between 2002-present

What is the scene about?
I just like the art and enjoy having it on my body.
The pain from getting the tattoo is also a stress reliever.

Why did you get? I like the look of full sleeves, easy conversation piece, I love the art that its all about, there’s a story line behind it.

What is the Native American motif about? What is the piece depicting?
I’m ¼ native American and I have a Mohawk hunter fighting a wendigo use google for the story, The medicine man is having the vision, and the women onn the todem pole is just a piece of art that I liked. The rest going up my arm is different pieces containing animals from the places that I’ve lived.

What do you think about this piece? Leave a comment.

Maori tattoo designs and tribal tattoos images by tattoo designer Mark Storm

2009-09-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Maori tattoo designs and tribal tattoos images by tattoo designer Mark Storm

Shared via AddThis

Randomly saw this artist page. His stuff looks really cool and he has tutorials for his designs which is a great tool if your looking to get a tattoo.

What do you think? Leave a comment:0

Stuff on Tattoo Festival in Paris

2009-09-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/tattooartfest
http://www.tattooartfest.fr/

Slideshow:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremydp/show/with/3941016166/

Videos:

What do you think? Leave a comment :0

Yahoo News: Tattoo Art Festival in Paris

2009-09-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent this short video to me about the Paris Tattoo Art festival. The video itself is really short with no voice over or music. It really just focus on some of the incredible art taking place.

What I found Interesting was the comments that the video sparked. There was one comment that seem to have started a whole wave of responses, "Tattoo's are stupid and for people who have trouble with self identity." There were many who were really disgusted by what this guy said. Though I totally disagree with what this guy said. I believe it is the opposite, you have to really know who you are and have a strong sense of self in order to get a great tattoo that you won't regret later on. It really shows in the art and when someone talks about it if a tattoo was randomly picked.

Another guy said that tattoos "look trashy, sleazy, and show how screwed up the person is." While I admit there are some really bad tattoos out there that probably fall under trashy and sleazy, there are just as many that are artful and well done. It takes a lot of skill to do tattoos and it is really sad to see that some people still don't show any respect for it. However, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just think it's funny how a short 40 second clip of tattoos could fuel people to write such things.

Got any thoughts? Leave a comment:0

Inked Magazine

2009-09-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

I was in Barnes & Nobles the other day with my roommate looking through the magazine rack when she pointed out a mag tittled Inked in classic Gothic font and Diablo Cody on the cover. I am a total mag monster, I read everything from ELLE and VOGUE to TATTOO and Juxtaposition so I bought it. And it was one of the best tattoo magazines I have ever bought.

A lot of the tattoo magazines I have read are usually packed with images of tattoos all themed by body placement or artists with the occasional articles about feature artists and recent conventions. They are usually more of a book of designs than an actual magazine. But Inked has a good mix of solid articles and interviews all about music, travel, fashion and people all connected through tattoos.

The September issue has Diablo Cody (Juno, United States of Tara) on the cover sporting a pin-up tattoo on her arm and the 'yes' scripted on the inner wrist and the interview was just as nice. It covered everything from her current projects to her ink as well as how she view her critics and the success of Juno . Till this interview, I never know who was behind Juno or that she was doing a horror movie starring Megan Fox (who has one of the best Marilyn Monroe tattoos I have ever seen) as a cannibal cheerleader, talk about maneater.

My favorite article was "The Art of War" which was all about a soldier who is serving in Iraq who, randomly began to tattoo his fellow soldiers on base. Usually can't get into articles about the Iraq war because I am totally against it and most take and outsider view, this article is through his voice. He lays out why he went into the army and his experience in the war. The article does a great job of painting the picture and keeping true to this soldier voice, they don't edit the curses out and it seems as if your there listening to his story. I thought it was cool that he began to tattooing because another soldier was bored with no missions to do and asked he to ink him. It really shows how tattoos are a form of escapism for many of those who are fighting the war as will as a medium to honor a friend.

All in all, Inked is a really good magazine for anyone who may not have a full bodysuit but is really interested in tattoos as well as art, fashion and music. It does a great job in connecting all these different subjects with tattoo art. Oh, p.s, this mag has some hot eye candy for both boys and girls.

POP TATTOOS

2009-05-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Lately, there has been a big interest in tattoos in pop culture. This interest has manifest in a lot of different ways especially in fashion and t.v. The first show I ever saw about tattoos was in high school when FUSE use to air a show called "Tattoo Stories." It was all about two of my favorite things: rock and tattoos. It had all these great segments with people who had tattoos talking about all their tattoos and why they got them and interviews with tattoo artists. It really showed how tattoos are a personal kind of art and even if two people have similar tats, it could mean different things to each of them. With in the last couple of years, there has been even more shows about tattoos the most popular are TLC's "Miami Ink" and "L.A Ink." Both are cool in the sense that they show what goes on in a tattoo shop and the people behind the body art. Personally, I love the art done by the head of Miami Ink,"Ami and L.A Ink'sKat Von D. Now, A&E is promoting a new tattoo reality show "Tattoo
Highway," I really curious to see what that will be about.

I have also noticed that a lot of clothing are showing traditional tattoo designs. While Ed Hardy and Sailor Jerry clothing have been around for a long time, there are based on these iconic tattoo artists' designs. However, there has been a lot of high-end designer house coming out with new collections that feature leather bags and dress littered with tattoo designs (some look pretty shitty). I was surprised when reading this month's ELLE and saw that they had a Trends page showing different pieces of clothing that was influenced by tattoo art. Designers and designer houses like Coach, Karl Lagerfeld, Rampage and Gucci are just a few who have jumped on the bandwagon.

While it is great that tattoo art is getting more exposure and society now While the exposure in pop culture has caused people to see that people from all walks of life, from bikers and ex-cons to business men and house wives, can have tattoos and that having a tat doesn't make you a menace to society. Yet I have a kind of love-hate feeling about tattoos in the media. On the one hand, pop culture has improve the view of tattoos as a form of self expression and eased the stigma people have on tats and the people that have them. There has been a few formal exhibitions on tattoo art as well. However, I can't help but think that most see it as only a fad that will pass. Even though tattoos are really popular, there are many who still don't see as a form of art like painting despite handful of exhibitions. While there is definitely some crappy tats out there that were done on drunken nights, there are others that are done by real artist that have spent time and money in art college and in all the time in training with establish tattoo artists.

What do you think about tattoos in pop culture? Drop a comment

Body Modification in America

2009-05-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

Usually I talk about tattoos however, when you think about tattoos, you have to look at body mod. Contemporary tattooing stems from the body modification sub-culture. Body mod is all about trying to stand against accepted society and showing this distaste for the mainstream by altering the body. With the invention of the electric needle in 1891, tattoos were considered vulgar and this idea continued til about the 70s and 80s. Someone who had a tattoo was considered an outsider which is one of the things that attract people in the body mod scene to tats.

However, recently, tats have begun to spill over into popular culture and many in the body mod scene have turned to other kind of practices.

There are a couple of things that are practiced like the implanting of horns and balls under the skin, piercings and tongue splitting which are really popular. One of the newer things right now is branding. It is kind of like what you see cowboys do to cattle or pigs. It has replaced tattooing and takes it a step farther. It is a form of scarification where you come in with a design and it is placed on the skin. Then the scarification artist takes a heated tool or some use shocks of electricity and burns the design into the skin. The design heals over and you get a permanent scar of your design.

My Squidoo Page

2009-04-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.squidoo.com/americana-sailorjerry

Tattoo'd Beauty: SuicideGirls

2009-04-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

SuicideGirls is a web phenomen that began with the website created in 2001 by Sean Suhl and Selena Mooney; named after a reference in "Survivor" by Chuck Palahniuk (the guy who wrote "fight Club). The site is filled with images of pin-up models (sometimes nude). Now you may ask what does this have to do with tattoos? Well SuicideGirls is all about promoting alternative forms of beauty. They have models, referred to as Suicide Girls) that represent the goth, punk and indie sub-cultures; most of whom sport tattoos. The American form of beauty is often seen as the girl-next door type with blond hair and blue eyes. You won't find any like that on this site, some look right out of the 40s and 50s while there are others with blue hair and a back-piece tat. And many of the Suicide girls display some great tattoo art. SG also produces a weekly radio show in L.A that broadcasts every Sunday night from 12 midnight to 2 . The show had been running for 4 years and Indie 103.1 has been named the "Best Radio Station 2008" by Rolling Stone Magazine. On the show, Suicide Girls take phone calls, give advice, discuss current events and play music. Past phone-in and in-person guests on the show have included Mindless Self Indulgence, Dave Navarro, the Melvins, and more. Past Radio Show guest interviews can be downloaded as podcasts from the website.

The site not only serves as a image site for its models but acts as a forum where people can not only talk about beauty and sex but has interviews from figures in poplar and alternative cultures. The site is more of a promotional tool for their merch like books and clothing. I personally am not familiar with the site but I have seen their photography books, tees and as guests in lots of conventions including different tattoo conventions. The photography in many of the artbooks are skillfully done and really show off their body art and each models personality. Though I think it is really hard to tell if it is art or a form of porn.

The last couple of years, the site and the company have been involved in few controversies, from ownership issues to removal of certain images. One of the biggest issues is the question of it being either empowering or objectifying to the female models?

Despite all this, I really like the idea behind SG. I think it is important to show all kinds of beauty from both mainstream and alternative cultures. Tattoos are not just for guys and just because your a girl doesn't mean that you can only have tats on your lower back or behind the ear or that they have to be "delicate." To me it is important that they show that a woman can have a full sleeve, full back tattoo or a body suit tattoo and still be feminine and attractive.

Interview w/ Vince Hemington

2009-04-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Vince Hemington is one of the creators the site vanishingtattoos (he created the site with tattoo artist Thomas Lockhart). Vanishing tattoos is a good site for anyone who is into tattoos. It has something for everyone at any level of interest; there are pages about celebrity tattoos, for those of us who are celebrity obsessed and boast the largest online tattoo museum in the world, for those who are into learning about the history and culture significance of different types of tattooing and tattoo designs. The site covers everything from tribal tattoos to contemporary design and even offers statistics on tattoos in America. It is a great resource if you want to learn more about a particular style or just to get some ideas for your own tat.

Vince was kind enough to let me interview him for an intern project and figured it would be cool to throw up on here:

Me:When did you begin the site?
Vince Hemington: Vanishing tattoo.com was launched on September 6, 1999.

M:Why did you create it?
V:It was a new and interesting way to distribute our documentary series proposal to broadcasters all over the world. It was also a means to post some of research as an information resource to people interested in indigenous tattoos and body art in general.

M:I really like the museum portion of the site, it is really different from the rest of the site and not just visually but seems more formal. Can you explain why you created it and why it is set up the way it is?
V:The Museum is intended to be more rigorously academic and research oriented.
The look came about because the Museum was developed two years ago and I was interested in a unique design and aesthetic for that section of the website. I also wanted the Museum section to feel like it had been curated and the sections to look like Museum Halls.

M:I am curious to just hear what draws you to devote yourself to tattoos.
V:Here's the long answer.
http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/sacred_mark.htm

M:What do you think about tattoo culture in the media (i.e. Miami Ink and L.A Ink). Is it a positive or a negative?
V:It undoubtedly raises the profile of tattooing among the general public, but it is clearly entertainment and not a very reliable or realistic portrayal of tattooing culture.
The general media is even more blissfully ignorant of the history and heritage of tattooing and body art within popular culture. That's the reason I continue the site.

M:Where do you get most of the information for the site?
V:All the written material on the web site was either written by myself or other credited writers, based on our research.
In the Museum section, we have a bibliography.

M:What was it like to film the Vanishing Tattoo Documentary?
V:It really was one of those, "Once in a lifetime" types of experiences. Quite extraordinary.

M:You seem to use a lot of different mediums to explore and talk about tattoos, what do you hope to accomplish through all this?
V:Pictures, photos, the written word and film all offer unique and interesting ways to convey information and knowledge to people in a way that you hope they will find both informative and enjoyable.

Zombie Prom

2009-04-15T19:33:00.001-07:00

2009-04-15T19:29:00.002-07:00

Donut from Kevin Cai on Vimeo.

2009-04-15T19:28:00.001-07:00

Tats for Ur Eyes

2009-04-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

I was watching National Geographic's Taboo one day and found out about this new technique in tattooing where an artist can tattoo the whites of your eyes any color you want. Currently their are only about four people who have successfully gone through this procedure and even fewer tattoo artists that can actually do it. While it sound kind of cool and little freaky (hell, it looks pretty freaky too), it is extremely dangerous. There are bunch of different risk involved the most being permanent damage to the cornea and lost of sight, though this hasn't stop people from trying it out. While eyeball tattooing has been done since the 19th century, maybe even earlier than that, to correct defects in a blind eye. Usually done only for medical reasons like scaring resulting from eye trauma by doctors.

However, pretty recently, people have begun to do it as part of body modification. It while their are virtually no doctor that is willing to do it, so a few tattoo artists have begun to study and experiment with different techniques on how to apply permanent color to the whites of the eyes. The artist that did the show said that he experimented on pigs' eyes since their eyes are pretty similar to our own to figure out how exactly to apply ink without it running (just thinking about it makes my eyes water).

A regular needle with ink at the end doesn't cut it for this tat, the artist has to literally inject the ink with a syringe needle into the whites of the eye at different points to get it to spread throughout the eye. And one slight twitch from the one getting the tattoo can cause a permanent loss of sight.

The first inked eye was done last year by three people Paul Unstoppable from Canada (oh Canada), Josh and Shannon Larratt to see if it could actually be done. They inked their entire eyes blue. They really stress that they and the artist had research the procedure extensively before attempting it. It took about 40 injections to get the entire eye blue. First up was Paul who was done with a traditional hand poking technique which wasn't all that effective so on Josh, the switched to a syringe and thinned out the ink with a antibiotic eyewash which was a lot more successful. While Josh and Paul's tats were pretty successful, Shannon has wrote that he did suffer from a minor damage that healed well.

Since these three, there has only been one other attempt at eyeball tattooing by Quille De Sade(at left: taken from national geographic site) is a chef from England who appeared on Taboo. He did his completely black which made him look like Morpheus from Sandman.

Just thinking about this makes my eyes itch.

Purchase College - Conservatory of Dance - MFA Concert - Iquail Shaheed

2009-04-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Maori Tats

2009-04-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

One form of popular tattoo design is the Maori style , also known as Ta Moko. Ta Moko seems to be a big part of the Maori people (the original inhabitants of New Zealand) culture, and it is a tradition that has survive thousands of years and colonization by the West. Lately, it has experienced a revival among American tattoo culture with many non-Maoris getting Ta Moko designs.

There is a Maori myth as to how ta moko developed on the site http://history-nz.org/maori3.html:

It started with a love affair between a young man by the name of Mataora (which means "Face of Vitality") and a young princess of the underworld by the name of Niwareka.

One day however, Mataora beat Niwareka, and she left Mataroa, running back to her father's realm .
Mataora, filled with guilt and heartbreak followed after Niwareka. After many trials, and after overcoming numerous obstacles, Mataora eventually arrived at the realm of "Uetonga", but with his face paint messed up after his voyage. Niwareka's family mocked Mataora for his appearance.

In his very humbled state, Mataora begged Niwareka for forgiveness, which she eventually accepted. Niwareka's father then offered to teach Mataora the art of tattooing.

Mataora and Niwareka thus returned together to the human world, bringing with them the arts of ta moko and taniko.

Ta Moko is traditionally not done with electric needles but by a tapping technique that is practice by many other traditional cultures. I have heard it is pretty painful since they take a stick or rod with about eight thin needles or a sharpen animal bone at one end and use another implement to lightly tap the needles under the skin to create an image. Definitely not for the faint at heart.
Ta Moko are more than just decorations for the skin but is a form of identification and shows the wearers rank, beauty, virility, availability for marriage, and family history. It is usually is done on the face but body designs are not uncommon. For men, tattoos on the face have different meanings depending on the part of the face it is on.

The center forehead area= rank
Around the brows=position
The eyes and nose area= rank
The temples=first or second marriage
The area under the nose= signature
The cheek area=work
The chin =mana (spiritual energy)
The jaw =birth status
The left side of the face= Father's Ancestry
The right side of the face= Mother's Ancestry

Women are only allowed to tattoo their lips , the chin area and sometimes the nostrils. Full blue lips is the ultimate form of beauty.

Choosing the designs for a moko was a long process and was not taken lightly. It is for this and others that some Maori are unhappy about the use of their designs by non-Maori who may not take the time to really understand the significance of the design they are getting.

Purchase Art

2009-04-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

In Studio with Madeleine McMillan

2009-04-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

The Art of the Insane: Paul Klee

2009-03-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

As an Art Management major at Purchase, I have an interest in Art History so every semester I try to take at least one art history class. This semester I am taking this really interesting class called Madness and Modernity. We look at the art depicting, influenced and created by those who are considered insane, whether they really were crazy or not.

Right now we are covering a section called "Art of the Insane." We are looking at many different examples of art done by inmates of varies asylums across Europe and the art done by those who were influenced by it. One of the artist we looked at is Paul Klee.

Paul Klee was born near Bern, Switzerland but moved to Munich. What interested me about his work is his philosophy. He studied the art made by the insane and of children and used it in his own art. He looked at the art of the insane and of children not because related to them or was insane himself which many critics at the time wrote about him and other artist who took interest in the art of the insane, but saw that their art helda kind of creative purity that most art lacks. He believe that as a result of all the training artist went through and looking at their predecessors, there was a disruption of the free-flow of creativity. He argued that the art of children and the insane opened a door that was closed to most artists too early. So by studying the art of the insane he hope to re-open this door and create art of free-form and rebel against more accepted forms of art. By no means was it about emotions, most of his art has a sense of control but it is more about non-conformity and flowing through different forms of reality. Also, I think that the element of different realities comes from looking at art of the asylum inmates since some people who are mentally unstable often talk about seeing or believeing in other levels of realities different from the one we live in like what Paul Schreber wrote about in Memoirs of My Nervous Illness (good book though some of the stuff he writes about is pretty out there).

His style is very spastic so it makes it hard to actually place he in any particular movement though he had interactions with artist in the German Expressionist movement. In some of his pieces flip-flops between three-dimensional and two-dimensional figures which goes back to going between differnt realityies. He also uses recognizable symbols like in Wildman (at the right) he uses an arrow in place of a penis (kind of random if you ask me). Sometimes his work was just unsettling and piercing and then there are others where you can definitely see the influence of child art (like the image above) because he does a great job of capturing that child-like visual without it being sloppy or looking like a kid actually did it; it is very controlled and intentional. This is one of the reasons I like his stuff. In the end, I think his stuff, more than anything, represents the outsider looking at what is going on around him/her and interpreting what they see.

Splash of Color

2009-03-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

Just a lil' movie I made for the Leah Tacha shows April 16 @ Purchase College and April 17 @ Smith-Stewart Gallery in Manhattan. If your interested in seeing more of her work click: leah-tacha.com

Americana Tats

2009-03-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Americana style, also known as Sailor Tattoos, is visually distinct and very intertwined in American visual culture. When it comes to tattooing, I think it is safe to say that Americana is one, if not, the most recognized style of tats and the most commercial in America. We see it plastered on everything from t-shirts to skateboards to oneises thanks to lines such as Ed Hardy. He is the one who I think most people today tend to think of when looking at Americana. But even before Ed Hardy shirts and hats, Americana tattoos were often seen gracing the skin of sailors. They often got them when they pulled into ports all around the states and in other countries. While sailors and tattooing has been around since the first European saw Native Americans that had intricate designs adorned on their skin, the style doesn't really start to take shape til the turn of the 20th century with the advent of the electric needle and a man known as Sailor Jerry.

Sailor Jerry was the American tattooist of his time and developed lots of tattooing standards that are still used to day like single-use needles and developed a whole range of pigments that were never before used. His style was influenced by Japanese design and sailor culture (he joined the navy in his late teens). He was most known for his attention to detail and his playful designs and was often copied. He mentored many well-known tattoo artist such as Don Ed Hardy, Rollo Banks and Dan Nolan.

It has uses thick black outline with bright colors often (but not limited to) yellows, red , blues and greens. Some of the subject matter often depicted are pin-ups, anchors, pirate ships, gypsy, tigers, snakes and skulls. What I personally like about the style is that it bold and in your face. In a way it represents a kind of freedom and stand against authority which I think reflects American culture . Yet, there is a kind of mysticism with all it's references to death and certain animals such as the tiger which is usually associated with fierceness which you try to tap into.

ki gen i draw stuff

2009-03-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

ARt w/ Leah Tacha

2009-03-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of really interesting MFA candidates this year at Purchase's conservatory of art but one of the one's that stood out to me is Leah Tacha. So, since I am an Arts Management major at Purchase, I really wanted to try and help her out while gaining some experience in managing the arts. What draws me to her work is her fantastic use of color. I think even if your are not into contemporary art, you can get hooked on her use of bright, bold colors. She uses a lot of found materials like plastic bags and foam ad bends them into interesting shapes in her sculptures. She also does a lot of 2-d work which also uses lot of color and has many textural elements. Plus she uses glitter and doesn't like a little sparkle? A lot of her stuff is fun, a little quirky and humorous. There is this one piece that is on her site called "Chicken Legs" that I couldn't help but grin when I saw it. Artist's site: http://www.leah-tacha.com

She has two major shows in April, one here at Purchase on the 16th and one at the Smith-Stewart Gallery in uptown Manhattan on the 17th. She is a Cleveland Institute of Art grad and has received the Martha M. Spindler award for excellence in Painting in 2007, the President's Award for excellence in the Arts from Purchase in 2009 and is up for the 2009 Thayer and Ross Fellowship for Outstanding Achievement and High Professional Achievement in the Arts. There has been a number of different places she has shown including the Westchester Arts Council in White Plains, the Salamanca Arts Center in Tasmania, Australia and the Reinberger Gallery in Cleveland.

Factory Night: Weird Korea

2009-03-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Factory Night at the Neuberger here at Purchase went really well. The atmosphere was laid back and a little retro. There were a couple of people who dressed up in some really funky clothes. One guy even came in a mask because he thought it was like a halloween party.

Everyone was really into the art in both the "Pop Politics" and "Snapshots." What I love about both exhibits is that they cast Andy Warhol in a different light than what we usually see him. We tend to think about him as the guy who did the campbell's soup cans and Marilyn Monroe but his career was so much more than that. This exhibits looks more into his later career and all the things he did. It has footage that he directed or was included on his t.v network as well as stuff from his magazine Interview.

While he was mostly based in New York City, he often brushed elbows with many powerful political figure heads of his time both domestic and international. He often sought and was sought after for commissions of these powerful people and show how they not only exhibited power but also a sort of fame that came with it that is not always noted. He turn them into icons. While he didn't outright show any kind of political leanings, it is interesting how he interpets their persona like the Mao image he used because he was interested in the way it flooded both China as propaganda and American media as a result of Nixon visit to China.

There was food, art and music and there's no better comboination than that. The deejay was pretty good but I think the live band killed it and made the event so much more fun. They did some good Velevet Underground covers but what I liked the most was how they incorprated a projected images, many of Nixon which fit into the theme, into their performance which give it an interesting touch. And it made the experience that much more eciting. Plus theyhad fake blood and what's a party without some blood?

For Pics of the event visit: http://tinyurl.com/ab2hax

Irezumi- Japanese Tattoos

2009-03-03T17:51:00.000-08:00

One of the most beautiful tattooing styles is Irezumi. Irezumi is the tradtional Japanese art of tattooing. Some artist use electric needles but there are still some who do it in the traditional way of using a bamboo stick with about eight needles and get the ink under the skin by poking the skin again and again. Suppose to be a bit painful but the end result is a beautiful piece of skin art. You often find portraits of coy geshias, sword weilding samurais and fierce looking tigers in the kind of art style seen in Japanese woodcuts. What makes these kind of tattoos distinct is that every inch of skin is covered and nothing is left blank. The skin around the larger image is covered entirely by smaller motifs like sakura blossoms which really makes the larger tats stand out and causes the eye to really look at the small details. These irezumi artists often use bright, bold colors to fill in the entire tat which really is like the icing on the cake and adds another element that bring the whole design together. To me it is all about harmony with in a design.

Irezumi has such a rich history and is deeply rooted in Japan's past. I have read that tattooing in Japan can be traced back to the early settlers, the Ainu people. However, irezumi has a bad connotation with the Yakuza (the Japanese Mafia). People with tattoos are often banned from public bathhouses. Those who have tattoos whether Yakuza or not, have to hide their tattoos. As unfornate as this is, i think it is how it gets its unqiue look. The tats are designed in a way that it can be easily covered with clothes so often the back, upper arms, chest, and upper thighs are all covered. Every inch of skin between the collarbone to the knees and sometimes the ankle is covered completely in ink. This makes it look kind of like a bodysuit it even dips below the collar so that if you wear a scoop-necked shirt it is still covered.

Today, there are a small number of people who appreicate the art and see it in a postive light. Most of them are younger people who have adapted the western/americana tattoo style.

2009-03-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

My Tattoo

2009-02-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

I love tattoo imagery and i am always reading up on tattooing practices in other cultures and watching any documentary i can on them. I have always seen tattoos as a form of art. I think they take us back to a period in art where there was a lot of interaction between the artist and the viewer or patron. It is a lot like the Fluxus/Happenings art movements in that where art is more about involving the viewer to take part in making the art happen. When you get a tattoo, you often have a two way talk about how the piece is going to look. It is like Pop Art in the way it is less about intellectuals interpet the design and more about using socially reconizable imagery that most people in society can read through the use of visually imagery. And in the end that is all art truly is; a way that we all can communicate who we are. What I love about tattoos and all body art in general it that they have a life to them. They are permant and you carry it always. And the best part of it is that it is not mucked up by intellectual property and copyright laws.

For a couple of years i have been wanting to get tattoo. I have waited this long because I wanted to make sure what ever I got, I wouldn't regret it later on or got tired of it. As cheesey as it sounds, I wanted to get something meaningful and personal. And after a lot of time thinking and re-doing the design of it, I have finally decided on a design that really captures my out look in life.

I drew the design on three ideas. One was a line from the song "What Are You Waiting For" by Gwen Stefani. There is a line in the song that said "Born to blosom, Doom to perish." We all capable of doing great things we just tend to be afraid of idea of rejection and failure. I want it to be a constant reminder to live for today and try and accomplish all my goals (sappy, I know) because I don't have forever and there is nothing worse than wondering "what if." So the skull is death and the flower on top is beginning to open as in a birth. The sceond thing is that I love the idea of skull motifs and the idea of opposites conflicting. I see the skull as being a masculine symbol and yet there are girlie looking hearts on it and a lotus-like flower. There is a play of the feminie and the masculine. And the last inspiration was Maori tatttoo designs and Mexican day of the dead skulls. I love Maori tattoo designs so I used the idea of the painted skull seen from the day of the dead and used them to create my own interpetation.

I want it to be full color so maybe I'll post the color version. All in all I pretty excited about getting it. There are a bunch of people with tats at Purchase and most get them from this tattoo place in White Plains. They do some pretty good work so I am going to check them out. Now my only problem is trying getting over my fear of needles.

Madsen

2009-02-23T13:24:00.000-08:00

I came upon Madsen when I had to do a song project for my german class. We had to pick a song and translate it into english. They have a couple of good songs but "Du Schreibst Geschichte" which means "you write history," is thier best. Even though my german is shaky at best, I looove this song. When no one's looking, I rock out to it.

Here's the english translation:

Because the world turns so fast
Because the time passes so fast
You come not afterwards
Because the hecticness does not put
You in the mass under go
You are a drop in the sea.

But you live longer than a life long
You are with which all this began.

Because you write history
With each step, with each word continues you it
You write history on each day
Because you are some of it now and here

Because a monster before you stands
Sees threatening to you into the eyes
You are rather quiet
Because everyone you told who you are and which is missing to you
Forgets you which you to say want

But you live longer than a life long
You are with which all this began

Because you write history
With each step, with each word continues you it
You write history on each day
Because you are some of it now and here

Because you live only once
You want which moved before you go yourself
Before you go

You live longer than a life long
You are with which all this began

Because you write history
With each step
With each word continues you it
You write history on each day
Because you are some of it now and here.

Jeffree Star

2009-02-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

I was browsing around myspace music looking for some new music the other day. I clicked on the Top 10 list and saw some chick named Jeffree Star and clicked on the profile picture. Up popped this page that was white with this sickingly pink all over and a pic of this flat chested looking girl with bubblegum pink hair. Then through my headphones, filtered this uber-techno beat and this very mascline voice singing about being faomus and cupcakes. It was then that i realize that Jeffree Star was a man in women's clothing. (he's pretty much like Perez Hilton if he were slender and decided he wanted to be a singer).Being from the city and going to an art schools, i no stranger to drag queens and transgender individuals. In fact i have always had an odd fascination with the idea of men in women's clothes. However, this person had to be one of the most convicing queen i have ever seen. His image from his obnoxious pink hair to his multi-colored eye make up to his pin style posed pictures was so well crafted. It amazed me. His music was your usually techno beat but the lyrics were really ranuchy and one song, "Lollipop Luxury," was all about gay sex but in a way it worked for him. I don't even like the music all that much but i have found meself repeatly coming back to his page listening to music that is annonyingly catchy at best.It really makes me think how many times these performers that we often listen have an image that was carefully crafted in order to make them that more interesting and saleable. I don't think i would be half as interested in this guy had he been in dressed what we usually consider men's clothing. The fact that he has long hair and dresses in heels and bathing suits and carry himself better than most women that i have meet makes him that much more interesting hence makes his music interesting. Or it could be that i'm just really weird and have a odd platonic attraction to the idea of boys in dresses.

Check him out @ Jeffree Star

Weekenders

2009-02-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Purchase can get pretty boring after a while especially when your from the city. In the city, when ever the mood strikes you, you can hop on train and go anywhere, anytime you want. Purchase is in the middle of a freakin' forest that looks straight out of a Jason movie and the next "city" is White Plain which you have to take a Purchase bus that in the winter decides to be anywhere from an 45 min. to an hour late and in the spring decides to be ten min. early (sometimes i think someone out there gets a sick kick out of seeing me try to run). That's why i love when the weekend rolls around and i can go home. This weekend me and my roomate went in to the city to eat sushi in a place off St.Mark's called MAi's. This place is great because it sushi is delicious and cheap enough that it fits into the college kid budget. The best hing about is that though it is cheap, i never get that gotta go aftershock. After our bellies were full, we meet up with my old friend from high school and headed over to Queens to get some hookah. The only thing worth going to Queens is its hookah lounges. There are plenty of spots in Manhattan but, they are all over priced and weak. So we went to a place on Steinway where i have heard was one of the best spots to go to. It was a little narrow but long place with lots of arabic secondhand furniture and pictures (it even had this cool and old arched door off to the side) all in a candle lit room. All in all it equaled to a nice, layed back atmosphere. After we sat down, we ordered some strawberry hookah and got to catching up, joking around and being all around obnxious. We had some of their carmel cream which looked like flan (and being half Puerto Rican can be really picky about stuff like that) and it tasted like fruit loops and molasses, all-in-all it was crap. But they were graicous enough not to charge us. Though the cake was bad the hookah was good and cheap. We spent under $10 for around of hookah. The fact that the waiter was hitting on my friend and her constant show of uninterest, provided endless amount of amusement on our part. There were only three issues with the place: bathroom was pretty gross (but honestly i have been to worse), there were a couple of old guys that looked at anything with a pulse and walked with two legs and no alchol since it is a Halal estab. After a couple of hours, we headed for the train station to catch the N back home. While waiting, the biggest freakin' rat i have ever saw crawled out of a hole near the wall and sprinted towards the trash can. We all screamed like three little girls. Ipushed one friend in hopes it will take her and not me while my other friend jumped on the station bench. Then the creepiest MTA worker told us that there were no downtown trains so we had to go through the underpass to go up and come back down. As we were walking, another rat runs out and scaries the shit out of us and we run up the stairs. As we came up the creepy station guy jumps out and scares us.Lesson of the day: i can take seeing rats in the tracks but if i see them on the platform, it every woman for herself.

Factory Party @ Purchase: Stage One

2009-02-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

This month, the Neu will be opening a new exhibit showing polaroids and silk-screens created by Andy Warhol (who is my favorite artist). I'm really excited about the exhibit. A few other people and i decided to create a costume party @ the museum where students can come dressed up like the people depicted in the artwork displayed or in clothing of the 60s and 70s ('cause the one thing people @ Purchase likes to do is dress up). We came up with the idea of getting both live entertainment and a D.J. A girl in the committee knew a D.J based in Brooklyn who was willing to do it close to no money and who had vintage records from the 60s and 70s that he could play. Since the Velvet Underground was such a big part of the time, we figured we should get a band to cover their songs and since Purchase is full of talented and dedicated bands, we might as well hire one. So yesterday, I created and posted a couple of flyers around campus, advertise the gig. I already got one hit hopefully I get a couple of more.