2020-01-01 Skin Deep

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FACES OF THE
FUTURE? WHERE WIN WEEKEND
ARE WE GOING? TICKETS TO
TATTOO FREEZE
SCENES FROM:
LIVERPOOL TATTOO
CONVENTION
SZCZECIN TATTOO
CONVENTION
THE SEARCH FOR
THE GRAIL
ARON DUBOIS FHISELIX LEU
JAPANESE WHISPERS LIFE & TIMES
TOMO
THE RULEBREAKER
ESTHER GARCIA
LUKE ASHLEY
PALM TATTOOS ARE
OFFICIALLY HERE!
SEAN HERMAN’S
TRANSFORMATIVE
TATTOO ISSUE 310 • JANUARY 2020 • £3.95
MODEL: TETA-MARIA • PHOTOGRAPH: SCOTT COLE
CONTENTS
72
20
30
38 62
20 FACES OF THE FUTURE 38 RULE BREAKER physical and spiritual. The latter has seen THE USUAL SUSPECTS
The distance between the present and Esther Garcia plays by her own rules — the palm as a bodily map for instigating 5 SATURDAY NIGHT &
future in tattoo appears as though it is she always has and always will. Even with premonitions, with its many criss- SUNDAY MORNING
receding. Imagining the future today two decades of experience, the Chicago- crossing lines foretelling either a joyful 8 WOMAN IN THE WOODS
10 SLEEVE NOTES
could easily become an antiquated idea based artist still finds ways to push herself life or a foredooming resolution…
114 TATTOO OF THE MONTH
tomorrow, and that’s what makes Faces and innovate.
of the Future a unique and bold attempt 72 THE ETERNAL RIVER THIS ISSUE'S
to document the boundaries of our 44 JAPANESE WHISPERS Through impact-laden encounters CONTRIBUTORS
imagination today. He is one of the most gifted Japanese between ornamental and figural imagery, Pascal Bagot
Developed by tattoo artist, Hanumantra, tattooers of his generation. From the tattooist Aron Dubois has developed a Kamila Burzymowska
and photographer, Kaja Gwinsca, we take region of Niigata in the North-East self-sourced visual language that openly Rebecca Givens
a closer look. of Japan, he’s spreading the beauty of explores symbology, spirituality and Steven Guichard-Kenny
Sean Herman
Japanese tattoo culture. All tattoo lovers surrealism in an effort to “drink from
Fareed Kaviani
30 ASK HERE (PART 1) praise his complex and very detailed the eternal river” and return to what the James Musker
With the release of Tattooing Ask Here—a compositions which adorn the bodies of Colorado-native defines as “the source”… Barbara Pavone
collection of original and traditional some very lucky collectors, but after 20
flash, interview, stories and photographs years, Tomo is ready to move on. 80 THE TRANSFORMATIVE TATTOO COVER PHOTOGRAPH
detailing the tattoo history of Felix Leu— Sean Herman continues his quest to heal Scott Cole
we took the spectacularly well-timed 62 PALM READER as much of the world as he can through
opportunity to speak to Loretta Leu about For centuries we have looked to our palms tattooing—this issue, he looks at the
the book and her life with Felix. as a valuable source of information, a differing version of right and wrong.
complex blueprint of one’s identity, both
EDITOR CREDIT CONTROL TECHNICAL DIRECTOR ISSN 0966-4351

Sion Smith Emma McCrindle David Arthur Can’t find Skin Deep magazine
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The views expressed in this magazine by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. All articles are written in good faith and are based on information provided by owners. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all material, the contributors, magazine and the
publishers cannot accept liability for loss resulting from error, mis-statement, inaccuracy, or omission contained herein. Reproduction of any matter printed or depicted in Skin Deep magazine is prohibited without prior permission. Some words, names, and designations are trademarked and are the
property of the trademark holder and have only been used for identification purposes only.
S K I N D E E P M AG A Z I N E • 3

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SATURDAY NIGHT
& SUNDAY MORNING
Belly Button
I’m a celebrity. Get me some ink.
I
never thought I’d be mentioning these
names in Skin Deep—never mind in my
AS AN ART AND COMMUNITY, WE
editorial—but I’ve eaten all my spinach, HAVE COME A VERY LONG WAY IN
cracked my knuckles and I think I can THE ACCEPTANCE STAKES AND THIS
handle it from here on.
Ant and Dec. PARTICULAR INSTANCE IS CRUCIAL
Yeah—the power-house duo of British TV mostly always wearing a suit, so they may not
get an honourable mention this issue for exactly be as new as the newspapers are mak-
‘services’ to tattooing. More specifically Ant… ing out–which I think is brilliant.
I stumbled across a news story that re- Regardless, this week, his forearms made an
vealed an outpouring of curiosity from his appearance and revealed an arrow and a flow-
fans about the tattoos suddenly on public er (possibly a rose) along with a couple of other
SION SMITH • EDITOR
display. I don’t watch TV a whole lot but I editor@skindeep.co.uk
bits and pieces… all of which seem to be Ant’s
know of his work and so far as I recall, he’s way of helping himself deal with his demons.
SATURDAY NIGHT
& SUNDAY MORNING
Without going down the road of digging

into what those demons are/were, it’s great
to see a guy in the public eye 24/7 using tat-
tooing to help himself out of a hole. When
you’re into tattooing and the various scenes
around it, you can get used to such things
very quickly. I could name dozens upon doz-
ens of people who have been tattooed as a
self-healing process and so could you if you
thought about it. It’s not something we think
about a whole lot any more because it’s so
common in the inner circles.
But as an art and community, we have
come a Very Long Way in the acceptance
stakes and this particular instance is crucial.
Ant McPartlin is right up there when it comes
to pop culture and visibility—the more visibly
tattooed people, who are loved by the major-
ity of the population, the better. It has huge re-
percussions when it comes to getting jobs and
acceptance in society. The ‘shock the readers’
news stories are getting thin for the daily papers.
Once it was a valuable tool for them and people
had views on it almost at the level of climate
change/political loyalty… not so much any more.
Belly Button
I’m sticking this in the win column for us
simply because tattoos are starting to be-
come ‘invisible’ for the non-tattooed out
…IT LOOKS SO DAMN FINE, I DON’T SEE
there. For too long, they seemed to belong HOW ANYBODY COULD EVER SAY IT
to everybody else as well as yourself–every- WASN’T A LEGITIMATE ART-FORM
body and their dog had an opinion–but that’s
changing on a daily basis and before too long, I still think tattooing will go underground again before too long, but
ownership will come back to the wearer. there will be a more visible split between ‘types’ of tattooers and what
Which is where it should always have been. they do. Much as you can go into a shop and buy a watch, a phone, a
Do we want a level playing field? That’s pair of shoes–whatever–there are certain watches, phones and shoes
a tough one to answer because not all tat- that you just can’t get on the high street.
tooed people are the same. Far from it in fact, For those top end luxury items, you’ll need to look a little harder, do
but it’s the way the mass media likes to play a little research and move beyond the confines of your comfort zone
everything. Us and Them. Some will hate it to get them. That’s where we are heading.
because their reasons for getting tattooed One look at the Faces of the Future article we have on board this is-
were to set them apart and now they are not. sue, will give you a good indication of where top end tattooing is going
Some will love it because that stigma is still and it looks so damn fine, I don’t see how anybody could ever say it
out there in little pockets which can make wasn’t a legitimate art-form.
getting by in daily life difficult. If they do, it’s merely a lack of understanding.
Blurred lines are the answer to everything. I seem to have gotten off-track here. How do you move from a sim-
The blurrier the better because it means com- ple arrow on the forearm tattoo to mind-blowing full body pieces in
promise and acceptance. Being part of the less than 800 words?
bigger picture has never been at the top of any Well… thats the secret of tattooing all over. It starts with a simple
list when it comes to tattooing but the world arrow, leads to a rose on the other side to balance it out and before you
has changed beyond all recognition in recent know it, you’re back with your head in a magazine trying to figure out
years and none of us, no matter how hard we what you’re going to get next…
try, will ever get that genie back in the bottle. Britain’s Got Talent will never be the same again.
6 • SKIN DEEP MAGAZINE

THE WOMAN IN THE WOODS
Why is that first tattoo encounter so terrifying?
I
spoke to a friend last week that I hadn’t
seen in a while. Of course one of the pri-
mary things to fall out of his mouth was
that he’d gone and gotten tattooed for the
first time. When things like this happen, when
people open conversations with details of their
body modification, I take it to mean that I have
become—in some of my less-tattooed social
groups—unofficial spokesperson and sounding
board for all things tattooing… ready to listen
to anyone and everyone’s stories. I get a real
kick out of this. If you do (or don’t) know me
and we do cross paths, please do tell me your
tattoo news. I am always honoured to hear it.
Anyway, he went on to explain how his first
time in that sweat-inducing, cling-film-cov-
ered black chair was “terrifying” and that being
in a tattoo studio for the first time was “intimi-
dating”. Knowing that he’d been to one of my
favourite places in the Midlands, somewhere I
knew prided itself on an ability to be friendly,
especially to newbies, I asked him to detail ex-
actly what it was that had made him feel out-of-
Callum Glover
place. “Did they welcome you with a smile? Say
hello? Offer you a drink? Talk you through the
tattoo beforehand?” “Yes,” was his response to
THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT
every scenario I could think of. So, what exactly GETTING THAT VERY FIRST TATTOO
was it that had made him feel so apprehensive
about going in there for that first appointment?
THAT WILL ALWAYS MAKE YOU
He couldn’t give me an answer. We then went FEEL A LITTLE BIT SICK WHEN YOU
on to have a lengthy chat about why it is that, no
matter how comfortable you are made to feel,
WALK THROUGH THE DOOR
there is something about getting that very first As tattooists and regular tattoo collectors,
tattoo that will always make you feel a little bit we’re on a tattoo art treadmill, forgetting what
sick when you walk through the door. It doesn’t that first ever tattoo was like and how impor-
matter what your pre-conceptions are about tant it really was. Sometimes I wish I could go
tattooed people and their environments, it back and re-live it, write down how it felt, what
doesn’t matter how jolly and un-patronising the I said, how the studio smelt, what I did after-
receptionist is, maybe you’re just always going wards. I was a completely different person then.
to walk towards that chair and experience the I didn’t even know what ‘Skin Deep’ was. And
sensation of thinking you may shit your pants. now, here I am. Tattoos open so many doors—
REBECCA GIVENS
Maybe you will, actually, shit your pants. I guess for artists and for their wearers who leave the
a lot of the fear has to do with ‘the unknown’— studio a brand new version of themselves.
no matter how much you prepare someone for If you’re reading this magazine today for
that day, no matter how much we try to make first-timer inspiration, hey there, we don’t
our world accessible to anyone on the outside of bite. And good luck popping your tattoo cher-
it, it’s still a really big deal to the individual. Not ry. Just try to enjoy it. It’s true what they say—
because people with tattoos look unapproach- it’s scary, you’ll bleed, you’ll shake, you’ll sweat,
able, but because the decision itself has weight and then afterwards you’ll smile, and you’ll
for the person wearing it for the rest of their life. never be the same again.
8 • SKIN DEEP MAGAZINE

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ALL SUBMISSIONS TO SLEEVE NOTES GRATEFULLY RECEIVED. BE IT NEWS, AN EVENT, NEW MERCH, A STUDIO MOVE... WE'LL
SLEEVE NOTES
DO OUR VERY BEST TO LET EVERYBODY ELSE KNOW ABOUT IT TOO. EMAIL: NEWS@SKINDEEP.CO.UK OR IF YOU WANT TO
BE ARCHAIC ABOUT THE WHOLE AFFAIR: SKIN DEEP, THE OLD SCHOOL, HIGHER KINNERTON, CHESTER CH4 9AJ. BRING IT.
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WIN ONE OF FIVE PAIRS

OF TICKETS TO
TATTOO FREEZE 2020
2
019 sure flipped by in the blink of an eye huh?
Here we are staring down the barrel of Christ-
mas which means Tattoo Freeze will be here be-
fore you've even finished your shopping.
The weeks sure do fly by but if you want to impress
the guy who works at the supermarket or the girl who
you think might be looking at you fondly from behind
the fish counter, it’s likely that some free tickets to one
of the years most fun tattoo shows will push you a little
further in the right direction.
We haven’t given anything away for a long time (aside
from last issue) so here we are with another fistful (five
pairs to be exact) of tickets for the entire weekend at Tat-
too Freeze (February 1st/2nd, Telford International Cen-
tre).
All you have to do is head on over to skindeep.co.uk/
competitions and where it asks for your competition an-
swer, simply type TATTOO FREEZE, fill in the other im-
portant stuff and we’ll choose the next five winners before
the end of December.
Will we run another giveaway for it between now and
the event? Nope... best get typing.
10 • S K I N D E E P M A G A Z I N E
MR & MISS ALTERNATIVE 2019
After touring six U.K locations throughout 2019, the Alternative Model of the
Year contest reached an extravagant finale on Saturday October 19th at Newcas-
tle's Northumbria Students Union, showcasing some of nations most unique and
vibrant individuals.
The event featured on BBC's Travel Show earlier this year and recently cel-
ebrated its 8th anniversary, which over the years has seen an impressive 2,400
models participate in the pageant. Since launching in 2011 organisers have been
pushing the boundaries of what is considered "the norm" in the modelling indus-
try, promoting diversity in the world of fashion.
Taking to the runway and beating the competition of 165 other hopefuls; Shelby
Images credit: Jamie Huntley
Toms from Newcastle was crowned Miss Alternative, and Killian Main from Lon-
don took the title Mr Alternative.
Both winners have secured modelling contract with Rogue Model Management
and will participate in an exclusive photo-shoot with the Legendary; Dani Divine.
If you’re feeling adventurous, applications are now being taken for 2020
at: www.alternativemodelling.com
S K I N D E E P M A G A Z I N E • 11
200+ TATTOO ARTISTS • INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT • CIRCUS WORKSHOPS • LIVE MUSIC •
• BURLESQUE • AMAZING TRADERS WWW.TATTOOFREEZE.COM
Scenes from
LIVERPOOL
TATTOO
CONVENTION
T
he 12th International Liverpool Tattoo Convention comes
later than usual this year, but it’s great to see it’s still part
of the inked calendar. I’ve always found tattoo conventions
strange to be honest–and that doesn’t mean ‘not great’ or
‘rubbish’.
See, I love fresh bread and beer, but I have no desire to see anyone
baking or brewing but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the pro-
cess and the glorious finished product.
However, LTC is different, always has been, always will be. Why?
Simple. The differential between tattooing and lifestyle! The multi
layered aspects of whats involved. For a start, the organisers live that
lifestyle of tattoos, music, clothing, jewellery, art, films, books, maga-
zines, love, life… people damnit!
The venue is a hotel and this means there are several spaces with
things going on.
Two main rooms are full of those delivering/getting ink featuring
200+ tattooists from all over the UK and beyond, including some
hot names right now in the shape of people like Dave Valentine, Bex
Priest, Gillian Badger alongside of some old friends like Max Pniewski
Words: JJ Images: 2 Tall Paul
and Rakhee Shah. Indeed, this years line-up is a damn consistent af-
fair and that’s good to see.
Smaller side rooms, a basement, a loft, a music bar and vendors fill
the rest of the space. The fact that it’s in the city centre means right
outside the front door is one of the greatest cities in the world. You’re
never bored that’s for sure, there is always something to do, especially
S C E N E S F R O M L I V E R P O O L TAT T O O C O N V E N T I O N
with the show running from midday way to way past midnight.
On the entertainment front, we have a stage full of horror themes,
burlesque, sword swallowing and the #1 Suicide Girl. It’s often just
as fun to watch the reaction of those watching as those performing.
Most of those gracing the stage are inked, so the connection is made,
all hang around to chat and have a selfie. The line between them and
us is blurred and that’s just as it should be, ‘I am you and you are me
and we are all together‘ Coo, coo, ca choo.
Meanwhile, fifteen artists are playing live down in the music bar.
Most, if not all are ‘live and local’. Some are great, some are not so.
Those that certainly left an impression are Munkey Junkey, Oceanis,
Inhabit, Scare Tactics, Celavi and the Spouky Kids who are a Mari-
lyn Manson tribute act who certainly go all the way. Once again it’s
subjective, those mentioned are the ones for me that have a chance of
doing something great should they wish to and I’m not going to berate
others, just going to say that they were not for me, or not at the same
level as those mentioned. Anyway, so far as music goes at a tattoo con-
vention, this was a great addition to the inking going on elsewhere.
To sum up three days and nights in a short review is kind of trivialis-
ing the event, then again, to drag a review over pages of self absorbing
breakdown would still make the end result a bloody great weekend.
Same time next year? You bet.
JJ
S C E N E S F R O M L I V E R P O O L TAT T O O C O N V E N T I O N
REVIEW
OCCULT LONDON
9-781999-343934
£12.00
Folder contains: Map (400
x 690mm), A Guide To
Magickal Tools For The
Aspiring Occultist card
(100 x138mm)
Litho-printed in the UK on
sustainably sourced paper
H
ere’s a couple of great little cu-
rios. Herb Lester publish some
bizarre material—weird, but still
brilliant in every way.
In the mail today, we received two little CULTS
packages—'Occult London' and 'Cults'—and 9-781999-343903
£12.00
they’re fantastically fun, which is no mean
Folder contains: Map
feat while the rest of the world is playing it (400 x 690mm), two
deadly serious. postcards (100 x138mm)
Open the killer packaging and in one, you’ll Litho-printed in the UK on
find a super-cool double-sided map of occult to tattooing at all, a huge percentage of you sustainably sourced paper
London landmarks along with a postcard de- are into art in many forms and these are a
Published by: Herb Lester
tailing 20 items any aspiring occultist needs peach—thus, we deemed them worthy of in- Associates • herblester.com
to get started—in the other, the two-sided clusion here just because they’re cool as hell
map is of the locations of the worlds most and once you frame them and stick them up
insane cults along with a postcard you can on the wall, who knows what they might in-
use to tell your family you’ve either joined fluence you to create.
a cult… or need some help. Most interesting And if you think these are strange, check
about this, is that the majority of the world’s out their online store where they have many,
most dangerous cults appear to be in South- many ways for you to get rid of some cash and
ern California—make of it what you will. not feel like you threw it away on nothing.
While neither pack is anything related When something raises a smile on your face
just because it exists, you know you’re onto a
good thing.
FACES
OF THE
FUTURE
W
ith the onslaught of social media these
ground-breaking moments have become
more frequent, occurring on an almost
weekly basis—depending on the quality
of your feed—yet, moments that break new ground have
also become as ephemeral as a refresh button; just yester-
day I was spellbound by Jaya Suartika’s innovative place-
ment of an Indonesian batik keris design on (and it would
seem also, in) Paul Stillen’s backside.
The distance between the present and future in tattoo
appears as though it is receding. Imagining the future to-
day could easily become an antiquated idea tomorrow, and
that’s what makes Faces of the Future a unique and bold at-
tempt to document the boundaries of our imagination to-
day. Developed by tattoo artist, Hanumantra, and photogra-
pher, Kaja Gwinsca, the concept brings together visions of
the future of tattoo artists they respect and admire. I catch
up with Hanumantra to discover more about the project.
What prompted the project / why did you create it?
In my early years and pre today’s technology, I spent copi-
ous amounts of time traveling, which exposed me to a lot
of ‘dead time’. To fill the hours, I would constantly doodle
designs using a Bic ballpoint pen in magazines, working
up designs that I thought could work as tattoos. The more
I did the more interesting this concept of drawing on pic-
I WANTED A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF WHERE THEY CURRENTLY ARE
BUT ALSO WHERE THEY MAY BE HEADING CREATIVELY
tures became, I realised that without the restriction and chance to work with people I greatly respect and admire,
expectation that comes with actual tattoos I was free to people pushing their work and influencing tattooing in
develop my work at will, I was able to have fun where the their own way and allowing me the opportunity to share
consequence for error was nil. As a freehand tattooist, this with the wider public
this approach allowed me to truly develop an aesthetic to What criteria did you select the artists by?
my tattoos that I felt comfortable with. It varied, some because they have not only inspired me so
With this concept in mind I thought it would be fun to much but also altered the vision of tattooing such as “Leo
see what other creations could come from others in the Zulueta”, others because they are creating the tattoos that
industry, so I reached out to a few friends to see if they are having a big impact on the tattoos being done today
would be interested in a collaboration in freedom of ex- and then those who will hopefully carry the torch forward.
pression to share and inspire others in the industry. What The response from the artists has been fantastic, and since
has been truly great for me is this project has given me the the project has been launched, I have been inundated with
WHILST I APPRECIATE MANY OTHER FACETS OF TATTOOING, NONE OF
THEM EXCITES AND INTERESTS ME THE WAY BLACKWORK DOES
requests from people who would like to contribute. type of tattooing lends itself to large scale work with an
How are the tattoos created—what is the acute focus on fitting the design to a person’s body. It's
technical process? in this way I'd like to see the craft of tattooing evolve.
Each artist was assigned a unique picture to work on. Can you briefly tell me about your own work?
This was chosen to complement their already estab- My work has its roots firmly planted in the history of
lished aesthetic within tattooing. I wanted a true rep- indigenous "tribal" tattooing. However, I do not try and
resentation of where they currently are but also where replicate these designs or the cultural significance they
they may be heading creatively. They created the design have. Instead, I take the principals and concepts used
"off" the picture and sent it back to me where I would from the past and project them into how I see the future
then superimpose the tattoo on to the model. of blackwork tattooing progressing. This is what I cre-
Why did you choose only blackwork? ate for my clients today.
I work exclusively in this genre and whilst I appreciate What criteria did you select the models by? Any
many other facets of tattooing, none of them excites and issues / surprises with the whole process?
interests me the way blackwork does. I also think this I had the help of Kaja Gwinsca, who photographed all
I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE A MORE DELIBERATE APPROACH TO LARGE
SCALE FULL-BODY TATTOOING
of the models as well as finding them. When we had our definitions of the “future”, “tattoo” and “body”.
initial discussion about who the models should be, we Each person was tasked with creating the most progres-
agreed on an inclusive selection of sex, age, colour, body sive version of their work whilst remaining true to what
type etc, as we want everyone in our future. they do. I am not aware of any limitations that occurred
Can you describe some of the pieces for us? Any in my brief, I just wanted people to feel free and design
stand-out pieces? something that excited them without the logistics of hav-
Too many of the designs that came back made me think ing to actually "tattoo" it. Hopefully, they all enjoyed it.
"holy shit", which inspired me to push harder with my In your eyes, what makes a tattoo “futuristic”?
own work. What I did find surprising was some of the The answer will vary for every person, but for me I'd re-
words that accompanied the artwork from various artists. ally like to see a more deliberate approach to large scale
It gave a really interesting insight into their influences full-body tattooing. This is the pinnacle and I believe we
and methodology for creating a tattoo. I included some of should aim for the top.
these words in the book "Faces of the Future”.
What was the brief you sent to artists? I am interested The "Faces of the Future" book is available for sale from
in any limitations that might have arisen from your www.un1ty.tattoo.
BACKPIECES,
SLEEVES &
AND OTHER
LARGE-SCALE TATTOOS
DISCOVERED AT Szczecin Tattoo
Convention
5–6 OCTOBER 2019
Photo Credit: Kamila Burzymowska
Felix Leu in the studio at 34 Rue Centrale, Lausanne,
Switzerland. 1983. Photo credit Alex Solca.
ASK
PART ONE
HERE leufamilyiron.com • seedpress.ie
With the release of Tattooing Ask Here—a collection of original and

traditional flash, interviews, stories and photographs detailing the tattoo
history of Felix Leu—we took the spectacularly well-timed opportunity
to speak to Loretta Leu about the book and her life with Felix:
How did the idea of making this book come about?
I had started to collect some of Felix’s earlier flash draw-
ings, just knowing that one day I should do something
with them. I looked through our old flash books; we didn’t
keep his drawings separate, they were mixed in with all
our other flash. It took me some time to collect all these
images. Then, my daughter Aia Leu came to visit and saw
what I was collecting. She said: “Why don’t I help you and
we do it again, make a book together and I’ll publish it.”
It is really thanks to her enthusiasm and hard work that
this project came to life now. The idea from the begin-
ning was to include Felix’s tattoo designs, photos, also an
early drawing like the one from 1977 which shows fantas-
tic line work for a future tattooer. And part of the story
before his tattoo life. Because tattooing didn’t come into
our life until we were 33. We had a whole life before that.
When tattooing came to us, we already had four children
and had travelled a lot; we had done many things to sup-
port ourselves, make jewellery, batiks and other different
jobs of that kind. Whatever we could figure out to survive Tattoo by Felix Leu, Lausanne, Switzerland. 1985.
in fact. And then tattooing came into our life; I’ve put the
story in the book. It’s even in Felix’s own words because tle has been published over the years. So that was the idea
we decided to quote some of the interviews that he did. behind the book–to present Felix Leu so that younger
Why was it important to tell Felix’s story? artists know something about him. Older ones like myself
I have at home a whole collection of books of tattooers could find it fun to read too, because they might have had
from the early 20th century. I’ve always found it interest- similar experiences. And if in 50 years’ time somebody
Words: Pascal Bagot
ing to read about Charlie Wagner, Amund Dietzel, George is researching about tattooing in those early years, then
Burchett and all these people, to know how tattooing was they’ll find a book about Felix and what he did.
back then. Today, many young people and artists say to You said you were initially looking for earlier flash, did
me: “You come from this wonderful tattoo family…” but, Felix draw a lot even at the start of his tattoo career?
they don’t actually know much about us, because very lit- Yes, in the beginning it was one of the things that brought
The Leu Family's Family Iron Studio and Museum photographed by Neil Labrador in
2003. Located on the 3rd floor of No 34 Rue Centrale, Lausanne, Switzerland.
people to us. He drew custom flash for people in a period his tattoos and artwork to the magazines and books. Ad-
when not many tattooers were doing that; most were do- vertising in that way is important if you do something.
ing traditional “off the wall” flash. But Felix was an art- Otherwise, you can be great, but if nobody knows you’re
ist before he was a tattooer so he could offer this custom there and what you’re doing, this doesn’t help you.
service. Somebody would come in with a sketch—I’ve The book is a great opportunity to meet a man,
put one example of this in the book—and Felix was able determined at a very early age to enjoy life and the
to draw a better version for him. I don’t have much of his freedom of the time…
later flash. Most of the ones in the book are earlier ones, Absolutely, that was Felix 100%. “We only live once”, he
from the 80’s to early 90’s. The last part of his tattoo years liked to say : “We only get one time!”.
Felix did a lot of freehand work where he worked directly What was the trigger that made him leave his
on the skin, that’s why there aren’t many sketches on pa- parent’s house at 16 ?
per. He would just draw some main power lines on the Well, he didn’t agree with his father’s mind-set. He was a
skin with a pen and then tattoo directly with the machine. Swiss architect, conventional, bourgeois, well respected
Flash was also a way to advertise. and all that. Felix was quite proud of the fact that in his
Yes. He said from the beginning: “You can be the best artist rebellion he got kicked out of many schools—maybe 10—
in the world, but if you don’t put it out there, nobody knows”. by the time he left home. The last one was even a Rudolf
Same for Filip. His reputation has grown by now, by word Steiner school, which was supposed to be very alternative
of mouth but also because we do still send out photos of and open-minded…
The Leu Family: from
left to right: Felix, Aia,
.
Ama, Filip, Loretta, Ajja Felix tattooing on the veranda in Goa, India in 1979.
Bombay, India. 1981.
poor artist’s life in a studio in the Montparnasse area, I think he very much ap-
preciated their lifestyle. It inspired him, he could see there was another way.
Then he spent four years living a very beatnik lifestyle.
He told me that he had quite an education in Paris, because for some time he
was living on the streets, sleeping under the bridges next to the clochards. They
taught him some tricks about how to survive outside. He said that his first job
was as a beggar. To him this was a very honourable profession if you did it prop-
erly, without bothering people. Don’t tell them your story, don’t bore them with
your problems, just ask them! If they have money maybe they’ll give you some,
or maybe not. I know he spent some time like that, buying bread, cheese, and
a bottle of the cheapest wine once he had enough change, before falling asleep
somewhere, under the bridges…
Did he have any connections to help him?
His mother couldn’t help very much because she didn’t have anything either.
He was kind of on his own. The second job that he learnt from the street peo-
ple was to draw on the sidewalks. He would get a postcard of a famous paint-
What was the reason? ing that people would easily recognise and copy it on the sidewalk. It’s also a
He told me that in one of them he good profession, except when it rains, right? (laughs). He told me that another
punched one of the teachers in the way in which he learnt to survive was, because he was good looking, making
face (laughs). But really the trigger friends with young American female tourists, they always had a hotel room.
for Felix to leave home was when That night he wouldn’t sleep in the streets.
somebody gave him a copy of Jack How important were these four years for his personal development do
Kerouac’s book On the Road. He to- you think?
tally agreed with the message : “Go They gave him a lot of the courage and strength he had throughout our life, to
out there, enjoy your life, explore and travel and do the things we did. He was not afraid. You can choose to starve and
meet a lot of women and have a good not have food when you’re on your own, but it becomes a different story when
time” (laughs). Also, he had grown up you have children. You have to find a way. Strangely enough, he kept some-
with his father but his mother was a thing from his early background, a certain way of doing things which was very
Swiss artist: Eva Aeppli, who was liv- Swiss-German like. Whenever he set his mind to something, he did it really
ing in Paris at the time and had mar- well. He didn’t do things half way. Whatever he did, he went for it 100%.
ried Jean Tinguely, a Swiss sculptor. You meet him in New-York in 1965, what did he look like?
Felix visited them a few times when I was invited by an ex-boyfriend to the Jewish Museum for the opening of an
he was 14 or 15. Even though they exhibition of two sculptors: Tinguely and Nicolas Schöffer. It was a big gala
weren’t famous yet and living a very where everyone was very well dressed, there were art collectors, champagne,
Felix Leu with the Bedford van travelling to
Yugoslavia in 1978. photo credit Robbie Jack.
etc. I walked around, heading to the buffet and as I en-

tered the room I saw this tall, skinny guy, dressed in a
dark red velvet jacket, with a white t-shirt, black skinny
jeans and motorcycle boots, he had longish hair… He
looked like an artist. We both looked at each other and it
was like a flash. I thought “Oh, he looks interesting…” Dragon and Opium Pipe: original flash by Felix Leu,
ink and coloured pencils on paper, Goa, India. 1979.
A little bit later I was sitting on a bench with my ex-boy-
friend and we were having an argument. Soon he got up
and left, leaving me crying. Behind the bench there was a
pillar and suddenly Felix appeared from behind it, smil-
ing, and asked me: “Can I buy you a drink?” That’s how
we met. We went around the museum, he told me he was
assisting his step-father, Tinguely, for the exhibition and
asked me if I wanted to see upstairs, where it was closed
to the public. I said ok and we went up. It was all dark and
there were just a few things displayed. He tried to kiss me!
I said: “Hey! We just met!” (laughs). But we really liked
each other and we managed to meet again the next day.
From then on we were pretty much together all the time.
I knew within a few days that this was the most interest-
ing person I’d ever met and I wanted to be with him. A few
months later he said that he was going to Morocco and
asked me if I wanted to come. I said yes. That’s how our
story started.
As you said earlier you had a whole life before
tattooing. What happened during those 13 years?
We tried many different things. Survival was not always
easy. When we lived in cities, we lived in squats. In Lon- Tattoo by Felix Leu, Lausanne, Switzerland. 1983.
don, where my mother was, we stayed with her a few

times. Felix would go to art schools at night to use the fa- ble, but that was a very good job, very well paid! And for
cilities, because they were also open to non-students. He some of these years we lived in the countryside in For-
already knew how to do silkscreens and printed about 50 mentera and Ibiza, where life was cheap at the time.
copies of a folio of mandala designs he had drawn. Then Was it Felix intention to be an artist?
I would go to small alternative book-shops and try to He didn’t like the art world. He had experienced it with
sell these. Felix learned how to make jewellery too. Me, I his mother and Tinguely. He didn’t want to be part of it, to
didn’t have a work permit because I was there as a tour- deal with galleries or art dealers. He was an artist, 100%,
ist, so I did some modelling in an art school where they but he didn’t believe in compromise, in being nice to
would pay in cash. I worked also for some people who had somebody he didn't like, just in the hope that they would
gambling tables in Soho and other parts of London. They buy his art. It was hypocrisy. That’s what he liked about
hired young women like me to run these games; we just tattooing so much: it was direct. There was nobody in the
had to set up the cards and take the money. It was clubs middle, just you and the client. A clean transaction. And
with people dancing and drinking. I never had any trou- you could do it anywhere.
Devil Ram’s Head with Girls:
Original flash by Felix Leu, pen and
Letter from Felix Leu to Robbie Jack: Pens and coloured pencil on tracing paper,
gouache on brown Kraft paper, 29 x 21cm approx 1978. Lausanne, Switzerland 1982.
Then, Felix is asked by your mother, who had a friend Robbie, had on his arms—a geisha done in Scot-
boutique in London, to drive her in his van to the land, and a Scottish piper done in Hong-Kong, it would
Kosovo province of Yugoslavia where she wanted happen everywhere. He was smart. He picked up imme-
to buy hand embroideries and Kilim carpets. And diately that it was a good one. And the fact that he was al-
there, Felix had this revelation about tattooing. ready an artist, and so was I, gave us an advantage. Then
How did you look at tattooing at the time? Felix started to actually look at tattoos on the arms of
It was not part of my consciousness, I had never met truck drivers on their way back to England, when they
anybody who was tattooed. The same was true for Felix. stopped for gas and to drink a coffee. It was all old style
The only tattoos we had noticed were the ones we saw traditional designs. He thought, “I can do that. I can do
in photographs of tribal people in even better artistically. I just have to
the National Geographic Magazine. learn how to do it technically”.
We always thought they were beau- What was your reaction when
tiful, but we knew nothing about he came back and told you that
Western tattooing. your future was going to be in
It needed a lot of perspicacity tattooing?
for someone who hadn’t any I don’t remember, but during our
relationship to tattooing to whole life together I had faith in
understand that here was an him. I was glad he was figuring it
opportunity. out because I was busy taking care
Felix understood immediately. of the kids. He was always the one
If in this little village where they finding solutions to our problems.
stopped, these young men came to “Let’s do this next, let’s go there”.
him waving money saying, “Tattoo, “Ok”, I’d say. That’s just what was
tattoo, tattoo” simply by looking at happening next. I don’t remember
the images that his co-driver, our Loretta Leu © Pascal Bagot ever having any doubts.
Part two of this interview with Loretta will appear in the next issue of Skin Deep.
REVIEW
Felix Leu:
Tattooing
Ask Here
192 Pages
Linen cover/Hardback limited
edition to 1000 copies
ISBN: 978-0-9551109-8-6
£130
Published by: Seedpress
seedpress.ie
269 colour illustrations,
189 b/w illustrations,
101 colour photographs,
19 b/w photographs
The Leu Family's Family Iron studio, 2003
T
attooing Ask Here is a real mile-
stone of a book but more than
that, it acts as a stake in the ground
from a time we’re perhaps in dan-
ger of losing forever. The time when you ac-
tually had to get out into the world on a grand
scale in order to make your mark on history.
There was never anybody quite like Felix
Leu and it’s very likely there never will be again
but if you ever needed a role model for doing
whatever you wanted and doing whatever it
took to get by, Felix is as good as it gets and
right here, between these covers, is more than
adequate proof of a life well lived.
What makes this book fascinating is, seeing
page after page of output, how much pop cul- Tattoo by Felix Leu circa 1982
ture and location shapes what he was working
with and how that changed through the years If you still want this tattoo on you with the same
as he progressed and yet somehow, taken out fervour that you felt when the idea came to you
of time and context, it still has a life all of its in the first place, then, and only then, are you
own, but maybe that was his great gift to the ready for your first tattoo.”
world anyway—mirroring life back at you There’s some real gold in here too, not least
through his own eyes. the collection of over forty design ideas for the
He also had one of the clearest visions of tattoo that finally found a life on the head of
what tattooing should be, what it meant to Paul Booth. I’d never seen all of them in one
people and if I may quote directly, the follow- place before.
ing says everything you ever needed to know This is an exceptional book in every way it
about the art: ever needed to be and I tip my hat to Loretta
“If you’ve absolutely convinced yourself that for taking such time and care putting it togeth-
you cannot go on living without this tattoo, no er… and also for giving up her time to speak
matter what the consequences, then it’s time to— about it in the preceding interview.
do nothing… sit back and wait for a few months. Beautiful.
RULE Words: Barbara Pavone
BREAKER
Esther Garcia plays by her own rules — she always has and always will. Even
with two decades of experience, the Chicago-based artist still finds ways to
push herself and innovate. Whether it’s juxtaposing two unexpected styles
(she fuses blackout work with botanical imagery inspired by Dutch Masters
beautifully) or offering a unique tattoo curation service in which she doesn’t
actually tattoo, Garcia isn’t afraid to take risks.
What else is up her sleeve? We
tracked her down to find out.
butterstinker • butterfatstudios.com
“In an effort to keep a good life balance,

and preserve my health and sanity, I’ve made a
lot of decisions that aren’t typical for the tattoo
world,” admits Esther Garcia.
Decisions like the one to stop accepting client
requests. “I exclusively offer my own projects for
people to choose from,” she says, explaining, “The
primary benefit is that I get to work with clients who are very comfortable
with my process. Even if they are not experienced tattoo collectors, they have
done their research and are happy to put themselves in my hands.”
It may be an unconventional approach, but it has certainly been a fulfilling
one. “It’s an honour and a joy to work like this and it’s great to show up for
work and know we’re both so excited to be there,” she continues. “I used to
feel so much pressure to ‘mind-read’ to some degree, to please the client — this
method seems to sidestep that entirely, so I can rest easier and do my work in
a more relaxed frame of mind.” Esther Garcia On… Tattoo Realities
“I think that one of the most telling things
What’s more, “it allows me to guide the content of my portfolio and be very about being a tattooer is defined in the
specific about the techniques and skills I am working on. When I want to add earliest days: The nature of this beast is that
our successes and failures are permanent,
a new technique to my toolbox, I can offer projects that allow me to carefully so in order to be able to sleep at night,
experiment until I have mastered the technique, then I can highlight it in my we have to quickly develop a way to
compartmentalise our mistakes. But if you
next offerings.” do it too well, you run the risk of cutting
So, about twice a year, Garcia posts designs to her website for fans to snap up yourself off from the learning process.”
and “when the resulting tattoos and their spin-offs aren’t
keeping me busy enough, I’ll offer more. I feel more lively
and creative when I work this way and it shows in my tat-
toos,” she notes, revealing, “I don’t think I’ll go back to
generally opening my books for client submissions again
— I’m enjoying myself way too much this way!”
From Self-Doubt to Self-Love

“Other than a couple of hand-pokes when I was in high
school, I don’t really remember seeing or being around
tattoos when I was younger,” recalls Garcia. “I got a
glimpse of their power when I was in art school, when I
did a faux photo documentary project about tattoos. I just
Sharpied them on my subjects, but I was so intrigued by
what happened to a simple design when I got the place-
ment right. Suddenly, an image that had been flat in every
sense of the word became dimensional in ways I couldn’t
then describe. Ways that I still struggle to explain,” she
admits. “Everything about the process spoke to me, res-
onated with my quiet urges to tinker; to alter myself; to
make meticulous drawings; to find meaningful ways to
connect to another person.”
Faced with the challenge of learning to tattoo, there
was never any doubt in Garcia’s mind how she’d do just
that. “I was self-taught since I dropped out of kindergar-
ten, so that skill was ingrained in me early and deeply,”
she starts. “I am curious by nature and will always be a
learner. My tattoo apprenticeship seemed to only raise
more questions and outline my artistic deficiencies, so
once I was able to get a rough handle on the basics, I was
off to my normal tricks and experimentation.”
Despite her affinity for the craft, however, her confi-
dence was certainly tested along the way. “Tattooing is
so difficult, and the learning curve can be so painful for
your ego, that your survival strategy can end up being
too effective and you just put things away without giving
yourself the opportunity to understand your own process
and use your errors for future benefit,” she points out. “It
is rare to have an environment where you can feel safe
critiquing your work with other artists, so you have to be
brave enough to enter into that alone and trust you don’t
spiral into a bad place if you have to confront some seri-
ous failure in your work.”
Esther Garcia On… “Tattooers are known for a certain
Peer Feedback amount of swagger and confidence
“I do have a couple of
friends now who I can
and, to some degree, our work de-
workshop a design pends on projecting that because a cli-
with in advance, but ent won’t commit to an appointment
no one I have yet to
get a real critique with an artist who doesn’t seem con-
from on a completed fident in what they can produce,” she
work. It’s a scary thing
to open yourself to a elaborates. “I really believe a lot of us
discussion of the ways suffer in silence for at least some of our
you could have done a
tattoo better. It’s vital, careers. Young tattooers are allowed to
though, and the only think that they are the only ones who
reason my work has
made major jumps
live like this and are not given the tools
across my career.” or community support to manage
their own psychology and yet, no one has ever innovated
or made dramatic growth until they felt ownership.”
In short: “You have to believe you have a right to a place
in the business before you can bring to it the full force of
your personality and attention.”
A Fusion of Two Worlds

These days, Garcia is exploring one particular tat-
too style — or, rather, two styles fused into one — that’s
garnering her loads of attention and praise. “I hadn’t yet
combined the two styles I generally worked in: colour flo-
ral and blackwork,” she starts, sharing her inspiration. “I
seemed to have two different pools of clients and wasn’t
sure if I could merge them, or if people would want tat-
toos like that,” but she gave it a go anyways.
“I tiptoed towards it for a few years, as my clients
weren’t entirely sure about the heaviness of all the black,”
she reveals. “I did a few smaller pieces, usually just two or spending at least a few years working out the subtleties of
three sessions each, of black diamonds with bright florals focus and shadow in this technique.”
falling out of the frame. This was in 2015, so you can see
how it takes me a few years to develop an idea!” The Birth of a Mentor
“First, it was just a diamond shape In addition to tattooing, Garcia has several non-ink
Esther Garcia On… with a tiny shadow part, then it was projects in the works, including Flower Thieves, a collab-
Major Influences a black diamond,” she says, walking oration with graphic designer Kyle Letendre, which has
“I’ve long been
influenced by the dark through the creative process. “My borne “a fabric pattern for Deco-inspired lingerie, plus
drama of the Dutch clients seemed to like them and they a couple of can designs for a local brewery. It’s so excit-
Masters’ floral paintings.
Jan Davidsz. de Heem, provided a richness to the delicacy ing to see my drawings flow on moving fabric or wrap on
Abraham Mignon and of the flowers that I really loved, so I non-human forms,” she gushes, noting, “It’s a challenge
Willem van Aelst are
particular influences tried them as half-sleeves, then even- to design for something non-human at this point, as I’m
for me. Their leaves… tually as full sleeves, which made such always looking for bone structure!”
the bug nibbles… oh
my god, they kill me!
a huge difference in the visual impact. She’s also spent the past couple of years teaching tat-
They’re so good!” I love doing these and can imagine tooers about art techniques and business practices. “Each
managing, etc.”
“If they are looking for cover-up advice, I can share my
own experience as an artist working with difficult cover-
ups and advise about realistic expectations, with or with-
out lasering,” she adds. “I’ve noticed that clients listen
better to the facts I’m sharing if they don’t think they can
convince me to take the project. My impartiality makes
me a better guide.”
But that’s not all: “There’s another level to this service
that’s a form of curation. Essentially, I am contracted as
an exterior designer. I tell my clients what tattoo to get
and who to get it by, while considering their personal aes-
thetics and coverage preferences. I collect necessary pho-
tos, measurements and information, then propose the
project to the artist we’ve chosen. Hopefully, they agree
of these classes touches on personal psychology as well, to work with us. In some cases, I suggest a collaboration
and some also touch on client psychology,” she shares. between two artists I admire and do my best to work as
“The other thing I’ve been doing lately is offering consults the moderator. It can be challenging to manage tattooers
for clients in need of cover-ups or collection advice. I was and not cramp anyone’s style, but the possible results are
getting a lot of emails from people who seemed to need a too great to not attempt!”
service that wasn’t available. These consults are advice- Looking ahead, Garcia will be opening Butterfat Stu-
only, not resulting in tattooing from me,” she explains. dios in Chicago, a reincarnation of her former all-female
“It’s a great opportunity to share the expertise of more studio (that was in the same spot), except this time, “it’s
than 20 years and the conversations that arise from an just me in an airy, sun-drenched space full of plants. I
impartial setting are really striking. As well as giving di- work well alone in a space I’ve organised myself, full of
rection about balancing colours/styles/textures in their systems I’ve invented and implemented,” she confesses.
collection, I can advise collectors about how best to ap- “I’m looking forward to settling in here for a few years
proach the artists they admire and also what not to do. I and slowing down on my travel schedule. It should be in-
can speak plainly about subjects that would be tricky if teresting to see what comes of it and my renewed atten-
they were my own client, like etiquette, tipping, micro- tion to tattooing.”
JaPaNeSe
WhIsPeRs
He is one of the most gifted Japanese tattooers of his generation. From
the region of Niigata in the North-East of Japan, he's spreading the
beauty of Japanese tattoo culture. All tattoo lovers praise his complex
and very detailed compositions which adorn the bodies of some very
lucky collectors, but after 20 years, Tomo is ready to move on…
silkneedletattoo.com • @tomo_silkneedletattoo • silkneedletattoo
Silkneedle is the name of your studio, where does it I wanted to be a drawer, a mangaka (manga drawer) or an
Words: Pascal Bagot • @pascalbagot
comes from? illustrator. After I finished my studies, I had a tough time

In the past, we used silk needles for making a tattoo with to find a job. But, I was 20 years old at the time, I had the
the tebori technique. Once used, they were sharpened opportunity for the first to see a tattoo that had been done
again and reused. Somehow, it is a way for me to get back on a friend of mine. It was a Japanese style tattoo. I was so
to the source, where it started. I want to keep the motiva- impressed, that was a real cultural shock. As my friends
tion that comes from that period. knew I was a good drawer, they told me I should try.
Can we go back to your journey? What happened?
After high-school, I went to the design school in Niigata. I looked out for the material, but I couldn’t find anything
FoR a tAtToOeR iT iS iMpOrTaNt, nOt oNlY tO hAvE tEcHnIqUe,
bUt aLsO tO kNoW tHe uKiYo-e cUlTuRe aNd iTs sIgNiFiCaNcE
in any shop. At the time there was this Japanese maga- tried to reason with me and told me it was not something
zine, a very underground publication called Burst. Inside, that was possible. Moreover, tattooing was for yakuza.
there were some pages dedicated to tattooing and I start- But, I was so impressed by the tattoo seen on my friend’s
ed to think about it even more seriously. In one of them, body, that I had some sort of revelation. It was like open-
there was an article about tattoo machines done in jail by ing my eyes.
prisoners. I understood I could build one myself. I was 21. Did you grow up in an art environment?
Tattoo was still taboo. How did you approach this? My father was a craftsman, he was a metal worker. I also
I didn’t have any hesitation, even though it was VERY did a little bit with him. So, after my studies finished, as it
MUCH taboo. I talked about it with my parents. They was difficult for me to find a job, I worked with my father.
Where does your taste for drawing comes from? left the ‘normal’ way. I felt a little bit sorry for her, but
It is something that I do naturally since I was a kid. In my that was my thing. Little by little, I kept tattooing myself
life, I think that I spent more time drawing than anything and progressively she gave up telling me anything. Today,
else. I wanted to draw posters, advertisings… I had a lot of it’s been 20 years I’ve been doing this profession and my
interest in many different things. I used to do oil painting mother, finally, considers it to be something normal.
too, I learnt the technique before going to school and it’s In which way has the perception of the work has
something I’m still doing today. changed over this time period?
You started tattooing yourself ? There is a lot of information available online and a lot of
Yes. My mother was crying so much, she was so sad I had tattooers have a very good technique (for realism, por-
traits, etc.). Even after only two to three years, they can the articulations. But real tattooers have to take those
do something that needs skills. But in a way, it is some kind of parameters into consideration.
sort of copy/paste work, a technique which doesn’t have Do you have young tattooers coming to you for an
that much depth. For a tattooer it is important, not only apprenticeship?
to have technique, but also to know the ukiyo-e (Japanese No, there aren’t. Anyway, I’m in the countryside. Foreign-
print) culture and its significance, the history. People who ers send emails sometimes.
can draw don’t know the movements of the muscles and Do you work in a private apartment?
PeOpLe wHo cAn dRaW dOn’t kNoW tHe mOvEmEnTs oF tHe
mUsClEs aNd tHe aRtIcUlAtIoNs - rEaL tAtToOeRs hAvE tO
tAkE tHoSe kInD oF pArAmEtErS iNtO cOnSiDeRaTiOn
Yes, at the 4th floor. No advertising, it’s private and quite small. maid he draws. I find inspiration in the Japanese but also
What were your sources of inspiration when you in foreign art culture. The scope of my curiosity is very
started? wide, I don’t limit myself.
I like the books about painting. I read a lot of artbooks, Does that mean you’d be open to do styles other
about Japanese tattooing, but I love Alfons Mucha too! than Japanese tattooing?
His drawing line is very sophisticated. I find inspiration Absolutely, but I don’t have any demand for that. My
for waves in the organic movements of the hair of the customers know my style, very detailed, and they mainly
To dO a bAcKpIeCe, I nEeD mUcH mOrE tImE tO lEaRn aNd sTuDy
tHaN tO dO tHe bAcKpIeCe iTsElF
come for that kind of work. To be honest, I’d like to change than to do the backpiece itself. The knowledge is not of-
it and make something simpler. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (fa- ficially necessary but obviously, if you’re interested in any
mous ukiyo-e artist) taught us that a good tattoo is some- drawing, you should know the story behind.
thing that should be very readable at a distance. By con- Do you feel more like a craftsman or an artist?
centrating on that, I would like to make the people feel Craftsman, we say shokunin (high-skilled craftsman) in Ja-
some kind of power in my drawing. It is a little bit of a pan. An artist expresses something that comes from him.
comeback to the wabori spirit that I would like to do. But the craftsman answers to the demand of a customer.
Japanese tattooing represents the Japanese culture, What proportion do you have between your Japa-
how much of your time do you spend learning it? nese and foreign customers?
A lot. Researching is what takes most of my time. To do 70% are from a foreign country who come to Japan. Half
a backpiece, I need much more time to learn and study of them are Asians, the other half is Western.
BACKPIECES,
SLEEVES &
AND OTHER
LARGE-SCALE TATTOOS
Convention
5–6 OCTOBER 2019
IT'S EASY TO SUBSCRIBE!
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BEN OSROWITZ • CRAIG STARTIN
DANIELLE DALTON • DEK KENT • KIRSTY
BEX HOWE • CALLUM GLOVER
SARAH YOUNG
BEN OSROWITZ INSTAGRAM.COM/BENOZTATTOOS
BENOZTATTOOS@GMAIL.COM
CRAIG STARTIN INSTAGRAM.COM/CRAIGSTARTINTATTOOART
CRAIG-STAR@HOTMAIL.CO.UK
DANIELLE DALTON INSTAGRAM.COM/DANIDALTONTATTOO
DANIDALTONTATTOO@GMAIL.COM
DEK KENT INSTAGRAM.COM/DEKKENT
ELECTRIC.KICKS@HOTMAIL.COM
KIRSTY FACEBOOK.COM/TRIBALIMAGESTATTOOS
TRIBALIMAGES@LIVE.CO.UK
BEX HOWE INSTAGRAM.COM/BEXHUHTATTOO
BEXH94@GOOGLEMAIL.COM
CALLUM GLOVER INSTAGRAM.COM/TATTOOSBYCALLUM
TATTOOSBYCALLUM@HOTMAIL.COM
SARAH YOUNG HANDOFMYSTERIES.CO.UK
INFO@HANDOFMYSTERIES.CO.UK
Palm
Reader For centuries we have looked to our palms as a valuable source
of information, a complex blueprint of one’s identity, both
physical and spiritual. The latter has seen the palm as a bodily
map for instigating premonitions, with its many criss-crossing
lines foretelling either a joyful life or a foredooming resolution
@lukeaashley
T
o tell ones future is debatable but to scan a fin-
gerprint leaves no room for question, it being
an accurate physical code of personal recogni-
tion, utilised for forensic and medical exami-
nation. The tattooist Luke Ashley looks to the palm as a
compelling location for tattooing, with his work draw-
ing new unique stories for its bearer to carry. His perfect
linework at a location known for its difficult and tough
terrain is testament to Luke’s ability, with resultant work
being incredibly clean and crisp. Luke’s tattoos set a high
marker for what can be achieved on the palm, with the
tattooist drawing his own future one bold line at a time.
Your palm work is incredible, what drew you to
working at this bodily location?
It never really crossed my mind to do palm tattoos before
a friend asked for one. I hadn’t really seen too many and
didn’t know anything about them apart from that they
were super painful and hard to get to heal in this place-
ment. So I tried it on my friend, straight off I knew I wasn’t
going deep enough even whilst doing the tattoo because How does palm work challenge you and your
I didn’t want to hurt them. And yeah it didn’t heal great. abilities?
So next week we did the other hand and I think I tattooed The palm of the hand is a pretty challenging place to tat-
Words: Steven Guichard-Kenny
it into his soul! I didn’t hold back at all and just tried my too because the skin is a lot tougher than other areas and
hardest to get it in there and to this day that palm tattoo each part of the palm is different. The side of the hand is
is still super solid. Once I had done one I really enjoyed really thick skinned, fingers are spongy and the knuck-
the challenge of getting them to heal how I wanted them les are rock hard, so there are lots of things to remember
to, so I tried to tattoo as many peoples’ palms as I could. I whilst doing each part. I need to get the ink just where it
really enjoy the placement of palms and making designs needs to be so it can heal perfect. Another factor is every-
take up the entire space including fingers and thumbs. one’s hands are different, some are small, some are soft,
I KNOW OF OTHER ARTISTS USING
ROTARIES BUT FOR THE WAY I
TATTOO I’VE FOUND COILS KEEP THE palm work bold and distinctive?
I learnt to tattoo using a coil machine so I
CONSISTENCY I LIKE use coil machines to do my palm tattoos. I

know of other artists using rotaries but for
and some are just a giant callus, so I have to be prepared the way I tattoo I’ve found coils keep the consistency I
for a range of hands. I get asked a lot if I’m bored of doing like. I can also tune each machine so that it hits right for
palms and touch wood I’m not yet. I really enjoy trying the size needle I’m going to use, which I like because I use
new techniques and the challenges it brings. a different range of needles for each tattoo. I’m asked a
Why do clients look to have their palms tattooed? lot what size needles I use and I literally use every needle
I mean for me personally I got mine done because I just size available. I’m always trying new needles and different
thought it was a cool place to have a tattoo. I don’t have configurations because different needles work better in
the tops of my hands tattooed and the palms were my different skin thicknesses, and after a while you work out
first sort of ‘visible’ tattoo. Before then I had no plans to what works best for each type. The best advice I can give
get any visible tattoos but I was tattooing people’s palms someone is to just try things out and find what works for
and didn’t have one myself. And the best way to learn is you. It’s basic advice but it’s how I managed to learn what
by watching and feeling it for yourself. Now I really love worked best for me.
looking down at my palm tattoos, noticing the plain areas Is there a longevity to palm tattoos?
of skin at the top, and the great contrast it makes. A lot of Once a palm tattooed is fully healed (after six to eight
my clients who come to get palms are either fully covered weeks) what’s left will be there forever, much like any
or very heavily tattooed. So I think maybe they want their other tattoo, once it’s in there it’s not going anywhere. I
palms done because it’s their last spots to get tattooed. have had my palm tattoos for five years now and they look
What technical elements go into making your pretty much the same as when they were just healed. I’ve
seen palm tattoos that are really old and they look super cream when it looks like it needs it. The first four days are
solid even after like twenty years, so they won’t be rub- pretty important as it’s the first bit of time for the tattoo
bing off once they’re there. to start healing and the less it’s agitated during this time
What can clients do to ensure your work the better. If it has too much movement it can cause more
remains looking fresh for longer? scabbing, which can draw ink out of the skin. After two
Before coming and getting palm tattoos I have had a few weeks the scabs will appear and start flaking off. After
people who have been moisturising theirs palms leading four weeks all the scabs should be gone and a weird thing
up to their appointments, and it makes the world of dif- happens where it can go a little lighter, and then by six
ference. Even with tough callus hands it makes a massive weeks it will go back to a darker shade and be settled in.
difference to me being able to get the ink where it needs By this time you will be able to see what has stayed and
to be. To ensure a palm tattoo will stay fresh forever all what has dropped out.
you need to do is look after it during the healing process; Another thing that can happen with palm tattoos dur-
once it’s healed do what you want but during its healing ing the healing process is a glow around the lines. The
ease up on the weight lifting or any activities where your first time I saw it I was quite worried that the lines would
palms will get sweaty. Sweaty palms can cause infection stay that thick, as the line weight looked nearly double
and drag out the healing process. in size, but this can happen with different skin types. It
For someone that hasn’t got their palms doesn’t happen every time but it is still pretty common. It
tattooed, what’s the healing process like? will stay for around six weeks and then by that time it will
I think the best thing to do with a fresh palm tattoo is have completely disappeared.
try to do as little with it as possible. This is very difficult Is an occasional touch-up a common factor of
when people come and get both at the same time but is getting your palms tattooed?
still manageable. My advice is to keep it dry, applying Palms can need touch ups; the majority of palms won’t
I’VE SEEN PALM TATTOOS THAT ARE
REALLY OLD AND THEY LOOK SUPER
a very detailed scientific diagram
of a virus. I used a range of needles
including a trusty 3rl and it’s again
SOLID EVEN AFTER LIKE TWENTY YEARS

need touch ups but if they need them I’m more than hap-
settled in really well. I’d be inter-
ested in doing some more white
ink tattoos but for an overall look I much prefer black ink
py to do them. It’s obviously amazing when I get a healed outlines.
photo and it’s just how I wanted it but it’s not always the In some of my work I will use grey wash ink, often as
case. Most of the time it will be a few lines here and there highlights, to add depth and detail to pieces. I wasn’t sure
that are needed to touch-up, normally the smaller lines. I at first of how they would heal up but they settle in nicely.
actually quite like the aesthetic of palm tattoos not being Sometimes they can require a touch up if they heal a little
perfect and I like when they look a little bit beaten up! I too light. I also like to use grey wash as sometimes in a de-
guess that’s not good to admit but I think it gives the tat- sign the lines might be too close together for a solid black.
too a bit of character. Something I’ve been requested to do but no one has actu-
How do different ink colours effect a palm tattoo? ally gone through with yet is a full colour palm tattoo, which
I recently have done a few palm tattoos in red ink. I’ve I’d love to make. It would require a few sessions adding dif-
seen them healed and they still look vibrant. They heal ferent colours and tones but I think it could be a fun project.
in a little bit of a darker and muted tone, but they always Have you gone completely palm work, or are
look sick. I have also recently done palm work in white you still tattooing other areas?
ink, which I was quite apprehensive of but I had seen it No I still do lots of other placements as well! I really enjoy
done and healed so I thought I’d give it a go. In an ideal doing other placements and I love doing a range of styles.
world I would have done something big and bold but I did I’ve only recently moved out of a street shop so I was doing
I FEEL LIKE THAT IS HOW YOU GET
THE BEST OUT OF ANY ARTIST, GO
lots of walk-ins and tattooing whatever my clients
asked of me. This was really fun to do because peo-
ple always have the weirdest ideas, which make for
the best tattoos. But I’m really enjoying the palms
and being able to focus on pushing my style and TO THEM WITH A BASIC IDEA AND
technique. I’ve got a few really fun neo traditional
pieces on the go that I’m really enjoying, so would
love some more tattoos to do in that style.
TELL THEM TO GO WILD
as efficiently and quickly as possible.
What tattooists have developed your working I am a resident artist at South City Market and my boss
methodologies? man Ricky (@ricktattoo) is the hardest working man I’ve
I’ve always looked up to Kieran Williams (@k_ieran) and ever met in my life. I thought I worked hard and then I
the way he makes his linework fit the body so nice and sym- met Ricky. He has made the tattoo studio of the future
metrical. I’ve always been blown away by how clean his and I couldn’t wish for a better work environment. He is
work is; I always strive to try and get my work to that stand- always five steps ahead and that is nice to be around be-
ard. Mark Jelliman (@mark_tattooist) has been working cause it makes me think what can I do to improve my tat-
with us at South City Market (@southcitymarket) recently tooing and what can I do for the studio.
and I’ve learnt a lot from watching the way he works. Again, The subject matter of your work is pretty eclectic,
his linework is insanely clean but he’s very methodical in how would you come to define your style?
his tattooing and I really like that. I like to be organised and I don’t know if I have a style. I’ve always struggled with
have all my designs prepared and be as ready as I can be be- style and always wanted to have a style but it just never
fore actually tattooing, because once I start a palm tattoo I came to me. I think from working in street shops my
don’t want to have to stop for anything; I need to get it done whole life I am able to adapt to the client’s specifications
I ACTUALLY QUITE LIKE THE AESTHETIC
OF PALM TATTOOS NOT BEING PERFECT
AND I LIKE WHEN THEY LOOK A LITTLE ing what I’m going to be tattooing. I’m
BIT BEATEN UP!

and then do my own thing with it. More recently I am be-
inspired a lot by my clients’ ideas and
some of the weird things they request;
the weirder the better. I’m really enjoying tattooing me-
ing given loads more freedom to go wild with designs and dieval weaponry and love the work of Matina Marinou (@
I’m not holding back. I love taking up as much space as sickrosetattoo) who does some gnarly weapons with lots
I can, using loads of lines and just seeing what happens. of texture and detail.
I really appreciate the trust people give me to do what I My all-time favourite thing to do is big geometric
want; I feel like that is how you get the best out of any art- palms, finding inspiration from artists like Kieran Wil-
ist, go to them with a basic idea and tell them to go wild. liams (@k_ieran) and Sam Rivers (@samrivers_curiosi-
That’s how I got most of my tattoos, some look completely ties). I really enjoy linework tattoos so I am always look-
different to what I had in my head but soon as I saw the ing around for patterns. I really enjoy architecture and
design I loved it. looking at different building structures, my favourites
I love doing anything in a neo traditional style as I can being old cathedrals and churches. If I ever travel I love to
use heavy and thin line weights next to each other to give try and visit as many as I can. I fell in love with Barcelona
a bit of depth to the piece. I think my all time favourite and the buildings there.
thing to do is heavy geometric palms where there are lots I’m mainly inspired by the artists around me. Where I
of heavy lines and full coverage. work at South City Market we have guests from all over
What subject matter is currently inspiring you? the world, so every day I have the opportunity to meet
I love anything gnarly and evil that I can add loads of de- new artists and see what and how they tattoo. I work
tail too! A lot of my work is custom ideas from my clients alongside Loz (@loz_tattooer) and Loz Thomas (@loz-
so I often find a lot of inspiration after the fact of know- thomas_tattoo); I love working with them as we all bring
I THINK MY ALL TIME
FAVOURITE THING TO DO
IS HEAVY GEOMETRIC
PALMS WHERE THERE
ARE LOTS OF HEAVY LINES
AND FULL COVERAGE
different creative aspects and outlooks to the table, they
inspire me a lot.
What tattooists should people be looking at
right now? too) next year, so maybe we can collaborate too!
I recently got some black work blastovers from Loz (@ What have you got planned for the future?
loz_tattooer) and they have settled in perfectly. The black Future plans are just to keep on smashing palms and try and
is so nice and solid. She’s only been tattooing for around push the limits of what can be done in this placement. I’m
a year and is making a big impression on the blackwork really enjoying being able to travel with my work so more
scene. She’s made a name for herself with her cherubs guest spots are definitely on the cards. South City Market
with weapons. I really like the style and can’t wait to see will be visiting this years Singapore expo, Culture Cartel,
how her work progresses in another year. so that is an experience I’m exited for! I’ll also be spending
I also work alongside Loz Thomas (@lozthomas_tattoo) some more time with the guys at Der Grimm Tattoo in Ber-
whose works speaks for itself. His use of linework is really lin at their beautiful studio so you can definitely catch me
inspiring because of the precision and attention to detail. there at various points next year. Nothing is set in stone yet
Watching him work blows my mind and makes me up but trips to Canada, America and a little European tour are
my game on a daily basis. Some of my favourites that he’s on the cards so watch this space for info on that!
done are sculpture heads and iconic red dragon tattoos. What does tattooing mean to you?
Another artist to look out for is Tyler Hill (@tylerhill- Tattooing has always played a big part in my life and I hope
tattoo); I really love the composition in her pieces and it always will. Whenever I have felt stress in my life I would
how her work all comes together. Again, another artist focus on work and the positives I find in tattooing. I’ve
who does amazing linework! I will be guesting with her at been lucky enough to make a career out of it and managed
Pardon My French Tattoo Studio (@pardonmyfrenchtat- to meet kind and likeminded people along the way.
BACKPIECES,
SLEEVES &
AND OTHER
LARGE-SCALE TATTOOS
Convention
5–6 OCTOBER 2019
THE
ETERNAL
RIVER instagram.com/aronjohndubois
aronjohndubois.bigcartel.com
aronjohndubois@gmail.com
Through impact-laden encounters between ornamental and figural imagery,

tattooist Aron Dubois has developed a self-sourced visual language that
openly explores symbology, spirituality and surrealism in an effort to “drink
from the eternal river” and return to what the Colorado-native defines
as “the source”. Drawing much of his inspiration from esoteric literature,
mythic archetypes and the natural world, Dubois has spent his decade-
long relationship with the craft “digging for the grail of tattooing”. Here,
Dubois demystifies his “optimistic escape attempt” from the addictive
dangers of digital tools, and the answers he finds in nature when allowing
the walls that stand between himself and the world to dissolve
SO MUCH OF YOUR WORK FEELS DRAWN FROM AN INCREDIBLY PERSONAL and I suppose the tattoos eventually became a reflection
PLACE. CONSIDERING THIS, HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOUR FORMATIVE of my inclinations. It's been a long arduous process, and
YEARS—YOUR FIRST MEMORIES OF INSPIRATION AND CREATIVITY, HAVE I've really had to grow into tattooing to appreciate the
TRANSLATED TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TATTOOING? magic and mystery of it.
I grew up making art constantly, and my efforts were en-
couraged and facilitated by my parents. In my teens I did a HAVING BEEN TUTORED IN A SPACE YOU’VE DESCRIBED AS A “POSTER-
lot of graffiti, but when I started tattooing at 18, I was more CHILD OF 90’S TATTOO STUDIOS”, WHEN WERE YOU FIRST ABLE TO
interested in ignorantly transcending the clichés of the EXPRESS YOUR ARTISTIC IDEAS ON SKIN? DID YOU FIRST HAVE TO CUT
craft with my "art", but I wasn't really grasping anything. YOUR TEETH TATTOOING MORE TRADITIONAL IMAGERY?
Early on, I was showing work in galleries and I was very In the beginning, I had to cut my teeth doing walk-ins
involved in studio practice. Tattooing seemed to be a side- and custom fare of the like. I was never taught how to do
Words: James Musker
line that discouraged and alienated me, and I was eventu- traditional tattoos, and my apprenticeship was too mis-
ally at a crossroads with it. My tattooing was lacking and guided and brief to teach any tactile fundamentals. I had
I decided that I needed to devote my efforts to it because to stumble in the dark for about 5-years before anything
it was paying the bills, and I left the studio world behind. began to have any artistic direction, and even then, it
Creatively, I've always been more centred in my ideas, came too soon.
WHAT COMPELLED ME YEARS AGO IS ALTOGETHER
DIFFERENT FROM WHAT COMPELS ME NOW
Without knowing the fundamentals, I ignorantly ren- ping my 18-year-old mind at the time, but it probably had
dered the work muddy and overdone through my attempts something to do with wanting to perpetuate my art with-
to be 'artistic'. I wasn't surrounded by tattoo artists who out having to face adult responsibility. I've had to mature
possessed the knowledge I lacked for quite some time, and grow into this craft.
so it was a lot of fumbling around in the dark. I eventu- What compelled me years ago is altogether different
ally learned how primary craft is over artistry in tattooing, from what compels me now. It's funny, the images and
and once I knew my way around a tattoo, the “voice” I was symbols I found so trite and commonplace in the begin-
looking for began to show more effectively. It has taken me ning I now find to be the primal essence of tattooing. What
a decade of tattooing to finally understand what properly excites me about tattooing now is the result of an arduous
works in the skin and how it ages. Now it feels as though accumulation and purging process, and yet I am still dig-
I'm at the beginning again, completely anew and uncarved. ging for the grail of tattooing—probably without reward!

YOUR WORK FEELS AS IF IT’S DRAWN FROM DEEP MEDITATIONS AND YOU’VE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THAT POETIC AND SPIRITUAL TEXTS
CURIOSITY AS OPPOSED TO STYLISTIC FORMULA. YOU’VE CLEARLY INFLUENCE YOU MUCH MORE THAN ANY VISUAL ART, BUT HOW DO
DEVELOPED AN INCREDIBLY UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH TATTOOING YOU FEEL YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TATTOOING HAS CHANGED SINCE
HAVING APPROACHED IT IN SUCH A WAY, BUT WHAT FIRST ATTRACTED EMBRACING THESE INFLUENCES AND ATTEMPTING TO TRANSFER MORE
YOU TO THE CRAFT? ABSTRACT IDEAS TO SKIN?
My initial attraction to tattooing wasn't much different Within the past few years, my sense of reality has been
from many others: I was allured by the subversive taboo slowly eroding—giving me a much-needed impetus for
and aesthetic vitality, but in the early years my tastes spiritual practice. Art reflects life, and when I began to look
were naive and superficial. It's hard to say what was grip- within, both through reading and communing with nature,
ART IS A STRANGE ENERGY THAT ENCAPSULATES YOUR ENTIRE BEING,
AND WHEN YOU SHARE YOUR CREATIONS YOU BECOME A BEACON FOR
THAT SAME ENERGY
the work began to reflect that. I don't consciously imbue that requires careful attention. How quickly we can be
my tattooing with spirituality or attempt to convey ab- subsumed by the darkness of our thoughts, creating so
stract philosophic concepts, they're simply the organic by- much suffering. Art can help us to change our thoughts
product of my deepening inquiry into the mysteries of life. and heal our hearts—it can transform reality.
I began to have a better relationship with tattooing when
the work began attracting more like-minded people who YOUR WORK FEELS BOTH ANCIENT AND ETERNAL, AND AS INFLUENCED
may be on a similar path, supporting and nourishing the BY HISTORY AS IT IS THE NATURAL WORLD. CAN YOU SPEAK ON HOW
direction I've been headed and thus validating my efforts. THESE INFLUENCES DRIVE YOUR ARTISTIC AND SPIRITUAL LIFE?
Art is a strange energy that encapsulates your entire There is much to be learned from art history. After some
being, and when you share your creations you become a inquiry you see that many similar archetypes and symbols
beacon for that same energy. It always amazes me to see repeat themselves throughout every culture on earth.
how life can manifest things purely on your own effort Much of these symbols come from the natural world, and
and intention. It's a divinely empowering truth that we art becomes a mythic language that uses these symbols to
are the creators of our own reality, and it is a great gift deepen our understanding of life. I believe these arche-
WHEN REFERENCING NAIVE, ANCIENT, OR SPIRITUAL ART I
AM TRYING TO DRINK FROM THE ETERNAL RIVER THAT FEELS
SOMEWHAT BEYOND HUMAN CREATION
typal symbols possess a vitality that lends itself well to YOU’VE RECENTLY INTRODUCED US TO ‘SUN SONGS’: A NEWSLETTER
the ritualistic and symbolic aspects of tattooing. WHICH YOU DESCRIBE AS “A PERSONAL AND INTIMATE DIGEST OF NEW
When referencing naive, ancient, or spiritual art I am TATTOOING, ART, PHOTOGRAPHY AND WRITING”. WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES
trying to drink from the eternal river that feels some- FOR THIS PROJECT? WHAT DO YOU FEEL SELF-INITIATED PLATFORMS LIKE
what beyond human creation—“the source”, if you will. THIS OFFER AN ANTIDOTE TO?
I believe it is the desire of every human to return to said ‘Sun Songs’ was initially my naively optimistic escape at-
source, and the language of symbols helps get us there, be tempt from the confines of social media. After sending a
it through art, music, or literature. In being with nature, few newsletters out, and reading the statistics, it became
my worldly worries are assuaged and I can momentarily pretty clear that it wasn't going to replace anything, at
bathe in that divine source—dissolving the walls between least not for a long time. Now, it's just more of an outlet
myself and the world. In this state, I begin to understand to share things that are interesting to me in a way that
man's communion with the earth and the divine, giving feels genuine and more akin to my inherent pace. If there
clarity to the symbolic language of cultures near and far, is any antidote, it's an antidote to the pressure I feel to
ancient and current. incessantly share my work online just to stay afloat in
SOCIAL MEDIA CREATES AN INSTANTANEOUS METER FOR HOW WELL
SOMETHING IS RECEIVED, AND IF YOU'RE HUNGRY FOR SYNTHETIC
ATTENTION, IT’S AN ADDICTIVE TOOL…
people's consciousness. I rarely meet the quota, so I fig- age often looks artificial or computer generated; not on
ure it's better to nurture the following I already have by the skin at all.
becoming more vulnerable and letting people in. ‘Sun Of course, that kind of thing does well online because it
Songs’ is just that—or simply an excuse to write. I really makes it more visually attractive, but I fear it is taking the
like writing. Probably because I have verbal inadequacies. customer away from the essence of tattooing and making
You know, the quiet type. it a commercial graphic art. The studios born out of this
phenomenon look more like one of those “creative” of-
GIVEN HOW THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE HAS RADICALLY CHANGED HOW fice spaces with stark walls and monsteras as opposed to
TATTOOING IS APPROACHED AND UNDERSTOOD, AND ALSO YOUR ON- a tattoo shop. Tattooing is body art, not computer art! I'm
GOING RELATIONSHIP WITH PAST-NESS, WHAT DO YOU PERSONALLY probably just a luddite that can't get with the times, but
FIND PROBLEMATIC ABOUT THE CRAFT, AND THE CULTURAL CONTEXT IT boy does it twist my brain up.
EXISTS WITHIN, TODAY? Fortunately, or unfortunately, I've never been worried
Social media creates an instantaneous meter for how well about making money or having a waiting list. I have done
something is received, and if you're hungry for synthetic my best to simply go where the impulse is, even if I appear
attention, it’s an addictive tool. Unfortunately, the tattoos inconsistent or lose clientele along the way. I see so many
that seem to garner the most audience these days seem tattooers become slaves to their own gimmicks and they
to be more a product of graphic design than of something absolutely loathe it because they can't detach themselves
hand-made. I'm blown away at how some tattoo art- from the success it has brought them. They don't realise
ists present their work online. I see them blurring out the that they're the creators of their own clientele and that
body so much so that the tattoo becomes less about the they can change it when the time calls. There's always a
person wearing it and more about the image, and the im- buffing period, but it doesn't last long and the reward does
…UNFORTUNATELY, THE TATTOOS THAT SEEM TO GARNER THE MOST
AUDIENCE THESE DAYS SEEM TO BE MORE A PRODUCT OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
THAN OF SOMETHING HAND-MADE
come. The audience will never want you to change, they with your taste and intuition. I've always been concerned
would imprison you until death if they had it their way. with making my tattoos look emblematic and timeless to
some extent, and I believe it is best to use the seemingly
YOUR DESIGNS ARE QUITE UNCONVENTIONAL THAT YOU'D NATURALLY conservative methods and mannerisms to achieve that.
IMAGINE THEM TO BE NEAR-COLLAPSING IF SOMEONE WERE ONLY TO I look a lot at antique tattoo photographs for reference,
DESCRIBE THEM TO YOU, BUT EVERY PIECE OF YOURS IS PULLED-OFF SO and I try to picture what my tattoos would look like in the
ELEGANTLY. HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR ARTISTIC SENSIBILITIES WITH context of those photos.
THE MORE CONSERVATIVE RESTRAINTS OF TATTOO TRADITIONS? CAN In my mind, I picture replacing those sailor or carnie
YOU SPEAK ON THE PROCESS OF BRINGING BALANCE AND ORDER TO YOUR motifs with my own, and if it seems fitting, then I believe
IMAGINATION WHEN CONSIDERING SKIN AS THE CANVAS? it will look appropriate now, but I suppose anything looks
It's true, it is a difficult balance. Even when I am drawing more romantic in a black and white photo, doesn't it?
flash that I consider to be 'my own', I still have to consider
body placement, ageing, or a client's potential budget. It's DO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF TO BE BURNT-OUT ON INSPIRATION? WHAT
never completely free artistically. Even the most open- UPLIFTS YOU DURING TIMES OF CREATIVE DROUGHT?
minded collector still has an agenda or limited space, or I’m more a victim of confusion-induced paralysis than I
both. I used to find the limitations of tattooing to be a hin- am of creative drought. Now, I’m so overexposed to art
derance, but I've learned that they are the defining char- that it's ultimately overwhelming, and the internet has
acteristic of tattooing's aesthetic, and a favourable utility. multiplied that enormously. I'm pretty hard on myself,
Now that I know my way around a tattoo better, I enjoy and after receiving a visual barrage of other people’s
filtering ideas through those limits and creating some- work, I feel I'm not doing as well as I could be, or that I'm
thing that is indigenous to the craft, not to art. Art should doing the wrong thing. The only way I know to shirk it off
be saved for yourself only, in solitude, away from the con- is to keep my hands moving—draw, draw, draw! Working
tamination of others. Tattooing is more extroverted and arouses the muses, providing you with their cornucopia
less introspective, but you can still influence your designs of visions.
The
SERPENTS of
BIENVILLE
SEAN HERMAN’S TRANSFORMATIVE TATTOO
“There is probably nothing more menacing or dangerous than an individual

who is devoid of compassion or empathy. When this individual is permitted
by community apathy and bias to successfully cloak himself in the attire of one
who claims allegiance to his or her Creator, it becomes the moral imperative
of those who lay witness to the peril to step up before it is too late. Until
such a time when domestic violence and sexual assault are eradicated for good,
the perpetrators of these deplorable acts will continue to cause unspeakable
harm as Evil’s welcomed ambassadors and Tyranny’s strongest ally.”
SAHAR ABDULAZIZ, THE BROKEN HALF
I
began writing the change; the witch trials, the
Transformative Tat- oppression, and the difficulty
too articles almost five others were suffering with
years ago. I wanted to truly began to come to light
bring to light the ideas at play through the fog I had been
within the scientific exist- living in. In order to begin to
ence of a tattoo; expelling the make sense of anything I had
idea of its permanence, and to accept that my world view
exploring the changes living was erroneous, I was taught
with it has on those wearing incorrect ideas through the
the tattoo. In that time period years, and I needed to change.
my own life transformed. I The road to change could only
was fortunate to start a fam- begin by listening to those
ily, I got sober, and I began around me. As I listened to
to grapple with my mental the perspectives that my cli-
health. Through these ex- ents explained to me, I began
periences my vantage point to see a completely different
for my world view began to point of view, a truly frighten-
I HAD TO ACCEPT THAT friend. They were taught to guard themselves and protect
themselves. As a white male, I was taught that the world
MY WORLD VIEW WAS is my oyster and to aggressively go after anything I want.
ERRONEOUS, I WAS Through the guiding light of pop culture and film, I was
taught that if you are persistent and never stop going af-
TAUGHT INCORRECT IDEAS ter the girl, she will eventually be “yours”, no matter how
THROUGH THE YEARS, AND many “no’s” you get in the process. I was taught to never
back down, and to never accept “no” for an answer.
I NEEDED TO CHANGE. I was taught wrong.
People of colour were taught to protect each other and
to not draw attention to themselves. People of colour
were taught that if you work really hard, you can even-
tually support yourself and make a living, as long as you
ing picture came to light. I had been wrong for 37 years, stay in line and don’t rock the boat, don’t break the rules
and for 37 years I helped contribute to oppression of that you didn’t get to create. As a white male I was taught
those around me, even though I didn’t truly realise it at that if you envision it, it can be yours. I was taught that
the time. the sky is the limit, you can be the best at anything you do,
One comparison I’ve heard about my viewpoint of priv- all you have to do is try. I was taught to rock the boat, and
ilege is comparing it to a fish in water. A fish lives its life in to break the rules. I was taught that the world was mine
water, water is the only thing it knows. If you tell you fish for the taking, no matter who claimed ownership first.
that there is life outside of water, it doesn’t understand. I was taught wrong.
Privilege has the same effect. Living a life of privilege is I was taught that privilege was a dirty word, and that I
living in the water, and so many won’t listen about the worked to get where I am, and that it had nothing to do
world outside of it. I am a white male of privilege, and I with the colour of my skin, my gender, or my sexuality.
was taught wrong. Women are raised being told to protect I was taught wrong. I began having conversations with
themselves. They are told to dress modestly, “don’t give my clients, asking them questions, and just listening. The
men a reason to go after you.” Women were taught not first step to any form of change is to listen and then begin
to walk around alone, even going to the bathroom with a to apply it to your life. As a tattooist I have spent years
reworking, changing, or covering up WOMEN WERE TAUGHT NOT TO
tattoos that marked unhealthy view-
points and life experiences. I love the WALK AROUND ALONE, EVEN GOING
idea of helping someone show the
growth they are making, altering the
TO THE BATHROOM WITH A FRIEND…
mark that used to signify something
negative and reworking it to show growth,
helping their journey to a positive future.
Tattooing has been such a huge part of my life for so When speaking with vice.com on receiving her Tā
long, and now it’s helping reshape my thinking about the moke, Nanain Mahuta says:
world around me, along with what my part is in it. ”There were a number of milestones in my life, and it
Revisiting the article from last month, we began to dis- felt right to mark them in a way that is a positive state-
cuss two positive changes that can happen, both through ment about my identity, who I am, where I come from,
the eyes of the sacred craft of tattooing. First let’s exam- and the contribution I want to continue to make. When I
ine the lesson learned from the Māori, respect for our got it done, I felt incredibly calm. I felt like it had always
community. Māori facial and body tattooing is known been there.”
as Tā moko. An ancient art form, its origin lies in West The power behind a tattoo lies with the intention of the
Polynesia. The intricate designs were chiseled into the wearer. For many of my clients their tattoos become an
skin using a tool called an uhi; ink was then smudged into amulet or armour, protecting them from the chaos of the
the carved lines. Tā moko represents the wearer’s fam- surrounding worlds, reminding them of the strength they
ily heritage and social status—it is believed that the re- have to continue through. For many they begin to develop
ceiver visits a spiritual realm where they encounter their identity through these marks, learning about the history
ancestors, returning as a new person. These tattoos help of their families and the generations that came before
the wearer develop identity, a respect developed for the them, all leading up to the life they are currently living.
history they came from. Strength for oppressed peoples and cultures comes from
an acknowledgment of their identity; for them it’s to em- trafficking with tattoo shops to offer free coverups. Mor-
brace who they are, for myself it is to respect and honour gan Young, a victim services training officer within the
who they communicate they are to me. As an ally I am Wisconsin Department of Justice, spoke about branding
here to be the shoulders for them to stand on, aiding in at the recent event hosted by Shielding Survivors. Young
any way I am able their ability to tell the world stories I told AP news about the tattooing that exists in this cli-
could never experience, not for me to try to summarise it mate, “We see a lot of tattoos around loyalty or the name
or say it for them. My job is to shut my mouth, listen, and of the trafficker,” Young said. “Sometimes it’s something
respect the identity in which they live. as blatant as barcodes or money signs saying that per-
Just as other’s explore their identity in history, family, son is for sale.” Tattoos are believed to be permeant, but
and the strengths they summoned to get through oppres- permanence does not mean unchangeable. Covering up
sive histories, I have to be honest and explore my own his- tattoos is a huge part of our craft; to take something that
tory and identity, along with the privileges it has granted means a world of oppression for one person and create a
me over the years. I have never had to face the experienc- world of survival is an incredible feat and an honour. This
es that so many have, I can’t even begin to fathom what same energy can be used for my road to change.
it would be like to have to live in a way that involves con- Covering up a tattoo involves a mixture of methods
stant vigilance for one’s own protection. I can walk down learned over time from experiences and choices. The first
the street without fear that I am going to be attacked for step is to take a good long look at the existing tattoo and then
my appearance, or assaulted and kidnapped based on my communicate with the client, asking what they want from
gender. Worse yet, there are stories I have heard from cli- this experience. Perhaps they don’t want the entire tattoo
ents about being forced into relationships and unhealthy gone, or it was the meaning of the word tattooed on them
situations because of a power dynamic created by society; that needed to evolve, or they wanted to show an incredible
a society that is gaslighting and torturing people daily. My growth from the traumatic experience tied to the tattoo.
personal everyday safety is a concern I have never had to We then look at what can be used from that existing tat-
think about, let alone falling into something like human too in their skin to create this new era of their life; how
trafficking, but for many it is their reality, losing their rep- we can we manipulate and reimagine the tattoo, not only
resentative identity. getting rid of the old idea, but using aspects of it to create
Last month we spoke about the atrocities of human a new mark of proliferation and change. We aren’t trying
trafficking. Ally Burke and her husband, Morgan, started to cover something and create an unhealthy denial of its
Shielding Survivors Tattoo to connect survivors of sex existence; but instead we are trying to show the growth
THERE ARE STORIES I HAVE
HEARD FROM CLIENTS
ABOUT BEING FORCED
INTO RELATIONSHIPS AND
UNHEALTHY SITUATIONS
BECAUSE OF A POWER
DYNAMIC CREATED BY
SOCIETY
from trauma into something new and hopefully construc- created, transforming my negative, self-serving world
tive for their future. Maybe it’s my obsession and love of view into one that can be a hand in support and change.
tattooing, but I think this exact formula could be used in One aspect to the art of reworking tattoos is that it
changing my mindset, the mindset of the privileged, to takes time. After each session there is a healing pro-
help us be an ally to our community. cess, then we take a look as how everything settled and
The way I was taught by society about my place in it was were the next session should go. To change oneself we go
wrong and unhealthy, creating a mark in my flesh that I through a similar process, a process that takes time to get
would use as a guide over the years, citing it as the reason- it right. You can try to cover up a tattoo in one shot, but
ing for making continued unhealthy decisions. “That’s the as it heals, you may see the remnants of the old coming
way that my parents did it, that’s what men do” or “That’s through. You have to take time to do it right, session after
how my heroes did it, they were manly men taking what session; which means that changing our world view won’t
they wanted, and not taking “no” for an answer”. Just as happen over night, but it is possible. I have to remember
the needle has to cause pain and push through the skin, I that each experience I have with someone gives that op-
have to dig deep and try to understand where the mind- portunity, as long as I listen, show respect, and work at
sets that I have truly came from. As painful as it may be, my own change, then I can be the kind of ally needed in
taking a deep look at myself, breaking through the protec- this polarised world, and hopefully an aid to oppressed
tive barrier of skin, I can begin to rework the marks I have peoples and culture that deserve freedom today.
BACKPIECES,
SLEEVES &
AND OTHER
LARGE-SCALE TATTOOS
Convention
5–6 OCTOBER 2019
REVIEW
T
his is a peculiar but pretty essen- your best work can be overshadowed in the TALES OF THE
tial collection if you’re into litera- extreme by work that’s simply more popular. TATTOOED
ture that brings tattooing in as the Of all the curios on board here, ‘The Tattooed Edited by John Miller
main reason for the story to be. I Leg’ is maybe the most peculiar. It’s not very 317 Pages • Paperback
have always considered myself well read but long at all, is written by John Chilton (back in ISBN: 978-0-7123-5345-8
here, John Miller has dragged up some names 1919 and appears to be the only thing he ever £8.99
Published by: British
from history I’ve never heard of—and think I wrote) and concerns a missing leg (natch)
Library • www.bl.uk
should. James Payn? His playground was the while channeling some kind of Frankenstein
late 1800s and he was admired by Dickens, vibe in its scant couple of thousand words.
Conan Doyle and Henry James. What kind These thirteen stories are a real kick in the
of a rock have I been living under? Given that pants, not least because nobody writes about
his story, ‘Two Delicate Cases’, deals with tattooing in the same way they were able in
possibly the earliest known fictional case of the last century. We are desensitised to it for
how to deal with a cover-up, I’m sold from the most part and it certainly contains no
very early on with the books concept. shock value these days to launch upon the in-
There’s a few stories in here you might be nocent reader. That said, this is a wonderful,
familiar with if you’re a big reader. Roald intelligent collection from a time in which
Dahl’s ‘Skin' probably being the most famous, writers had to actually be able to write to be
but even that dates back to 1952 when it was published and I have no doubt it took more
edgy and a real outsider pastime to be writing than a few weeks to pull together and siphon
about tattooing. For the record, Dahl wrote a the stories actually worth publishing out of a
lot of ‘grown-up’ fiction about a lot of strange somewhat barren historical pile.
things—he’s a great lesson in how some of Sion Smith
PHONE CASE
GIVEAWAY!
B
y means of a chance meeting with some kindly
public relations people, we blagged a very cool
black Mophie iPhone Juice Pack Access case
for one very singular reader… and it’s not your
average phone case either:
Suitable only for the iPhone X or XS, the case is capa-
ble of jamming an extra 31 hours of juice into your phone
and if you’ve ever been caught wanting in the battery
department (that’s like 99% of us, right?) this might be
a pretty decent answer to your problems—and if your
iPhone annoys the hell out of you that you can’t listen
and charge at the same time anymore, this will solve all
your problems when you’re on the road.
It’s sitting right here on the shelf, so if you’re in need
of such a sex machine (that actually does a fantastic job
of even just being a phone case), head over to skindeep.
co.uk/competitions and drop in the word MOPHIE as
your answer. We’ll choose a winner at random and it will
be in the mail before you know it.
Lucie Richardson
THIS IS PERSONAL
It’s been at least six years since we messed up around here. Ain’t no
two ways about it or excuses, last issue we plain and simple made
a mistake by mixing up the working folders of Lucie Richardson
and Amy Whiting. Thus, to put it right for Lucie, Amy, their clients
and potential clients along with our own sanity, the next few pages
contain a reprint of those pages. Apologies all round guys.
Amy Whiting
No matter how popular they become, subjectivity will continue to make
tattoos one of the most unique artforms in the world, with one truth
continually at their core… that no two stories will ever be the same.
Here, we revisit some of these stories, fresh outta the UK tattoo world.
Tattoo-maker and tattoo-wearer talk side-by-side about what these pieces
of work mean to them personally, highlighting the sheer power of the
individuality of the tattoo experience. Even the tattoo decisions made with
little emotion (the ones we choose ‘just because we like them’), epitomise
the timeless truth that reaction to art will always be subjective
LUCIE RICHARDSON
Gunz N Ink, Stowmarket, Suffolk
Instagram @lucietattoo
“i would hate for someoneeyto’d

leave having felt like th e”
not had a good experienc
This baking-themed tattoo was cre
ated for
to bake
Rose about a month ago. I also love
me !
so this was great subject matter for
bak ed
Rose always brings her incredible
the shop for us so it really
creations into
dim ension to be able to create
added another
first hand
this for her when I’ve experienced
to design
how talented she is. It’s always nice
e whe n you kno w
something for someon
g - it’s rew ard ing
it has a personal meanin
ned for
when you know a customer has plan
you to cre ate.
a long time and is trusting
ers whi lst I’m
I love to chat to my custom
m - I wou ld
working and find out about the
ing felt like
hate for someone to leave hav
It’s always
they’d not had a good experience.
beh ind their
interesting to find out the stories
er for
tattoo ideas, whether it’s a birth flow
holi day ,
a loved one or to commemorate a
person or …
each tattoo has a meaning to that
s! Either
sometimes, they just really like rose
ted
way, I am so happy that they’ve trus
that des ign for the m.
me to immortalise
the ir first few tatt oos
I think to most people,
th - som etim es
have meaning and dep
, to
they feel that they HAVE to have this
on the ir bod y for
justify getting something
the y hav e, the
ever. Then the more tattoos
me anin g
less they feel they have to add
d
to it and sometimes they get tattooe
just because they like the artwork .
rose: tattoos can bring so many
people together from such vast
backgrounds and cultures”
Baking is something I have always enjoyed - there is some
thing
so satisfying about gathering a few simple ingredients
and
creating something delicious that makes people smile
and happy.
Baking is integral to my life, it gives me a chance to switc
h off
from daily life and worries and takes me away. I wanted
a tattoo
to remind me that baking makes me happy, helps me relax
and
unwind and most importantly, makes other people happ
y!
After suffering from anxiety, depression and body-conf
idence
issues for the majority of my life, getting tattooed was
a huge
deal for me. I am so much more confident with tattoos
now, I
love showing them off and I do tell people their meaning
if they
ask. I think it is amazing that tattoos can bring so many
people
together from such vast backgrounds and cultures. When
you
have tattoos, no matter their style or meaning, you instan
tly
have common ground with someone else with tattoos,
endless
conversation about past work, planned work and cover
ups.
Getting tattooed has become a massive part of my life.
Lucie has
given me the confidence to express myself through the
beautiful
designs she creates. Travelling to the right tattooist for
you is so
important - never settle for second best! The tattoo is
going to
be there for life and finding the right art and artist for you
is key.
AMY WHITING
Black Moon Tattoos, Frome, Somerset
ilderness
inkandwilderness.co.uk / Instagram @inkandw
“tattoos will always be a

deeply personal thing”
o is memorable
I did this cat skull for Mary back in July. This tatto
like I was coming
for me as it was a bit of a turning point - I felt
on the shad ing front, bolder
into my own style… a bit darker
res a lot of my favourite
and more contrasted. It is also featu
cree py bota nicals. I’ve
subject matter: skulls, mushrooms and
and the mac abre
always been hugely inspired by nature
toge ther.
and I enjoy bringing both of these elements
t know a great deal
For the most part at the design stage, I don’ is usually
ons. This
about my customer’s experiences and motivati bein g
they ’re
something that we chat about on the day while the tattoo
gett ing
tattooed. Sometimes (a bit like me) they’re just for
g spec ific,
because they like it. Other times, if it’s somethin
tattoo, it’s nice to know befo rehand so I can
example a memorial
gn. It also helps me to
take this into account while drawing the desi
and if they might
know what kind of tone our session might take
tattoo or not.
want to discuss the reasons they’re getting the
le com e to get tattooed because
I definitely think that some peop
lling, relationships,
of their own life experiences, whether that’s trave
ing away. For the
places and (sometimes sadly) loved ones pass
me to get tattooed because
most part I find that people come to
the subj ect matter.
they like the style of what I’m doing, or
subj ect of the tattoo is
Frequently these two things meet and the
pers onal , especially
a reminder of a memory or something more
a deep ly personal
with a custom tattoo. Tattoos will always be are.
ue as they
thing and each person’s choices will be as uniq
mary-jane: “i don’t really
sit and reflect too much
on a new tattoo now”
Tattoos remain personal and unique even
though they have grown in popularity. I’m
actually glad that tattooing has become
more
popular, as it has increased the acceptan
ce
of them (at least for me) and I love talking
about tattoos with other tattooed people.
Both the look and meaning of the tattoo
are important to me, I like my tattoos to be
visually pleasing but the meaning wouldn’t
change if the design was smaller, for exam
ple.
Then again, not all of my tattoos have mea
ning.
I don’t really sit and reflect too much on a
new
tattoo now, but I used to when I first star
ted
getting tattoos. This tattoo doesn’t really
have
a personal meaning, but I adore cats and
all
things taxidermy, so I thought a combina
tion
of these would make a great spooky tatto
o.”
Scenes from
SZCZECIN
TATTOO
CONVENTION
5-6 October, 2019
T
hese shows from Eastern Europe just keep on coming. This
month, we take a look at the work and entertainment from
Szczecin Tattoo Convention. While not a monster show in the
grand scheme of things, there’s certainly a huge amount to of-
fer the travelling tattoo fan. Now in its fourth year and with a steady foot-
fall of about three and half thousand visitors, it’s not to be sniffed at and
if the work on display here is anything to go by—shot by Kamila Burzy-
mowska—then it’s most certainly a show you should have on your inter-
national radar.
Next issue…we bring you scenes from the mighty Brussels Convention!
Bring it.
IMAGES: Kamila Burzymowska
S C E N E S F R O M S Z C Z E C I N TAT T O O C O N V E N T I O N
S C E N E S F R O M S Z C Z E C I N TAT T O O C O N V E N T I O N
The UK’s favourite
tattoo magazine is
available on iPad,
iPhone and Android
devices
www.skindeep.co.uk
CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON
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* To see if your Android device is compatible with the app, download the free issue.
Dale McGovern
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Kat Wilson
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Juan Mellett
Kat Wilson
Katy Sarsfield
Martin Brooks
Courtney Young
Sarah Davies Martin Brooks
Duncan Fyfe Matt Lewis
Trawa Tattoo
Matt Lewis
Shaun Maddy
Courtney Young
Sarah Davis
Scott Don
Duncan Fyfe
Kat Wilson
Matt Lewis
Trawa Tattoo Juan Mellett
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WALES
Tattoos by Mick & Luke

78 HIGH STREET, CONNAHS QUAY, CH5 4DD
Tel: 07756 808884
Lasting Impressions Tattoo Studio Wrexham Ink - Wrexham purplemoontattoos@outlook.com
- Pontypool , Tel: 01978 290876 ,/ , purplemoontattooshotton
Tel: 07783 608782 & 01495 751337 www.wrexhamink.com
WEST MIDLANDS
Living Colour - Cwmbran Big Wills Tattoos TEL: 01543898766 Native Elements Art & Tattoo Studio Rendition - Nuneaton
Tel: 01633 867676 ,/@ BIGWILLSTATTOOSTUDIO Coventry Tel: 02476 325656
,/ Living Colour Tattoo WWW.BIGWILLSTATTOOS.CO.UK Tel: 0771 256 5729 ,/ , Point Made Tattoo-Studio Nuneaton
Physical Graffiti - Cardiff Dermagraffix - Halesowen Opulent Ink - Wolverhampton Scottatattoo - Worcester
Tel: 0292 048 1428 ,/ Tel: 0121 585 7690 Tel: 01902 424834 Tel: 01905 748818 ,
www.phyicalgraffiti.co.uk www.opulentink.com www.scottatattoo.com
Pleasure or Pain Productions - Aberdare BOSSINK - Telford Jonny Saunders Tattoos by Tony - Birmingham
Tel: 01685 875252 ,/ tel: 01952 587841 ,/ /@Jonnysaunders8 Tel: 0121 477 5995 ,/
www.pleasureorpainproductions.co.uk www.bossink.co.uk www.jonnysaunders.com www.tattoosbytony.co.uk
DIRECTORY
COSMIC MONSTERS INCORPORATED—BROMSGROVE
Tribal Images Tattoo Studios - Hanley Black Skull Tattoos • HAMMERSMITH, LONDON
Tel: 01782 268691 , Tel: 02036 433836 ,/
www.tribalimages.co.uk
SOUTH WEST
Tattoos by Ollie Tye
Miltre House, The Courtyard, 27 the Strand, Broomsgrove, Worcestershire
tel: 07863 135814
ollietattoo@hotmail.co.uk
, cosmic monsters incorporated
Dr Feelgood's Tattoo Studio - Poole
Tel: 01202 674838 ,/ Dor Stocker Tattoos - Bexleyheath PULSE TATTOO & PIERCING—NORTHAMPTON
www.drfeelgoods.co.uk Tel: 02083030198 ,/
www.dorstockertattoos.com
LUCKY CHARLIE TATTOOS, RANDWICK

Tel: 07725 893895 ,/ Diamond Jacks Tattoo Co - London Tattoos by Andy X Edge, Simon Walden & Niall Barton.
Tel: 0207 437 0605 , Piercings by Charlii, James & Alana, 12 & 15 St Peters Walk, Northampton, NN1 1PT
www.diamondjacks.co.uk Tel: 01604 627228 pulsetattoo@outlook.com
, pulsetattooandpiercing / pulsetattooandpiercing
www.pulse-tattoo.co.uk
MY TRUE COLOUR—DERBY TATTOOS BY TOMO—SMETHWICK
The Ink Captain's Tattorium - Exeter /scarred for life tattoo STUDIO ,/
Tel: (01392) 200111 ,- Crate 9, 15 Oakwood Hill Industrial Estate
www.inkcaptain.com Loughton • IG10 3TZ • 020 3488 3228
SOUTH EAST
Tattoos by Karl Ormond, Tattooing & piercing by Tomo, Steve

Den Tattooist, Heather Griffin & Rob. Laser removal available
Piercing by Mr. Parris 107 Three Shires Oak Road,
155 Uttoxeter New Road, Derby, DE22 3NP Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 5BT
Tel: 01332 492059 Tel: 0121 429 1566 ,
Andy Barber's New Rose Tattoo Studio FireFly Tattoo Company - East Sussex info@mtcstudio.co.uk tattoosbytomo@live.co.uk
- New Malden, Surrey ,/ Tel: 01323847434 ,/ mytruecolourtattoostudio www.tattoosbytomo.com
www.andybarberstattoostudio.co.uk www.fireflytattoo.co.uk ,
BIG WILLS TATTOO STUDIO—LICHFIELD
Inklectic Tattoo, London ,/Inkspirationz

Tel: 02073 544888 ,/ 110 Ruislip Road • UB6 9QH Greenford
020 8575 5280 • inkspirationz.co.uk
Big Wills Tattoo Studio, 15 Eastern Avenue

Trent Valley Shops, Lichfield, WS13 6TE • Tel: 01543 898766
craig@bigwillstattoos.co.uk
,big wills tattoo studio /bigwillstattoos
Ink Fact - Hackney, London MARLOW TATTOO LOUNGE
www.bigwillstattoos.co.uk Tel: 02085 333334 ,/ Tel: 01628 473979
www.inkfacttattoo.com , MARLOWTATTOOLOUNGE
TRUE WILL TATTOOS—DORKING PIERCING & OTHER
Tattoo Studio 149 - London Jenny Clarke Design • Tel: 01509 264 110
,@deadmanstatts Tel: 020 8544 0304 / www.jennyclarkedesign.com
deadmanstatts.co.uk • 01303254958 ,tattoo studio 149
True Will Tattoos

5-6 Beare Green Court
Old Horsham road, Beare green
Rh54sl 07896 298833
Tattooing by Dee, Sophie and Rosie.
Piercing by Gemma. Tues-sat 10-5
And we are an all female studio
Woody's Tattoo Studio - High Wycombe
Mettle Nettle Tattoo and Piercing Tel: 01494 464023 , WANDERLUST TATTOOS—CROYDON
studio Tel: 01245600133 www.woodystattoostudio.com
,/www.jeffwharnsby.co.uk
Sammy Kent • Point 2 Point

Ouch Tattoos - Essex, Tel: 01992 711917 13 Pier Road, Erith, Kent DA8 1TA
,/www.ouchtattoostudio.co.uk 01322 341011 • ,/ @startattooist
Tel: 02034905978 ,/
www.wanderlusttattoo.co.uk
STUDIO 69 TATTOO & PIERCING—LONDON
Old London Road Tattoos - Kingston Underground Tattoos & Piercing - Watford
upon Thames Tel: 0208 549 4705 Tel: 01923 288447 ,/-
www.oldlondonroad.co.uk ,/ www.undergroundtattoos.co.uk
EAST
Tattoos by Desmond Byrne, Stefan Kyriacou & Nico Lanio

Piercings by Ruth & Alex
Laser tattoo removal also available Tel: 0208 531 4947
6 Chingford Rd, Walthamstow, London, E17 4PJ • , Studio 69 Tattoo and Piercing
Pain Divine - Croydon The Ink Room Tattoo Studio
Tel: 0208 686 6136 ,
www.paindivine.co.uk
WICKHAM MARKET • tel: 01728748125 ,
www.theinkroomtattoostudio.co.uk
www.studio69tattoo-piercing.co.uk
NUTZ TATTOO & PIERCING STUDIO—WARE HAPPY SAILOR TATTOOS—SHOREDITCH
Phoenix Rising - Chesham Vivamorta • Art by Steph Finnola Reed

Tel: 01494 792392 , /Vivamorta • Abrakadavra Tattoo
www.phoenixrisingtattooshop.com Studio Ipswich
vivamortataxidermy@gmail.com
Tattoos by Nutz & Jackie. Piercing Tattoos by - Tota, James & TOBY
by Jackie Tel: 01920 469721 Piercings by Tota, manager: shane
27 Church Street, ware, 17 Hackney Road, Shoreditch
hertfordshire, sg12 9eh London, E2 7NX Tel: 020 7033 9222
Paradiso Custom Tattoo & Piercing Devaney Tattoos • Leighanne Devaney www.nutztattoo.com ,/ happy sailor tattoo
LONDON TEL: 07952 633736 01362693333 • Www.devaneytattoos.co.uk , nutz tattoo www.happysailortattoo.com
,/paradisocustomtattoo/ ,Devaney Tattoos • /Devaney_Tattoos
TATTOO OF THE MONTH
by Steven Mostyn
Surveying the wealth of tattoos in the inbox this month, we kept coming back to this for mandm-tattoo.com
our last page and did a little beard scratching because Mr Mostyn has been featured on memories_and_mischief_tattoo
info@mandm-tattoo.com
this page before… should we/shouldn’t we push him again? We decided that Hell Yeah
was a good answer because when a tattoo stands out, it stands out regardless.
We say a lot about tattoos around here—of course we do—but sometimes a tattoo can
‘catch a wave’ and it’s the spirit of this that caught our eye. If you went into a shop look-
ing for a tattoo that described your spirit and lust for freedom, this caught that wave right
between its teeth.
In what’s actually a very simple design, we think you’d be hard pressed to pull something
out of the bag as individual as this and have it work for you and you alone. There’s more
life in this small tattoo than in most work we see and today, that works for us a whole lot.
This is a fine example of telling an artist what you’re after and leaving them to do what
they do best.
www.bodyjewellery.co.uk
Wholesale Specialists Since 1997
High quality jewellery with fast,

reliable and helpful service.
FREE Next Day Delivery On Orders Over £125

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1st Minimum Order Only £75. Then No Limits After That!
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info@bodyjewellery.co.uk +44 (0)141 332 5900

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