Tattoos

[the hall of vame]

i heard he's the ronald mcdonald of tattoos.. you might want to cancel your appointment.

hahaha i see what you did there.

[baizilla]

hooper still blows my mind:

3D ish chest piece on maxime buchi

and arm of one of the guys from atelier ny:

[both from his blog]

This is dope, but doesn't this guy have a japanese sleeve on his other arm? no synergy at all.

Edited January 18, 2012 by baizilla

[Lozinski]

Soooo since my previous artist cancelled my appointment, failed to reschedule and has failed to respond to 2 emails (sent over the span of 4 weeks...), I decided to book a consultation with Daniel Pagé.

Getting the same thing as mentioned earlier in the thread; phoenix on the upper arm, shoulder, chest and a little bit on the ribs if necessary. Making sure I can hide it with a rolled up oxford.

My two other ones in mind to get later on would be:

-A typical woman's face in flash on my thigh (I'm assuming you guys have seen some)

I know this one doesn't have exceptional synergy but I feel when the head eventually sees light, it will be a nice change and a nice addition of colour.

-A hooper inspired shin piece, not sure if I would want it to wrap around or not..

Thoughts? I have a ruined city with a sunset on my other leg.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Lozinski

[scientifick]

i feel like that could work with a japanese sleeve pretty well

[superbeveridge]

i never worry about synergy when getting a tattoos. i am all about smaller 4-7 hours pieces in random spots. if your next tattoo is really different from a previous one and you don't want them to clash just stick in a different part of your body and start a different theme there. for instance, on my left arm i have all war or military themed tattoos (even my steve mcqueen portrait is from the great escape). on my right arm i am going for modern interpretations of traditional tattoos.

[Manx]

got into an argument with a girl who's bf is a "tattoo artist" she told me traditional tattoos are the mcdonalds of tattooing. i slapped a bitch n dropped knowledge. then after losing the argument attempted to attack me personally... fucking chicks these days whose bf owns a machine n they suddenly know everything...

Worst conversation ever.

Tattoos just aren't serious enough to justify this type of conversation. When people try to talk about this shit to me as if tattoos are an honest philosophical reflection of the self, I laugh in their face. I laugh twice as hard when people attempt to imply that there is a stylistic right and wrong regarding "authenticity." Yes, my tattoos are whack enough to have inspired people to talk about tattoos to me. They then show me their detailed sleeve or massive body piece, thinking that I'll be wowed or something and open my mind to "real tats!". It is about as interesting to me as wallpaper. Women are the worst when it comes to this. Everything is a spiritual identity crisis with women.

My next tat is going to be Owen Hart with angel wings.

FUCK life.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Manx

[FrugalPlayer]

tattoo synergy? gimme a fucking break

[(10chars)]

i have no tattoo synergy.. japanese on one leg, traditional american on the other leg. they will all be a saggy colorful blob eventually anyways.

[superbeveridge]

Worst conversation ever.

Tattoos just aren't serious enough to justify this type of conversation. When people try to talk about this shit to me as if tattoos are an honest philosophical reflection of the self, I laugh in their face. I laugh twice as hard when people attempt to imply that there is a stylistic right and wrong regarding "authenticity." Yes, my tattoos are whack enough to have inspired people to talk about tattoos to me. They then show me their detailed sleeve or massive body piece, thinking that I'll be wowed or something and open my mind to "real tats!". It is about as interesting to me as wallpaper. Women are the worst when it comes to this. Everything is a spiritual identity crisis with women.

My next tat is going to be Owen Hart with angel wings.

FUCK life.

the worst is when everyone thinks there needs to be some deep meaning towards every tattoo you get and they think you are crazy when you tell them you thought it would look dope. sometimes the best reason to get a tattoo is just because you want another and thats that.

[Augustus]

I hate when people press me on my tattoos

"Why'd you get a bird?"

"I dont know.. Because I like bird tattoos?"

"Looks like a sparrow. Dont sparrows mean something in the navy? What does it mean to you"

"Not much. I just got it because I like the design"

"Yea but it surely reflects on how you feel about yourself right?"

SHUT UPPPPP

[wild style]

ran into myacademy at smith street last night. good to meet u dude.

Edited January 20, 2012 by wild style

[Manx]

I'm going to come out and say it:

I hate when people think that tattoo's are an art form. They are not, in any way, an honest and reflective expression of the human condition. Tattoos are superficial ways of projecting a desired perception of oneself permanently onto your body. It's a means of making yourself feel cooler than you are. Period. The cultural reasons and perceptions for different forms of tattooing all over the world are universally the same. The reason was and still is posturing.

I didn't get mine for any other reason. The people who create tattoos are nothing more than hobbyists. It's sad that there are subcultures dedicated to creating some kind of religious zealotry around the merits of the tattoo. There is no deep meaning other than identity crisis with which we can discuss tattoos, so when people try to ask me about the meaning behind my own, I say what many of you say: "I just thought that it would make me look cooler." Whever I turn on the television and see these fart-bloated idiots on "NY Ink" or that one retarded bimbo, I refuse to say her name, I just want to gag on some loaf. These people are not worthy of the public arena.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Manx

[Dex_star]

i think a lot of people would argue with you over whether or not tattooing is an art form

[Manx]

And a lot of entertainers who lip sync call themselves recording artists.

[Lozinski]

How does it differ from a painting? I came in to my appointment, I told my artist that I wanted a city in ruins. He whips out the sharpie, freehands the whole thing on my leg and the rest is obvious.

Creating something on a body part is much more difficult than on a piece of canvas. They both have just as much merit.

If you're referring to the tattoo artists that don't do custom work, I'll agree with you.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Lozinski

[evisu 2000]

How does it differ from a painting?

If you're referring to the tattoo artists that don't do custom work, I'll agree with you.

how does it differ from painting still life

[Lozinski]

I should have added 'to a certain extent' at the end of that.

Anyone that practices a creative art is considered an artist.

Tattoo artists that copy a tramp stamp out of a binder are still technically artists but the piece itself is a poor excuse for a work of art.

[Eternal171]

Well I have a really sketchy tattoo of the Eight of hearts(as in the playing card, "8♥" on my inner lower lip, and I got it only because I felt it would add to my character (in retrospect, in a poserish way) and as said above, it would make me 'cooler' in a way

Does the eight of hearts mean anything to me? Definably.

Did I get it tattooed because it means something to me? Not at all

I go through weeks forgetting about it because its in such an obscure place tho hahah

Edited January 20, 2012 by Eternal171

[Guest glasses]

cool story bro

[MyAcademy]

ran into myacademy at smith street last night. good to meet u dude.

Yeah man, same to you.

Kinda surprised you're the first one I've bumped into there - know a few folks in this thread have been tattooed at Smith St.

Edited January 20, 2012 by MyAcademy

[GoatJuggernaut]

I'm going to come out and say it:

I hate when people think that tattoo's are an art form. They are not, in any way, an honest and reflective expression of the human condition. Tattoos are superficial ways of projecting a desired perception of oneself permanently onto your body. It's a means of making yourself feel cooler than you are. Period. The cultural reasons and perceptions for different forms of tattooing all over the world are universally the same. The reason was and still is posturing.

I didn't get mine for any other reason. The people who create tattoos are nothing more than hobbyists. It's sad that there are subcultures dedicated to creating some kind of religious zealotry around the merits of the tattoo. There is no deep meaning other than identity crisis with which we can discuss tattoos, so when people try to ask me about the meaning behind my own, I say what many of you say: "I just thought that it would make me look cooler." Whever I turn on the television and see these fart-bloated idiots on "NY Ink" or that one retarded bimbo, I refuse to say her name, I just want to gag on some loaf. These people are not worthy of the public arena.

This whole rant is great. Are you trying to intellectualize the reason that you have poorly done tattoos? Is an art form truly defined by whether it's a true and honest reflection of the human condition - and if in fact people get tattoo's for superficial reasons, as a reflection of who they think or wish they were - as you suggest, wouldn't a tattoo be a very explicit representation of the human condition?

Hard to call tattooers hobbyists when they study and hone a craft and dedicate their lives to the profession. We're not talking about people who dress up each weekend for a civil war reenactment to get their sick jollies off. Not sure why you pigeonhole an entire culture based on people on TV or people who get tattooed/make tattoos solely to be cool.

Tattoos are great because they cover such a wide spectrum of aesthetics and applications. It's great to look at shitty tattoos and laugh at them, or to soak up and appreciate a Horiyoshi III body suit. I've got crappy tattoos from when I was young and drunk, and tattoos from dedicated professionals who put a lot of effort into their work.

I mean, I get it, you don't care, nothing has meaning. You got your tattoos because of an identity crisis and a desire to posture - why make such a big deal out of it?

[Manx]

A) A big deal wasn't made. No need to get butthurt. We can keep this friendly.

B ) Tattoos aren't art unless you're willing to call everything art, and then you have to get one of these nauseating bumperstickers that old white and jewish democrats stick on the back of their prius:

C) If banality and commonality are our most honest reflections of the human condition, then fine. Maybe you're right: we're all idiots and the exceptional is not a representation of the human experience. However, we live in a very wealthy society that doesn't limit our expressive desires through many material, social, or technical constraints. Sure, tattoos are a folk-art, but the train stops there. Your handmade scarf isn't art. Your argument pretty much renders tattoo-whatever as a mainstream culture and not the subculture its subscribers like to think that it is. These people, and I've had the horror of knowing many, many, many of them, almost universally consider tattoos high art. It's almost like knowing that comic books really aren't art, only the rare exception is art. From that point, they're no longer a reflection of comic culture, but the human experience. Even tattoos with theatrical "deeply personal meanings" like portraits of dead kids and shit - that's not art. Sorry. That's ego. We need to be more snobby than this to keep us from returning to the caves.

Tattoos are decorative to those who commission them. They're a process-based craft to those who respond to that request.

This whole rant is great.

Don’t be so butthurt.

Are you trying to intellectualize the reason that you have poorly done tattoos?

Flip this around, turn it upside down, and you have a valid comprehension of my statement. So, no, I'm not trying to intellectually justify my [very stupid] tattoos. I'm trying to express that I don't feel that tattoos are very intellectual at all. I'm making it a point that justifying a tattoo as something sacred or deeply personal is like putting on a mask and then telling people that you're letting it all hang out. Also, if you scoff at a more analytical approach to subject matter, you're basically stating that the subject matter is unworthy of detailed criticism, thus pretentious. Do you consider tattoos unworthy of that type of analysis? I do, so I suppose you did note a hypocrisy.

Is an art form truly defined by whether it's a true and honest reflection of the human condition - and if in fact people get tattoo's for superficial reasons, as a reflection of who they think or wish they were - as you suggest, wouldn't a tattoo be a very explicit representation of the human condition?

No, its a representation of the egotistical denial systems that keep us from truly reflecting upon our experiences in exchange for comfort. Self reflection is often painful. If more people were honest about tattoos, we would see feminists with penis envy tattoos and creationists with tattoos of finches. We don't, though. We see them with tattoos that represent their egotistical political beliefs which in turn function as an egotistical representation of comfort-based denial. While common, they cloud our experience instead of defining it. It's like how more people watch the Kardiashians and other fantasy-based escapist nonsense than read the news.

No need to shy away or get nasty about the subject matter. This is the tattoo thread. Do the thread a favor: keep this respectful and post some pictures of tattoos you consider so excellent within a cultural norm that, as a representation of that culture, we can call art - not craft. I'm very interested to see and would love to change my mind here. Seriously, prove that they exist. I'd love to see them.

Let's not forget that we got to this point by agreeing that people asking about the meanings of our tattoos, and insisting that theirs have deeper meanings, irks the living crap out of us.

Tattoos are not art. This does not necessarily mean that the methods and techniques of tattooing or their common subject matter can’t be used conceptually within an artistic work, but anything can be used in that way.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Manx

[GoatJuggernaut]

Keep editing the post until you've got it just right. I'll be hanging out in my handmade scarf until then.

[GoatJuggernaut]

+ pics of tattoos since this is the tattoo thread.

Peter Largergren

Matt Shamah

[Manx]

Keep editing the post until you've got it just right. I'll be hanging out in my handmade scarf until then.

So basically you're a nasty, condescending little forum warrior about everything?

I'm still waiting. These tats you've posted certainly aren't not dumb. OOPS! FORGOT I WASN'T ALLOWED TO EDIT.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Manx

[Manx]

I told my artist that I wanted a city in ruins.

LOLOLOLI'DLIKETOSEETHAT!

[1995chardx]

Matt shamah continueing my outline yesterday

[scientifick]

seems like someone has a bunch of bad pieces and is a lil bitter about it

[thescott]

That skull/rose up there is fucking killer

[Dex_star]

Some script done yesterday