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Dirty Dishes Gloves

Vancouver's Nicole Steen has created the most perfect Objets D'Art for the punk rock Susie Homemaker: Dirty Dishes Gloves, custom ladies on latex.

But these acrylic-mastered mitts, ain't for soakin, Madge. The hand-crafted works are framed under glass, and if you look at the painted pin-ups you'll understand that the only bubbles these ladies would touch are found in a champagne bottle, far from a sink.

Steen first created her series of Dirty Dishes in 2001, with themes like the 7 Deadly Sins, punk rock tributes & burlesque beauties, which have shown in galleries worldwide. She sells customized pairs for $75 US and accepts PayPal and money orders. To order, contact her at the email address listed on this page.

Most recently, she created a Derby Dolls pair for an art auction benefit at Revolver Tattoo in New Brunswick, NJ to raise money to pay the medical bills of 'Teenwolf' (Gary Cuddington) of the NYSE men's roller derby team, who broke his leg in three places during a bout in Chicago. The benefit will take place on July 26.

Irezumi Sushi & Tees

The influence of Japanese tattoo art or Irezumi on the West is more than skin deep these days. In recent news, you'll find the ancient motifs inspiring hip new eateries and the apparel of Jewish Orthodox entrepreneurs:

First up, the OC Weekly dishes on the tattoo-inspired sushi joint in Costa Mesa called Irezumi Sushi Lounge with it's bold tattoo designs adorning the walls and windows, and inventive menu that includes a hot dog sushi roll, as well as rolls named after Japanese folklore characters, ghosts and demons often found in timeless bodysuits. [See the menu (in PDF) here.] The resto's website also offers a sampling of Japanese tattoo history. Delish!

On the East Coast, in NYC's Lower East Side, Japanese tattoo art is adorning the new apparel line of (the unfortunately named) Tees & Tats, a high-end, limited edition collection of fine cotton t-shirts adorned with artwork by respected tattoo artists specializing in Irezumi. The first artist on the roster is Invisible NYC's Marco Serio, who created several original designs inspired by the original Japanese Samurai tattoos of the early 1800s. The tees are retailing for $100 a pop, and a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the ArtWorks Foundation, an organization that provides creative programs to children and young adults suffering chronic illness. [Thanks, Scott, for the link!]

For more on Japanese tattooing, check out our Needled videos on some masters of the art in our Media Center.

Tattoo News Review

While gas prices in the US topped $4 a gallon, people have abandoned their empty-tanked cars on the side of the road, in lieu of priorities: guns, booze and of course, tattoos. Lots of tattoos. It's the American way.

But it makes sense. In times of crisis, people look for ways to take their minds off hardship and getting tattooed does just that .. and without the hang-over or killing something.

Nothin like puncturing your skin 3,000 times a minute to make you forget about a lying government. News items this week back me up on this:

This man's tattoo reminds him not to fall back into deep depression.

Tatum's tattoos are totems to sobriety (although not working out for her lately.)

This grandmother, pictured above at the Richmond Tattoo Convention, marked family allegiance and love over the weekend. [Her daughter-in-law and granddaughter were also tattooed.]

And yes, tattoos can be bod mod memos to Jesus.

Problem is that, sometimes, tattoos leave scars deeper than recessionary woes. The most common: a lover's name tattooed, cursed to be an ex lover. Even with such poetic odes to this hex, people just never learn ... like Ethan Hawk's baby mama. Perhaps if we stood on our desks and recited the poem to her, she'd get it.

Thankfully, we now have David Beckham offering tattoo consult services.

Then, there are the very real physical scars. For three years I've posted this warning, and I'll keep doing it: Stay away from 'black henna'. I still can't believe how prevalent they are in summer vacation spots. Bad.

Ok, I'm ready to jump off my soap box for today, but first, let me leave you with some quick and dirty links:

Those Ink Deep dudes who took money for a tattoo convention that never happened are now ordered to pay up. Justice served.

Local districts in New Mexico begin legalizing tattooing in areas where they were once banned.

A wanna-be Marine is barred from service because of his tattoo.

The Manila Times profiles a young Filipina tattooist.

Finally, a high school student's school project lands her a tattoo apprenticeship.

Amsterdam Convention Pix

Last weekend, May 30-June 1st, the always crazy Amsterdam Tattoo Convention took place with great success. While I wish we could have been there -- especially because of its Polynesian theme perfectly suited for Calypso Tattoo -- we were still Stateside, but thankfully the uber-talented Edwin Dillen was there to capture the scene:

Check out the Amsterdam Convention photo set on Needled's Flickr pages -- 92 images of weird and wonderful tattoo art, including traditional hand-tapped tattooing, beautiful pin-up girls, and some amazing facial work by tattoo greats.

I also organized all of Needled's convention sets into one collection for easy viewing (from 2005 to the present), including shows from Japan, London, Milan, Paris, NYC, Sacramento and more.

Also check out this video montage trailer for the convention videos we've shot. Enjoy!

Ask Dr. Dave

Photo by David Kimelberg for Inked Inc.

On Monday, I had my second tattoo removal treatment by Dr. Dave Ores of Lower East Side Medical (see a post and video of my first laser session here), and as the good doctor was burning my flesh to make way for bigger and better tattoo work, we talked about the wonders of the Internet and how it can it can be used to enhance people's lives beyond porn.

What we came up with is the idea for a Needled blog column where the heavily tattooed doctor answers your medical questions, whether they be about skin reactions to tattoos or sexual disfunction. Your real name or any identifying info won't be used.

Send your questions via the contact form above or directly to marisa at needled dot com with the subject line Ask Dr. Dave.

Permanence: Tattoo Portraits

I've been fortunate to receive a number of tattoo-related books recently that are particularly engaging and thoughtful, plus nice to look at. One such book is Permanence: Tattoo Portraits by Kip Fulbeck

In sharp contrast to No Regrets, recently reviewed, Permanence places the focus squarely on the wearer, not the art itself, and tries to find the elusive answer to that age-old tattoo question: Why?

The heavily tattooed author (as well as artist, filmmaker and professor), Kip Fulbeck, presents photos of tattooed people alongside their handwritten notes about their tattoos. The portraits include Holocaust survivors, rock stars like Joan Jett and Slash, celebs like Margaret Cho, and tattoo artists including legends Ed Hardy and Lyle Tuttle, as well as reality stars Kat Von D, Chris Garver, and London Ink's Nikole Lowe (who shows off her nutty anti-Straight Edge tattoo). See sample pages here.

Horitaka writes an excellent foreword discussing how academia has sought to quantitatively analyze tattooing but often cannot reach the essence of why people get tattooed. He asks, "How do you quantitatively analyze a love song? Or why a certain painting may move you?" Horitaka also discusses tattooing as an art form but notes that not all tattoos are art nor do they have to be, saying:

"They can just be enjoyed. Tattoos, for better or worse, reflect the human experience. Our successes, joys, mistakes, and failures are all recorded on our skins. And just like life itself, sometimes they aren't perfect. Sometimes they're even tragic. But they are real. A tattoo is just ink on skin ... it is up to the bearer to ascribe meaning or value to it."

Following the foreword is Kip's introduction, which lays out the impetus for the book. It's about personal identity. He says that when he starts the first class of his college art seminars he asks students to reveal something unique about themselves that's 'nontransferable'. What makes them who they are. It's not an easy question. Permanence uses tattoos as a starting point in learning how people choose to individualize themselves.

While reading it, it made me think of my own motivations behind my tattoos, especially how they change over the years. It may get you thinking too.

Permanence normally sells for about twenty dollars but Amazon has it on sale for $13.57 or you can buy it together with No Regrets for $25.12. Both are recommended additions to your tattoo library.

Lucky Girl Leather

At every NYC Tattoo Convention, I make my rounds to certain vendors, my usual faves, that have unique, rock-n-roll wear. One indie seller is the fabulous Lucky Girl handbags and accessories.

Over the years, I've bought everything from purses, wallets, a leather journal book cover custom made, and last month, I picked up this hot belt bag, shown here -- a hands-free pouch, perfect for double fisting before last call.

Lucky Girl items are hand made by SoCal designer Adriane Errera (appliqued with screen printed, then hand-painted tattoo styled patches), so each piece is one of a kind. You can purchase Lucky Girl goods online, or you may just find her at your next tattoo convention.

East Coast vs. West Coast Art Show

Let's get ready to rumble!
In a showdown reminiscent of the 2Pac and Biggie beef, Canvas Los Angeles pits East Coast tattooists against those on the West Coast in an epic art battle never seen before.

East Coast VS West Coast debuts tomorrow, June 5th, and features all new works that present the 'diversity of these artists' aesthetic sensibilities, while also highlighting regional similarities and affinities.' The opening bell rings tomorrow at 8pm and goes until 11pm with free drinks for those over 21 years old.

Here's what the line-up looks like:

East Coast: Todd Noble, Berk Krak, Eli Quinters, Steve Boltz, Mike Rubendall, Grez, Mike Shea, Civ, BJ Betts, Martin Lacasse, Chad Koeplinger, Regino Gonzales, Nikki Balls, Mike Wilson, Brian Bruno, Erick Lynch, Thomas Hooper, Dana Helmuth, Chris O'Donnell, and Chris Garver.

West Coast: Adam Barton, Tim Hendricks, Grime, Norm, Horitomo, Yutaro, Lewis Hess, Aaron Cain, Henry Lewis, Mr. Cartoon, Tim Lehi, Scott Sylvia, Bob Roberts, Charlie Roberts, Dan Wysuph, Juan Puente, Jef Whitehead, Shawn Barber, and Phil Holt.

Let East Coast bang. Let West Coast bang.

Folies les Femmes opening in London

Here's one for my UK homies: Tomorrow, June 5th from 6-8PM at London's Nelly Duff gallery, Dutch tattoo artist and painter Angelique Houtkamp will present her first ever art show in England called Folies les femmes (an illustrated story of my life?).

Taking pin-up imagery of classic Americana and giving many of her girls a freak-show edge, Angelique pays homage to extraordinary and out-of-the ordinary beauties like tattooed sirens, half women-half animal deities, and necro-divas. The soulful eyes of her subjects give depth to the cartoonish images, engaging the viewer beyond carnival gawking.

In addition to these ink and watercolor paintings, limited edition prints will be available.

RSVP via hello@nellyduff.com if you plan to go tomorrow.

TSA-Banned Tattoos

I'm now in NYC's JFK airport heading back to Belgium, and while going through security, one of the TSA guys said rather gruffly, Let me see your tattoos. My tattooed sleeves are peeking out of a shirt that covers them up to the elbow and he wanted me to roll them up for a better look. I asked if I did anything wrong, and he said that he liked tattoos and just wanted to see more. *phew*

After reading this guy's post on whether tattoos may stop you from flying [via Boing Boing], I got anxious. That, plus this sign banning jokes at security checkpoints is making me think Orwell was a prophet.

I ended up rolling up my shirt sleeves a bit more for the TSA dude and he then said to me, No worries. Tattoos don't make you a bad person. Or maybe you are a bad girl. You are, aren't you? At which point I gagged, pulled my boarding pass from his fingers, and kicked myself for not having the wits for a sassy comeback. Then again, a sense of humor is prohibited.

Tattoo News Review

Today is a momentous day for the Needled news review. I will not mock celebrities and their tattoo snafus. I will not utilize my extensive knowledge of rap lyrics to describe headlined items. And most importantly, I will not joke about unbelievable American laws that infringe freedom of expression because, as I learned this weekend, it can land my booty in jail. [No joke.]

Thankfully there are plenty o'news items to keep us busy today, starting with the most ridiculous by Fox News sports commentator Jason Whitlock who wrote -- seriously -- that less tattoos on basketball players means more viewers. I actually wasn't even gonna link this item because Whitlock has done plenty of tattoo tirades before, and I believe they are a ploy to get his comment and viewer numbers up. I don't want to support that.

Plus, how do you rebut pure idiocy? Even though I trained as a lawyer, I'm at a loss when I read something just so ridiculous that any response at all simply adds credence to it.

But I decided to link it today because those very comments Whitlock is seeking are pretty astounding in their own right. Don't think tattoo prejudice exists anymore? Just read the over 2,500 posts where many people actually believe tattoos are mere gang and prison markings (as opposed to over 5,000 years of history from various civilizations).

For smart and funny rebuttals of Whitlock's ridiculousness, Jordan of Modblog did a fabulous job taking apart the article line by line, as did Jason, the editor of Inked Mag, citing basketball stats and the popularity of merchandising of the tattooed players.

In thinking of my own response, the issue of race weighed heavily and I recalled a comment from Zulu in our interview about tattoos, race and spirituality, where he said:

"Most blacks in this country have rejected their ancestry and opted to be mindlessly spoon fed Christianity. With this comes a lot of fear, guilt and rejection of their own ancient culture, including the sacred art of tattooing. This really sickens me to no end! I have more blacks than whites point their fingers at me and tell me I'm going to hell. Whites on the other hand have always been scared of blacks, tattooing just gives them another reason to say, You see, they even look like savages. So to sum up, both sides are still very ignorant, but I see blacks getting more grief as they are pushed by their own kind to assimilate and fit into white Western culture."

The upside of the article is that perhaps it can spark some debate on how tattooing is viewed based on the wearer's color, ethnicity and religion.

But that was not the only athlete tattoo story. The LA Times did a more neutral piece on the topic. Nothing shockin or really interesting. Same old same old.

My favorite post was this article on the Top 5 Swimming Tattoos, complete with images of glistening, toned and tattooed bodies, including French hottie Amaury Leveaux's needled wings. yummm.

Beyond sports, NY's Fleet Week took place and the NY Times did an article and video on sailor tattoos with some brilliant stories behind the art. A must see.

Sadly, many military tattoos are dedications to fallen comrades. And yet, memorial tattoos are not limited to those killed in combat. In NWI.com's article, tattooist Greg Wilcoxon says that often the pain of tattoo takes one's mind off the pain of loss, if only for a moment.

While in Colorado, tattooist Bill Hickox is creating 'survivor tattoos' for those in Windsor tornado. He's only charging $25 to tattoo the word survivor with the date of storm that tore through the town May 22nd.

In news of the stupid, two thieves -- masked in women's thongs -- were caught on tape for our amusement. What they didn't mask were their cheezy tribally tattoos.

Not a smart move considering a Michigan State University researcher just created an automatic image retrieval system that allows law enforcement to match tattoos and scars to identify suspects and victims. My guess is the database will be filled with lots of flash work like the Celtic band that doesn't fully go around the bicep because the inside of the arm hurts too much.

Speaking of Celtic, here's an article on the meaning of the Celtic Knot Tattoo. [Find more meanings and symbols on the Vanishing Tattoo site.]

Tattoo art and symbolism is on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art's show called Baltimore Ink: Patterns on Bodies. This weekend, the museum featured a tattoo runway show and a talk that included Skin & Ink's Bob Baxter, Zulu, Mitch O'Connell, Kip Fulbeck, and the legendary Jacci Gresham. Tattooing being featured in the nation's art museums? Heaven forfend! Someone tell James Whitlock.

In Germany, the country's ban on the swastika led to an arrest of a man with a swastika tattoo. Displaying Nazi symbols in Germany can result in up to three years in prison or a fine. I wonder if this applies to those seeking to neutralize the Nazi hold on the symbol and bring it back to its ancient and peaceful meanings. If it does apply, what would happen to ManWoman in Germany?

Finally, I was happy to find Skin Deep magazine's upcoming convention, the Tattoo Jam, in the news. That show, starting August 1st, will be the next convention Dan and I will be working. And I can't complain working weekends when I'm in a beautiful North Wales beach town. Great artists will be tattooing like Bob Tyrrell, Russia's George Bardadim and France's Stephane Chaudesaigues whose work is shown here. Should be a fabulous time. Hope to see you there.

Ok, I'm getting on a plane back to Belgium now and will be back tomorrow with some upcoming events worldwide.

Needled Makeover

Today, Needled is undergoing a make-over of the tech kind, so with your blog reading time today free, why not head go to your nearest Sephora and ask them to make you look like Kat Von D? I just did and was given 'that look,' the one that says, Lady, no amount of make-up will make you younger, taller or that polarizing a figure. But you can achieve the allure of the 'smoky eye', now made easier thanks to Kat's Black Metal Love shadows. If only they had press-on star tattoos for the hairline. sigh.

If all goes well, the news review will be up tomorrow.

Bad Boys of Tattoo

Bad Boys

While the majority of Needled's tattooist profile videos feature artists pushing the boundaries of tattoo so that it's generally accepted as a fine art, we do have footage that take an opposite approach by paying tribute to the original old schoolers of grit and guts. Guys that learned to tattoo in jail, not art school, and would beat you for insinuating that they were artists, or just beat you for any reason really.

The fabulous folks at Rivr Media pulled together clips from our videos into this trailer aptly called The Bad Boys of Tattoo. Check it.

Ladies First Art Show

Tomorrow, May 31st, at Chicago's DVA Gallery, Tart Art presents Ladies First, a gallery show of works from innovative female artists including tattooists Sunny Buik, and Angelique Houtkamp, along with some amazing illustrators including my fave Molly Crabapple who's also the co-creator of the fabulous Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School.

You can get a sneak peak of the show online from the site of its first viewing in Canada at the Tart Gallery, where you'll find works dedicated to female beauty ... many of the subjects tattooed. But, of course.

Mister Cartoon's Righteous Kill

Fineline fabuloso, Mister Cartoon, is best known for his single-needle tattoos on music and film stars, givin them a little street cred. Now he's taken his street art to Hollywood in one of his latest projects: the movie poster and merchandise for the upcoming film Righteous Kill with Robert Deniro and Al Pacino.

Cartoon created the iconic artwork in collaboration with Estevan Oriol (photographer and co-owner of his tattoo studio, who gave Needled an LA lowrider tour). The poster has an ominous, thuggin vibe -- not that Deniro and Pacino need it -- which is getting fans excited for the movie's August 12th debut.

The Righteous Kill Experience will open up in August 2008, right next door to the The Last Laugh -- Cartoon and Estevan's new retail space next to the Upper Playground store, located on 6th and Los Angeles Streets in Downtown LA. Upper Playground will be selling limited-edition Righteous Kill merch and lithographs designed by the two prolific artists.

Needled's Social Networking

* Imeem
* MySpace
* YouTube
* Inked Nation
* Bebo
* Buzznet
* Revver
* Technorati Profile

This all means that the site is officially an internet whore. Or rather slut. Needled is free and easy after all. Pass us around and share the love. Make us your friend. We like friends. Especially those as charming as ya fine self.
xoxox

PS: Oh, and despite my photo and info being all over these sites, the best way to contact me is still through the form above and email.

Russ Abbott Time Lapse Tattoo Video

Just got this link to a fun time-lapse video of Georgia tattoo artist Russ Abbott tattooing classic Americana. Watch out how this Carmen Miranda-like beauty comes to life on skin.

Even cooler, check out Russ's page on Jim Bean's Stuff Inside campaign where you'll take a tour through his Ink & Dagger studio in Decatur, see more tattooing footage, and view his stellar tattoo work. Work that looks beautiful without needing a shot of bourbon.

Thanks, Dave, for the link!

Goethe's 10 Years of Flash

I just stole the new art book by Goethe:
10 Years of Flash. It was peeking out of my husband's bag, the one he carried onto his flight thinking he'd get to study the mystic images on the plane, but I swiped the 60-page book before kissing him goodbye. He'll have to wait a week to yell at me, but he's gotta know why -- it's all part of marrying a tattoo blogger. Anything cool and beautiful will be taken in order to share it with the masses. I did it for you.

I did it because it's more than a book of beautiful flash by a unique artist. The pre-Hispanic images in Goethe's signature style has the power to inspire artists as well as collectors. Mayan priests, Aztec goddesses, and feathered serpents, to name a few of the 86 designs (their meanings detailed in the last pages), are rendered in vivid detail -- a perfect guide into the tattoo underworld.

The book is a journey itself into Goethe's body of work over ten years, starting in his native Mexico to Upland, California where he currently works at Por Vida Tattoo when he's not on the road at international conventions.

You can buy Goethe's 10 Years of Flash online for $150.

Tattoo News Review

Photo of Zulu by DeOndrae Evans for SFgate.com.

There are weeks when tattoos make headlines in mainstream media that spark intellectual discourse on the definition of 'art', body politics, and how the law impacts our personal tattoo choices. Well, my friends, no such luck this week. A handful of stories had morsels of meaty info after carving away tons of fat, but the majority were sugary sweet celebrity puff pieces, leaving me with that same feeling I get after scarfing down a chunk of baklava. I'll serve them up here for dessert after the more fulfilling dishes.

One of the more interesting items this week was in interview with Zulu in SFgate's culture blog. Ok, the writer started out asking all about Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's wedding tattoos, and of course his most loyal client, Janet Jackson, but then it gets better with talk about his personal tattoo style and thoughts on the popularity of tattooing today. In March, I conducted a way less popular and more nerdy interview with Zulu, focusing on race and spirituality, which you can read here.

In an article on how the economy affects the tattoo business, the Charlotte Observer writes that people do still get tattooed during economic slumps but their choices are indeed affected. Derek Crockett, owner of Crown Tattoo, says, "When the economy is suffering, people opt for simpler, and cheaper, designs, cutting out fancy artwork in favor of words...They want things that represent a harder life."

When on a limited budget, think of doing piece by piece of a larger work with a good tattoo artist instead of shopping for bargain basement prices, like those scratchers who do 'home tattoo parties.' How many times can I post horror stories like these about those nasty and dangerous events?

Oh, wait! Here's another! [I particularly love that Tattoo Terror headline.]

These tattoo parties are one of the many ugly side-effects of a culture overdosing on popular tattoo media. But perhaps we've reached a saturation point now that Miami Ink has come to an end and Kat Von D is hawking make-up for Sephora. You too can get her "signature dark, brooding look." [Which can also be achieved with an excess of tequila.]

The worst part of all this tattoo attention: We are no longer considered freaks! Damn you, Kat Von D!!!

The best part of it all, though, is that tattooing is being accepted as a fine art. Naturally, I got excited when I saw this headline: The Art of Asian tattoos, that is, until I read it and found that they were talking largely about Kanji. *sigh*

Thankfully, there were inspiring stories among the muck, like that of Punk Rock Mommy, a tattooed goddess with terminal cancer who reminds people online to live each day, enjoying every moment. I'm a fan.

In news of the bizarre, Ontario police are looking for a dangerous offender ... with two unicorn tattoos. I remember a time when criminals had daggers and Fuck the World lettering. Soon we'll be seeing My Little Pony-marked murderers.

Ok, ready for dessert?

The first item on our plate in celeb news, is that of tattoo portraits: Entertainment Weekly features tattooed faces of the gliteratti found in the book No Regrets, reviewed here on Needled. Images include bald Britney, Will Ferrell as an elf, and Jack Black -- images that inspire greatness in Americans. And no, of course EW didn't have the insight to include tattoo artist credits.

In UK celeb news, the nanny who claimed to do the nasty with David Beckham went to his tattooist, Louis Molloy, for a tattoo and was turned down. Molloy called Becks about it and allegedly the soccer star told Molloy to bring her back into the London Ink studio and tattoo Fuck across her forehead. Classy!

Speaking of classy, Tommy Lee will soon have a cartoon of himself -- as if he isn't a rock star caricature already. Page 6 reports that Lee will lend his voice to 'The Life and Times of Jimmy Jaxx,' a cartoon loosely based on his life. "In the show, the rocker is distracted by his tattoos -- which come to life and try to lead him down the wrong path."

My tattoos are telling me to end on this note. Have a great day!

Memorial Tattoos

Today, is Memorial Day, a day when Americans have the day off to honor those who died in military service to the country, which translates into gorging ourselves silly on BBQ and cheap beer. Take that, vegan commies!

Seriously, let's bring the day back to its roots by talking military memorial tattoo themes, like this purple heart by the talented Jeff Ensminger in Texas. You can find more tattoo tributes on TattooNow's Memorial Tattoo gallery and Grunt.com's 23 volumes of Marine tattoos.

In honoring the dead, it's hard to forget the multitudes of soldiers who are living with severe disabilities suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan. This NY Times article on brain injuries from roadside bombs is a heart wrenching reminder.

If you want to send some tattoo love to those risking death and disability on the front lines now, go to Anysoldier.com's Where to Send page and type in 'tattoo' in the search field. Then you'll get a list of those asking for tattoo magazines, books and tees.

I get a lot of swag to review for Needled, and I'll be putting them in care packages, including awesome Lovewright tees by Danny Reyes. The Tattoo Culture crew also just handed me books, mags and stickers to mail out as well. Thanks, guys!

Enjoy your day. Needled news is up tomorrow.