dm_tattoo feature 2010

8/9/2019 Dm_tattoo Feature 2010

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THE DRUM MEDIA 20 JULY 2010 63

Tattoos have undoubtedly become an inescapablepart o contemporary culture, rising inprominence as more and more people have

embraced them. Originating as a mark o identifcationor tribes, theyre now used or a myriad o purposesand accepted by all, well most, walks o lie. But theprogression hasnt stopped here; more body modifcationis being seen, with the more extreme examples startingto fnd their ways into the mainstream.

Its increased in popularity the last ew years quite abit, says the modifcation artist known as Luna Cobra he preersDrum use this name. I started coming to

Australia, I think fve years ago. And no one had reallydone it here at that point. Ive just been spreading it hereand teaching other people how to do it as well.

Primarily sel-taught, there was no one teaching thetechniques he uses when he started doing it ten yearsago, his work includes things like scarifcation, implants,tongue splitting, ear pointing, scrotum piercing and the

very permanent eyeball tattooing some very strikingwork. All my amilys in medicine, he reassures . Mybrothers a plastic surgeon and my athers a surgeon,so it was always around me. A lot o the beginnings othings like the implants and tongue splitting and all thatcame rom my brother and his riends in medical school.

We lived together or a long time so they helped me outa lot. I would never have been able to do it without theirinstruction. Its not something you can do; well, its notsomething you can do well by just yanking it out o yourback pocket, he laughs.

Designs and inspiration or tattoos have traditionallycome rom tribal and cultural sources, or example AlMitchell o South Coast Tattoos has a reputation or

Japanese imagery. Ive studied the Japanese stu mywhole career and Im doing some pretty authentic-looking Japanese stu now, he explains, Ive got areally good name or that.

That inspiration base is also true or modifcation,especially scarifcation (tattoos by scarring the skin),but its a dierent culture thats spawning the currentadvances o other techniques. As ar as the moreadvanced stu, I do a lot o the el ear pointing andimplants in the ace they look like something out oStarTrek, you know? So that comes more rom movies.And just creating antasy and reality. You can makepeople look however they want to look.

As these cultures are being tapped, theres a widerrange o people looking to get involved. Ive oten

worked on people that might be in a dierent scene.

Especially older people that might be proessionals, Iworked on someone in the London government whenI was over there a ew years back. But those people,doctors, lawyers, things like that, tend to just have thingsthat could be covered by a suit chest implants orscarifcation on their back or ront or the arm, nipples.

You can do all sorts o things with a nipple.

The word tribal itsel though is now largely viewed ina negative light, and Mitchell argues that the islander

EXTREME BODY WORKWITH TATTOOS THE MOST PROMINENT THEYVE EVER BEEN, PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO LEAD INTO THE MORE EXTREME MODIFICATIONS ASPIONEERED BY THE ARTIST LUNA COBRA. THATS NOT TO SAY THAT TRADITIONAL TATTOOS, FROM THE LIKES OF VETERANAL MITCHELL, ARENTGOING ANYWHERE. SCOTT FITZSIMONS WEIGHS UP GETTING HIS ARMS OR EYE DONE.

T A T T O O A N D B O D Y M O D I F I C A T I O N F E A T U R E

style proposes little meaning to those without thatheritage. I dont do tribal anymore, I fnd tribal reallytedious and boring. I fnd that most o the time downthe track people come in and ask how can I cover thisup ater theyve had it done All the subject matter ina Japanese tattoo has a meaning. Most o it comes romChinese mythology, because Chinas a bit older that

Japan. Theyre all gods and stu like that.

While one can argue that modifcations are a lot o

things, you couldnt call them boring. In explaining thetechnical details o a transcrotal piercing, Cobra exhibitshis proessionalism and knowledge. Because its goingront to back o the scrotum, to make that saer you haveto separate the layers and stitch them up properly. I youdidnt stitch it up it could be really prone to inectionand all sorts o other problems.

The really amazing thing however is the act thatcompared to the rest o his repertoire like the eyeballtattooing he pioneered things like scarifcation seemrelatively tame. Thats one o my nutty inventions,he says o the eye colouring. I started that a ew yearsago and its been going really well. Hes done about 40

worldwide, one o which is his student Joeltron whomade his name at Penriths Wicked Ink who had the

whites o his eyes turned a solid lime green.Thatsprobably the most non-reversible thing I do. There isabsolutely no way they will ever get rid o that I wantthem to be really, really sure.

The el-inuenced ear pointing, or those looking tolive their antasy dreams like never beore, is also prettypermanent. Its re-working the cartilage completely,and then reorming it almost like a jigsaw puzzle. You

have to interlock the cartilage otherwise it wouldnt holdits shape. As a result its a procedure you really only

want to happen once.

Despite the speed and intensity that these modifcationsare progressing, there is a point where Cobra woulddraw the line. Everyone has their moral line in thesand - I defnitely have that. Theres a lot o below thebelt work that I dont want to get involved with, its notmy scene. So that or i anyone wanted to cut somethingo their body or do anything that would harm them orinhibit them.

Luna Cobra is really the only one in the world teachingthese techniques though, and has recently set-up shopin Sydney with his store First Blood part retailer, partstudio. Its still the age o the tattoo at the momentthough, and it should be enjoyed as long as you deal

with the proessionals. Theres a lot o shops out thereand because theyre not very talented theyll just take thecustomers money and give them whatever they want,but its rubbish, says Mitchell.

With the popularity o tattoos at the moment its goodin a way, but its also very bad in a way. Its spawned alot o eBay tattooists. They buy a kit rom eBay or $50and start tattooing in the kitchen, not even knowing

what a blood-borne virus is. We do our utmost best tohave the most sterile shop in Illawarra, and not manypeople realise that. The average young bloke or womanthat comes in, theyve hardly even heard o hepatitis C,theyre giving it out every day in their kitchens and thehealth department does nothing about it, its really hardto police.

AL MITCHELL

JOELTRON

A CLOSER LOOKTraditionally seen to be a mark o people on theedge o society, nowadays tattoos are commonlyaccepted as a sign o individuality. But how ar canone go to be dierent? Heres looking at a eworms o body modifcation you should probably

wait hal an hour ater eating.

Body piercing. Ear piercing is the most commonorm o bod mod but why stop there when you canlet your imagination run wild? From nose to nippleto scrotum, even eyeball piercing, it seems no bodypart is sacred. Check Elaine Davidson out in yourree time; as o 2009 she holds the Guinness WorldRecord or the Most Pierced Woman. Shes gotsome competition on her hands these days.

Eyeball Tattooing. The thought would have beenenough to make one cringe, but cornea tattooinggoes back almost 2,000 years where it was usedboth as a cosmetic treatment and to improve sight.However its the tattooing o the sclera or the whitepart o the eye thats extreme, not to mention risky.I successul though it can increase the I just

woke up ater a big night out look tenold.

Ear Shaping: Feeling a bit elfsh? Now you cansatisy your lie-long desires with proessionalsable to do ear pointing by removing tissue at thetip o the ear and then joining the wound backup. Ear shape can also be changed through theremoval o cartilage. Theres also the possibilityo cartilage removal i youre sick o that bitaltogether.

Scarifcation . In the spirit o laughing in the aceo pain, scarifcation involves cutting or brandingthe skin to orm scars in the shape o designs.Diering rom sel-mutilation due to the reasonsbehind it religious, social and aesthetic it isimportant to fnd an experienced practitionereven more so than with a tattoo because o thetreatment and care needed.

SCARIFICATIONEAR SHAPINGIMPLANTS


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64 THE DRUM MEDIA 20 JULY 2010

DIABLO ART

TATTOOSCarl Carson and Spider

What do you guys do?

C: Just Tattoos.

What was the frst tattoo that you ever got?

C: Two black rings around my arm with injoy lifetragick as it is. Its something my mate said to me once

when our Saturday night had gone really pear shaped!

Have you ever inked any amous people?S: I have, I tattooed mysel a ew times.

Whos someone that youd love to work on?C: I he was still alive, Sailor Jerry, hes an icon or theindustry.S: Tattooist, Thomas Hooper or my Dad.

Is there anything that you wont do?

C: Cocks!S: I wont do tattoos on aces. You may all asleep and I

could get carried away and do too many stars!

Whats the best design youve seen?

C: Batman making out with Robin.

Are Miami InkandLA Inkwhat its really like?

C: Hell no. They give people a alse impression that weall live this mad rocknroll liestyle and do jack shit

work.S: I think these shows do help people understandtattooing a little more and think outside the box. Girlsarent just coming in or a tramp stamp, and dudes dontjust want to rock a Harley Hawk anymore.

Where do we go or more ino?

diabloart.com.au


KALEIDOSCOPE

TATTOO ART STUDIOMark Lonsdale, Stevie Edge and Luciano Lima


M: Tattoos.


M: My wies initials.L: A warrior by my brother, hes also an artist.

Have you ever inked any amous people?

L: Sara Murdoch, Marcia Hines, the guys rom Englishband Apollo 440, plus a ew others.S: Nobody that I care to mention!

Whos someone that youd love to work on?

M: Hulk Hogan.

NEW IMAGE SKIN

TATTOO REMOVALAre there more people looking to get tattoos

removed these days?

We see anywhere rom ten to 20 clients a week or tattooremoval, and we may get at least three to fve newclients a week wanting a consultation or starting o

with the treatment.

Is the process eective how is it done?

A medical laser device that produces a very quick pulse.Treatments are usually quick with a small 1x1 inchtattoo taking about two minutes to treat. The patientmay experience some pain but depending on the pain

threshold, anaesthetics can be administered.How long does it take?

Eight to 12 sessions usually clears tattoo ink that hasbeen done proessionally. However a six-week period isusually required between sessions.

Is colour or location in the tattoo a actor?

Some light shades o blue, yellow and green tend to beless eective in responding and require extra treatments.

Is there a certain style that you see oten?

All styles are seen, rom armbands and tribal bands tonames. But we do see more o the smaller tattoos that

were done as a quick artwork on the body.

Most embarrassing tattoo youve been asked toremove?

L: Someone that doesnt move too much.S: My next customer.

Is there anything that you wont do?M: No racist stu.S: Tribal on penis is something I would turn down.L: Genitals, aces.

Whats the best design youve seen?M: A unicorn with a hard-on.S: Any old traditional ash.

Are Miami InkandLA Inkwhat its really like?M: No!

L: No way, there is ar too much drama.

Where do we go or more ino?kaleidoscopetattoo.com.au

The words SEX and FUCK on someones leg notembarrassing but defnitely made me wonder.

Any tattoos on anyone amous youd like to getrid o?

Anyone amous would be nice.

OCEAN INKJason bell

What do you guys do?Both tattoos and p iercing.

What was the frst tattoo that you ever got?Flaming guitar and waves.

Have you ever inked any amous people?Yes, but I preer not to drop names as tattoos can be apersonal thing or the person.

Whos someone that youd love to work on?Someone who gives me artistic reedom is always nice.

Is there anything that you wont do?Every situation is dierent and should be discussed andevaluated between client and artist beore any decisionscan be made.

Whats the best design youve seen?Gee thats hard, there are so many.

Are Miami InkandLA Inkwhat its really like?No, you do not need to audition to get tattooed in ourstudio nor will you be flmed etc. Remember it is TV,everything is edited.

Where do we go or more ino?oceanink.com.au or myspace.com/ocean-ink


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TENTACLE THREADSHow important is sel-expression in this day andage?

Im all about sel-expression, especially when it comesto tattoos and body mods. Everyone is dierent andsometimes its hard stand out!

Whats the inspiration behind your designs?

My designs are inspired heavily by music, Tim Burtonand my ascination with the darker side o lie! Mydesigns should defnitely by viewed with a Charlestonrecord playing.

Can you work with tattoos and or piercings toemphasise them?

I have designed and made a ew garments or peoplewanting to ash their ink! In act Im currently workingon a wedding dress or this amazing girl with a gorgeous

Alice In Wonderlandsleeve!

Someone amous that has impeccable ashionsense?

Dita Von Teese. The paparazzi are yet to succeed incatching that ancy lady on a bad day! Her style isawless! I also loooove Lady Gaga, purely because she

wears her art!

Are things like music taste tied to clothing?

For some people ashion is ashion and most people willollow whatever is going. For others its defnitely music-related, and they are inspired by what they hear! WhenI hear Edith Pia, out comes the beret and neck scar,

when I hear Manson, bring on the goth boots!

Hot tip or the next big trend?

Steampunk is hitting Sydney pretty hard this year!

For more ino see:

tentaclethreads.com

TATTOO REVIVAL

MAGAZINERodney Stewart


Peter Blackman and I both run the company and do

everything We were mates at school and both o uscould draw so even t hen, we designed and sold our

work to some tattooists. Pete went on to become oneo Australias leading tattooists and I orged a career

as a photographer. We pooled our talents many years

later.


I got a skull with a snake running through it and Peter

got a swallow on the same night by renowned artist BevRobinson.

What draws you to tattoos?

It is so much a part o our teenage years; we both

love the old skool but appreciate the artistry o the

generation o tattooists emerging now.

Is there a lot o interest in the meanings behindthe ink?

For some ink lovers, a tattoo can be such a personalcommitment, sometimes in memory o a lost amilymember or riend. Sometimes the subject matter candetermine the meaning. Everyone realises that they aremaking a choice or lie so it had better be something theylove.

Whos someone youd love to have on the cover?

Jennier Hawkins, we will supply a ree tattoo! (I notmaybe Stephen Hawkins.)

Whats the best design youve seen?Too hard to say, we have seen too many and it is justgetting better every year.


tattoorevivalmagazine.com

NORTH SHORE INKWhat do you guys do?

Tattoos and piercing.


Scotts [Eastlake] frst tattoo was a kanji character and

he is planning to cover it up, like the rest o his body!

EASTSIDE INKWilson

What do you guys do?Tattoos and piercings.


Koi fsh.Have you ever inked any amous people?Depends what you call amous, some mild celebrities.


John Howards orehead.

Is there anything you wouldnt do?Suspicious male organs, or regions even close.

Whats the best design youve seen?Too tough to call.

Are Miami InkandLA Inkwhat its really like?To some extent.


eastsideink-bondi.com


A ew Australian celebrities, I can tell you they arereality stars and TV personalities, but they shall remainnameless!


Not really a particular person, rather people with greatskin. Theres a ew people I could tattoo all day, every day.


We rarely do ace tattoos other than that between thethree o us weve tattooed every part o the body.

Whats the best design youve seen?Id say portraits. And it wasnt o anyone amous, just aclients daughter. The detail in a portrait is incredible.

When you get a great portrait artist, they look likephotographs


Well its all based on your clientele so yeah its reallylike that. Cool people coming in to get you to design aspecial piece just or them.


northshoreink.com.au or call us (02) 9987 0999


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www.tattoorevivalmagazine.com

DesignDesign

3 NEW MAGAZINES AT

NEWSAGENTS NOW!


INDUSTRIAL

STRENGTH

Rob


Piercings, brandings and scarifcation, also doing laser

tattoo reduction.

What was the frst piercing that you ever got?

A nipple piercing.

Have you ever worked on any amous people?

Just C-grade celebrities, also some o their entourage.


Anyone that comes in with a good idea.


I wont do hands, or anything that the client wont get

value or money on.

Whats the best piercing youve seen?

Im really digging all the micro-demals.


I dont think every tattoo has a story behind it, but it has

really pushed the mainstream.


192 King St Newtown or otherwise our website is

industrialstrength.com.au

TATTOO INK TVAdele

What do you guys do?We are an online TV station dedicated to tattoos andbody art.

What was the frst tattoo that you ever got?One barb o a barb wire.

What draws you to tattoos?The art o it all, the signifcance.

Is there a lot o interest in the meanings behindthe ink?

Yes and no, it can go either way.

Whos someone youd love to have on an episodeo Tattoo Ink TV?

We would love to have Julia Gillard on to explain whyemales shouldnt have tattoos, then a tattoo gun waitingon the side to tattoo her!

Whats the best design youve seen?I think the best design is someone who proudly points attheir tattoos.

Are Miami InkandLA Inkwhat its really like?I think it has been antastic or the industry andhas opened up the tattoo industry and made it moreacceptable. And Ill leave it up to the tattoo artists tocomment on the technical side.

Where do we go or more ino?tattooink.tv

HOUSE OF PAINBen Hailin


Tattoos.


A stock standard kanji.


Yes, I tattooed Paul DiAnno, the original Iron Maiden

singer, and also Tex Perkins.

MEGSIEWho do you work or?Bondi Ink tattoo.

What style do you specialise in?I try not to limit mysel by specialising in just one style.I think its more o a challenge to be able to do anything

well. Having said that, I really enjoy doing anything thatis a more conceptual idea, rather than a planned-outpicture. Tattooing has come a long way rom the oldpick & stick standard I like when someone comes in

with an idea, then coming up with a tattoo to suit it.

Whered your love o tattooing come rom?My frst boss, on my frst day, telling me, This isnt justa job, its a way o lie, and drawing on my riends rom

primary school.

Ever misspelt anything?Not jurst yet.

Weirdest request?A black band around a mans penis. I did not do it.

Favourite/hated tattoo styles?I dont do tribal or island style tattoos as Im not roma tribe.

Whens a time you shouldnt be getting some ink?

The worst time to get a tattoo is any mind-alteredstate including love. Getting your new girlriendsname to declare your new and undying love or her isnot a good plan. Ever.

For more ino see:bondiinktattoo.com.au

Whos someone that youd love to work on?Other tattooists.

Is there anything that you wont do?I do not do hands or toes.

Whats the best design youve seen?Im impressed with top quality portrait work

Are Miami InkandLA Inkwhat its really like?No not all, a complete misconception, but in the longrun it has been a positive thing or the industry.


houseopaintattoos.com.au

TATTOO NATIONBrendo

What do you guys do?Tattoos and body piercing.

What was the frst tattoo you ever got?An octopus.

Have you ever inked any amous people?No, not at this stage.

Whos someone that youd love to work on?Anybody who is really passionate about their tattoos.

Is there anything that you wont do?I will not do the hands and the eet.

Whats the best design youve seen?

Bio-mechanical by Sash.Are Miami InkandLA Inkwhat its really like?Haha, no not all. I enjoyLondonInk, I think the timeactor is an issue, people walk in and walk out whenthey have actually been there or months.

Where do we go or more ino?tattoonation.com.au


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dm_tattoo feature 2010

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