Facial tattoos have never really been my thing.  Personally, I just don’t see the appeal.  But that’s okay, because not everything appeals to everyone.  If we all liked the same things, the world would be a pretty boring place indeed.  I don’t have any particular problems with other people getting facial tattoos – although I do have to be honest and say that I’ve yet to see a facial tattoo that impressed me on an artistic level.  The bottom line however, is that if you like the look of a facial tattoo and you feel it’s the right move for you, then more power to you.

The real problem with facial tattoos is that they aren’t that easy to hide and often your face is the first thing that people see when they see you.  In other words, if you get a kind of controversial tattoo on your face, you better be damned sure that you’re ready and set to deal with any and all consequences that may arise as a result of having such a tattoo.  This is exactly the type of lesson that Floridian Ismael Ambrosio just might have to learn the hard way.

Ambrosio, 27, was recently arrested on a hold for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  This marks the third time since 2010 that he was arrested, but this third time is apparently the charm for Ambrosio, who is now sporting a facial tattoo which reads “Fuck the Police”.  Why he chose this particular tattoo might have something to do with his apparent animosity toward the police, but perhaps this wasn’t the best choice of location for such a tattoo seeing as he’s now going to be seeing a whole lot more of the police than he would probably like.

I guess he’ll figure it out on his own…

Okay, maybe I was a little preemptive with that question.  A quick Google search has revealed to me that Tarrytown is located in New York state, in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County.  The population hovers just over eleven thousand and as of right now, there are no tattoo studios there.  In fact, tattoos have been against the law there as of 1993 in order to “curb instances of hepatitis transmission.”  1993 was a long time ago and things really have changed since then.  It might seem that Tarrytown’s laws on tattoo are a little backward, but let’s just keep in mind that tattoo was also illegal in a little town by the name of New York City until 1997.  When you take that into consideration, it’s easier to understand how such anti-tattoo feelings could spread within the state itself.

This is all set to change however, if tattooist Chuk Högnell gets his way.  Högnell is making a bid to open and run Tarrytown’s very first tattoo studio, The Mighty Horseman.  He’s been working in the tattoo industry for thirteen years now and he feels that the time is now right to bring tattoo to Tarrytown.

‘”It’s an art form like any other and there are a lot of art galleries on Main Street,” he said. “There is a lot of art and culture happening here now and I want to be part of that in this town.”‘

It looks as though Högnell is going to get his chance to try and convince the Tarrytown powers that be that tattooing is exactly what the town needs.  Starting tonight at 8pm, there will be a public town meeting to discuss the issue of allowing tattoo studios to open their doors in the town.

‘”Regulatory measures have proved ineffective in eliminating this health risk because of the inability to supervise tattooing establishments at all time,” states the Village Code. 

For this reason, the code was amended to make it “unlawful for any person to tattoo a human being within the Village of Tarrytown, except that tattooing may be performed for medical purposes…”

However, a lot has changed since 1993. Tattooing is much more widespread, and has less of a stigma. There are also more stringent health regulations, although none are on the books in Westchester County.’

I hope all goes well in Tarrytown tonight for Chuk Högnell and that in a short matter of time he’ll be opening the doors to Tarrytown’s first and only tattoo studio, The Might Horseman.  Best of luck, Chuk!

Though it may not always be such an obvious concept about tattooing, a great tattooist needs heaps of patience.  This can manifest itself in a variety of ways through a tattooist’s art, but sometimes it can simply be a part of just getting to the point where becoming a tattooist is an option.

For fifteen years, David Corden didn’t have anything to do with being a tattooist.  He worked exclusively as a ventilation engineer.  One day, Corden took one of his own designs to tattooist Jim Campbell at Ritual Art Tattoo in Gillingham, England.  Campbell did the tattoo for Corden, then promptly asked him to bring his portfolio in.  Corden complied, but days passed without hearing anything more from Campbell.  After four years, Campbell happened to be tattooing Corden’s cousin who mentioned Corden.  This reignited Jim Campbell’s interest in Corden’s work and he asked once again to see the man’s portfolio.  This time, Campbell got back to Corden, offering him an apprenticeship.  After fifteen years of engineering and at the age of 34, Corden plunged headlong into the magical world of tatttos.

Today David Corden has a permanent spot as a tattooist at Ritual Art Tattoo.  He does custom made realism work that has to be seen to be believed.  In addition to being a gifted artist, Corden also inputs a bit of his engineering knowledge into his work, perhaps strengthening his awareness of positioning and flow and making the overall presentation and fit of the tattoo just as vital as the artwork itself.  In short, Corden knows what he’s doing, values what he’s doing and as a result, does it extremely well.

Anyone who has been keeping up with the news throughout this week knows that things have been really bad in the United Kingdom.  Rioters have burned, trashed, smashed and looted their way throughout London, with more riots spreading to places like Birmingham and Manchester.  What started off as a peaceful protest against the police killing of a black taxi driver in London’s Tottenham district has ballooned into war zones in the streets, with the political and social concerns of the initial protesters being replaced by teenage thugs and chavs randomly smashing windows, looting and attacking people just for the hell of it.

Throughout all this chaos, many small business owners have suffered as a result of the looting and vandalism.  So I wasn’t too surprised when I saw that even tattoo artist Louis Molloy has been affected by the turmoil.  Some of you may know of Louis Molloy as he seems to be the go to guy for celebrity tattoos in England.  He’s tattooed David Beckham, several members of the Spice Girls and boxer Ricky Hatton, to name but a few.  Molloy was all set to open an exhibit of his tattoo work tomorrow at the Generation Pop gallery in Manchester, but the exhibit has now been postponed to September 22 because the windows of the gallery were kicked in during the riots.

‘It is ironic that an exhibition which would have embodied the new wave of enthusiasm and respect that tattoo art can command was victim to mindless criminality.

Anthony Marks, Generation Pop’s owner, said: “We have been preparing for this exhibition for months with it shaping up to be a big event for the gallery and Manchester. The gallery itself suffered only minor damage compared to some of the other destruction we have seen. It is the right thing to do to postpone until 22 September.”’

Bad luck for Molloy and all the people who worked hard to get the show off the ground, but it’s a terrible situation all around as far as the riots are concerned.  At least the exhibit will have a second chance to go on and Molloy will always be able to showcase his art, no problem.  However, I can’t help but wonder when the dust finally settles on all this, how many small business owners including tattooists will be left with massive bills to pay.

Sad.

Probably ever since tattoo was introduced to the modern world there have been claims and incidents of people’s health and safety being compromised by tattoo.  As we all know, the actual percentage of people who have become ill or suffered health related issues from unsanitary/unprofessional tattoos is small in comparison to the amount of people who don’t suffer any health issues at all.  With the rise of tattoos popularity, paranoia and fear of getting the tattoo that could kill you has been very much on the decline.

Now however, a new bacterial infection that is rare and hard to treat has turned up in recently tattooed people in Seattle.  This isn’t really the sort of news story that anyone wants breaking just days before Seattle’s 10th anniversary Tattoo Expo, but unfortunately, the story has officially hit the media.

‘A rare but difficult-to-treat bacterial infection that usually strikes people with impaired immune systems is showing up for the first time in healthy individuals getting tattoos, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.

Two cases of skin infections caused by this bacterium, called Mycobacterium haemophilum, have occurred in individuals receiving tattoos in the Seattle area, the CDC said.

These bacteria are in the same family as those that cause tuberculosis and leprosy. Symptoms of the infection include small bumps at the site of infection, in addition to redness, pain, swelling and discharge, the researchers said.’

Before anyone gets all up and arms about this, we should all be aware that this is very rare and it isn’t going to kill anyone.  The suspicion is that it’s coming from the water used to dilute the ink, water which came from a tap and wasn’t sterilised or distilled.  So yes, there is a risk so far in Seattle, but only a very, very, very small one and any tattooist who is using sterilised or distilled water instead of tap water should be just fine.  If you live in Seattle or plan on getting tattooed there this weekend, just ask your artist what sort of water he or she is using.  Beyond that, everything will be just fine.

Okay, so this is a pretty specific blog post today, but what can I say?  Sometimes things get specific, you know?  With the rise of tattoo’s popularity, there is never any shortage of newbie tattoo folks who set out to get that very first tattoo.  For a lot of us, that first tattoo came when we were younger than we are now, but for some of us, the first tattoo is something we’ve always wanted but never actually taken the steps toward getting.

Throughout the vast media exposure that tattoo has received, people of all ages have perhaps gotten that little boost of encouragement that they needed to set up the appointment and sit down for some body art.  Well, if you happen to be one of those types of people, then this opportunity just might be for you.  I’m not sure how many (if any) tattooed women aged 40 or older read this blog, but if you do and you’ve been recently tattooed and if you also live in the New York area, TODAY wants to interview you for an upcoming segment that they are doing on tattooed women aged 40 and up.

‘After you turned 40, did you get a new tattoo? If so, and you’re in the New York area, TODAY wants to interview you for an upcoming segment! Let us know below the background behind the tattoo — including any special symbolism or story associated with it — and send us the picture. A TODAY producer may contact you in the future.’

So like I said, this one is pretty specific, but I do hope these ladies are out there and I do hope that they read the Tattoo Blog.  Hell yeah!  Get out there and strut your tattooed stuff!

Back in the day when I was a Vancouverite (incidentally, I left before the most recent hockey riots which discraced that vastly overrated city and exposed its true colours), one of the advantages of life in Vancouver was living close enough to Seattle to head down for a weekend.  Located around three hours south of Vancouver, I have to say that Seattle is a great place that certainly has its own, original vibe.  Many cool things have gone down in Seattle over the years and if Seattle’s legacy of being a hip and fun place to be is any indication, then this coming weekend’s Seattle Tattoo Expo should justifiably be off-the-hook. 

Seattle has more than its share of tattooed people and first class tattoo studios, filled with top notch tattooists.  Even if there were no tattoo expo this weekend, Seattle is well worth the visit for anyone contemplating or craving a new tattoo.  Thankfully however, there is a tattoo expo this weekend in Seattle and this year the Seattle Tattoo Expo marks its 10th year of existence.  That’s quite an accomplishment and as a result, Seattle is getting set to throw a monster party for everyone in love with tattoo.

From August 12th-14th, the city of Seattle, Washington will be welcoming a whole slew of tattooists from places as far flung as Argentina to as homegrown as Seattle.  There will be over a 100 different booths set up, tons of seminars, contests, art galleries, bands, drinks, all at the Seattle Center.  In short, it’s going to be a party.  If you’re interested in attending, the Seattle Tattoo Expo website is the best place to find all the information you’ll need to set you up.  I wish I could attend, but unfortunately I’m now a long, long, long way away from Washington state.  To all of you who do attend, have fun!

One of the first things that you’ll see if you go to the Evil Twins Heavenly Tattoo Studio website and click on Johan Finné’s name is an apology for being so hard to get a hold of.  As it stands, Finné has a pretty booked up schedule (around 35 weeks) and wants to make sure that prospective clients know that he’s got a lot on his plate as of late.  This is hardly surprising given the quality of the man’s work.

From portrait work to realistic, to colour to black and grey, sleeves to back pieces, Finné is quietly putting it down and putting it down well.  It’s only natural that there would be a great demand to receive tattoo work that is so lifelike and visually stunning.  Finné’s tattoos seem to flow with the body of the person he inks them on and his belief in artistic freedom being a joint process through client and tattooist is the sheer mark of a talented and aware tattooist.

If the 35 week waiting list isn’t all that daunting to you (which it shouldn’t be if you’re really in the market for a great tattooist), then the only other barrier could be the geographical location.  Finné works out of Helsingborg, Sweden, making him kind of inaccessible to a lot of us.  But even if Finné is too far out of your geographical boundaries, look on the bright side: now you have a solid reason to travel to Sweden other than just for tourism.  Personally, Finné has made my list of tattooists that I want to be tattooed by.  All I need now is the plane ticket and the cash.  One day, my friend, one day.

Say what you will, but when it comes to tattoo regulation, you’ve got to hand it to the British.  There’s a strictness to their form of regulation that might be too much for some, but for others like myself, it’s an insurance policy against bad news tattooists and scratchers.  As a matter of fact, the British system is so no-nonsense that government officials in Darlington, England have fined 23-year-old Joseph Vasarhelyi for illegally practicing tattooing.  That’s right, he was fined for simply practicing tattooing without a license and he wasn’t even practicing on human beings.

Vasarhelyi was practicing tattooing on pig skin with equipment that he had purchased over the internet.  A concerned member of the public who knew what Vasarhelyi was up to contacted the Darlington Borough Council’s Environmental Health Team and reported the issue.  Vasarhelyi was known to also tattoo at people’s homes, also without any sort of registration whatsoever.  As a result,  Vasarhelyi plead guilty to his charges and was fined £35 ($56) and was ordered to pay £200 ($325) in costs.

‘Darlington Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that Vasarhelyi:

* Was not registered with Darlington, or any other council.

* He had bought his equipment from internet suppliers.

* He was untrained and had taught himself practicing on pigskin.

* His knowledge of sterilisation procedures were rudimentary and not sufficient to operate the business safely.’

This to me is exactly the sort of thing that proper regulation helps to prevent.  That’s one less scratcher out there giving tattoo a bad name by potentially harming people.

Now and then on the Tattoo Blog, I’ve posted about various types of prison related tattoos.  From South Africa to Russia to the United States, prison tattoos are about as hardcore as you can get – and by hardcore I mean that there is plenty of risk involved in getting one.  For starters, there’s the simple fact that sanitary conditions aren’t exactly the first things that pop into mind when the discussion of prison arises.  Prison tattooing is basically scratching under the worst possible conditions.  Next, there’s the fact that prison systems around the world generally do not approve of tattooing and being caught either tattooing or getting tattooed can result in some serious consequences.  Yet despite these sorts of setbacks, prison tattooing continues to boom and prisoners continue to declare their allegiance to gangs, families and homies through contraband ink.

Although I have written about the tattooed in prisons, I haven’t really touched on the subject of the prison tattooist – that is, the man who really takes the majority of risk and builds his own tattoo machine from a variety of items that could be found around most households.  Victor “Versus” Sandifer is that person.  Only recently released on parole, Sandifer has spent the past 21 years of his life in prison after prison and has done (by his own estimate), over two or three thousand tattoos.

‘If you don’t have money or family helping you out, you have to find some kind of hustle. Some legal. Some not so legal. You have to make the decision: How much trouble can I afford to get into? I got into tattooing in 1983 through a Mexican guy at Darrington who was short (near release) and fixing to go home. He taught me the trade.’

Though learning to tattoo in the way that Sandifer and others like him have is really not recommendable, Sandifer has been tattooing for a very long time.  Yes, this is essentially scratching, but it is arguable that in the prison system, being a tattooist can keep an inmate out of the sort of trouble that could easily end up having even worse consequences than simply being caught tattooing.  Furthermore, if Sandifer wanted to pursue this career path legally and responsibly now that he’s out of prison, he could perhaps land a real job tattooing and take what was once scratching to the level of professional tattooist.  I wish him luck on life outside of the prison walls.