Tattoo Energy December/January
There are two parallel tracks running side by side in tattoo: technique and creativity. If you run along one more than the other, you are in danger of coming off the rails. Because if technique becomes and end in itself, the tattoo is swallowed up by boring, pedantic mannerism. And if creativity takes over, the tattoo loses its connection with the body and its contours as well as the craftsmanship required to execute it properly…
(from the editorial by Miki Vialetto)
Jordan Croke: the force of your imagination
His tattoos have enormous impact for their powerful colour and the way the subjects seem to emerge from the skin. Stills from imaginary films directed by Jordan Croke, 36 year-old English tattoo artist, his imagination bringing to life the fantasies of his clients…
Damien Rodriguez: Japanese style seven days a week
We caught up with him in the midst of the creative chaos of the recent London Tattoo Convention, the New Yorker by adoption (but originally from Philadelphia) Damien Rodriguez – with the greatest modesty – told us all about his flair for exquisite body suits and full pieces in the Japanese style…
Galleries: Love, Koi Carp, Legs, Space and Time
Tattoo Portraits: Nikola Tesla
Who was Nikola Tesla? Good question. For his multitude of admirers the inventor was a sort of modern day saint ostracised by the conformists of his day. For his detractors however, he was a dangerous visionary who could have destroyed the world had his “death ray” ever seen the light of day. But perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle and Tesla deserves to be celebrated – in tattoo art too – for casting some light on the shadows of ignorance and prejudice…
Tattoo Symbology: Boxers
Nowadays, if we settle down on the sofa to watch the latest multi-million dollar bout with Floyd Mayweather, if we get all emotional thinking back to the unforgettable figure of Muhammed Alì, if we have the complete collection of the Rocky dvds or we enjoyed reading True, the outrageous biography of Mike Tyson, it just means we’re passionate about boxing. And maybe have a nice Traditional boxer tattoo somewhere on our skin. So let’s take a look at how it all began…
