Total Tattoo December 2012

4.20

TTM098

December 2012

Restoring the past

Sailor Jerry Flash

Artist Feature

OwenWilliams

A conversation with

Liz CookArtist Interview

Sam RickettsHong Kongs finestTATTOO TEMPLE

Restoring the past

Sailor Jerry Flash

Tattoo Shows

The London Tattoo Convention

Norwich Body Art Festival

HazelNicholls

in our Mugshot hot seat

20 pages of tattoos inGallery

PlusWINTickets

to

The Jurassic

Coast Show

Available for

iPad iPhone Android Apple Mac & PC

Available to download

NOW3,6 & 12 month subscriptionsavailable

also available from

www.totaltattoo.co.uk

4 Total Tattoo Magazine

REGULARS07 editorial

08 newsflash

12 convention calendar

28 subscribe

49 gallery plus

83 total tattoo merch

84 private view

97 next months issue

98 mugshot

INTERVIEWS14 liz cook

40 owen williams

76 tattoo temple

90 sam ricketts

FEATURES22 sailor jerry flash

26 cover model profile

CONVENTIONS30 london tattoo convention

70 norwich body art festival

22

84

30

40

14

90

ON THE COVERModel: Emma SweetsTattoos: Various artistsPhoto: Tina Korhonen

Total Tattoo Magazine 5

Editor-in-Chief Sally [email protected]

Editor James [email protected]

Art Director Perry [email protected]

Advertising Manager Jill [email protected]

Sub Editor Suzy Lowey-Prince

To find your nearest stockist call

01778 391150or e-mail your postcode to

[email protected]

Contributors

Nic Gaunt Andy Heather Tina Korhonen Matt LodderTravellin Mick Graeme Park Doralba Picerno Ester Segarra

All correspondence should be sent to

Total Tattoo Magazine PO Box 10038

Sudbury, Suffolk, C010 7WL, UK

DiSCLAiMEr

Adverts and articles appearing in Total Tattoo magazine carry no implied recommendation

from the magazine or from KMT Publishing Ltd. We reserve the right to refuse an

advertisement or article which we consider unsuitable.

All details are correct at time of going to press.

Whilst we make every effort to ensure all advertisements, articles and credits are correct,

Total Tattoo magazine and KMT Publishing Ltd will not be held responsible for errors or

omissions.

Material appearing in Total Tattoo may not be reproduced for any purpose

without the written permission of KMT Publishing Ltd.

All letters sent to Total Tattoo magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication

and copyright purposes and as such are subject to editing and editorial comment.

Total Tattoo magazine No. 98 December 2012

Published monthly by KMT Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Printed in England on re-cycled paper by Buxton Press

Distributed by Warners Group Publications Plc

SUBMITTING PHOTOSWe love to see the tattoos you do and the tattoos you

wear. The images must be high resolution (at least 300 dpi)and sized at least 100mm by 150mm. You can send your

photos on a disc to

Gallery, Total Tattoo, PO Box 10038,Sudbury, Suffolk, C010 7WL, UK

The disc must be labelled with the artist & studio name.Or you can email your photos to

[email protected] forget to include the artist & studio name in the email.

Please dont send photos to any of our other emailaddresses. Bear in mind that we receive hundreds of photoseach week and not all them will make it into the magazine.

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The media are obsessed with it (on our

behalf), manufacturers spend millions

on marketing and PR so we believe

we are getting it and, of course, we all

desperately want it. What is it, this thing that

has swept its way across consumer society?

Three little words: Value For Money. We are

living in belt-tightening times and everybody

wants to feel they are getting the most for

their money; nobody wants to feel as if

theyre being ripped off. And that is the key:

not the price, not the level of customer

service, the extended warranty or the free

delivery, but the feeling.

Why is that so vital? Why is it so powerful?

Why can we forgive any number of

commercial sins if the transaction feels right?

Simple really: some products seem to make us

feel good, make us feel complete, if only for a

moment. Companies that manufacture these

aspirational items seem to have us over a

barrel; we believe that their latest must-have

product really says something about us. You

cant sit down for five minutes in a coffee

shop these days without someone from the

iFamily (of which Im a fully paid up member!)

waving their chosen product around for all

the world to see. When was the last time you

saw a PC user get so enthusiastic about their

laptop or Smartphone? They just dont. Their

device does exactly the same job but it

doesnt make any particular statement about

them, or at least we dont perceive that it

does.

How do tattoos fit into either of these two

consumer concepts? We are all familiar with

the old saying A good tattoo is never cheap

and a cheap tattoo is never good and I

would wholeheartedly agree with that. But

how does the concept of value for money fit

into that? Heaven forbid you make the

mistake of thinking that good value equals

cheap or, conversely, that expensive

automatically means good. Is a 150 an hour

tattoo done in London better than a 65 an

hour one done in Glasgow? Not necessarily, it

may just be a geographical and economic

thing. What about the aspirational side of

things? Tattoos definitely tick that box.

A certain style can be your ticket into a club

of your desire, perhaps a certain placement or

size and definitely a certain artist but unlike

your iPad, which can be upgraded in time, your

tattoo is... well, your tattoo.

So perhaps the key word in all of this is value.

What is the value of a tattoo? It certainly cant

be measured in terms of how much it cost so

what else might it be? I constantly hear

collectors talking about the when, where and

who, so that would definitely seem to play a

part for many people, but maybe not for

everyone. We received a fantastic letter at

Total Tattoo Towers recently telling us a very

personal story which had inspired the start of

one readers tattoo collection. Getting

tattooed for such emotional reasons clearly

gives the finished pieces an enormous value.

The entire tattoo process, from the

conception of the idea to getting it done, from

viewing the finished tattoo and then living with

it, is a very emotional thing. The feelings come

thick and fast at first, but then mellow a little

with the passing of time. As long as those

emotions are positive then what a reward!

What a powerful thing a tattoo can be.

I began this editorial with talk of products. Is a

tattoo a product? Yes, in many ways it is but

to think of it in mere commercial terms does

it a disservice. A tattoo is a product unlike any

other: it can change and grow with the wearer,

it is unique and it can make its owner feel

special in a way that no electronic device ever

can. The value of a tattoo? Priceless!

Until next month

James

[email protected]

www.totaltattoo.co.uk

www.facebook.com/totaltattoomagazine

Eugene Ionesco

A work of art is

above all an

adventure of the

mind


FILM REVIEWTattoo NationDirector: Eric Schwartz

On release: Early 2013

Website: www.tattoonation.com

Total Tattoo rating

From alleyways to galleries; from Skid

Row to Main Street this is how Tattoo Nation describes the change in perception of tattoos in

recent years. The film recounts two histories which intersect on the same road in Los Angeles.

Together they tell the story of the development and evolution of what was to become fine line

tattooing into what we now know as black and grey. It explains the importance of tattooing to

the Mexican-American community in East LA and its progression from small crosses on the gang

members of the 1950s and 60s, through to the rise of prison tattoos in the 1970s, and further on

into the popular religious iconic designs of today.

Tattoo Nation goes on to chart the

growing popularity of black and grey

tattooing around the world. The film is

informative and interesting but, more

importantly, the story is told by many of

the artists who were involved with the

development of black and grey tattooing,

such as Jack Rudy, Freddy Negrete,

Charlie Cartwright and Bob Roberts,

and that makes it in many ways a definitive record. Towards the end of the film we hear one artist

comment that people in Europe dont know the background and meaning of the black and grey

tattoos that so many now choose to wear. That may well be true, but if you go see this film it will

no longer be the case.

Eral Tattoofan

REMEMBER, REMEMBERTO GROW ONE FORMOVEMBER

Moustache Fans: Twit Twoo Tattoo in Edinburgh

are raising money for charity as part of

Movember the movement to grow a

moustache for charity during November.

Tattooers Alan, Gary and Ste will be doing

some Mo Flash on Friday November 30th at

the studio. All proceeds will go straight to the

charities supported by Movember. They would

really appreciate it if you would join them so

they can raise a huge total in aid of mens

prostate cancer research.

For those in the area who would like to be

tattooed on the day, keep an eye on the

studios Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/TwitTwooTattoo

for details of the designs, prices and how to

book. Also take a moment to look at the

Movember website at www.movember.com

for more information on the project and have

a look Twit Twoos Movember page on

www.movember.com

BOOK REVIEWMemoirThe Tattoo PortraitSeriesBy Shawn Barber

Published by: Last Gasp, 2012

Distributed by: Turnaround

Price: 28.99

Total Tattoo rating

Ive been sitting in front of my computertrying to write the review for this bookfor what feels like an age now. Theproblem is that Im really just in total aweof it. What Shawn Barber has achieved inthis body of work is staggering. I think hehas somehow captured within his paintingssomething that will be valued for manyyears. His work goes far beyond thesimple representation of photography orthe school of realism within painting thatpeople seem to be getting so excitedabout these days. It delves into a verypersonal interpretation, which is of courseunique to the artist. For me, this is farmore challenging and rewarding.

Barbers command of light brings hispaintings to life whether they are looseand free, as if the artist could dive back inat any moment, or a hypnotic stand-aloneportrait. that brings the subject to life inan extraordinary way.

Memoir is the third book in a series and itis plain to see that this project hasbecome an obsession for Barber and forthat, I am thankful. These images are afantastic addition to the richness of tattooculture that surrounds us.James


Tattoo news and reviews for your delectation and delight. If it goes on in the tattoo world, it goes in here. Send us your news items, books or products for review and items of general curiosity and intrigue for the tattoo cognoscenti.News Flash, Total Tattoo Magazine, PO Box 10038, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 7WL.

Review Rating:s must have should have could have might have dont have

WIN TICKETS FOR THE JURASSIC COAST TATTOO CONVENTION

5 pairs up for grabs!Sunday 16th December sees the first Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention take place. The event will be held in the Lighthouse, an

arts centre in Poole, Dorset. The good folk of Urban Image Tattoo who are putting on this pre-Christmas extravaganza have

kindly offered us five pairs of tickets for Total Tattoo readers to win. So if you fancy heading to the last inky hurrah of 2012 just

answer this simple question.

What is the name of Steven Spielbergs monster blockbuster film? Was it...

a) Jurassic Playground b) Jurassic Park c) Jurassic Pet Shop

To enter please email [email protected] with the subject line Jurassic. The closing date is December 5th. One entry per

person please. The first five correct entries chosen at random after the closing date will each win a pair of tickets for the show.

Winners will be responsible for their own transport and any accommodation required. Good luck! For more information about

the event go to www.jurassiccoasttattooconvention.co.uk

FACEBOOK FEEDBACKThe Metropolitan Police recently issued a ban on serving officers getting new visible tattoos (on hands, necks,faces and even forearms), stating All visible tattoos damage the professional image of the Metropolitan PoliceService. Any existing tattoos also had to be reported to the officers line manager. Unsurprisingly this newshad our Facebook page lit up like a Christmas tree! Here is what some of you had to say:

Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/totaltattoomagazine for lively discussions, all the latest news plus lots of specialoffers and exclusive discounts for our online shop!

Phil Cheng: Always thought that thepolice force was about anti-discrimination.So if a cop chooses to get tattooedinstead of going for a bender, hesconsidered a bad cop?

Kevin Jackson: This is just ignorant.Will they ban officers from dying their hairor wearing make-up as well? I doubt it.Tattoos shouldnt be banned unless theyare racist or against a particular religion.Lots of professional people have tattoosand visible ones at that.

Deb Stubbs: They should be lessconcerned with any perceived damage totheir professional image and moreconcerned with how well their officers dotheir job.

Lisa Booth: I wouldnt give a damn if atattooed officer turned up in my time ofneed. Tattoos dont stop people in anyprofession from doing their job or doing itwell. Tattoos are now considered to be artand the myth that tattooed people are allcriminals is now defunct. The police shouldget with the times and protect freedom ofchoice for all.

Ant Ross: I have tattooed a few policeofficers. Tattoos can be an icebreaker withthe public. There are some bloody greatcoppers out there! I think its time forsome companies and organisations to gettheir heads out of the clouds andappreciate their staff for what they arereally worth.

Dave Groves: Would anyone complainabout a doctor having a tattoo if theysaved their life? No! Would anyonecomplain about a firefighter having atattoo when they pulled them out of aburning building? No! Would anyonecomplain about a police officer having atattoo when they have helped them after acrime? No! Yet again the Met Police showthemselves to be out of touch withpeoples concerns.

Laura Taylor: I would be more inclinedto trust an officer with tattoos.

Andy Dixon: Its fair enough, I say. I am70% covered but have never hadhands/neck/face tattoos. I love my tattoosbut, when circumstances dictate, I coverthem up.

Laura M: I ama tattooed copand I worked inLondon during theOlympics. The reactionfrom the public was brilliant. Theyd neverseen an officer with so many tattoos.Nobody ran away screaming or anything!

Fiona Ince: How sad it is that there isstill this amount of prejudice andstereotyping in the world. I am a tutor andheavily tattooed. Tattoos dont determinehow intelligent you are or how well youcan do your job. Why do we always seethe wrapping and not the person inside?

Pete Weale: Tattoos changeappearance, not character. I would say thepolice lost their professional image years ago.

Barry Calder: This is not a new policy.The bosses in the Met are enforcingregulations that have been in place foryears. Tattoos on faces, hands and neckshave always been banned and the policystates that all tattoos must be covered. Iwork for the Met. I wear long-sleevedshirts and my ink is covered with those.Its a massive fuss over nothing.


LInKySAnother great selection of web links connecting you to some

fascinating and cool snippets of tattoo news and trivia. If

Links are your thing and you know a good one that our

readers would like to see, then send it to us at

[email protected] putting Linkys as the subject line.

A chat with Alex Binnie and Duncan X

https://vimeo.com/49676780

Cool short film about new york Adorned

http://vimeo.com/22126430

A little video about Danish tattoo history

http://vimeo.com/22262374

The Tattoo Age TV series hits the UK and shines

the spotlight on Valerie Vargas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH1ZbJwuvr8

Time-lapse tattoo film with Tommy LeeWendtner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZbRqNqk3FI

SHOP TALKOpened a new studio? Got a guest artist? Do you have a jobvacancy? This is the place to spread the word! [email protected] putting Shop Talk as the subject.Please note we do not print Jobs wanted adverts. Itemsmay be edited for clarity and length.

Monki Do is proud to announce the opening of their second studio,Monki 2. Located in the courtyard opposite the market place in Belper,Derbyshire, Monki 2 runs on a no appointment basis. Its first come, firstserved. Our new artist Jen Akinyemi works there full time. Website:www.monkido.com and www.facebook.com/monki-do-tattoo-studio

Painted Lady Tattoo Parlour in Birmingham is pleased to announcethat Cathy Sue of Dexterity Ink will be guesting there on 10th, 11th and12th November. Please contact her directly for bookings viawww.facebook.com/cathy.sue1 or call 07545 915526.

Flaming Gun Tattoo Studio in Colchester is pleased to welcometwo new artists. Jay J specialises in colour work, old school traditional andnew school lowbrow art. He also does hand poked tattoos. Doug Fawkesapprenticed with Mandie Barber and is inspired by artists such as Xed LeHead & Alex Binnie. For more information call Flaming Gun on 01206 575705 or visit www.flamingguntattoo.com

Tattoo artist Steve Wade is pleased to announce the opening of his newshop All Seeing Eye Tattoo Lounge based at Unit 1a, Mitre Court,Cutler Heights Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 9JY. For colour,custom, traditional and realism tattoo work. You can book appointmentswith Steve by calling 01274 684202 or 07738 411635or [email protected] For more info visit www.all-seeing-eye.co.uk

After a successful guest spot, Gemma Osborn of Sub Rosa Tattoo, will bejoining us at Phat Robot Tattoo Company in Norwich on apermanent basis. If you would like to get tattooed by this amazing artistcontact Gemma via www.facebook.com/SubRosaTattooParlour or www.facebook.com/phatrobot or call the studio on 01603 400707.

Tattooist wanted: Immortal Ink is looking for a tattooist to join ourfriendly team in Essex. This is a great opportunity for someone who wantsto work in an artistic environment. The successful candidate will beproficient in all aspects of tattooing and have a true passion for the job. Aportfolio of tattoos and artwork will be required. If you are interestedplease contact Jason Butcher at [email protected] or call thestudio on 01245 493444.

Tattooist wanted: Inwood Ink Tattoo Studio is looking for a full timeartist to work in our up-and-coming studio in Harlow, Essex. Must have atleast three years experience. If interested please email us your portfolioto [email protected] or call Thaira on 07872 496538 or find us onFacebook www.facebook.com/InwoodInkTattooStudio

Tattoo artist wanted: for Mother of all Sins, a custom studio inSutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Studio experience and strong tattoo and artportfolio essential. Own clientele preferred. Usual no drink, drug, egoproblems or personal dramas please! Position is full time and permanent.Please call Becca for information on 07533 052079 or [email protected]

Tattooist wanted: INK, all female custom tattoo and body piercingstudio in the picturesque city of Exeter, Devon is looking for a full timetattooist who specialises in greyshade and portraits. Please send portfolioand CV to [email protected]

Tattooist wanted: for Monki 2, a walk-in studio in Belper, Derbyshire.Full time position, starts January 2013. Must have minimum 5 yearsexperience. Please send CV and portfolio to [email protected] or ring01773 821666 for more information.

please mention total tattoo when replying to adverts please mention total tattoo when replying to adverts


UK CONVENTIONSNovember 17 18

East Coast Tattoo ExpoHighfields Holiday Park, Clacton, Essexwww.eastcoastexpo.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

November 23 26

Tattoo CampCANCELLEDPontins Holiday Camp, Prestatyn,North Waleswww.tattooweekender.com

December 16

Jurassic Coast TattooConventionLighthouse, Poole, Dorsetwww.jurassiccoasttattooconvention.co.uk

February 2 3 2013

Scottish Body Art ShowThe Ice Factory, Perth, ScotlandTel: 07901 970611Email: [email protected]

February 16 17 2013

Brighton Tattoo ConventionThe Hilton Metropole Hotel, Brighton,East Sussexwww.brightontattoo.com

March 2 3 2013

Tattoo Tea PartyEvent City, Manchesterwww.tattooteaparty.com

March 24 2013

Peterlee Tattoo ArtsFestivalPeterlee Leisure Centre, Peterlee,County Durham, SR8 1AFwww.facebook/eddiehardimanEmail: [email protected]: Trudy at Eddies Tattoo Studio, 0191 587 1787

March 30 31 2013

The Scottish TattooConventionCorn Exchange, Edinburgh, EH14 1RJwww.scottishtattooconvention.com

April 7 2013

Ink & Iron TattooConventionThe Tower, Reservoir Road, Edgbaston,Birmingham, B16 9EEwww.inkandiron.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

April 13 14 2013

Tattoo ExtravaganzaThe Pyramids Centre, The Seafront,

Southsea, Hampshire

www.tattooextravaganza.co.uk

May 3 5 2013

Liverpool TattooConventionAdelphi Hotel, Livepool

www.tattooconvention.co.uk

June 1 2 2013

Milton Keynes TattooConventionMilton Keynes

www.mktattooconvention.com

Email: [email protected]

June 1 2 2013

Northampton InternationalTattoo ConventionThe Saints Rugby Ground, Weedon Road,

Northampton

Email: [email protected]

Tel: Nigel or Sue 01604 949958

www.northamptoninternationaltattooconve

ntion.com

June 9 2013

Reading Tattoo ShowRivermead Leisure Centre, Reading,

Berkshire

www.readingtattooshow.co.uk

July 13 14 2013

Custom CarnageStoneleigh Park, Warwickshire

www.customcarnageuk.com

July 20 21 2013

Cardiff Tattoo & ToyConventionMercure Cardiff Holland House

Hotel & Spa, 24 26 Newport Rd, Cardiff,

CF24 0DD

Website coming shortly

September 27 29 2013

London Tattoo ConventionTobacco Dock, Porters Walk, London,

E1W 2SF

www.thelondontattooconvention.com

OVERSEASCONVENTIONSNovember 2 4

Florence Tattoo ConventionFlorence, Italy

www.florencetattooconvention.com

November 2 4Old School Tattoo ExpoSt Louis, Missouri, USAwww.oldschooltattooexpo.com

November 10Kosice Tattoo ShowHotel Centrum, Kosice, Slovakiawww.tattookasice.sk

November 23 25Brussels Tattoo Convention Tours & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium www.brusselstattooconvention.be

November 24 25New Zealand Tattoo & ArtFestivalNew Plymouth, New Zealandwww.nztattooart.com

December 7 9Berlin Tattoo ConventionArena Berlin, Eichen Strasse 4, 12435 Berlin,Germanywww.tattoo-convention.de

January 11 13 2013Surf n Ink Tattoo FestivalThe Radisson Resort Gold Coast, 1/2098Gold Coast Highway, Miami, Queensland4220, Australiawww.tattoosurfnink.com

March 22 24 2013Mondial du TatouageLe 104, 5 Rue Curial, 75019 Paris, Francewww.mondialdutatouage.com

April 17 21 2013Annual NTA ConventionRapid City, South Dakota, USAwww.nationaltattooassociation.com

April 26 28 2013Nepal Tattoo ConventionHotel Yak and Yeti, Durbar Marg,Kathmandu, Nepalwww.nepaltattooconvention.com

June 21 23 2013Transilvania Tattoo ExpoSibiu, Romaniawww.tattooexpo.ro

Tattoo convention listings on this page are free.

Send your details to Convention Calendar, Total

Tattoo Magazine, PO Box 10038, Sudbury,

Suffolk, CO10 7WL, UK

or e-mail [email protected]

All details correct at time of going to press.

E&OE.

To find out about our special offers for display

adverts, email [email protected]


Liz Cooks life story reads like the plot from a

Hollywood blockbuster: a girl from South Louisiana

finishes college and needs to earn some money, so she

starts to learn about being a permanent make-up artist.

Enter a handsome Australian, cue a whirlwind romance, and

off they fly to the other side of the world, where she

accidentally gets a tattoo apprenticeship and discovers a

true passion for it. They return to America and this is where

we have the hard times part of the plot... but then (cue

inspiring music) through sheer graft and pure talent it all

comes good. The End. Or should I say The Beginning.

Liz Cook has spent much of the last four years on the road and a good deal of that time she

has been outside her comfort zone. With the help and support of her husband Cooky shes

been propelled into the limelight as one of realisms up and coming talents. Her story was

certainly not what I expected, but then tattooists life stories seldom are. Cooky is from

Australia. He was on vacation when we met, which just happened to be three weeks after I

had graduated. My schedule was really open so the natural thing to do was go to Australia

with him. He was getting his sleeves done by Johnny Head and I would go in with him when

he was getting tattooed. I was completely fascinated and thought Maybe I could do that! At

this point, Id only really done permanent make-up and I didnt want anyone to know that

because I felt there was kind of a stigma attached to it. One day somebody happened to ask a

question about it in the shop and I just found myself answering without really thinking... so

they found out. But then when they were looking for another tattoo artist they asked me if I

was interested and I was like Wow, wow, wow!

Id never used a coil machine before but I began just by doing the stuff I knew I could do and

I learned as I went along. My art background really helped but for the first two months I

went home and cried nearly every day. After that it really began to click though and I started

to get the feel of it. It was scary in the beginning, but every week something got better, and

then it started to move faster and faster. Johnny was the biggest help. He is completely

brutally honest. You know, he really put his neck on the line giving me that apprenticeship. I

remember one time saying to him, I just want to make more money doing this and he flat

out said, Then do better tattoos. You couldnt put it more succinctly. That was his style. By

the time we left Australia I was considerably better, making a decent living at it, and kind of

enjoying it.

Liz was working in a very different way then to how she works today. I was mimicking

Johnnys style in the beginning and it was just such a battle to do that because it was not me

at all. My paintings were all realistic, but I wasnt tattooing in that style. I wanted to, but I

didnt have enough understanding of it. Johnny was the kind of guy who needed just eight

bottles of ink and two machines to go to town. I wanted 144 bottles of ink! It was good to

learn from somebody elses style I knew I would always have that to fall back on but I

Interview by James Sandercock

Photos by Liz Cook


wanted to experiment with other stuff, my

own stuff. I knew I could do it on paper. I just

had to figure out how to do it on skin. Johnny

happened to have one of Mike Devries books

and I also looked at one of Guy Aitchisons

and they just blew me away. Until then all I had

seen was flash off the wall.

When Liz and Cooky came back to the US

they settled in Dallas, Texas. Things werent

quite what they expected however. I thought

Id be able to get work anywhere, but it was

definitely not like that. It was back to square

one. I ended up working fifteen hour days

doing $500 tattoo tap outs. Id keep on going

until the customer couldnt take it anymore or

the tattoo was finished. That made a big

difference to my work and I learnt a lot, but I

began to feel like Id done everything I could.

But then we went to a convention and it was

a real eye opener. I realised I wasnt really

where I wanted to be and I knew I had to

travel and study some more.

So Liz hit the road to meet other artists and

learn all she could. I just try to find

inspiration in every different style that people

are doing. There are artists out there who

have just blown me away, but they are not

interested in being in the spotlight so you will

never see them. Like most great tattoo

artists, Liz is extremely self-critical. If I can

just take my head out of my arse and examine

things objectively, I can see what Im really

doing. And Cooky has a really awesome eye.

He is my second brain. In the early days I think

I would have continued doing a lot of stupid

stuff if it hadnt been for him.


Realism is the rockstar of the American tattoo scene and competition is hot. Liz has her

own take on this. We all know that this is an industry that traditionally has a lot of guys

working within it, but that means as a woman you can stand out pretty easily. It can work

for you; it makes you a little bit special without you having to do anything [other than

fantastic tattoos, of course Ed]. In fact Ive probably come up against more resistance

from other women tattooists, but I just dismiss it. I just want to be able to gain peoples

respect. Regardless of whether they are into realism or not, I want them to be able look

at my work and say Liz did that really well. And realism itself is always going to be

criticised. There are those who say you are just copying something that realisms cool

from a technical standpoint, and thats all. But with a true understanding of art you can

take it beyond that. I am beginning to bring some line work back in, but I will always enjoy

doing the totally realistic stuff.


Now off the road, Liz has finally found a home in her new studio, Rebel Muse, which she

and Cooky opened in Dallas earlier this year. It feels like a big accomplishment to be a

business owner and I feel very happy. When we decided to open the studio we thought it

was just going to be the two of us no other artists but people just keep asking if they

can guest. Its amazing to me that there are artists out there who want to come and

work here and feel they can learn from me. It means I can keep learning too.

Lizs love for tattooing is plain to see. She bubbles with enthusiasm and thats not

something you can fake. If I get a good nights sleep, I am always pretty excited about

getting started on the days project whether its a new piece of art, or a tattoo on

someone that they are going to love. That wow factor when someone is looking at their

finished tattoo for the first time thats the real motivation. The look on their face I

really get into that. Working on anything creative... I love it!


Life outside of tattooing is also important for Liz. She and Cooky know the importance of

finding that elusive balance. If you get bogged down in work, work, work all the time, you can

miss so much. We go rock-climbing and four-wheeling at my friends ranch, go out on the jet

skis, play with all the toys! We go on what we call mini adventures, or maybe just hang out

with the folks and have dinner or see a movie. We try to make a big deal of simple things. I

think thats important.

Now is without doubt Lizs time. She has created some serious momentum for herself and

the combination of hard work, talent and drive have given her a profile to envy. My dad was

saying to me recently Just ride the wave. Im definitely going to go with it and just enjoy life!

www.lizcooktattoo.com


Between 19th April and 30th June 2012, a converted upstairs

space in Londons Soho played host to a pop-up shop and

bar for Sailor Jerry rum, under the name of Hotel Street,

recalling the location of Norman Sailor Jerry Collins legendary

tattoo studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during the 1930s. Most

interestingly, the space also boasted a gallery brimming with a

remarkable collection of Collins original artwork in the form of

flash sheets, tracings, stencils, acetate cuttings and rubbings, all

meticulously conserved to museum-grade standards and displayed

as proudly as if they were hanging in an art gallery. The collection

was curated by tattooist and owner of the Amsterdam Tattoo

Museum, Henk Schiffmacher (aka Hanky Panky).

By Matt LodderImages William Grant & Sons, courtesy of Conservation Centre for Art & Historic Artefacts, Philadelphia

As anyone familiar with Collins work and

legacy can testify, these surviving artefacts

are an incredible document of the mans

talent and lasting influence on Western

tattooing. Standing in front of one of his

original drawings, close enough to be able to

discern a thumbprint in the charcoal that he

used to produce his perfectly balanced,

poised, iconic tattoo designs, produced a

shivering thrill. Seeing the evolution of his

work from sketch through flash to stencil

still sooty with graphite was a rare treat

for anyone interested in the artistry and the

mechanics of a working tattooist in the first

half of the 20th century.

Many words have been written about Sailor

Jerrys life and work not least in the

superb recent book Homeward Bound: The

Life and Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry and

this article is not intended to serve as

another hagiography for the man whose

name has become a shortcut for traditional

American tattoo styles. Instead, I want to

look at how these artefacts old, fragile and

in many cases intended to have been used

once and then discarded came to find

themselves in a state of almost perfect

conservation in a travelling exhibition. How

have these pieces of paper and plastic been

cared for and prepared for display? And

what can be learnt in the process of

conservation about the man, his methods

and his attitude?

In 2010, the parent company of Sailor Jerry

rum, William Grant and Sons, arranged for

their collection of Collins surviving works

on paper to be conserved by the renowned

Conservation Centre for Art & Historic

Artefacts (CCAHA) in Pennsylvania. The

CCAHA is more used to restoring,

preserving and conserving artefacts for

major museums and art collectors but, as

their expert paper conservator Samantha

Sheesley also happens to be a tattoo

aficionado, they were a perfect choice to

undertake this ambitious and historically

critical process. Samantha lead a team of ten

specialist conservators on a project that

lasted over a year and which, perhaps

surprisingly given just how far the world of

tattooing can be from the institutions of fine

art, took great care to understand the

importance of these objects, their very

particular material properties and the

reverence which people passionate about

the history of tattooing accord to Sailor

Jerry.

The team were initially apprehensive as they

had never restored tattoo flash before and

the medium presented its own unique

challenges. When we examine objects in

preparation for treatment, the first thing we

take into consideration is the material

composition, Samantha told me. Over the

years we have treated numerous

watercolours and I felt confident about the

treatment of the flash art based upon this


previous experience. However, we know that

objects are more than just a combination of

materials. Each one has a history, and some

evidence of that history may be just as

important to preserve as the artwork itself.

For instance, inscribed lines around select

images may reveal which designs on a sheet of

flash were cut into acetate stencils. Although

they may appear to be damage, we would not

try to remove or hide them because they

provide some insight about specific designs:

which of them were the artists favourites or

which were more marketable.

We have worked with many works on tracing

paper before such as architectural drawings

but none have been sketches for tattoo

flash. We had already developed a technique

for flattening and mending tracing paper

though, which was successfully used on the

Sailor Jerry drawings. For every conservation

treatment, our goal is to stabilise the object

physically and chemically, but there may be a

different standard in terms of aesthetic

retouching. In the case of these drawings, we

spent many hours toning papers to match

Sailor Jerrys papers exactly so our repairs

would blend with the surrounding original.

Given Collins importance to the history of

our art form, and because tattooing is

increasingly being taken seriously by historians

and cultural scholars, projects like this are

vital, especially as flash and other tattoo

ephemera has only recently been collected

and cherished by tattoo artists and fans in any

real quantity. This means that much of the

older material has not been cared for in a way

that would prevent the kind of degradation all

fragile works on paper suffer over time. The

flash art was in fairly good condition,

Samantha said. There were a few tears and

creases but only a minor amount of dirt had

accumulated on the surfaces. Only one piece

suffered water damage, resulting in a dark

tideline across the bottom of the sheet. Some

of the flash sheets had discolouration

along the edges, which was attributed to

poor quality housing materials (window

mats and backing boards), and all of the

pieces had pressure-sensitive tape

attached along the back edge. We treated

them by removing the tape carriers,

reducing the pressure sensitive adhesive

residues, mending tears and filling losses as

needed. We reduced the tideline with

dilute chemical bleach.

Due to their more functional role in the

tattooing process, the tracing paper

drawings and rubbings were in much

worse condition. Samantha explained: The

paper was very thin and a bit brittle. Most

of the drawings had numerous tears and

severe creases. Many of the pieces had

torn edges, making them susceptible to

future damage. Although they were drawn

on the same type of tracing paper, each

piece had degraded and discoloured to a


different shade of deep yellow and some had

stains and adhesive residues. A variety of

media was used when they were drawn:

charcoal, crayon and graphite. The charcoal

was very friable, meaning that there is not

enough binder in it to make the pigment

adhere securely to the surface of the paper,

making it smudge easily. Crayon has a waxy

binder and bonds to the paper surface better,

but tends to be soluble in a variety of solvents

and susceptible to heat damage. Graphite is

also somewhat friable and can change in

appearance when immersed in water. So each

drawing had a unique set of condition issues,

and each treatment had to be customised to

fit the needs and limitations of each piece.

The stencils were the most in need of the

Centres professional attention: Most of them

showed evidence of deterioration, Samantha

said. As acetate ages and degrades, it tends to

discolour, become brittle and distort. Some of

the stencils had aged to the colour of honey,

while others remained fairly clear. Some of the

edges were curling up and some of the

stencils had shattered into several pieces. Far

from being a disaster, each piece of damage

told its own story. A broken stencil could

indicate one that had been handled frequently

in the shop. Samantha explained how the

conservation process is one not of

restoration, but an active process of research

and discovery which brings forth fascinating

insights into the way in which artefacts were

made, used and kept. Particularly fascinating

are the decisions made about preserving the

signs of use these functional objects bore:

The brittle acetate would fracture, especially

in the case of larger stencils, since they were

flexed to wrap around a customers body

while transferring the design. Looking at the

stencils, we get a sense of which ones had

been used and which ones hadnt. To transfer a

design onto a customers body, charcoal was

rubbed into the incised lines, so those without

charcoal had not been used. We had to

make decisions about how much to clean

from the surface of each stencil. We didnt

want to remove any of the charcoal that

had been rubbed into the incised lines,

since that is evidence of the stencils

history and use. So we chose to use soft

polyurethane sponges to thoroughly clean

the smooth, non-inscribed side of each

stencil, and we used a soft brush to gently

reduce extraneous surface dirt from the


inscribed side without disturbing the

charcoal.

And its not only details of use and process

which such close scrutiny can reveal. Samantha

and her team were also able to analyse the

materials Collins used to make his drawings

and stencils and start to understand the man

and his practices. Sailor Jerrys art was very

traditional in its presentation and similar to

other artists of the time. He drew several

designs on standard sized paper; he cut his

stencils from acetate; he made preliminary

sketches on inexpensive paper; and he shared

his designs by taking rubbings from his stencils

on tracing paper, Samantha said. The

difference with Collins was in the quality of

materials he used. Despite the cost, he chose

to use 100% cotton rag paper because it was

strong and had good aging properties. He

selected inks and watercolours that were

stable for better image permanence. Other

artists flash would fade fairly quickly due to

prolonged exposure to light, whereas Collins

designs remained vibrant. In his letters he had

commented on how some of the flash he

made decades earlier maintained its vibrancy,

which tells us that he saved his drawings and

referred back to them years later. He took

great pride in his work, and he knew that

others would value the pieces that he left

behind. His artwork was his legacy, and he

wanted it to accurately reflect and represent

his vision for years to come.

The conservation process of any object is

always undertaken in the context of archival

research wherever possible. Samantha has

carefully studied Sailor Jerrys

correspondence, which is also owned by

William Grant and Sons. Sailor Jerry thought

of his flash as art, rather than mere

advertisements for tattoos. In some of his

letters he longs for a day when tattooing is

taken seriously and respected as fine art.

Knowing that, we made sure we treated his

pieces like fine art rather than archives. Each

piece was physically and chemically stabilised

before being housed in the highest quality,

alkaline-buffered window mats, with UV-

filtering acrylic glazing and sealed with

Marvelseal (a polyethylene-aluminium-nylon

laminate) to create a moisture, pollution, dirt

and pest impermeable package. This has

allowed the fragile artefacts which make

up the Hotel Street exhibition to be

displayed in pop-up venues around the

world whilst remaining safe from damage

and future decomposition.

And its in his art the marks Norman

Collins made on paper and flesh that all

this careful attention and scientific

wizardry finds its reason. Samantha

concluded: What makes this collection so

interesting and informative is the fact that

everything is here: preliminary sketches,

flash art, stencils and rubbings. Each object

informs the viewer about another. We see

how the sketches translate to flash, and

flash translates to stencils. Whatever the

medium, Sailor Jerry demonstrates the

same bold confidence in his strokes.

Despite the fact that he is renowned for

his strong outlines and brilliant colours, he

believed that the key to a successful design

was in the blacks. If the tattoo didnt look

good in black first, no amount of colour could

compensate for it. This realisation, in addition

to his skilled composition, was largely

attributed to his correspondence with the

Japanese tattoo masters. Over time we see his

work evolve from singular images to very

complex and integrated designs. He truly

understood and appreciated artistic

composition.

www.sailorjerry.com

Sailor Jerry tookgreat pride in hiswork and he knewthat others wouldvalue the pieces thathe left behind

Samantha Sheesley from the CCAHA,

at the Hotel Street exhibition in London


Who is Emma Sweets in a nutshell?

Im from Glasgow and Im a front-end web

developer. My main interests, other than

tattoos, are web design, yoga, interior design

and cooking. I live with my two guard dogs,

Taco and Tia-Bell who are both Chihuahuas.

Just like any other Glasgow gal, I love a good

night out. As a result of my well-known

hairspray addiction, youll never catch me

out without my beehive. One of my most

recent tattoos is a can of hairspray and a

comb on my leg!

How did your interest in interior

design develop?

Ive always been interested in decorating but

it wasnt until I bought my place recently

that Ive finally had the opportunity to go

nuts! Ive put wallpaper up in every room

and Im generally doing it up as a proper

girly pad: leopard print toilet seat, leopard

print couch, pink and purple damask walls

And I am having so much fun with it.

Are you a girly girl, would you say?

I guess I am a bit, but Id still pick a pint over

a cocktail any day!

Does your creative work extend

beyond your home and web design

stuff?

Yeah, I also design and make clothing for

Chihuahuas. Last year I opened an online

dogs boutique but, to be honest, Im no

good at running a shop. My main interests

were in the web development and fashion

aspects of the project.

How would you describe your

tattoos and your style in general?

I like to stick to fairly traditional styles. Most

of them are either a take on old school or

Japanese style. Ive also had some dot work

done.

How much input do you have with

them? Have you ever designed your

own?

I always find you get the best from the artist

if you let them add their own touch to it. I

tend to give a general idea, throw some

references in there and then allow free rein

on the rest. If you trust the artist, theres

nothing to worry about.

You used to work at Modern Body

Art. Was that fun?

Yeah, it was great. I made a lot of friends and

had a total blast. I was doing laser removal

and reception. I was also learning to pierce

so I was always kept busy. The shop never

fails to have amazing artists so it was an

honour to work with them. I still visit every

year to stay in touch and get tattooed.

Where does your interest in

tattoos come from, do you think?

I was always fascinated by piercings and

tattoos. My older sisters and their friends

were heavily into the alternative scene. Most

of them were total metal heads so I guess

thats where it stemmed from. I started

getting piercings at 13 and as I got older

tattooing seemed like the next step. It

seemed natural and has just been something

I feel compelled to do. Normal skin is

boring.

What was your first tattoo?

I was 17 when I got my first tattoo. Its my

Persian name Shireen, which translates in

English as Sweet. It is written in my Dads

handwriting in Farsi. This tattoo is extra

special as its the only one which my dad has

approved of.

And what came after that?

Since then Ive been lucky enough to get

tattooed by some really talented artists such

as Steven Wrigley, who did my black and

grey sleeve. This was one of my first larger

pieces. It started off as old school traditional

and then I decided I wanted Japanese. Not

the best way to do things, but I still love it.

Dennis Pase did my chest piece and owl;

Andy Cryztalz did my neck; Jo Harrison my

hand. Other artists include Toni Moore,

Steve Vinall, Matt Hunt, Iain Stanfield and

Billy Hay. Im loving Billys work at the

moment. Hes just started a Japanese piece

on my thigh and I cant wait to get it

finished.

You have Your eyes are a test to

see if you can look past them on

your arm. Where does that come

from?

My family are quite spiritual and when I

was younger they dragged me to see this

animation called Waking Life. At the time I

didnt think much of the film but that line

always stuck with me. For me it means a

few things: that there is more to this world

than what we can see; that there is more

to life than the materialistic things we can

hold and lastly not to judge people by their

appearance. This was one of my first

tattoos and I remember afterwards the guy

saying that it would be the start of my

sleeve. I remember thinking Nah, I wont

end up with a sleeve. How wrong was I?

Why does it say rain in the piece

on your hand by Jo Harrison?

Jo did the pattern on my hand but Matt

Hunt did the rose and lettering. Rain is

short for Lorraine, which is my mums

name. I got it tattooed when I moved to

Birmingham, as it was the furthest Id lived

from home and wanted to get something

to hold my connection. I texted my mum a

photo of it afterwards and it made her cry.

Good tears though, not bad.

What about the lucky cat on your

leg? Tell us about that one.

After working at Modern Body Art I took

a trip to South Korea. Maneki Neko cats

are supposed to bring luck and wealth to

the owners. Since I was now jobless and

trying to get back into the web industry,

buying a lucky cat seemed like the obvious

thing to do. It worked a treat as I landed a

job in no time, so that cat earned pride of

place on the front of my leg.

Unfortunately, the very same day I got it

tattooed, my pet cat died. Its a little

spooky but it now reminds me of her.

Is the @ sign on your finger about

your work?

It is indeed. I got this when I went to

London for a web conference. It was

basically the equivalent of a tattoo

convention except you leave inspired and

passionate about websites, instead of

tattoos. This tattoo marks an exciting

stage in my career and a trip to

remember.

On our cover this month is Emma Sweets, whoseeclectic tattoo collection embraces her love ofweb design, the inspirational power of words and her

addiction to hairspray.


Do you have a favourite tattoo?

My favourite so far is probably my chest piece. Eventually, I

want whoever I marry to get the key tattooed on them,

key to my heart type thing. Im still working on finding

him though.

How do other people react to your tattoos?

Overall people react really well. Most are just curious and

have lots of questions they want to ask. Im lucky to have

a job where appearance is not important and everyone at

my work is great about them. Ive even inspired a few

colleagues to get tattooed. Clients expect web developers

to be bald, fat, geeky men with creased t-shirts, so theres

not much expected of us appearance-wise.

Guys can be a little inappropriate sometimes, though. Ive

had people using my tattoos as an excuse to stare or try

and touch me, which is a little creepy.

What do your parents think about your

tattoos?

Sadly my parents dont really approve. My mum tries to

talk me out of them, but then always seems to like them

in the end. As for my dad, I think he pretends theyre not

there.

Whats next for you, tattoo-wise?

Ive still got a couple more sessions with Billy Hay to finish

my thigh piece. Other than that I want to focus on my

legs for a bit. My feet need doing and Id like the

other side of my neck done, too. Joe Ellis has

just moved up to Stirling so I definitely

need to get tattooed by him.

If you could get tattooed by

anyone at all, who would it

be?

Ooh, anyone you say? Jondix,

Thomas Hooper, Valerie

Vargas, Amanda Toy, Uncle

Allan and Xam, please!

Photos & interview:

Tina Korhonen (www.tina-k.co.uk)

Make-up and hair: Jenna Jefferies using Bumble & Bumble,

Dermalogica and Eye of Horus

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1. by nicklas westin (spain)

2. tin-tin doodles on sabine gaffron

3. jondix with filip leu

4. thomas hooper, alex binnie and luke atkinson

5. by laura juan, le tatouage de laura juan (spain)

6 yang from east tattoo (taiwan)

7. by xinlong cheng, long tattoo (china)

2012Report by James Sandercock Photos by Doralba Picerno, James Sandercock, Tina Korhonen & Ester SegarraThe

londonTaTToo convenTion

The last weekend in September saw the magnificent London

International Tattoo Convention roar into action. Powered by

the best tattoo artists from around the globe and fuelled by

tattoo fanatics from all four corners of it, this event is a sight to

behold. 2012 saw the eighth incarnation of this mighty beast and, as

usual, it did not disappoint. This is one occasion when its fine to

believe the hype. The standard of work was nothing less than

breathtaking; the established stars of tattooing were on song; and

the new talent was snapping at their heels, as the wonderful world of

tattooing expands its borders, and new cultures come to the table

with their offerings and interpretations.

In previous years the London show has been mighty impressive but 2012 has got to take thebiscuit. Back at Tobacco Dock for the fifth year, everything seemed to just click into place. Theorganisers Miki Vialetto and his team have succeeded in creating a micro-environment whichreally does allow you to spend the entire day within the venue, without feeling the need to comeup for air! Held over two huge floors once again, it was upstairs for ink, downstairs for a drinkand other retail trappings.

The entertainment also lurked beneath and as always ranged across the spectrum. The stapleswere there of course: burlesque, belly dancers and post-apocalyptic pin-ups, not forgetting somegreat bands. But this year saw a new addition: the free cinema which premiered the film TattooNation which documents the rise of black and grey fine line tattooing, and is soon to be ongeneral release.

On the upper level were the multiple rooms where the artists were housed, packed with tattoogoodness, booth after booth after booth. It was a treat and at times it seemed almostoverwhelming. Those of us who were lucky enough to spend the full three days at the show justabout managed to take it all in, and grow somewhat accustomed to the quality work that was allaround us. It matters not what flavour of tattoo you favour; the chances are the number oneartist within that field was plying their trade at the show. It really would be a hopeless task to tryand list them all. It would also take up most of this feature and, at the end of the day, its the workitself which can best tell the story of the weekend. The creative talent that the industry can nowboast is staggering and this is the show where you can come to see that... live!

Every year London throws new artists into the mix who are pushing boundaries which, only afew short years ago, seemed to be set in stone. But the convention also did something else thisyear: it pushed the boundaries of what a convention can be. I can only imagine the logistics ittakes to pull this off and I salute the organisers for their dedication to making it happen. Thefeedback on the day, and the way social media has lit up with praise about the show, confirms itsstatus as arguably the premier event on the global calendar. I hope you enjoy this taste of whatwas achieved and experienced over the three days of the London International TattooConvention. Ill sign off with these simple words... roll on London 2013.

1. 1.2. 3.

4. 5.

6.

7.



8. by patrick sans, burly fish (usa)

9. by pawel, 3rd eye tattoo (poland)

10. by callum mcpherson,

flashpoint tattoo

11. chad koeplinger,

tattoo paradise (usa)

12. by nikko hurtado,

black anchor collective (usa)

13. shige, yellow blaze

14. by tang ping, zi you tattoo (china)

15. lion king, lion king tattoo

16. carlos rojas,

black anchor collective (usa)

17. by bugs, tattoo lounge (usa)

8. 9.

10.

11. 12.


13. 14.

15.

16.

17.


18. by alex horikitsune reinke,

horiyoshi III family

19. by henning jrgensen, royal tattoo (denmark)

20. by ben grillo, power tattoo company (usa)

21. the nerdy stripper entertains the crowd

22. elegy ellem, burlesque performer

23. neville staples band

24. by bez, triplesix studios

25. by pino cafaro, elektrik revolver (germany)

26. by antonio todisco, macko tattoo shop (italy)

27. by antonio mejia, goodtime charlies

tattooland (usa)

28. the fuel girls

29. volko, buena vista tattoo club (germany)

18. 19.

20.

21. 22.

23.


24. 25. 26.

28.

27.

29.


30. 31. 32.

33. 34.

35.

36.


30. funeral shoe

31. jack rudy, good time charlies

tattooland (usa)

32. by manuel valenzuela,

inkfatuation (Italy)

33. ami james, new york ink

34. by uncle allen, conspiracy inc

(germany)

35. by claire reid, on the road

36. vince ray

37. by josh lin, surface art (taiwan)

38. by bill canales, full circle (usa)

39. by ching, east tattoo (taiwan)

40. by george mavridis, tattooligans

(greece)

41. by valarie vargas, frith street tattoo

37. 38.

40. 41.

39.


42. by ivana,

tattoo rascal

(slovakia)

43. by thomas hooper,

hoopers electric (usa)

44. by gao bin,

lion king tattoo

(taiwan)

45. by filip leu,

the leu familys

family iron

(switzerland)

46. carlos torres,

timeline gallery (usa)

47. alex gotsa, dirty roses

(greece)

42. 43.

44. 45.

46. 47.


Before becoming one of the best tattooists in Australia,

Owen Williams of Tama Tattoo went through a baptism of

fire, learning from and working with two of the countrys elite

tattoo artists: first at Trevor McStays Dynamic Tattoo and then at

Geordie Coles Tattoo Magic. Now Owen has opened his own studio,

Tama Tattoo, in Melbourne and the world is starting to see just how

versatile this amazing artist can be. Travellin Mick met up with him

and talked shop over single malt whisky and a couple of cold ones...

We are sitting in a private lounge in Owen

Williams favourite bar a rather exclusive

establishment that doesnt even have a sign on

the door sipping single malt whisky. We are

chatting about his amazing life story which led

to him becoming one of Australias top tattoo

artists. This unpretentious man is wearing a

suit, which is totally out of character but

somehow looks right on him. The outfit is

because he is hosting a 1920s-style party later

that night to celebrate the opening of Tama

Tattoo. This private studio is run by Owen

along with his friend and business partner

Evan Griffiths. Creating a discreet, private

place was important to Owen, as he explained:

We are getting a lot of clients from out of

state or even overseas now. Their time here is

often very limited. I have to get their pieces

done so I need a quiet place to work.

The studio is tucked away on the second floor

of a corporate building and, much like Owen

Williams himself, is something of a hidden

secret. For someone who creates such high

level tattooing, he should be far more famous!

Whether it is classic Japanese, black and grey

realistic, pin-ups or a wild combination

thereof, Owenss work stands out for its fine

quality and first class composition. Even

though he prefers to keep his relative

anonymity, the rest of the tattoo scene begs to

differ: everyone who meets him just loves this

guy for his amicable nature, his relentless

energy when it comes to partying and playing

host to his friends and, of course, for his great

art.

Owen Williams has not become one of

Australias top tattooists overnight, of course.

He was born into a restless family which

moved around a lot when he was a child. He

worked in construction when he was a young

man but he obviously had artistic talent. When

his dad encouraged him to visit a tattoo shop

back in 1998, the owner asked to see his

drawings and hired Owen as an apprentice on

the spot. He paid his dues there: I learned

everything from scratch over about two years

and stayed on for another three, Owen says.

I remember it took me three years to figure

out how to make needles the way I like them.

Now it is so much easier because everything is

pre-fabricated but at least I know how to tweak

them right if you get a bad batch. Other artists

just throw them away and order new ones.

If you think this was a tough start for a young

tattoo artist, Owenss next step was even

tougher. He had heard from friends that

Dynamic Tattoo, Trevor McStays legendary

shop, had an opening coming up. The very

next morning I drove out there and presented

Interview by Travellin Mick

Photos by Owen Williams & Travellin Mick


my portfolio. And after some consideration

Trevor decided to hire me. Funnily enough, I

used to live in that area and one time, as a

teenager, I actually walked into Dynamic and

enquired about how to become a tattooist. I

had no idea at the time that this was the most

famous tattoo artist in the southern

hemisphere!

Once he was actually working there, of course,

Owen took everything Trevor said as gospel,

as he knew how fortunate he was to be

learning from such a renowned artist. The

man simply never ever did one bad tattoo, no

matter if it was Japanese or a portrait or old

school. This taught me that it is not enough to

reach a certain standard; you also have to keep

it and stay there. Never drop the ball! Owen

now recognises that his time at Dynamic is the

main reason his work is so much more

versatile than that of many other artists.

Trevor was the main man for Oriental

tattooing in Australia. Everybody wanted to

get that from him. So I tried to make myself an

asset to the shop and did everything else that

came through the door. I couldnt afford to be

choosy really. It was only later that I picked up

the Japanese from him too.


At Dynamic Tattoo, Owen learned a skill that

is still clearly evident in his work: the unique

way in which he composes larger images on

the body. Trevor McStay was, and still is, a

master at creating extensive tattoos on his

clients and its something Owen quickly

started applying to his own work. Its one of

the many reasons his customers seek him out.

That, and the fact that he has a reputation for

being able to pull off the craziest tattoo ideas.

I am working on this guy at the moment who

wants a bodysuit, not with koi and dragons,

but with indigenous Australian reptiles instead.

I love it when people think outside the box.

Owen had always enjoyed getting realistic

work on his own skin, and he often got

tattooed at Tattoo Magic, Geordie Coles shop

in Fitzroy, one of the other top tattoo addresses

in Australia. This studio was to be the next

stop on Owens career path. His original plans

had been to become the portrait guy in

Australia, but he soon realised that realistic

tattooing is somewhat limited in its creativity.

You can tweak things here and there, he says

but the whole point of portraiture is to

represent the person accurately. You cant turn

someones image into something he or she is

not. Owen got great satisfaction from creating

good portrait tattoos but he eventually decided

that he didnt want to turn into a glorified

Xerox machine, as he puts it.


Tattoo Magic turned out to be the perfect

place for him to develop his imagination

further, with its variety of artists and guests

forming an incredible pool of talent, which

worked very much like a family. Most days

we had dinners and drinks together after

work. And often we would crowd into a room

and go over each others drawings and

tattoos. We were all happy to get comments

and critiques from each other. Geordie

worked really hard to keep this great energy

in the shop.

In 2012, Owens five great years at Tattoo

Magic came to an end. In his career so far he

had worked with the two best and most

famous tattoo artists in Australia; he had

graduated from Trevor McStays and then

opened the doors of his mind at Tattoo

Magic, but now it was time to start out on his

own, with the help of his friend and one-time

colleague at Dynamic, Evan Griffiths. During

many years of tattooing in Australia and

travelling the world Owen had gathered a

faithful following of clients who were happy

to come and see him wherever he was. So he

left the ber-trendy Melbourne suburb of

Fitzroy and started anew in a business district

in the city centre. He felt this was close

enough to the action, but far enough from his

old haunts not to step on anyones toes. The

time for Tama Tattoo had come. Time will tell

how long this period in the life of Owen

Williams will last, as he with a true Aussie

spirit seems to need the permanent thrill of

exploring the unexplored and conquering the

unknown, always venturing into new

territories.

Owen Williams website

www.otatts.com

20 pages sho

wcasing som

e of the wor

ld's best tatt

oos

GALLERY

PLUSBIO-MECHANICJAPANESEREALISTICMODER

N CLASSIC


bio-mechanic

fadi michael, triptyc tattoo art (sw

itzerland)

brad bako, fat ink (australia)

gerry carnelly, octopus tattoo

vova mult, angel studio (russia)

marcin sonski, zulu tattoo (ireland)

bela olah, pain art tattoo (hungary)


kali, kali tattoo

nick morte, lucky 7 (norway)

ty mcewen, on the road (usa)


guil zekri, reinkarnation tattoo (germany)

jack ribeiro (luxembourg)

guy aitchison,hyperspace studios(usa)

modern

classic

crispy lennox, black garden tattoo

edward staples, den of iniquity tattoo

samuel briganti, drum tattoo (italy)

max rathbone, studley tattoo studio


judd ripley, sailors grave

(denmark)


jim gray, set sail tattoo

jarek, asgard body art

brian jourbert, gas pedal tattoo(canada)

antony flemming, world of tattoos

phil kyle, magnum opus

kristiana richardsfrontier tattoo parlour

sofie simpson, spear studio

guen douglas, magnum opus

cesar, black garden tattoo

chris dettmer, black h

ole (germany)

chris dettmer, black hole (germany)


japanese

peter lagergren, mal

mo classic tattoo (sw

eden)

calle, king carlos (sweden)

ueo, ueo tattoo (italy)


moose, moose tattoo (holland)

george bardadim (russia)

patrick, burly fish tattoo (usa)

ching, east tattoo (taiwan)


hori han (japan)


bernd broghammer, ttowierstudio

hautnah (germany)

lupo horiokami, mushin tattoo studio (italy)

jess yen, my tattoo (usa)

ching, east tattoo (taiwan)

62

jee sayalero, human f

ly (spain)colin jones, stained class

greg orie, dragon tattoo (holland)

the italian gentleman, royal tattoo (denmark)


joey ortega, triple crown tattoo (usa)

henning jrgensen, royal tattoo (denmark)

benjamin fluxx, octopus tattoo

realismiain clarke, new found glory

boris, boris tattoo (hungary)

dris donelly, artium ink

kosa, artline (poland)

rose price, organic element

max pniewski, southmead tattoo


anabi tattoo (poland)

leign oldcorn, cosmic tattoo

eric kueh, 71st skin slavery (borneo)

patrick mcfarlane, fine line (on the road)


steve soto, goodfellas

(usa)dan stewart, lucky rabbit (usa)

megan hoogland

mecca tattoo (usa)

victor policheri

heidi hay tattoo (sweden)



The Norwich Body Art Festival is one of the highlights of the

tattoo calendar for me. Now in its fourth year, I have had the

pleasure of attending them all and it never fails to impress.

The venue, St Andrews Hall, is conveniently located in the heart of the city. At nearly five hundred

years old, it is the oldest surviving friary in the country. The main hall is simply beautiful, with its

high vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows and carved wood and stone pillars. An impressive pipe

organ sits high above the stage at one end. To the sides of the stage a compact bar area leads

through to the smaller Blackfriars Hall with its dark oak panelling and tall arched windows

reaching up to the lofty roof.

Tattoo booths are laid out in two rows along the length of both halls, with natural light flooding

in on them from the thirty foot high windows. The cloisters, which run along the length of the

main hall, were once again used to house the trade and shopping stalls and the outside courtyard

provided a chill-out space, with much-needed shade on what turned out to be one of the hottest

weekends of the year.

In a nod to the current tough economic times, the ticket prices were reduced this year to a very

reasonable 10 per day or 17 for the whole weekend. Doors opened at a leisurely midday, by

which time a decent queue had formed outside in the morning sun. Inside, tattoo machines

started to buzz and the hustle and bustle began. The hall filled quickly and remained busy for

most of the day. This show attracts a good mix of about 80 artists consisting of local, national and

a few international names, which all adds to the flavour. Nearly every one of them was hard at

work from the start, which is great to see.

One of the things that makes this show so special is the ongoing entertainment which takes

place on the main stage: a varied and eclectic mix of performers from DJs playing retro tunes,

through to bands including the fabulous Johnny Cash tribute band Son of Cash and on to the

more bizarre, whip-cracking performers and hula hooping show girls. All of this adds to the

theatricality of this show and gives the crowds plenty to keep them entertained. The final event

on Saturday was the tattoo competitions, after which everyone made their way off into the night

to sample the delights on offer in the mustard capital of the world!

norwichbody art festivalReport by Perry Photos by Andy Heather and Perry

1. zara by paul naylor, on the road

2. poppy by leigh oldcorn,

cosmic tattoo

3. graffiti by sith art collective

4. marco by gary, twit twoo tattoo

5. kevin by phil denby,

institute tattoo

6. natalie by alan aldred,

cosmic tattoo

7. scott by rytch, sith art collective

1.

2.

4.

6.

7.

5.

3.


Sunday started where Saturday left off, albeitwith a few fat heads. Tales of daring deeds,with photographic evidence of the previousnights antics, soon subsided and it was back tothe tattooing. Many of the pieces done theprevious day made their way to our studio tobe photographed, having had a night to calmdown, and it was obvious that a lot of greatwork had been created. One notable piecewas the outstanding Lee Scratch Perryportrait by Woody from Cult Classic. PaulNaylor, previously from Powerhouse and nowon the road, produced an impressive black andgrey portrait and Alan Aldred from CosmicTattoo completed a thigh piece over the twodays and was duly rewarded with the trophyfor Best of Show.

The weather was a major topic ofconversation over the weekend, withtemperatures soaring into the low thirties.This did have the adverse effect of causing thehalls to empty out from time to time aseveryone looked for a space to cool down butthey soon came back to continue enjoying theconvention. Every year the organisation of theNorwich show gets a little slicker and thehuge team of friendly volunteers ensure thateverybodys needs are met. I would like tothank Gemma from Indigo Tattoo and Kevinand Emma from Outline magazine for all theirhard work organising the show. I am alreadylooking forward to next year. If you have neverbeen, it is well worth a visit.

9. 9.

10.

8.


11. 12.

13.

14.

8. shane by dan, black sails

9. tom by drew,

ghost house collective

10. alice by arnold, ink addiction

11. alec by josh fischer, factotum

12. luke by jordan, second skin

13. ben by john, blue fire

14. tom by marius, rudeboy



17.

18. 19.

16.15.

15. martin by woody, cult classic

16. ronnie by jamie, real art

17. joanne by ben, grizzlys art

18. kev by cat scott, styx tattoos

19. andy by emma, sith art collective


Hong Kongs Tattoo Temple doesnt bear that name just to be clever: its a

legitimate place of secluded worship. Secluded in the sense that, despite

being next to Lan Kwai Fong the citys 24-hour, lager-fuelled party

district and within throwing distance of Graham Street wet market,

where locals noisily haggle over flapping plates of terminally gasping sea

creatures, you would have no idea its there. Outside there is none of the

vulgar neon signage which normally signifies the tattoo parlours of

Wanchai, a district that is still synonymous with offering sailors almost any

pleasure of the flesh imaginable. Instead, a mild mannered security guard

nods and smiles his approval as you enter a pedestrian-looking tower block

and take the elevator to the 14th floor.

Upon arrival, youve got two choices: turning right will lead you to a professional psychotherapist

while on the left is the studio itself. We get some crossover business, sure, says Chris Anderson,

the Temples manager. Weve tried to get the therapist in too, but we havent managed yet!

Looking at him, youd think Anderson could happily get anyone in the chair. Hes easily six feet

tall, well muscled and wouldnt look out of place in an Olympic wrestling ring. But then, thats

not the point of the Temple and it certainly doesnt seem to be in Andersons nature. With his soft-

spoken, American-tinged accent he is one of the most charming, calming individuals in this hectic

city.

And its this gentle, respectful approach that makes this studio a true temple. Like many places of

worship, visitors must take their shoes off at the door. At first it might seem a little awkward but

soon, with a finely brewed coffee in hand, gentle trip-hop playing in the background and an iPad

to browse the artists portfolios, you wont want to leave. For those who enjoy the more edgy

elements of tattoo culture, this might all seem a little gimmicky. Theres no rock and roll; no

lounging teenagers desperate for an apprenticeship; no zipper bound folios; no flash; and there is

TATTOOTEMPLE

wan

g w

ork

ing

jam

ie

by joey pang

words: graeme park

pictures: nic gaunt


absolutely no phony pirate memorabilia.

For Joey Pang, the studios owner and principle artist, this is exactly

what she wanted. She says: When I first started out, I was scared to

knock on the doors of tattoo studios because those old school places

are always filled with loud rock and roll and frightening people. I

wanted my studio to be a place where people could release themselves

and where they werent afraid to tell me what they thought. Of

course, the studio isnt without some curios: in a glass cabinet is a real

human skull, adorned with brass engravings. Pang says: This is Ah-

joey

by jamie

by wang


Zhun. We think she was a former servant,

executed and buried along with her master.

When I first started out, I used to sleep in the

studio and Id keep her next to me for

protection.

Next to the skull is a collection of traditional

Asian tattooing tools, including the type of

long bamboo skewers still used by Buddhist

monks. Pang herself has experienced the

process whereby the monks painstakingly etch

intricate patterns using this single pointed tool.

These kinds of traditions are important to the

studio. Every long-term employee has the red

hanzi or Chinese character of the Tattoo

Temple permanently inscribed. Becoming an

artist here is not an easy process and the

apprenticeship can be gruelling. At one point,

the studio offered a study programme but its

recently been put on hold because of the high

drop-out rate.

Currently, alongside Pang, two other artists

share the space. Pang Chi Wang, who

specialises in painted, realistic styles and

Jamie Kam, a master of abstract, graphic

influenced designs. Hes also, jokes

Anderson, Leng Zhai the pretty one. We

wheel him out whenever we can.

Each of these tattooists began their working

life in another creative field. Kam, for

instance, worked in graphic design, while Pang

Chi worked as an animator for Hollywood

studios. Learning to tattoo is not simply part of

their creative process, rather its a skill through

which they can express their innate and

already honed skills.

Pang is no different and she began her career

as a designer. She says: I went to the design

school in Hong Kong but I was always afraid

that the job would kill my love of drawing, so

I branched out. First I became a make-up artist

but the fact that body paint only lasted for a

day really upset me. This led me into thinking

seriously about becoming a tattoo artist.

I had the chance to go to New Zealand where

I saw Maori tattoos for the first time. That

really inspired me because in Hong Kong

tattoos are still associated with gangs and I

didnt want to become part of that. For the first

time I saw tattoos as something cultural that

people respected.

Of course, there isnt a school for tattooing so

I travelled, getting experience and learning

everything I could. At a tattoo convention I

met the British photographer Chris

Wroblewski who gave me contacts all over the

world. I visited Thailand, India, Europe and

China, just going to studios in each country,

watching them and asking questions. I was so

hungry for knowledge. In Beijing I worked

with an artist whose name translates to Little

Dragon. He taught me a lot about the

Documents

Total Tattoo December 2012