Modernized Foot Modification

 

Have you ever noticed that the shape made by a high heel mimics the shape of the bound feet in early China? A less painful way of modifying our bodies to appeal to others or feel more confident about our bodies or change our image or whatever reason you want to put behind it.

I wont pretend like I don't love to wear huge heels, but I also wont pretend that it's not because I like feeling like a pretty princess and they make my legs and ass look awesome.

Fiddling

This was taken during my very first tattoo in August of 2010 by my mom.

I was fiddling with my machine a lot.. had a little trouble getting started because I was so nervous. But thankfully the tattoo was on my mom and she was very patient with me.

I know this doesn't really reflect very well on my as it makes me look amateur but so much has changed since the time this was taken that it's fun to reflect... For instance, I went through about 8 pairs of gloves just setting that machine up. As you can see in this picture I'm not even wearing any because I kept getting them caught on the frames of the machine. (In hindsight, they were probably just too big for me) and besides my skill level my appearance has changed quite a lot!

So there. A useless post full of my own little nostalgic feelings. For shits and giggles I spose.

Shortstop From Tokyo

Those who have read my previous posts will recognize the name Austin as he has let me do several tattoos on him which was a big deal when I was very first getting started. He sort of dropped off the radar for a while but he's baaaaack and with some brand new ink. He let me do this on his calf, which I think is safe to say was zero fun for both of us. I have never had to deal with that much twitching from anyone ever. Not even exaggerating when I say he would kick and flex and twitch at least once every 20 seconds. It took probably four hours to get these lines down because I had to wrestle him the entire way. Poor guy claimed it was incredibly painful but sat it out anyway. This is the logo for his band Shortstop From Tokyo (I'm sure they have a website somewhere around here.... ah! yes! http://skaspot.ning.com/profile/ShortstopFromTokyo) go show them a little love.

For All You Nerds Out There....

A frig'n Tesla coil! That's right. Look at all those itty bitty straight lines and circles and tiny handwriting.. I nearly went cross eyed focusing on that for so long. About 4 hours including prep done entirely with a super tight 5 round liner. This was intended to look like a sketch... as it was originally a sketch. Hence the scripted handwriting and what not. Rick was a trooper, didn't ever twitch or whine or nothin'. It's a good thing he was a pleasure because I really can think of very few designs I would be less excited to do but now that it's done I'm glad to have it in my portfolio.

Animal Awesomeness Complete

Here it is! Completed! In case you've not been paying attention, this tattoo took several sessions and is now finally done! I'm so thrilled I could cry. This was hands down (ahurr.. hands... get it? theres a bunch of hands up in the tattoo..) the most fun tattoo I've ever done. I don't know if that's really saying much since I've only been tattooing for about 6 months now, but still. Awesome experience.

Mostly done with a super tight 7 round liner with the occasional grey wash with a 9 mag. Finishing up this last stage only took an extra two hours from our last session so it was nice and quick. I intentionally kept the sketchy feeling, shading, and lines so as to match the style of the original piece. If you're interested, the artist of the design can be found http://nonbunkjunk.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/matty-m-cipov/ PLEASE go have a look! His work is awesome. 

Robots are Taking Over

My boyfriend sent me this link the other day 

http://www.geekologie.com/2011/03/robotic_tattoo_machine_even_pi.php

It's a robotic tattoo machine. I shared it with some of the tattoo artists I work with and apparentlythis isn't the first time they're heard of robots tattooing. He replies with saying that tattooing will always be done by humans because machines lack judgment. While I recognize this as somewhat true I do have to wonder...

IF tattoos were done robotically, there would be the removal of human error. Which is good to an extent, but human error seems to play a role in what makes art beautiful. Programming a robot to tattoo is like programming one to paint. It is possible, it would follow direct orders, it could certainly correctly plant down straight and even lines (because it doesn't shake when it gets hungry or tired) but it would not be able to perform much past that. It will never decide the tattoo would look better with a different rim light color, or with a different shading technique. It wont pull away if the indivudal getting tattooed wiggles or twitches or asks you to stop for a moment because it hurts. 

So, although I wouldn't mind if they could get machines to take over the stupid symmetrical/geometrical tattoos that people like to get done, an art form can never really be replaced by a machine. 

Appealing to Your Tattooist

My mothers cousin (what does that make her to me? my second cousin?) recently got a tattoo done by a female tattoo artist in Washington and she sent me a picture.

She sent this to me because she had looked through this artists work and knew she was capable of creating beautiful imagery but was somewhat dissapointed with how her tattoo came out. The lines are uneven in some places and my cousin was less than impressed with the shading. She sent me this email asking if it looked ok and if it was fixable. 

My response was yes, they're just lines and they can absolutely be fixed. Do not fret!

A few weeks go by and she e-mails me again about her tattoo. This time she says " I have been a huge idiot asking her to do this crappy tiny gray-and-white map tattoo, so now she's drawing up thisawesome scene to go on top of it that will have trees and waves and color and birds and fish, etc- and it might be twice as big and some of the trees might go up my arm"

This was somewhat enlightening to me. She was right! Tattooists are artists who are contained to doing wahtever you ask of them. My cousin noticed this particular artist was very good with nature scenes and loved working with color and has now gone back and asked her to do something she enjoys. I am waiting on a picture to see how it went but I bet she will now be happy with her tattoo :)

The lesson for today, you will be more pleased with the outcome if you find an artist who enjoys doing the work you want done. I relate this to my personal experience where I do not enjoy tattooing text or symmetrical/geometerical designs but love the more freeform pieces with organic detailing and shading.

Extreme Modification and Suspension

It’s estimated, nowadays, that one in every seven people in America have at least one tattoo and even more than that participate in some form of body modification. They might not refer to it as such, however, because society has predetermined what types of body modification are generally accepted and thus not looked down upon. In the body modification documentary, Flesh & Blood, Steve Haworth discusses this. He says “every artist has a medium, and mine is flesh” and he considers his work of extreme body modification “3d art”. Haworth is known for helping to modify people in a way that doctors will refuse because of ethical conflict. For example, he invented a sub-dermal silver plate that can be left under the skin for a life time and protrudes slightly so as to give the illusion of horns or whatever else to wearer chooses to screw into this newly available metal slot in their body.

           Haworth goes on in his documentary to introduce the viewer to others who participate inextreme body modification and practice suspension. Suspension is when the individual has a series of large hooks (that look very similar to meat hooks used in slaughter houses) stuck through their skin which they are then suspended from. The hooks are commonly placed through the shoulders, back, or knees. The suspension is said to be a very meaningful and spiritual experience but can be visually intimidating which has made it a common performance art act in the body modification community. Native Americans are said to be the first to practice suspension and it was used in the Mandan tribe as part of their coming of age ritual. 

Flesh & Blood - A Body Modification Documentary by Larry Silverman. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://www.fleshandbloodmovie.com/>.

Foot Binding in China

Between the 10^th and 20^th century in China women would bind their feet with the motivation being finding a suitable mate. The tinier the women could get their feet the more desirable they were to the men. In the beginning this was typically practiced in families that had the luxury to free their women of manual labor as the process was extremely painful and essentially crippled the young women.

By the 17^th century an estimated 2 billion women had their feet bound and it was no longer just practiced by wealthy families. Foot binding started at a very young age as and the young girls had the arch of their feet broken and their toes tucked underneath the foot, where they were then bound. The girls were then forced to walk back and forth with their feet bound in this manner until their toes would break as well. The wraps of the feet would have to be changed often, typically by the other women of the house, and bound tightly to keep the bones in place while the foot was reforming. Great pride was taken in properly formed “lotus” shaped feet and this was shown off by beautifully embroidered silk slippers. This practice, which was incredibly dangerous (because of infection, impaired movement, etc) and also very painful, was not outlawed until the 20^th century when pushed by a feminist movement. I believe this to be one of the moreextreme forms of body modification as it leaves the women incredibly fragile and susceptible to infection. 

Brass Neck Rings

  There’s a tribe on the Thai/Burmese border, called the Padaung tribe, where the women modify their body in a way unlike anywhere else in the world. There, they show beauty by elongating their necks with the weight of heavy brass rings. This can begin as early as the age of 5 where a girl will receive her first rings. The weight of the rings will push down and sometimes break their collar boneswhich drop their ribs and shoulders and give the appearance of an elongated neck. This process continues throughout their entire lives, and more rings are added as the woman sees fit. They can stop adding weight at any time but the women push themselves to withstand the pain of more and more rings because they believe that the longer their necks are the more beautiful they are seen to be. An equal amount of bands can be found on the woman’s arms and calves. This practice has serious health risks and if the bands were ever removed their necks would not be able to support their heads. In the National Geographic documentary “Taboo” a woman is being interviewed about her neck rings and she replies by admitting that they hurt and they make it difficult to sleep and wash at times but it is all worth it to her because the rings make her beautiful. I guess all around the world women are taking extreme measures to be perceived as beautiful to their community. 
     

"Taboo | National Geographic Channel." National Geographic Channel - Animals, Science, Exploration Television Shows. 11 Mar. 2005. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/taboo/all/Overview#tab-Videos/01604_04>.

African Body Modification

Many African tribes are no stranger to the practice of body modification. The Mursi and Sara tribes are well known for their stretched ear lobes and large lip plates. The lip plates carry variousmeanings specific to the practicing tribe.  “Archeological evidence indicates that labrets have been independently invented no less than six times, in Kamchatka (8700 BC), Iran (6400 BC), the Balkans (5000 BC), Sudan (3700 BC), Mesoamerica (1500 BC), and Coastal Ecuador (500 BC)[1]. Today, the custom is maintained by a few groups in Africa and Amazonia.” Africans would have very little clothingand this leaves their scars, body painting, jewelry and tattoos open to be seen by their fellow tribe members. Scarification is when the skin is deliberately cut open into various shapes and patterns that will leave scars on their body for life. If they want a tattoo of raised designs they would rub things like charcoal into the freshly cut grooves. Scarring is both expensive and very painful but highly sought after in these tribes. Each social group seems to have defined its own rules around the ritual. Tribes living in present day Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zaire, and other places, still practice this even though modern-day African governments has placed a ban on the practice of scarification.

          In a National Geographic documentary called “Taboo” they show a variety of groups practicing scarification and tattooing. In one of the example there is a girl who is thirteen and her passage into adulthood is done by extensive facial tattooing. She sits and has various designs carved into her face that are then rubbed with an ash and charcoal mixture that cause the coloration. The designs she picks are those that stand for being beautiful, for being a good wife, and a good mother. The meanings are quite beautiful and the ritual of facial tattooing is required of all tribe members entering adulthood. When she finishes she exclaims how proud she is and how beautiful she feels. Her grandmother then says that she was neither a woman nor beautiful before but now that she has undergone this extensive tattooing she is seen as both. She is now fit to marry. Men will undergo a similar ritual in their passage into manhood; however their scars typically signify feats and achievements in relation to things such as hunting. 

            In another tribe the members receive a variety of scars depending on what stage of their life they are in and this includes being born. It is not uncommon for the newborn children to receive facial scarring and for the women to receive scarring across their stomachs and under their breasts when they reach sexual maturation. A woman without these scars on her body would be seen as ugly, poor, socially inept and undesirable. There have also been reports of genital mutilation that occurs at birth or as a passage into maturity where the female's clitoris is removed and the male's foreskin is removed.

images from google

"Taboo | National Geographic Channel." National Geographic Channel - Animals, Science, Exploration Television Shows. 11 Mar. 2005. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/taboo/all/Overview#tab-Videos/01604_04>.

Yakuza Body Suit

      Japanese are well known in the tattooing community for their body suits. This is a very large tattoo design that envelopes most of the wearers body and has lost most of its meaning in the modern day world. However, traditionally the process of tattooing was called Irezumi which literally translates to “insert ink”. The earliest designs were believed to have spiritual significance and also meaning relating to status within the culture. It was also common for slave owners to tattoo their slaves as punishment or to alert others that they were slaves if they ever escaped. In the 15^th century tattoos began to develop into decorate designs and elaborate tattooing was found on the heroes in book illustrations and so forth. It wasn’t until modernization with the West that Japan sought to make a good impression and outlawed tattooing which gave it a criminal connotation, as it was still commonly used in the Japanese mafia- Yakuza. In 1945 tattooing was legalized once again and, like in the West, is becoming more popular and socially acceptable. It is possible to get a traditionally done Irezumi style tattoo but the process is painful, extremely time consuming, and expensive as the traditional body suit can cost upwards of $30,000.

google gave me the image

Body Modification: in General

             Body modification has played a role in the lives of the human race far longer than most people know. Evidence has been found of individuals modifying their bodies with tattooing for thousands of years. The reasoning behind this act appears to be different, depending on the culture.  Although not all were intended to be “art”, even their functionality seems beautiful.
            “Otzi the Iceman” is believed to be the oldest found human with tattoos. He is referred to as 'the iceman' because his body was encased- and thus preserved- in ice. He was located in the Otztaler Alps and is believed to date back to around 3300 BC. He reportedly wears about 57 tattoos that anthropologists believe to have been printed on him for medicinal reasons because they are located in what today would be recognized as acupuncture locations. 
             Different tools were used and different names labeled the practice, but regardless of the motivation and the technique people around the world have always practiced tattooing. How is it that in modern day times tattoos can still have a negative stigma attached to them? Why is it still shocking to see if humans have been doing it for thousands of years? I hesitate to compare this hatred to that found in racism, but their origins in ignorance appear to be the same. Perhaps knowledge of the history and understanding of the culture and industry can help to cure the skepticism often found in the general population.

yoinked from google- not my image

          Norsemen, Saxons, and Greeks used tattooing to show their social status or reflect their position in their careers. Ancient Polynesians used tattooing to convey genealogy and sexual maturation. Egyptians adorned their bodies with tattoos for spiritual reasons. Native American chiefs would have tattoos that signified dominance over ordinary hunters and Africans used tattoos in association with tribes. 

          Unfortunately, when religion became more prominent it began to conflict with the practice of body modification. Monotheistic religion will commonly teach us that, having been made in god’s image, our body is sacred. We should not pollute it, mistreat it, or modify it in any way.

          It’s estimated, nowadays, that one in every seven people in America have at least one tattoo and even more than that participate in some form of body modification. They might not refer to it as such, however, because society has predetermined what types of body modification are generally accepted (boob jobs, hair coloring, skin bleaching, nail painting, teeth whitening, plastic surgery of any kind, body building, steroids, etc etc) and thus not looked down upon. 

Progress Update

Just an update on the tattoo I've been doing on my leg. I anticipate two or three more sessions since I never get to work quite as long as I want before I get kicked out of the stations I borrow and also because it's a massive project.

She's about half shaded and looking dull with no color. To be remedied. This reflects another 3 hours of work.

also- a fun picture taken while I was working.. An inadvertently metal accident.

Bunny Bits and Fish Faces

Megan came back to see me! Ahhhhh!! yay :)

So this girl has got to be my favorite person in the whole wide world. Why, you ask? Because she tipped me with a home made blueberry muffin and brought me a valentines day card with a pentagram on it.

Ah-may-zing.

Anywho, we sat for about 3 hours and got about.. hmm.. 40% done.

And here are some progress pictures for you! Observe, the atypical shading used here. I drew all the little goddamn fur lines in the bunny and that soaked up most of our time but hot damn it looks good, huh? I'm pretty pleased with how it's coming out thus far and it's pretty easy to tell on here which lines are new and which ones are old. The fish are about half done and have the cutest little fish faces. If you can't tell, I love this design. I wish more people came to me with stuff like this. Nothing but fun.