Leonardo Da Flake

If I could go back in time, or bring the past forwards, Leonardo Da Vinci is the person who I (and most likely many others) would have sought out to be my Mentor. How I long for a Mentor! His eccentricities and endless drawings and notes, to me, made him seem like some sort of unreachable God or Alien.

So I was quite surprised to read, in this article, that he was an unstoppable procrastinator, not unlike myself. And while I spend all my time procrastinating and wishing I were dead, he managed to do it with some style. And he still sounds awesome.

Have a read of the article and see how you feel afterwards. Do you conform like the rest of the World? Hitting deadlines on time, rushing things that are supposedly "important", but in the long run do not matter? (Like a degree in comics, when you want to be a Tattooist... *cough*)

This quote from the article suggests imperfection is the right way to go about it:

"Productive mediocrity requires discipline of an ordinary kind. It is safe and threatens no one. Nothing will be changed by mediocrity; mediocrity is completely predictable. It doesn't make the powerful and self-satisfied feel insecure. It doesn't require freedom, because it doesn't do anything unexpected. Mediocrity is the opposite of what we call "genius." Mediocrity gets perfectly mundane things done on time. But genius is uncontrolled and uncontrollable. You cannot produce a work of genius according to a schedule or an outline. As Leonardo knew, it happens through random insights resulting from unforeseen combinations. Genius is inherently outside the realm of known disciplines and linear career paths. Mediocrity does exactly what it's told, like the docile factory workers envisioned by Frederick Winslow Taylor."

After all, why rush to finish something you hate on time, when you can spend years doing something you love...

Personally, I hope I grow up to be like that mad Italian Geezer!

Tattoo Survey

For my third year dissertation I am investigating Tattoo Art as it appears in/with other forms of modern art. My aims are:

• to discover how and why Tattoo-art is inspiring other art-forms, focusing on graphics, fine art, photography, illustration
• to investigate why Tattoos have experienced a rise in popularity, and what benefits and problems may (or already have) come from it
• to look at how Tattooing has been influenced by other art-forms (e.g.: photo-realism, comics, graffiti, surrealism, graphics…)
• to look into the future of this juxtaposition between Tattoos and Modern Art

I’d be really grateful if you’d take just five minutes to fill in my survey, in order to help me complete my dissertation with some interesting results.
If there are any questions you are uncomfortable answering, or if they do not apply to you, just leave it blank.

Name:
Gender:
Age range: Under 18/18-24/25-34/35-44/45-54/55+
Occupation:

1. First of all, do you have a tattoo, and if so why? If you don’t, why not?

2. If you have a tattoo, what concerned you the most during the process: your own health and safety, the tattooist, the tattoo design, it’s meaning or it’s location on your body? Why?

3. When you think of “Tattoo” what kind of words spring to mind?

4. Now think of “Art”, and what words pop up?

5. Take a look at these two pictures:



Do you prefer the a) tattooed artwork, or b) the artwork of tattoos? Explain your decision.

6. Have you ever bought any merchandise decorated with tattoo art (e.g.: clothes, iPod covers, jewellery, perfumes etc). What attracted you to its design?

7. Take a look at these two people:



Who do you find more appealing: a) the celebrity with a tattoo, or b) the stranger with a tattoo? Explain your decision.

8. Tattoos have experienced a major increase in popularity over the last few years. Why do you think that is?

9. Do you see your current opinion of tattoos, whether good or bad, changing in the future? Why?

Thanks for taking the time to do this, I am very grateful! You can either post your answers directly to this page, or email me at BulletprufZombie@hotmail.co.uk. Please put "Tattoo Survey" in the subject box.

*Please note: All images here are taken off Google Images. I do not own them.

Jamie Hewlett in a Tux?!

Thought I'd just chuck in another mention here: Gorillaz have been voted band of the year by GQ magazine. I am led to believe this is some kind of man-magazine ("mangazine??") about fashion and stylishness, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm not surprised they won, they're a fantastic group. They're like a brick of cheese that just gets better with age. And from that photo of singer/musician Damon, artist Jamie, and hell-raising 'toon Murdoc I get the sense that their interview is going to be particularly fun and goofy, as they usually are. So if anyone happens to buy GQ, please lend it to me so I can have a look!

Jamie Hewlett is my greatest hero. He's an art school drop-out who went on to have his Kangeroo-shagging, bald, pin-up chick "Tank Girl" made into a movie when he was 23. Then he went on to create one of us Brits' best bands, and helped bring Monkey: Journey to the West to the stage. Go fig.

Blue skies and sunshine... almost guaranteed

Thought I'd share this humble iPhone snap:


At night I sleep with my curtains open. This started out as laziness but has just become a habit now, once I realised how lucky I am to have such a great view. There are no streetlights of any kind at the back of my house, just a vast view of our land, the fields and motorway below, and a great view of the Gresford Church.

On a good night I get the moonlight shining in my room like some Holy beacon. Obviously there are days when I wake up to grey clouds and rain, but every now and again I get a view like this, where the sky looks like a watercolour painting of washed-down blues, and the dawn is made up of neon-pinks and oranges...

You'd think with such inspiration I could conjure up some artwork. I guess sometimes views are wasted on the wrong people and I'll only wise-up when I am faced with a brick wall.

Ich bin (noch) ein Student

It’s that time of the year again: a month before I start back at University and I start to panic because nary a thing has been done. Not only that, but a week after I go back I’m off to America for a fortnight + seven days. So you can understand my grousing.

But all is not lost. I still have a month. And when I really think about it, they haven’t actually asked us to do much over the summer. Mainly gather research and formulate ideas.

As I’ve come to understand it, our third year is made up of four areas:

1. a 5000 word Dissertation
2. negotiated study projects
3. our own professional practice
4. research, research, research!

It doesn’t sound like much, but I’m not convinced. However, I’m going to try and make this year fun at least. I have more control over my projects and therefore more interest in them.

My dissertation has an introduction and a basic outline, with the (working) title “Tattoos: The Ostracized Art-Form” or “How has Tattooing influenced, or been influenced by, modern art, and in turn how has it developed into an art-form of its own?”

Wordy, no?

My negotiated study projects I have narrowed down to several project ideas:

1. a book of Tattoo flash, also known as Tattoo-a-day-for-100-days (or more)
2. a documentary, mainly to keep my boyfriend busy, but also to examine the insanity of what it is to be an art student
3. a collection of mini-comics, a web-comic, an iPhone app/comic, OR a full graphic novel
4. a full topical book in comic format, inspired by the works of Scott McCloud
5. screen-printed works to sell on Etsy
6. a series of paintings in story sequence, inspired partly by Max Ernst’s “Collage Novel", and also by a collection of paintings I spotted in Liverpool a few months ago...





They are by an artist called Bone Daddy. Although they don’t necessarily share a storyline, they do hint at the story behind each of the tattooees, and serve to make you wonder what kind of people they might be. I thought that was a great idea. And the series of paintings project would allow me to combine three of the things I love: storytelling, painting and tattoos.

So once I’ve selected which of the negotiated study projects I am going to pursue, I will more or less chuck the rest of the ideas in with my professional practice. Currently I only have two goals for my PDP: sell myself (not literally) and enter competitions, the first of which is this year’s Manga Jiman competition (cheers to Sarah from my class for the heads up!).

Every year or so, the Japanese Embassy in the UK hold this competition open to residents over 14, hand them a theme and a limit of 6 to 8 pages, and ask them to draw a manga. I attempted to enter it in 2008, but my procrastination got the better of me.

This year I’m more determined. Not only because it would look good in my PDP, but also because the theme is “nami” or “wave”, in english. It’s given me some good ideas, but obviously I won’t mention them here for fear of someone stealing them…

However I will post invisible updates.

So there’s my third year planned. Thought I’d also bring this up: Tattoosday UK recently posted a piece about artist Min Jeong Seo, and her porcelain casts of Ballerina arms, painted to resemble fully tattooed sleeves. This is essentially what I was trying to do last year with my (God awful) “Bookjacket” brief, and I only wish this post had arrived sooner!

Book Review: Tattoo Mystique – Angelique Houtkamp

As another small review, I thought I’d put in a mention for this colourful little book, a collection of works by Dutch tattooist Angelique Houtkamp. I first read about this in Skin Deep but (once again) have only just gotten around to checking it out.


Tattoo Mystique is second in a line of books by this incredibly recognizable artist. The first, Tattoo Darling, is still on my to-buy list, as is her newest collection, a book of black and white linedrawings for the creative enthusiast to use as he/she pleases. This I love, as it’s similar to a project I am working on.

Angelique is a master in her interpretation of vintage tattoo designs and pin-up girls, and her fashionably freaky little ladies are plastered all over this book. They are her specialty, and one of the many reasons people go to her is that (for a fee) she will design you a unique tattoo all of your own.

The book is jam-packed with her drawings, and they are stunning. She paints in watercolours, sticking to the theme of old-school sailor designs and often a limited colour palette, yet her work is fresh and inspiring.

The only downside to this book is its shortness. Whilst it opens, like Kat Von D’s "High Voltage Tattoo", with an introduction by a friend, and includes an interview with the artist herself, there is very little written about her. I would have loved to have read a piece from her point of view, although she does tell us a lot in her interview. Her love for Holland, where she lives, and how she describes waking up and starting her day around noon, riding her bicycle by the river and hanging out with her friends… it was a beautiful vision that left me longing for the kind of freedom that comes with being a well-established artist.

But until then, I’ll stick with longing to be tattooed by the Madame herself. This book is well worth the pennies.

You can see some of Angelique’s work on her official website, Salon Serpent, where you can also sign up to her monthly newsletter! Also, take a glimpse at her "Projects" page and see what you think of the "Babyskulls". Then take a look at these painted Ballerina arms (thanks to Tattoosday UK)... they are basically what I was trying to achieve with my "Bookjacket" brief last year, only a thousand times better. Perhaps I will try again one day, as I think these tattooed plaster body parts make gorgeous ornaments for lovers of the macabre and bizarre.

Until next time, keep your hands dirty!

DVD Review: Tattoos – A Scarred History

My last post appears to have been in May… I’d best get off my hiney and keep this up-to-date if I want to make out like I’m working hard!

First of all I want to put in a mention for Tattoosday UK, and urge you to check it out. Without Mel Noir and her wonderful blog, the gap between myself and the Tattoo World would be that much bigger. It’s helped keep me up-to-date, even if my drawing skills aren’t!

Now to business: this is fairly old news, but I have only just gotten round to watching a documentary called Tattoos: A Scarred History, even though I’ve had the DVD since April. I thought I’d share my observations with you (but it’s mainly to prove to my tutors that I AM researching!)

With Tattoos: A Scarred History, I think one needs to keep in mind that if you’re already thrust quite deeply into the Body-Mod puddle, then you’re perhaps not going to learn anything new. I’m relatively new to Tattooing, and yet I understood most of the terms and practices.

HOWEVER, that is not necessarily a bad thing, as the film isn’t made in such a way as to tell you all the ins and outs of Tattooing. It instead follows the journey of a young woman called Sousila, who is trying to discover why Tattoos are so popular at the moment.

It’s a UK-based film which pops over to the US of A for one segment, and surprisingly is filmed in my own hometown of Wrexham, and surrounding areas such as Llandudno, which surprised me and left me feeling a bit proud.

At 97 minutes, the film is a fascinating romp through the mad world of Tattoos that kept me hooked, made me giggle and even had me cringing at some scenes. We meet an awesome (and very sweet) dude named Spikey Bob, get a good close-up look at some controversial “Tattooees”, including one really dodgy bum Tattoo. Keep an eye out for it and let me know if it really offended you… or if you laughed like I did! Also, watch out for “Puff the Magic Dragon”. Sousila has some gumption, that’s for sure!

One of my favourite segments included a visit to the Llandudno Tattoo Convention, of which I had never heard of before, but will now be looking at going to.

There is also a small section dedicated to the murder of Sophie Lancaster (check out the S.O.P.H.I.E. foundation), with a shocking tape recording of the night when she and her boyfriend were taken to Hospital. It was very respectfully edited into the film, and a poignant message considering the amount of stick Tattooed/Pierced people have to put up with.

But I did learn a thing or two. Firstly, the process of tongue-splitting, a practice which I am very attracted to. There’s a gory close-up, so be warned, but those of you who are pure of heart and of nerve will survive I’m sure. I also found out what scarificiation is… but I want to leave that to those of you who don’t know to find out for yourself. I would call it next-generation tattooing, but apparently it is derived from original forms of tattooing!

Finally, I can’t talk about the film without mentioning the Celebrity Survey. I assume it was made at a sci-fi convention of some sort, as Sousila manages to rope in some pretty impressive interviews, my favourites of which are the late David Carradine (Kill Bill), Warwick Davis (Willow), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings), and Ana Matronic or Scissor Sisters fame. There’s also a split-second interview with Gordon Ramsey that gave me a laugh, but you need to sit through the credits to watch it.

So there’s my two pence on the film itself, but what of its host Sousila?

Personally, I found her endearing and thoughtful. She’s just your average Josephine, not trying to be the next best presenter, and yet she was very insightful and knew how to get the interviews she wanted. By the end of the film I felt like we’d become friends. Perhaps because we’re both searching for the same answers regarding this huge subject… so kudos to her for keeping me entertained.

I think the only con that goes with these many pros is the camera work and the sound. As the cameraman is Sousila’s boyfriend, it’s pretty clear he’s not entirely sure what he’s doing sometimes, and there are occasional bouts of blurring which distracted me a bit. Also, the sound sometimes catches you off guard, jumping between echoing, loud and quiet. But these are small problems that are easily ignored.

So my summary is: if you love body modification, even if you think you know everything about it, watch this film. It’s funny, shocking, educational (I hear children scream) but most of all fascinating, and the culmination of a lot of hard work from it’s producers. And the cost of the DVD is a pittance. You can get it for £4.99 on Amazon. It was £7.99 when I bought it, and a portion of the profits go to children’s charity Angelwish, which you can find out more about in the bonus features, including deleted scenes, a trailer, music video by Leather Zoo (seriously, check out their song "Stranger", it’s awesome!), among other extras.

Overall, for the production values, I’d give the film a 7 out of 10. But for pure balls and value for money, I’ll give it a perfect 10.

Until next time, keep your hands dirty!