Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog): Alex Grey

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrRvkVwqaoZeQObe-lGhEi8lATxXjJunLLc1yHH2ASeR577HUWofohXJgv5Fm0cW0fN3Hj0szNEacKdzYVmdrODR1BWDt_H6flM7mUnlQLhZycKsJoa2mY6wAynpt_dAat2E3K6Kf0Hm3/s1600-h/eye+detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275510587371358130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrRvkVwqaoZeQObe-lGhEi8lATxXjJunLLc1yHH2ASeR577HUWofohXJgv5Fm0cW0fN3Hj0szNEacKdzYVmdrODR1BWDt_H6flM7mUnlQLhZycKsJoa2mY6wAynpt_dAat2E3K6Kf0Hm3/s400/eye+detail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px;" /></a> Autumn has not been good to us here on Tattoosday. Inkspotting has been, um, spotty, at best, and most of the work I have seen has been indoors and/or below ground. On Tuesday, I glimpsed some color peeking out from a woman's sleeve as she walked south on Seventh Avenue. When I stopped to talk to her, Karen was gracious, despite the chill in the air, and filled me in on the two pieces (yes, just like last Tat-twosday) on her right wrist: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3k6A9jx8zq9O7yhxRbPPueSOPzZM45CjfSJoOV9mubFQMghA1ABfc2iBJH4_uzr4awfXhdKMrxoo0uTEMGD_Z-gArX0j1n2rJKNMGRc7UlCC9cjd5NDwiEhGtD-fWNmMT3Ttzih7KSYcT/s1600-h/PICT1004.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275508834619182866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3k6A9jx8zq9O7yhxRbPPueSOPzZM45CjfSJoOV9mubFQMghA1ABfc2iBJH4_uzr4awfXhdKMrxoo0uTEMGD_Z-gArX0j1n2rJKNMGRc7UlCC9cjd5NDwiEhGtD-fWNmMT3Ttzih7KSYcT/s400/PICT1004.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" /></a> Karen is a student at <a href="http://www.fitnyc.edu/html/dynamic.html">Fashion Institute of Technology</a> and was inky of another sort, with smudges on her hands and arms from her projects. She is an artist specializing in textile surfaces, designing such things as wallpaper, tissue boxes, and other items requiring her craft. She cleaned some of the ink up from around her body art, enough so we could get a clearer shot of her tattoos. The one on the left is the insignia from the Gunslinger's revolver featured on the covers of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2p9o4IqB-g6Z5KnDdVhC-fzpbp2DkmK44htOEnTXcS_TyC4lT6HRcDHpR7YClK_WvsbCUCznSfIvRMFRi78mVly3lzImp2TkXJJ4WmrclOfn1YcUJiVQjt7AV5AQy3mG-PbgMd3EcDZwC/s1600-h/glow+sign.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275511330752330930" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2p9o4IqB-g6Z5KnDdVhC-fzpbp2DkmK44htOEnTXcS_TyC4lT6HRcDHpR7YClK_WvsbCUCznSfIvRMFRi78mVly3lzImp2TkXJJ4WmrclOfn1YcUJiVQjt7AV5AQy3mG-PbgMd3EcDZwC/s400/glow+sign.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 400px;" /></a>This is referred to as the "Eld Sigul" insignia and stands for the Gunslinger. I'm sure fans of the series will correct me and/or expand on the topic should they find that explanation lacking. Do note that we had a Dark Tower tattoo recently on these pages, <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-spotted-jerome-at-corner-of-31st-and.html">here</a> back in October. What's noteworthy about this piece is the ink used has special qualities. Karen originally wanted a hot pink tattoo, but the shop (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/skindeepny">Skin Deep Tattoo</a>) had just received a shipment of ink that illuminates under black light. I've not seen one of these in person, but have seen samples <a href="http://www.tattooartists.org/Gal3975_UV_Blacklight_Ink.asp">elsewhere</a> in the blogosphere. The other piece, on the right, is a "third eye" designed by the artist <a href="http://www.alexgrey.com/">Alex Grey</a>, who is renowned for his cover art for the band <a href="http://www.toolband.com/">Tool</a>: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTG5FO6UYvNmDW4aERrKnqievRkHiquhbXbfSHF-9FA85z-Sn0c3Wo42M0bDThGpxg28r6vBxtUbAwgYgGctrER-5up118R8UQViwcldEqiWOdtEpMwemCshM7Ae5kot14ull3RSoEqib/s1600-h/third+eye.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275515988286188802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTG5FO6UYvNmDW4aERrKnqievRkHiquhbXbfSHF-9FA85z-Sn0c3Wo42M0bDThGpxg28r6vBxtUbAwgYgGctrER-5up118R8UQViwcldEqiWOdtEpMwemCshM7Ae5kot14ull3RSoEqib/s400/third+eye.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 400px;" /></a> In fact, this "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_eye">third eye</a>" piece is from the art of the Tool album <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralus">Lateralus</a>: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPElbAmEHPH65m0ZzLPZOfMVh9GhVWcwwDggjg5bsWfBHS6ARc5huJiCdUuSEMR4UoMt4TRIKwm0CVxrxThyJBsGyxvnSaR0ILKjxUdTcDrcjkJEG0VOxUc0CL4J3zF3-GsIETzkBgbmaD/s1600-h/lateralushalfeye.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275518228778613810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPElbAmEHPH65m0ZzLPZOfMVh9GhVWcwwDggjg5bsWfBHS6ARc5huJiCdUuSEMR4UoMt4TRIKwm0CVxrxThyJBsGyxvnSaR0ILKjxUdTcDrcjkJEG0VOxUc0CL4J3zF3-GsIETzkBgbmaD/s400/lateralushalfeye.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOrlZitPw85YVJ_-mEs0qaXROd0BJgAyH_58ui3AGvCjUDVtgWb6BxlCMvAt_kYHbU8UTicqW1enmNHTEMZHWLumXxkhY7tk1ZF_04A_acIKEnfW-HwZk4PpVrxHQA-0Xv6IHUl5neadj/s1600-h/later.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275518173934253330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOrlZitPw85YVJ_-mEs0qaXROd0BJgAyH_58ui3AGvCjUDVtgWb6BxlCMvAt_kYHbU8UTicqW1enmNHTEMZHWLumXxkhY7tk1ZF_04A_acIKEnfW-HwZk4PpVrxHQA-0Xv6IHUl5neadj/s400/later.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 331px; height: 319px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFGD1gk982Yz1tzsCS07uZeoueTgd5LGh0QA5jCg_uom1BqKmYksH-ID55sA03sScAxDBl3OcCLCvx0bAwNGOlFty_ZdcFpTQHJPYiRhpt8zqUKJUzuU0m9cVNl6-k2QnLAyA2HpxGNwp/s1600-h/latcd.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275518130790897426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFGD1gk982Yz1tzsCS07uZeoueTgd5LGh0QA5jCg_uom1BqKmYksH-ID55sA03sScAxDBl3OcCLCvx0bAwNGOlFty_ZdcFpTQHJPYiRhpt8zqUKJUzuU0m9cVNl6-k2QnLAyA2HpxGNwp/s400/latcd.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 400px;" /></a> This, also, was worked up at Skin Deep. Karen believes that <a href="http://www.myspace.com/smilingrob">Rob</a> was the tattoo artist for both pieces. The extreme close-up at the top of this post emphasizes how vivid the ink used in the piece is. Karen has two other tattoos, but they were well-protected from the elements, and were not visible higher up on her arms. I do thank her again for being so amenable to stopping and sharing her work with us here on Tattoosday!

Karen's Colorful Ink Glows in More Ways than One

Autumn has not been good to us here on Tattoosday. Inkspotting has been, um, spotty, at best, and most of the work I have seen has been indo...

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