The Tattooed Poets Project: Kevin Patrick Lee

Our next tattooed poet is Kevin Patrick Lee, who had initially expressed an interest last year in our project, but we had to wait for 2013 to run his submission.<br /><br />We're running this post on a Tat-Tuesday, because, as Kevin explains, he sent us "two poems ... regarding the subject matter of each [tattoo]." And because, "each poem gives insight into the respective tattoo," he adds, "...further explanation isn't needed."<br /><br />First, the tattoos, side by side on Kevin's inner forearms:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15JztPVmTJgmaZOS6wy_g-AsTt6Ow7WsNu6W5F1WFqgofvErwEjtf1tsLxcv8ZYfiFDKjKRrPa_nnauTneYtEYfLzu8dZs68-H4ptpCbx4DO0hrTYvqL3Lo26tQVnh0A_srg8b73pONM/s572/PopsFrida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15JztPVmTJgmaZOS6wy_g-AsTt6Ow7WsNu6W5F1WFqgofvErwEjtf1tsLxcv8ZYfiFDKjKRrPa_nnauTneYtEYfLzu8dZs68-H4ptpCbx4DO0hrTYvqL3Lo26tQVnh0A_srg8b73pONM/s640/PopsFrida.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br />We'll start with the tattoo on  the left (Kevin's right), which is a portrait of his father. Followers of the television series <i><a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/la-ink/about-la-ink.htm">L.A. Ink</a></i> might remember this piece, which was featured on the show and created by <a href="http://www.sixfeetunder.com/">Corey Miller</a> at <a href="http://www.highvoltagetattoo.com/">High Voltage Tattoo</a> in West Hollywood.<br /><br />This is the accompanying poem:<br /><br /><br /><b>The Reality</b><br /><br />My father died in my arms<br />early on a Thursday morning.<br /><br />I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t even sad.<br />there was no time or room for that;<br />that was my mother’s job.<br /><br />At the time, my brother and I<br />worked in the same warehouse,<br />the same dirt, the same grime,<br />the same bullshit from corporate pricks.<br /><br />The day after my dad died,<br />my brother was back at work,<br />and I made it in the day after that.<br />We probably worked harder those few days,<br />than we ever had before.<br /><br />And we got a lot of awkward looks,<br />uncertain stares that said,<br />“Hey, what are you doing here?<br />You should be at home, wilting and weeping.”<br /><br />But like our hard-working Irish father,<br />we are blue-collared through and through,<br />until one day we too kick the bucket<br />butt naked on the cold linoleum<br />of the bathroom floor<br />some unsuspecting morning.<br /><br />And though we have a lifetime to mourn,<br />the truth is,<br />bills don’t stop for death<br />and rent is always due on the 1st.<br /><br />===========================================================<br /><div><br /></div><div>The tattoo on the right (Kevin's left) is based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo">Frida Kahlo's</a> painting "<a href="http://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/57/index.html">The Broken Column</a>" and was tattooed by <a href="http://www.theartoflondon.com/">Brittan "London" Reese</a> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VaticanStudios">Vatican Studios</a> in Lake Forest, California. The poem accompanying this tattoo is "Hooked":</div><br /><br /><b>Hooked</b><br /><br /><br />When I walked out of our apartment for the last time,<br />I grabbed every roll of toilet paper.<br />I took the clips that tacked down the cable wire.<br />I picked up all the damn bobby pins that miraculously<br />flew out of my wife’s hair and onto the carpet.<br /><br />I stripped everything, except 2 hooks on the wall.<br />The two hooks that held up a painting that brought my wife and I together;<br />It was Frida Kahlo’s Broken Column.<br />There is nothing romantic or sexy about the painting,<br />except perhaps Frida’s bare breasts,<br />which I’m sure weren’t as perfect as<br />Salma Hayek’s breasts which played the part of Frida’s breasts<br />in Julie Taymor’s 2002 amazingly colorful film.<br /><br />I don’t know what my wife’s attraction to the painting was,<br />and I still don’t,<br />but I identified with the nails scattered all over her body<br />and the literal broken column of her spine.<br /><br />There were times in my mid-twenties where I couldn’t<br />roll over in bed to turn off my alarm clock because the discs<br />in my back were angry over their current living situation.<br />My doctor asking me, “So when do you want to schedule surgery.”<br />I never took her up on her offer,<br />instead popping pain pills and muscle relaxants when needed.<br />Luckily I have never been the addict.<br /><br />And I have nothing to complain about,<br />as so many people have it worse.<br />I know a woman who had something<br />implanted in her that would permanently<br />block the pain receptors going to her back,<br />because without it, she would have hung herself.<br /><br />This was our favorite painting separately before we met,<br />and perhaps it just goes to show that sometimes<br />pain and suffering leads to extraordinary things.<br /><br />I left the apartment and those two hooks,<br />and wanted to beg the landlord to keep them there,<br />so that perhaps it would bring inspiration to two more people<br />to hang something on the wall together,<br />the walls that hold them together,<br />the walls that keep them safe together,<br />so that they could fall in love here,<br />make a family here,<br />so that they could one day move on<br />and beg the landlord to leave the hooks in the wall.<br /><br />===========================================================<br /><br />Kevin Patrick Lee is the husband of a beautiful blue-eyed woman, and the father of a cool blue-eyed boy. He hosts a monthly poetry series called <i><a href="http://aorticbooks.wordpress.com/readings/">The Hump Readings</a></i>, was a founder of <a href="http://lbpoetryfestival.blogspot.com/">Beside the City of Angels: a Long Beach Poetry Festival</a>, and runs <a href="http://aorticbooks.wordpress.com/">Aortic Books</a>. His work has appeared in book collections and many great small press mags. A book is forthcoming in 2013 by <a href="http://worldparadebooks.wordpress.com/">World Parade Books</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Kevin for sharing his poetry and tattoos with us here on the Tattooed Poets Project on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.963522638194263" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday. The poems and tattoos are reprinted with the poet's permission.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit </span><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></span></b><br /><br />

The Tattooed Poets Project: Kevin Patrick Lee

Our next tattooed poet is Kevin Patrick Lee, who had initially expressed an interest last year in our project, but we had to wait for 2013 t...

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Amanda's Irises (and a Quote)

This start-of-the-year post is courtesy of Amanda, who I met at the end of October in the <a href="http://www.borders.com/online/store/StoreDetailView_592">Borders</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Circle">Columbus Circle</a>.<br /><br />It was her sleeve of irises that first captured my attention:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoOuefSRdrB4CR37jT-IYneXfPzOpHzsBmrVknY7aec0Dkqa90ZRZTTUsyNnZqMnMjjW5BFc80fk97oKfoMztGTPeMlPSbSGXgEJS8hVyVn2J_5yD2XZGJZPr_Ej78vqwZ1DNFkwA_tc/s1600/Amanda+Iris+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoOuefSRdrB4CR37jT-IYneXfPzOpHzsBmrVknY7aec0Dkqa90ZRZTTUsyNnZqMnMjjW5BFc80fk97oKfoMztGTPeMlPSbSGXgEJS8hVyVn2J_5yD2XZGJZPr_Ej78vqwZ1DNFkwA_tc/s640/Amanda+Iris+Collage.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><br />These are inspired by the work of <a href="http://www.vangoghgallery.com/">Vincent van Gogh</a>, perhaps this one:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qsC3tjmkSuEeBT0baFfNJIRTvlMpbhyphenhyphen6kEQ8lRY2ecKTmXRNhpBg4CEpz6-EABv0PUJq7xeyN_0uWyx4MxgkLhk-PXqtH3qf1XkRW_YJhJI5QXnE4-lqrvGt5s4nt8HHpVaCQAm8hOs/s1600/Irises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qsC3tjmkSuEeBT0baFfNJIRTvlMpbhyphenhyphen6kEQ8lRY2ecKTmXRNhpBg4CEpz6-EABv0PUJq7xeyN_0uWyx4MxgkLhk-PXqtH3qf1XkRW_YJhJI5QXnE4-lqrvGt5s4nt8HHpVaCQAm8hOs/s400/Irises.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />The tattoo was done by <a href="http://www.highvoltagetattoo.com/artists_dennis.html">Dennis Halbritter</a> when he was at <a href="http://incognitotattoo.com/">Incognito Tattoo</a> in Pasadena, California. He has since moved to <a href="http://www.highvoltagetattoo.com/home.html">High Voltage Tattoo</a>, <a href="http://www.katvond.net/">Kat Von D's</a> shop on <a href="http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/la-ink/">L.A. Ink</a>.<br /><br />Dennis also inked this on Amanda's inner right bicep:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsGJHuxnyrDR2hY0sYrF7zmEZCn6ZJkrI95S6k3xa_XKe3HfIHqX3qMedUPObi8q9Y2ZuyXlim4Mam7yeFT42kzoQAE837Gs8vzTg_JHwSP0POt36qWONGbRSlp935J-Nef6xSIneMFg/s1600/amanda+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsGJHuxnyrDR2hY0sYrF7zmEZCn6ZJkrI95S6k3xa_XKe3HfIHqX3qMedUPObi8q9Y2ZuyXlim4Mam7yeFT42kzoQAE837Gs8vzTg_JHwSP0POt36qWONGbRSlp935J-Nef6xSIneMFg/s400/amanda+quote.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This quote "IO FU QUELLO CHE VOI SIETE E QUEL CH'IO SON VOI SARETE" is taken from an Italian fresco credited to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaccio">Masaccio</a>. This is the artwork in question:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPLwSIm4PernxOCFok9SkQP9xDfKyGMkqv16Y8gU7MvY3JCZZRyF1KuIu1gO1OgQQFnjYLhyAQtIHzHriHR8rSs5KG-J5htIs40WX8EmTdoKh8QUZAUL5hhgnWZR1QSrXUFDckLCtuX0/s1600/296px-Masaccio_trinity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPLwSIm4PernxOCFok9SkQP9xDfKyGMkqv16Y8gU7MvY3JCZZRyF1KuIu1gO1OgQQFnjYLhyAQtIHzHriHR8rSs5KG-J5htIs40WX8EmTdoKh8QUZAUL5hhgnWZR1QSrXUFDckLCtuX0/s640/296px-Masaccio_trinity.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Holy Trinity, with the Virgin and Saint John and donors, </b></i><b>in Florence</b></td></tr></tbody></table>If you look at the bottom of the fresco, right above the skeleton is the phrase Amanda has inscribed on her arm.<br /><br />The phrase is translated as "I once was what you are and what I am you also will be".<br />These words remind her of her own mortality.<br /><br />Thanks to Amanda for sharing these lovely tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Amanda's Irises (and a Quote)

This start-of-the-year post is courtesy of Amanda, who I met at the end of October in the Borders at Columbus Circle . It was her sleeve of...

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The Tattoosday Book Review: High Voltage

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7sL05eErnL3XxbEhYQxQEFIkVAyI8BF8_rYe0WfdtIrS_Lm-rBzgjW6_37cB9ms4WEsM4ic15vYm7KR1Bqgk3FRFn4raoP6_bFwWQag4-hCPWBc4lhRavON7VnPEMQiENIOXyEVX6qj0/s1600-h/highvoltagebook.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310590559136420866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7sL05eErnL3XxbEhYQxQEFIkVAyI8BF8_rYe0WfdtIrS_Lm-rBzgjW6_37cB9ms4WEsM4ic15vYm7KR1Bqgk3FRFn4raoP6_bFwWQag4-hCPWBc4lhRavON7VnPEMQiENIOXyEVX6qj0/s400/highvoltagebook.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />As a viewer of the cable show <a href="http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/miami-ink/miami-ink.html" style="font-style: italic;">Miami Ink</a>, I watched with great interest when <a href="http://www.chrisgarvertattoo.com/">Chris G</a><a href="http://www.chrisgarvertattoo.com/">arver</a> brought his friend <a href="http://www.katvond.net/">Kat Von D.</a> into the shop as a guest tattooer in the show's early days. Kat's portrait work is phenomenal, and she is an extremely charismatic person.<br /><br />The problem with reality shows like <span style="font-style: italic;">Miami Ink</span>, its spin-off <a href="http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/la-ink/la-ink.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">L.A. Ink</span></a>, and the <a href="http://www.aetv.com/">A&E</a> Series <a href="http://www.aetv.com/inked/" style="font-style: italic;">Inked</a>, is that the producers feel, and perhaps rightfully so, that a show filled with tattoos is bad for ratings. When I was getting my second tattoo, in 2005, I asked my tattoo artist, <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Pet</a><a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">er Cavorsi</a>, what he thought of these shows. He shrugged and said "too much drama" and told me he didn't watch them. He struck at the core of the tattoo shows' problems: the purists in the tattoo community generally are frustrated by the fact that the personal relationships often overshadow the occasional tattoo. Fans of the shows will tell you: drama drives ratings.<br /><br />Kat Von D.'s popular success is not due solely to her skills as a tattoo artist. I am not saying she isn't talented. She's immensely talented. But I admire her just as much, if not more, for her ability to parlay a dramatic turn of events (her conflict with <span style="font-style: italic;">Miami Ink's</span> chief protagonist, <a href="http://www.amijames.com/">Ami James</a>) into what is appearing to be an empire. Kat Von D. may be a great tattoo artist, but she's also a hell of a business woman, as evidenced by her shop's success in L.A., her show's ratings, and her successful side <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbcTYOWz8iWvpvkUY_dd-6qYqVJKQWwTLcan0EShmP9zl3kLdiRm9ekmfDQ96e6088ritZbp8I4x7rhSom6bC8oxbcfEzfElPjJ_hNxPibtblnEnLLv0vs6C3dT0JIGLd9lnnLD6fTW3A/s1600-h/musink.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310590289754544386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbcTYOWz8iWvpvkUY_dd-6qYqVJKQWwTLcan0EShmP9zl3kLdiRm9ekmfDQ96e6088ritZbp8I4x7rhSom6bC8oxbcfEzfElPjJ_hNxPibtblnEnLLv0vs6C3dT0JIGLd9lnnLD6fTW3A/s400/musink.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 198px;" /></a>projects, like the Tattoo/Music festival "<a href="http://www.amijames.com/">Musink</a>," her cosmetics line at<br /><a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=Kat%20Von%20D">Sephora</a>, and, most recently, her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Voltage-Tattoo-Kat-Von/dp/0061684384">High Voltage </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Voltage-Tattoo-Kat-Von/dp/0061684384">Tattoo</a>. In other words, Kat’s not just an artist. She’s a brand.<br /><br />People generally either love Kat Von D. or hate her. She has a devoted fan base and a huge following. She is indisputably the most popular tattoo artist in America. But with success of such magnitude comes detractors. The tattoo community has always been a very close-knit, insular, society. Tattoos have never been so popular, and there is significant resentment among "old school" tattoo aficionados, that trendiness breeds sell-outs, and a dilution of the purity of tattooing as an art form.<br /><br />Personally, I understand this sentiment, but at the same time, I admittedly am part of the handful of people who are riding the wave of tattoo popularity. Tattoosday was in-part inspired by the <span style="font-style: italic;">Miami Ink</span> phenomenon. My knowledge of tattooing was limited when I got my first two tattoos. I am much more knowledgeable now than when Tattoosday was "born" a year and a<br />half ago, but I hardly think of myself as an expert, nor do I pretend to be. I am just writing about what interests me and ultimately, in its purest form, that is what Kat Von D. has done with her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Voltage-Tattoo-Kat-Von/dp/0061684384">High Voltage Tattoo</a>.<br /><br />This, ultimately, is a first for Tattoosday. It is a bona fide review. Have I sold out the original concept behind Tattoosday? Hardly. I am just writing because that's what I do, like a tattooer tattoos because that's what they do.<br /><br />So let's take a look at the book, which any <span style="font-style: italic;">L.A. Ink</span> viewer knew was coming, as the story behind the book was one of the many episodic plot lines in the show.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoCFqdhHjuCVYmU-niWg0jRM1G7Kohyphenhyphen-dfusCxUGOAiX3xNiemMes_Dq-94y6H2LdQK4KlW23Dc81I3OYKStlCFhYzcKmM4zNzW1WnT4ZwyXdddPCg_wqd0uCS9ElH6pA3S33xj-rCjWe/s1600-h/highvoltagespreads11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310590674406740738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoCFqdhHjuCVYmU-niWg0jRM1G7Kohyphenhyphen-dfusCxUGOAiX3xNiemMes_Dq-94y6H2LdQK4KlW23Dc81I3OYKStlCFhYzcKmM4zNzW1WnT4ZwyXdddPCg_wqd0uCS9ElH6pA3S33xj-rCjWe/s400/highvoltagespreads11.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" /></a><br />First and foremost, let me first say this is a beautiful book. The production value reflects the care that went into its engineering. The first printing has a thick padded cover (the second printing reverted to basic hardcover with dust jacket) which enhances the feel of the book. The pages are thick and bright with colorful graphics and photographs. For the simple fact that the book has on display so many beautiful tattoo images, it is worth the list price, purely for its aesthetic value.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgyrOPy1iPx0S0o9ZLWu1T_-WB5_qRUwF5RebUy60W9NkeS-i7FTAUzTAduCuYT2pfIWtwFYWN2IhyphenhyphenhscdJvsO59pda5H6kG_dve8lVObx3uHl_p3mGSFp3d1U7c8K8YkzMwYyZqXMglB/s1600-h/high-voltage-tattoo-book--large-msg-123312651391.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310590722197451026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgyrOPy1iPx0S0o9ZLWu1T_-WB5_qRUwF5RebUy60W9NkeS-i7FTAUzTAduCuYT2pfIWtwFYWN2IhyphenhyphenhscdJvsO59pda5H6kG_dve8lVObx3uHl_p3mGSFp3d1U7c8K8YkzMwYyZqXMglB/s400/high-voltage-tattoo-book--large-msg-123312651391.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 257px;" /></a><br />Drilling down into the contents, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Voltage-Tattoo-Kat-Von/dp/0061684384">High Voltage Tattoo</a> offers a great introduction to not only Kat Von D., but to the art of tattooing in general, perfect for the average person looking to know more about tattoos.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zzukGkMBHR8gjA8xROmEev0VYLPSbVjKywlK_BGpfeTdolbx5Xc4RQUCw8TjKg1CjkNhHldOxHCccnxhaAw7dZSH8-mudE4F4aJ7B8A7rSCVq5nlhUi0H1GsCUbiapyze10_JLsGg7FG/s1600-h/high_voltage_tattoo_large.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310590433705563890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zzukGkMBHR8gjA8xROmEev0VYLPSbVjKywlK_BGpfeTdolbx5Xc4RQUCw8TjKg1CjkNhHldOxHCccnxhaAw7dZSH8-mudE4F4aJ7B8A7rSCVq5nlhUi0H1GsCUbiapyze10_JLsGg7FG/s400/high_voltage_tattoo_large.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 136px;" /></a>The 175-page project is built around the High Voltage motif which has inspired <a href="http://www.highvoltagetattoo.com/">Kat Von D.'s shop</a> in West Los Angeles.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AEruU3EZiVLDhS62mYfEswLwAZdsY5G5AeDSF_DN4bME2rLjrfWwNyDNmhFo3fztXzkYvS-EJNtT46aqJfz8mat4jdhMSBJy8ZFBqc9Hyh-YrEv8qLQqoinmTR4BB1EhaGtAJfz_pLTi/s1600-h/Highwayblood2.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310425285174589010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AEruU3EZiVLDhS62mYfEswLwAZdsY5G5AeDSF_DN4bME2rLjrfWwNyDNmhFo3fztXzkYvS-EJNtT46aqJfz8mat4jdhMSBJy8ZFBqc9Hyh-YrEv8qLQqoinmTR4BB1EhaGtAJfz_pLTi/s400/Highwayblood2.gif" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a>The five sections of the book are named after <a href="http://www.acdc.com/">AC/DC</a> songs: "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_to_Hell_%28song%29">Highway to Hell</a>," "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_There_Be_Rock_%28song%29">Let There Be Rock</a>," "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_in_Black_%28song%29">Back in Black</a>," "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Want_Blood_You%27ve_Got_It">If You Want Blood, You've Got It</a>," and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Deeds_Done_Dirt_Cheap_%28song%29">Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap</a>". Each chapter takes on another aspect of Kat's journey, from her biography, to the genesis of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Voltage-Tattoo-Kat-Von/dp/0061684384">High Voltage Tattoo</a>, to a portfolio of portraits, to a section profiling some of Kat's work, and ending with a brief selection of artists who have inspired her.<br /><br />This is certainly geared to the Kat Von D. fan, but there is something for everyone. Most compelling is her biographical chapter that gallops through her career, astonishing considering she is celebrating her 27th birthday today (March 8, 2009). We only get the highlights, which is understandable because what is often underplayed and lost on television, is that the life of a tattoo artist may seem glamorous and exciting, but there is an insane amount of hard work and tedium involved. At the same time, the most interesting biographical tidbits seem glossed over. I was very curious to get more of her take on the whole conflict with Ami James. To her credit, she doesn't take any real shots at Ami, and doesn't exploit the drama, despite the public's appetite for such controversies.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiah6cDzA-HRUV_6wXgllab8KgeJy5jJ36lqwADEhWmps1TLmdPrB5HXsoKajNxcE87MoScdkFq_NKtYtaCakBIGZLMHTcCeby05XozXoflDT981OLBjzMZcaFimYDjCsIQb1svXEsVBF80/s1600-h/highvoltagespreads2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310590617034121362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiah6cDzA-HRUV_6wXgllab8KgeJy5jJ36lqwADEhWmps1TLmdPrB5HXsoKajNxcE87MoScdkFq_NKtYtaCakBIGZLMHTcCeby05XozXoflDT981OLBjzMZcaFimYDjCsIQb1svXEsVBF80/s400/highvoltagespreads2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" /></a><br /><br />Aside from her biography, I really enjoyed the small section on tattoo machines. It certainly gives the reader a better understanding of the basic mechanics and the variations in design. It's not just a tool that gets plugged in and runs. Kat's rudimentary introduction paints a broader base on machine knowledge than one normally sees.<br /><br />Another fascinating part is the several pages devoted to her own physical canvas. She catalogues her tattoos and answers the burning questions about her ink and their provenance.<br /><br />I especially like her "yearbook" leg, the left limb on which her friends and family have tattooed their marks. It shows a lack of pretentiousness that is appealing to me, at least; that she is not all about the perfect piece in the perfect spot. It drives home the point that many tattoo snobs<br />don't get: the meaning behind the tattoo more often than not outshines the quality. And that's completely okay.<br /><br />Other elements of the book that are useful are Kat's "dos and don'ts", although a lot of it is common sense. But given the lack of sense some people display, these pointers will certainly spare some artists the grief caused by otherwise clueless clients.<br /><br />I was a little bit put off by some small features of the book, like her lists of things she’s inspired by and the catalog of items she collects. Whether this was just filler, or something the author thought the fans wanted to see, I would have preferred more artwork. In the grand scheme of<br />things, how important is it that Kat’s inspired by “The F Word” and that she collects leg warmers?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiDVbE8assDHqQ_I8ooybhNJz8XOm_KU-QoregxVwpo_1jJMcrR_CNKAvElRqGi0bwgFFerV29vhf2c_1-i6ZImb8UmYYk4YAoRbSUI7x1aHYtxRslEHt4bNmcFRDPiI2_rGLdnx7NucZ/s1600-h/highvoltage+spreads+22.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310590507227413394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiDVbE8assDHqQ_I8ooybhNJz8XOm_KU-QoregxVwpo_1jJMcrR_CNKAvElRqGi0bwgFFerV29vhf2c_1-i6ZImb8UmYYk4YAoRbSUI7x1aHYtxRslEHt4bNmcFRDPiI2_rGLdnx7NucZ/s400/highvoltage+spreads+22.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" /></a><br />Another section is devoted to what terminology to use and not use. I knew that the expression "tats" is generally not favored (unless it is) and I was corrected early on in this blog's history not to refer to a tattoo machine as a "gun". But I was chagrined to see the expression "ink," referring to tattoos, as much of a no-no as "tats". There aren't a lot of synonyms for tattoos a writer can use, and I was annoyed to have another one frowned upon. Especially since the three most popular shows about the craft all have "ink" in their title. But I'll get over it.<br /><br />This is a Kat Von D. Production through and through. You can tell she put her heart and soul into this book, and it's certainly a testament to her perseverance and success.<br /><br />The worst criticism I have is that she certainly makes herself out to be a craftsman devoted to the art, but she doesn't really dwell on her own faults. She acknowledges that she is still learning, but it's hard to find faults in the rosy facade that she paints of herself. She cautions that one<br />should never get tattooed while under the influence. Sage advice, but she seems to revel in the fact that a lot of her early work (both given and received) was delivered while in "party mode". But if you can get beyond those small contradictions, then the book is a treat for the eyes and the<br />brain.<br /><br />I have tried to paint as an objective review of <u>High Voltage Tattoo</u> as I can. The bigger the personality, the more controversial the figure. If you strip away the small aspects and focus on the larger facts: that Kat Von D. is an immense talent, that she is a savvy businesswoman, and, most importantly, has a devout love for her art, then you should derive immense pleasure from this testament to a career that is flourishing in an industry at the height of its popularity.<br /><br />Not to mention the fact that she is rock and roll, through and through.

The Tattoosday Book Review: High Voltage

As a viewer of the cable show Miami Ink , I watched with great interest when Chris G arver brought his friend Kat Von D. into the shop as ...

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