The Tattooed Poets Project: Adam Deutsch's Miltonic Tattoos

Today's tattoos come from <a href="http://adamdeutsch.blogspot.com/">Adam Deutsch</a>. We started with this photo:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Times;font-size:100%;" ><img height="320" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=0cc7f0c66c&view=att&th=120a01b86fe955d7&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&zw" width="218" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Times;font-size:100%;" >Photo taken by Lillian Bertram.</span><br /></div><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Times;font-size:100%;" ><br />A cool photo, and Adam explained the piece:<br /><blockquote>It's based on a <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Times;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Dor%C3%A9">Gustave </a></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Dor%C3%A9">Doré</a> etching from his interpretations of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milton">Milton's</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost"><i>Paradise Lost</i></a>, the lines "He the Almighty Power/ Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky" (I. 44-45) when Lucifer is waging war, before the fall to Hell.<br /><br /><span><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Times;font-size:100%;" ><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B8oo34KoyfMj4pl8qVw0GTbK8KMLewClj43rMQK0uZmZk06LsBH3G1nKJGc0iz0WtHwBPw8sGFAmym3XUbEt9Z2X_on9Q0qV4rgbHUGSqBSeC2a9_Nsv2p375hAjNzt-EPTqVVBlf-I/s1600-h/pl1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325802090293339746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B8oo34KoyfMj4pl8qVw0GTbK8KMLewClj43rMQK0uZmZk06LsBH3G1nKJGc0iz0WtHwBPw8sGFAmym3XUbEt9Z2X_on9Q0qV4rgbHUGSqBSeC2a9_Nsv2p375hAjNzt-EPTqVVBlf-I/s400/pl1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 400px;" /></a></span></span><br />White ink is incorporated in the rain, and on the halo over his head, as he's still an Angel. We've all got something we turn to over and over again; <i>Paradise Lost</i> is always there.</blockquote>The tattoo was done at <a href="http://www.larktattoo.com/westbury_artists.html">Lark Tattoo</a> in Westbury, New York. The artist was <a href="http://www.larktattoo.com/artists/sunday/artist_frame.html">Sunday Dawne-Marie</a>.<br /><br />Despite the awesome nature of this tattoo, I pressed Adam for something more, as it's a bit hard to make out the images of the tattoo in the photo, and I really want to showcase the work.<br /><br />Our discussion progressed and Adam ended up sending me photos of his leg piece, as well.<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcltYsvdhb-O3MPi35BA7tIE_HuPRXseZT7CJDQDj9uolPg1MN3c-6E599rpJMbGNNe-VoRnxL-kx9VgIfxDCiyAhWnuROpaaOPzGY3fSLOozlgB0CDubYIHhz-e0znevBZ8M6bCQUMd4/s1600-h/leftinferno.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325812382909134898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcltYsvdhb-O3MPi35BA7tIE_HuPRXseZT7CJDQDj9uolPg1MN3c-6E599rpJMbGNNe-VoRnxL-kx9VgIfxDCiyAhWnuROpaaOPzGY3fSLOozlgB0CDubYIHhz-e0znevBZ8M6bCQUMd4/s400/leftinferno.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5d4lU59dVagFjQak26iLwht2OQo0siVepYvv2qAK9PRrPgs7EJ3JdE7HaKhFRNv4JsJgrRS3yOgLYwvjEJUYINdFc7_MqO-jLXwBX5P_aHyFzd7BxwfArmD7mUSHMce3fmU6TSWyH64/s1600-h/centerinferno.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325812297669680082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5d4lU59dVagFjQak26iLwht2OQo0siVepYvv2qAK9PRrPgs7EJ3JdE7HaKhFRNv4JsJgrRS3yOgLYwvjEJUYINdFc7_MqO-jLXwBX5P_aHyFzd7BxwfArmD7mUSHMce3fmU6TSWyH64/s400/centerinferno.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEnepxgire45HysfS3ujgCjwKg0wLOZ8Z9R7JUIOW_5DRSKuq9jhCpjC_veQmrzAJhWUR44-EUcrpi99Kq5XSHkzk3sD1zbrijg-LqVkNA9SrOT1GtFj8B8lRuQbUXaUk9yfIdyt01SI/s1600-h/rightinferno.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325812187163986642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEnepxgire45HysfS3ujgCjwKg0wLOZ8Z9R7JUIOW_5DRSKuq9jhCpjC_veQmrzAJhWUR44-EUcrpi99Kq5XSHkzk3sD1zbrijg-LqVkNA9SrOT1GtFj8B8lRuQbUXaUk9yfIdyt01SI/s400/rightinferno.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Adam points out that this piece, on his right leg, is based on the depiction of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pand%C3%A6monium_%28Paradise_Lost%29">Pandemonium</a>, also from <span style="font-style: italic;">Paradise Lost</span>. This is the mock-cathedral in Hell where the fallen angels meet to decide what is next on their agenda:<br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ></span><blockquote><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Mean while the winged Haralds by command<br />Of Sovran power, with awful Ceremony<br />And Trumpets sound throughout the Host proclaim<br />A solemn Councel forthwith to be held<br />At <i>PandÆmonium,</i> the high Capital<br />Of Satan and his Peers (lines 752-757)<br /></span></blockquote>The detail in the piece is phenomenal:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVTZCiBS9EjiZaI0eHeRpAlmpLPhr5nCoUDh1NEPlqAT6a3kwVx9f4wKS8UBksLf6PmfP3v2nt9VsSjiYodK4o49D399LLEw68N3O3KomZjExCdGU40OCy2J-57vQ_v3-SEmH-dyIjDA/s1600-h/pandedetail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326235981337748834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVTZCiBS9EjiZaI0eHeRpAlmpLPhr5nCoUDh1NEPlqAT6a3kwVx9f4wKS8UBksLf6PmfP3v2nt9VsSjiYodK4o49D399LLEw68N3O3KomZjExCdGU40OCy2J-57vQ_v3-SEmH-dyIjDA/s400/pandedetail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Adam notes that the two tattoos, both on the right side of his body, "talk to each other....it's a conversation between an angel & devil". He adds that, "in that context, my arm becomes Elijah, fallen, but re-risen."<br /><br />The arm took about two hours to complete, but the leg took approximately ten hours, in two sittings of four and six hours, respectively, about a month and a half apart. The two pieces seen here are among four "literary" tattoos Adam has. He also has a whole sleeve based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson">Emerson</a>.<br /><br />Head over to <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-19-adam.html">BillyBlog</a> to check out one of Adam's poems <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-19-adam.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Adam for sharing his amazing work with us here on Tattoosday, with a special thanks to Jill Alexander Essbaum (whose literary feet kicked off the Tattooed Poets Project <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/04/jill-alexander-essbaums-poetic-feet.html">here</a>) for sending Adam our way!

The Tattooed Poets Project: Adam Deutsch's Miltonic Tattoos

Today's tattoos come from Adam Deutsch . We started with this photo: Photo taken by Lillian Bertram. A cool photo, and Adam explained th...

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