It's a Small World: Steve Shares Some Amazing Tim Kern Handiwork

Last June (yes, you read that correctly - I've been sitting on this post a while!), I attended a <a href="http://www.needlesandsins.com/2011/06/reminder-book-release-party-tonight-sacred-gallery.html">book release party</a> at <a href="http://www.sacredgallerynyc.com/gallery">Sacred Gallery</a> in Manhattan.<br /><br />While perusing the art hanging on the walls, I noticed a fellow attendee who had a lot of tattoos. To be honest, that pretty much described everyone in attendance, but what jumped out at me was a familiar-looking piece on this gentleman's leg:<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/AVvXsEimlJWHHH6_W-_MH3a_n0ntTc-mnsA5UJXbqZ2Pdy4tQTKq825QrLixVc0BdYRO7w7mLO2sCr51qQUmuKyevrTNCDKg3fVWRmhVeTz0ZCepNUJpYIA8rO00FV_T0bF2CjbtR0qZyZcQYsI/s320/Pam_Can_Tattoo_20090515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlJWHHH6_W-_MH3a_n0ntTc-mnsA5UJXbqZ2Pdy4tQTKq825QrLixVc0BdYRO7w7mLO2sCr51qQUmuKyevrTNCDKg3fVWRmhVeTz0ZCepNUJpYIA8rO00FV_T0bF2CjbtR0qZyZcQYsI/s320/Pam_Can_Tattoo_20090515.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Janet Loder-Berthelon</td></tr></tbody></table>What was surprising about this tattoo is that I had seen it before - just not in person. It had, however, appeared on Tattoosday, two years earlier in <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/05/janet-presents-non-stick-tattoo-that-is.html">this post</a>, courtesy of my friend Janet, who spotted the host on the subway and unwittingly submitted one of the few "guest spots" we have ever had.<br /><br />I introduced myself and learned that the gentleman's name is <a href="http://www.teamrockstarimages.com/">Steve Prue</a>, a very talented photographer (click through his name to see some amazing work). Needless to say, he remembered meeting Janet, and offered up to me some of his amazing work on his left sleeve:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOEP2cZb7XmwYG5ha0S0lcidYYzKAXG5nTkHUhnk-USoyLg0ScfhsUzQqYrZ7uQJJFfKCs7VwBUOkOyKzHbMrPMO29HNDe7BtWv_-zQp1RirccDHo3R7zsR4UJvbRQWx3jPagQS7VQtw/s0-d/108_1277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOEP2cZb7XmwYG5ha0S0lcidYYzKAXG5nTkHUhnk-USoyLg0ScfhsUzQqYrZ7uQJJFfKCs7VwBUOkOyKzHbMrPMO29HNDe7BtWv_-zQp1RirccDHo3R7zsR4UJvbRQWx3jPagQS7VQtw/s0-d/108_1277.JPG" width="290" /></a></div><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/AVvXsEjYObHQ-PUWmfV3Glw40A0vMn6dZcsEQJQs5ZDTJmzz2wc4LY9jwMKixaeCu-sUufojIDqMb9GKQOFYiyV8DRhWqtXOHPpYwWvhpfxtnKxlc76oPHgdX6QrsfPMG3J4_CWQMUtHV24WHZs/s0-d/108_1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYObHQ-PUWmfV3Glw40A0vMn6dZcsEQJQs5ZDTJmzz2wc4LY9jwMKixaeCu-sUufojIDqMb9GKQOFYiyV8DRhWqtXOHPpYwWvhpfxtnKxlc76oPHgdX6QrsfPMG3J4_CWQMUtHV24WHZs/s0-d/108_1278.JPG" width="326" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>These wonderful tattoos are the handiwork of <a href="http://www.tribulationtattoo.com/artist.aspx?id=1">Tim Kern</a> of <a href="http://www.tribulationtattoo.com/home.aspx">Tribulation Tattoo</a>. The robot face (above) and what Steve called his "robo-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali">Kali</a>" (below) are truly phenomenal and it is almost criminal that I have been sitting on these photos for so long.<br /><br />This "small world" story ended up letting us experience segments of  two "out of this world" tattoos.<br /><br />Thanks to Steve for sharing them with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.45952231367118657"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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: black; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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 /><div><br /></div>

It's a Small World: Steve Shares Some Amazing Tim Kern Handiwork

Last June (yes, you read that correctly - I've been sitting on this post a while!), I attended a book release party at Sacred Gallery ...

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"Ladies, Ladies" Art Show at Tattoo Culture in Brooklyn Tonight!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m44u91QmCm1qe5utjo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m44u91QmCm1qe5utjo1_500.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>Tonight at <a href="http://tattooculture.net/">Tattoo Culture</a> in Williamsburg, the second annual "Ladies, Ladies" Art Show is kicking off with a big launch event.<br /><br />It was at a Tattoo Culture event several years back that I first met one of the curators of this show, Magie Serpica (who shared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/10/magies-unique-sugar-skull-inked-by-big.html">this tattoo</a>).<br /><br />Here's a work by one of the show's 100+ artists <a href="https://www.facebook.com/itoyotattoo">Itoyo Kinoshita</a>:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjktOSQQZGOpzSuziER5PTtANR0xyNYw4kpyNqY5tKsJjCM_YgUrsHHZU6eSCKbOEuLer9q3QU8S5-bTZv_Au5_QJS7derpTgSeI5iqYKjy3TfVO9p7Y4g3sIofbuc4SWGRyeFzVNpZk/s1600/by+Itoyo+Kinoshita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjktOSQQZGOpzSuziER5PTtANR0xyNYw4kpyNqY5tKsJjCM_YgUrsHHZU6eSCKbOEuLer9q3QU8S5-bTZv_Au5_QJS7derpTgSeI5iqYKjy3TfVO9p7Y4g3sIofbuc4SWGRyeFzVNpZk/s640/by+Itoyo+Kinoshita.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br />Whereas last year's show was a tribute to "old school" female tattooers, this year's event has more of a New York-based slant, with an emphasis on female artists in the Big Apple. That said, I recognized, among the list of contributors, at least a dozen artists whose work has been featured on Tattoosday over the years.<br /><br />I encourage you to attend if you are in NYC tonight and, at the very least, visit <a href="http://www.wix.com/ladiesladies/artshow#!about">here</a> to get a closer look at the Ladies, Ladies extravaganza.<br /><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.9653580819722265"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are reading this on another website 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: black; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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 /><br />

"Ladies, Ladies" Art Show at Tattoo Culture in Brooklyn Tonight!

Tonight at Tattoo Culture in Williamsburg, the second annual "Ladies, Ladies" Art Show is kicking off with a big launch event. It...

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Shroomtastic!

Yesterday I was walking around Penn Station during lunch, as is my normal workday routine. I saw quite a few tattoos, but nothing seemed to impress. I was hoping to chance upon something a little more original than flowers, dragons and skulls.<br /><br />I spotted a young woman talking to a few other people and a few of them had tattoos. I sauntered on over, figuring between them, I'd see something interesting. I wasn't disappointed.<br /><br />Among the group was Mark, who shared this tattoo on the back of his calf:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQO6yc4PZFFofpcf9dPkoqI0mF9udPQfdLvrFcRYaWpdTXF047Wm6bJzHKuK7ugt9jI26DBTW3LDjGt8biA8Q4rUhOHymTN-V_S9nnBYjkgBIqfJ9enXphIskoHPmsSsW3b7PVldwlxI/w547-h1217-k/IMG_0285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQO6yc4PZFFofpcf9dPkoqI0mF9udPQfdLvrFcRYaWpdTXF047Wm6bJzHKuK7ugt9jI26DBTW3LDjGt8biA8Q4rUhOHymTN-V_S9nnBYjkgBIqfJ9enXphIskoHPmsSsW3b7PVldwlxI/w547-h1217-k/IMG_0285.JPG" width="287" /></a></div><br />Those are mushrooms. More specifically, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin_mushroom">psilocybin</a> mushrooms, which have hallucinogenic properties.<br /><br />The artist was the woman I initially spotted, a freelance "underground" tattooist from Oakland, California who gave her name as Steiner Ella.<br /><br />Thanks to Mark and Steiner for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.3212289712391794"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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: black; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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></b></span><br /><br />

Shroomtastic!

Yesterday I was walking around Penn Station during lunch, as is my normal workday routine. I saw quite a few tattoos, but nothing seemed to ...

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The Great Big Banksy Post

<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">I'd like to assume everyone knows who</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;"><a href="http://www.banksy.co.uk/">Banksy</a></span><span style="color: #222222;"> is, but then again, there was a point not too long ago when I didn't.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">One of the nice things about this site is that it also acts as a personal timeline for me. Case in point: when I met Sarah and she shared <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_691755391">this </a></span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_691755391">Banksy</a></span><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/10/you-gotta-go-there-to-come-back-sarah.html"> tattoo</a>, I then became aware of the entity that made a name for himself (quite literally) by spray-painting graffiti around London.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">How serious is this </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">Banksy</span><span style="color: #222222;">? When his documentary <a href="http://www.banksyfilm.com/">Exit Through the Gift Shop</a> was nominated for an Oscar a couple years back, and he was in Los Angeles for the awards, he struck his graffiti claws into the City of Angels.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Art collectors were prepared, and within hours of his work being discovered, they had at it with jack hammers and chisels, removing the public display for private collectors, presumably at great profits.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #222222;">I have since become familiar with </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">Banksy</span><span style="color: #222222;"> through additional tattoo sightings (like <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/11/john-shares-more-than-just-fly-on-wall.html">this one</a>) and from reading a few of the lovely books on the subject.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #222222;">Last fall, I found two new books, companion volumes, that are exceptional introductions to Banksy, and also great companions to B</span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">anksy</span><span style="color: #222222;"> aficionados.</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcTC5Ss3_0LFe5wfjIpoowYtvUHrbFCz2Qblj_h_fxQ5siTxEHuw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcTC5Ss3_0LFe5wfjIpoowYtvUHrbFCz2Qblj_h_fxQ5siTxEHuw" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.munkyking.com/products/5409_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://www.munkyking.com/products/5409_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">The two volumes, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160486320X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=160486320X">Banksy Locations & Tours Volume 1: A Collection of Graffiti Locations and Photographs in London, England</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=160486320X" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604863307/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1604863307">Banksy Locations & Tours Volume 2: A Collection of Graffiti Locations and Photographs from around the UK</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1604863307" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span style="color: #222222;">are great companion pieces that help one discover the work of Banksy. The author, Martin Bull, is a photographer who led walking tours of Banksy's public art in various English locales. He has taken great pains to catalog every </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">Banksy </span><span style="color: #222222;">piece, many of which have been demolished, painted over, or extricated from their original homes.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">We even get GPS coordinates, so a true connoisseur can visit </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">Banksy'</span><span style="color: #222222;">s ghosts.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Bull gets a little repetitive bemoaning the "theft" of the originasl and cursing those that profit from their sale. But I was able to look past that, and chalk it up to his uncompromising love of his subject.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">These are not glossy tomes, but handy little guidebooks that would be worthy travel companions on any </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">Banksy</span><span style="color: #222222;"> fan's pilgrimage to London.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">And why am I rambling and reviewing these books here on Tattoosday?</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">I did mention two previous </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">Banksy</span><span style="color: #222222;"> inspired posts and, it should come as no surprise, I have two more to share from 2011, as we come very close to the</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"> end of our backlog.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">The first is from Natasha who I met in the now-vacant Borders bookstore on Penn Plaza. She has this piece on her arm:</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUqFv_sI3lBd2yILhXsnKpD_XzdrXqjktcXLW3jCsdzncqPBnF6la4rinzLUGPsg_M-wNj-AlaPAo0vzY9VSwiG5jHcO6vlyqm6qza2ykdUBRh6U6pr1gm7L7bRwXrcU1ISfetrnpA8/s0-d/108_1407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUqFv_sI3lBd2yILhXsnKpD_XzdrXqjktcXLW3jCsdzncqPBnF6la4rinzLUGPsg_M-wNj-AlaPAo0vzY9VSwiG5jHcO6vlyqm6qza2ykdUBRh6U6pr1gm7L7bRwXrcU1ISfetrnpA8/s0-d/108_1407.JPG" width="347" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #222222;">One of Banksy's signature pieces is the rat, and he has multiple sequences of street art that involve rats, which are perfect vehicles for shining lights on society. This particular piece from Natasha is a "helicopter rat".</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpSKs6CtzRv4-Thc8gTnqYDFXICfdrM-OH9H_zFzQ7jZahfh8k" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpSKs6CtzRv4-Thc8gTnqYDFXICfdrM-OH9H_zFzQ7jZahfh8k" width="266" /></a></div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;">She credits Hexx, formerly at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fortapachestudio">Fort Apache Tattoo Studio</a> in Manhattan. </span><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;">Natasha told me, "I was actually surprised when I got this that more people didn't recognize it, because so many people know Banksy now." The rat using a helicopter blade to paint in a presumably inaccessible location is a classic Banksy motif.</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">Th</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">e second</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"> B</span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">anksy piece we're appreciating today</span><span style="color: #222222;"> is fro</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">m Taylor, whose ink has appeared previously in Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/03/two-tattoos-from-taylor.html">here</a>.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">Since Taylor first appeared on Tattoosday, she's had a lot of work done, but most impressive is this Banksy piece on her lower back:</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwFrMiK9440ZB71R44uA9dq1Fk6wevjc6mQL67jKphpS0IbclNYmSayzAOQnvxPxPw9tAMihC1LXFFyxl5C0_DRryF16xCs-GH_2irKH2ROL-kIdwqPKtLtpYDoucDa-a-UIgoRHUwDc/s533/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwFrMiK9440ZB71R44uA9dq1Fk6wevjc6mQL67jKphpS0IbclNYmSayzAOQnvxPxPw9tAMihC1LXFFyxl5C0_DRryF16xCs-GH_2irKH2ROL-kIdwqPKtLtpYDoucDa-a-UIgoRHUwDc/s640/photo.jpg" width="620" /></a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">This tattoo is based on this amazing Banksy piece:</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"></span><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fabricmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banksy-pre-plexi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://fabricmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banksy-pre-plexi1.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">When I asked Taylor why she chose this particular piece of art, she replied "The way it's raining underneath the umbrella, I feel like it's always raining on me."</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">She credits Angel at <a href="http://puncturetattoostudio.com/Index.html">Puncture Tattoo Studio</a> in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, with inking this on her back.</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks to Natasha and Taylor for sharing their work with us here on Tattoosday. And, of course, thanks to Banksy for providing the inspiration.</div></span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=160486060X" style="background-color: white; height: 240px; text-align: center; width: 120px;"></iframe><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1604863307" style="background-color: white; height: 240px; text-align: center; width: 120px;"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8140670808497816" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; 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: black; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal; 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></div></span></div>

The Great Big Banksy Post

I'd like to assume everyone knows who   Banksy  is, but then again, there was a point not too long ago when I didn't. One of the nic...

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Jesse's Tribute to Pee-wee

On a Saturday back in March, I was passing through Penn Station when I spotted Jesse, who had quite a few tattoos. He shared this great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pee-wee_Herman">Pee-wee Herman</a> tattoo on his foot:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQErRO_hfBIZFE4EFHDMAvUHNtzm3r2aXWNnuooz4CrdSr2v_dMIr1Z36J2mwv1AlE5Kqv9YkedO451pKHAZ4ZxwXwRHDrPg-aCp3J3ylZSRXcsn0zaS2aI3nOD3mpXq1Fx8g_lBqYTY/s533/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQErRO_hfBIZFE4EFHDMAvUHNtzm3r2aXWNnuooz4CrdSr2v_dMIr1Z36J2mwv1AlE5Kqv9YkedO451pKHAZ4ZxwXwRHDrPg-aCp3J3ylZSRXcsn0zaS2aI3nOD3mpXq1Fx8g_lBqYTY/s640/photo.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br />Why did Jesse get Pee-wee inked on his foot? He explained, "When I was growing up, the only good thing that was happening in my childhood was watching his TV show [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pee-wee%27s_Playhouse">Pee-wee's Playhouse</a>] ... so I felt like I owed it to him".<br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />He credited this incredible piece to <a href="http://blakebrandtattoos.com/home.html">Blake Brand</a>, a California-based artist who occasionally comes out to the East Coast and tattoos out of at <a href="http://philadelphiaeddieschinatowntattoo.com/home.html">Philadelphia Eddie's Chinatown Tattoo</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Jesse for sharing this amazing piece on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5167225380428135"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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: black; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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>

Jesse's Tribute to Pee-wee

On a Saturday back in March, I was passing through Penn Station when I spotted Jesse, who had quite a few tattoos. He shared this great Pee-...

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Good Sparrow, Bad Sparrow

Last month along Eighth Avenue, I spotted Phillip, who had a ton of traditional ink. In fact, he had just had work done on his neck, rocking these two tattoos:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJUBQYvXLql6YVa_5nOTqbSQ7zVEm-FHGwbNLIEvF99K0SSICzRKQzJFZI9IPA0gGeUy1-OI-ZXZRhPN7tSVEiv203UvpzLxigSOgyAoRK4wduyUmT_n0Wm_-ud4adEP3qmLOJY09u2E/s533/IMG_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJUBQYvXLql6YVa_5nOTqbSQ7zVEm-FHGwbNLIEvF99K0SSICzRKQzJFZI9IPA0gGeUy1-OI-ZXZRhPN7tSVEiv203UvpzLxigSOgyAoRK4wduyUmT_n0Wm_-ud4adEP3qmLOJY09u2E/s400/IMG_0243.JPG" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5isy6tReJdwz0Cdthmi1gPSr-4ZW3Hk_JLWts0OlFMH7LBViiG9D5tge0XRhLn027h_sTQ8H5uT7oY8KCb8dH21EDB8dHdhhyvIEBiBONHYdLy2pn9AnZhFxoT1gxvGO9Q5QAI-O7HY/s533/IMG_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5isy6tReJdwz0Cdthmi1gPSr-4ZW3Hk_JLWts0OlFMH7LBViiG9D5tge0XRhLn027h_sTQ8H5uT7oY8KCb8dH21EDB8dHdhhyvIEBiBONHYdLy2pn9AnZhFxoT1gxvGO9Q5QAI-O7HY/s400/IMG_0245.JPG" width="357" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>These two sparrows combine to represent a take on the good versus bad consciences that people have.<br /><br />Phillip says he has "hundreds" of tattoos, and he credits <a href="http://www.nyhctattoo.com/baz/index.html">Baz</a> at <a href="http://www.nyhctattoo.com/">New York Hardcore Tattoo</a> with these pieces.<br /><br />Thanks to Phillip for sharing these tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.3441721012350172"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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: black; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; 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>

Good Sparrow, Bad Sparrow

Last month along Eighth Avenue, I spotted Phillip, who had a ton of traditional ink. In fact, he had just had work done on his neck, rocking...

Read more »

Wrapping Up The Tattooed Poets Project, Volume 4

<b id="internal-source-marker_0.2028095677960664"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, it’s May, which can only mean one thing here on Tattoosday - I’m exhausted.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every year, I put together the Tattooed Poets Project in the month of April and it’s a labor of love. Toward the end of the month, however, it’s more labor and less love, and I am relieved when another National Poetry Month has passed.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, I’m going to take a deep breath, and pause briefly, before we resume our normal programming here on Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, before doing so, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped out with this year’s installment.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First and foremost, I’d like to thank all of the poets for their contributions. For a list of this (and previous) year’s inked scribes, you can visit the index at </span><a href="http://www.tattooedpoets.com./"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.tattooedpoets.com.</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next, I’d like to thank David Lehman and Stacey Harwood from the <a href="http://blog.bestamericanpoetry.com/the_best_american_poetry/">Best American Poetry blog</a>. They’ve been supporters of the project since its inception, they help publicize it every year and, in 2012, they helped even more by re-tweeting several of my posts.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Part of my process is to reach out to poets in the literary world, soliciting their submissions. Often, poets may not be tattooed, but they certainly know some who are. For that reason, I want to thank <a href="http://web.whittier.edu/barnstone/TONY.htm">Tony Barnstone</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/amynewmanpoetry">Amy Newman</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Donnelly">Tim Donnelly</a>, three un-inked poets who tipped me off to other poets who ended up in this year’s group of 35 contributors.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And of course, I want to thank the readers of Tattoosday, who continue to support the site through their appreciation of the site. In four years, we’ve featured 123 different poets, eight of whom have submitted work in multiple years. If no one visited, we’d be lonely indeed, and Tattoosday scored a record for April with 50,000 hits and a monthly high 89,643 page views (but who’s counting?). I am humbled by your interest and am motivated to make next year bigger and better for lovers of poetry and tattoos, everywhere.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you again,</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bill Cohen</span></b>

Wrapping Up The Tattooed Poets Project, Volume 4

Well, it’s May, which can only mean one thing here on Tattoosday - I’m exhausted. Every year, I put together the Tattooed Poets Project in t...

Read more »