Monday, November 30, 2009
The Tattoosday Book Review: 7 Tattoos
First and foremost, let me clear something up: 7 Tattoos by Peter Trachtenberg is a memoir and is not a book about tattoos. Oh, there are tattoos within, and stories about them and how they were obtained. But tattoos help form the context of the story within, and the ink is often secondary to the action at hand.
7 Tattoos is a riveting narrative, "a memoir in the flesh," about the author's inner struggles with his identity and the world around him. His tattoos form the structure of the book, serving as chapters around which Trachtenberg's life revolves.
Imagine a first tattoo: assuming that it wasn't inked on the fly, everyone's first tattoo comes with context. On Tattoosday, I try and tell the story behind the tattoo. But even I know that I am only scratching the surface of the narrative skin.
Each of the author's seven tattoos serves as a focal point out of which a life chapter spins.
From a tribal piece that is inspired by the ink of Southeast Asia (and subsequent trips there) to tattoos that mark chapters in a life punctuated by drug addiction and strained parental relationships, we are given a warts-and-all tour of Trachtenberg's life. As important as the tattoos may seem, they are really just sign-posts with memories in the ink.
Ultimately, 7 Tattoos is about relationships - Trachtenberg's relationships with women, his father, his mother and, ultimately, himself.
He is a writer and his skills show throughout as he describes tattoos with admirable simplicity:
"The tattoo Slam had given me was a drawing of a wrench placed diagonally between two gears. She'd rendered the spinner with punctilious thoroughness, down to the highlights on the chrome-plated shaft, while leaving the gears black silhouettes, and she'd unified the composition by framing wrench and gears with a red triangle that sat athwart my deltoid."This passage describes the tattoo with political undertones, in a chapter entitled "I Keep the Red Flag Flying". He does a remarkable job taking a 1992 tattoo and narrating back twenty years earlier to 1972. Again, the tattoo anchors the chapter and is the glue that holds it together.
Trachtenberg has skillfully built a personal history around seven works of art. It doesn't matter where they were inked or if any of them are "good" or not. Each piece is a jumping-off point that elevates the memoir above the standard personal history.
7 Tattoos was recommended to me last Spring when I was interviewing poets and writers for my Tattooed Poets Project. I wish I could remember who suggested I read it, because I would love to thank them.
The tattoos in the book are not at center stage, yet they manage to grab a hold of the imagination throughout as we are carried along by the story of Trachtenberg's life. It's an experience I would heartily recommend to anyone interested in good writing, with a penchant for ink.
New Design Lower Back Tattoo With Sexy Girls Tattoos With A Vast Range Of Tattoo
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Sunday, November 29, 2009
Right Bites concept sketch
My rough sketch for the Right Bites project was created with a marker on parchment paper. Out of a dozen quick sketches this version had the best rhythm and flow. The sketch was scanned and used as a template layer in Illustrator to create B/W lettering sent to the project designer. This marker sketch is an example of one method I use to crete script lettering for consumer packaging. I spend more time and effort refining the lettering in Illustrator than I do sketching a rough marker or pencil.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Cody's Eagle Braves the Storm
On the day after Thanksgiving, I was passing through Penn Station and I spotted this tattoo:
This depiction of an eagle flying through a storm belongs to Cody, who was in town visiting from Key West, Florida.
This symbol of strength and courage enduring the dangers of a powerful storm is fitting, as Cody began work on the piece as a tribute to his father, serving in the Armed Forces in Afghanistan.
Cody has already had three sittings for this wonderful tattoo, and is close to finishing it with "Tattoo" Mike Haugh at Key West Tattoo Company.
Thanks to Cody for sharing this great tattoo! We look forward to seeing the final product!
This depiction of an eagle flying through a storm belongs to Cody, who was in town visiting from Key West, Florida.
This symbol of strength and courage enduring the dangers of a powerful storm is fitting, as Cody began work on the piece as a tribute to his father, serving in the Armed Forces in Afghanistan.
Cody has already had three sittings for this wonderful tattoo, and is close to finishing it with "Tattoo" Mike Haugh at Key West Tattoo Company.
Thanks to Cody for sharing this great tattoo! We look forward to seeing the final product!
Friday, November 27, 2009
cool tattoo design based on the zodiac
Beautiful tattoo designs are available in tattoo magazines everywhere. With so many tattoo magazines available, purchasing one can yield a variety of options when it comes to finding inspiration for the many tattoo designs that can be chosen from.
Cool Tattoo Design
Get an idea for your latest tattoo information on the hottest celebrity these days and more tattoo ideas: Angel Tattoo, girl Tattoo, Art design Tattoo, Kitty Dragon Tattoo, star Tattoo, Butterfly Tattoo, Celtic Tattoo, Cool Tattoo, Foot rosary Tattoo, Cross Tattoo, Horoscope Tattoo, Heart rose Tattoo, Henna Tattoo, Arabic Tattoo, Chinese symbol tattoo,Tattos Design, Tatto Gallery
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Tay's Angel Reminds Him of a Battle Won
There are many things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. I know that may cliché , but at its core, there is the kernel of truth. All it takes to remember this is to cross paths with someone who has overcome the odds to prevail in life.
Yesterday I met Tay in the Borders on Penn Plaza, and he shared this tattoo:
Here's the complete piece:
Inked on his inner left forearm, this angelic image is a product of an idea of a spirit watching over him, He gathered a couple of photos for reference and presented them, along with a short written paragraph about the concept, to a tattoo artist at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo in Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts. It was the tattooer who gave Tay the writing assignment. I am impressed that the artist would incorporate that into his creative process, and it makes perfect sense.
Although Tay is not religious, per se, he wanted something spiritual to remind him of his guardian angel that helped him overcome the mortal challenge of cancer.
As it turns out, Tay is a survivor, who has been cancer-free for ten years after a victory over acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Tay notes that, all it takes is a look down at his arm to remind him that he has come a long way from the lows of facing one's mortality at such an early age.
I want to thank Tay for sharing his tattoo with us here. And I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all the Tattoosday readers!
Yesterday I met Tay in the Borders on Penn Plaza, and he shared this tattoo:
Here's the complete piece:
Inked on his inner left forearm, this angelic image is a product of an idea of a spirit watching over him, He gathered a couple of photos for reference and presented them, along with a short written paragraph about the concept, to a tattoo artist at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo in Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts. It was the tattooer who gave Tay the writing assignment. I am impressed that the artist would incorporate that into his creative process, and it makes perfect sense.
Although Tay is not religious, per se, he wanted something spiritual to remind him of his guardian angel that helped him overcome the mortal challenge of cancer.
As it turns out, Tay is a survivor, who has been cancer-free for ten years after a victory over acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Tay notes that, all it takes is a look down at his arm to remind him that he has come a long way from the lows of facing one's mortality at such an early age.
I want to thank Tay for sharing his tattoo with us here. And I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all the Tattoosday readers!
Hoot (I really don't like you)
Quick Reader roundup. I finally caught up with all my submissions, some of these came in yesterday. Good job, as I'm going away for a month so if you submit anything don't expect to see it on the blog til January! And just as I became a Blogger 'blog of note' too. I can't believe how much interest this little blog has generated, but I just want to say a big thank you for all the support. Now, before I burst into tears, on with the submissions!
The above owl comes from Scott.
Miss anonymous!
Fredik's owl (and friends)
Matthew's owl done by mike bennet at phantom8 tattoo, denver colorado (plus photobomb)
Finally, Claire's owls done in Auburn, AL at Shenanigans tattoo parlor by Nils.
The above owl comes from Scott.
Miss anonymous!
Fredik's owl (and friends)
Matthew's owl done by mike bennet at phantom8 tattoo, denver colorado (plus photobomb)
Finally, Claire's owls done in Auburn, AL at Shenanigans tattoo parlor by Nils.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
tribal butterfly tattoo design
Get an idea for your latest tattoo information on the hottest celebrity these days and more tattoo ideas: Angel Tattoo, girl Tattoo, Art design Tattoo, Kitty Dragon Tattoo, star Tattoo, Butterfly Tattoo, Celtic Tattoo, Cool Tattoo, Foot rosary Tattoo, Cross Tattoo, Horoscope Tattoo, Heart rose Tattoo, Henna Tattoo, Arabic Tattoo, Chinese symbol tattoo,Tattos Design, Tatto Gallery
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