Happy International Women’s Day.
As a celebration, we’re sharing our recreation from the first ever issue of Things&Ink magazine. Two strong women from the past and the present.
Tattoo artist Claudia de Sabe as circus attraction Artoria Gibbons – The Tattooed Girl…
COVER IMAGE: KRISTY NOBLE
DRESSMAKER: ROSIE DICKINSON
MILLINER: ELLEN BOWDEN, B Millinery
MAKE-UP: MISS HONEY BARE
HAIR: LUCIE LUELLA
Claudia-Artoria
Photographer and pop surrealist Dina Goldstein aims to evoke feelings of shame, anger, shock and empathy from her work.
Her Fallen Princesses series is a rage against the “happily ever after” motif… It is an ironic look at children’s parables, from Grimm fairytales to Walt Disney. By placing iconic characters such as Little Red Riding Hood in modern situations, the series became a commentary on such everyday scourges as poverty, obesity, cancer and pollution.
I don’t want to send out a negative message just a realistic one. My main message is that this world is so complex and everyone has their own challenges to deal with. What might seem ‘perfect’ on the outside is most likely not, says Dina.
Snow White becomes an unhappy mother
Cinders is an alcoholic
Rapunzel has leukaemia
In The Doll House is a series that plays out as a narrative, peeking into the home and marriage of the world’s most iconic dolls, Barbie, and her partner Ken. It offers a profound commentary on the transient nature of beauty, the difficulty of marriage and the importance of authenticity.
Good art creates conversation and discussion so I’m really pleased that my work has sparked some controversy, says Dina.
Turning tattoo artist Tracy D into Millais’ Ophelia for the art issue cover – issue 4 of Things&Ink magazine.
Photographer: Heather Shuker, assisted by James Sheen-Stevens
Make-up: Keely Reichardt
Styling: Olivia Snape
Headress: Gypsy East
Hair: Eleanor Robyn
Cover design: James Gilyead
Margot Mifflin, author of powerHouse Books‘ Bodies of Subversion, and needlesandsins editor Marisa Kakoulas will host a panel discussion with some of the top women in the tattoo industry including Roxx, Virginia Elwood, Stephanie Tamez, and Amanda Wachob. The event is in New York tonight, and we wish we could be there.
Read Marisa’s blog post about why she was spurred on to put on an event like this here. There will be discussions about our bodies as a public space, as well as other issues being a tattooed woman – or man – raises.
See facebook event for more info.
RSVP at RSVP@POWERHOUSEARENA.com
Our competition to win photography for your big day from Heather Shuker at Brighton-Photo.com is now closed. We have had soooo many amazing entries. See original blog post with competition info here.
Here’s a selection of entries, we’re looking for the ultimate tattooed love story – it’s going to be hard to pick…
So we have decided to recruit the help of some extra judges, in addition to Rock N Roll Bride and Alex and Zoe Binnie – we introduce Things&Ink Beauty Editor, Marina, and blogger Marry me Ink. Information below. Good luck everyone.
Marina De Salis Beauty Editor aka Magic Carpet Bride
Magic Carpet Bride is a brand new wedding blog featuring imaginative ideas, detailed tutorials and practical advice for couples.
“I don’t follow trends or read wedding magazines, and I’m not particularly interested in making things look ‘pretty’. I’m throwing away all the rulebooks and inventing affordable projects that anyone can do or adapt to suit them. Basically, I’m obsessed with weddings. Traditional, non-traditional, straight, gay, underwater, under the stars, covered in glitter or covered in mud…I love celebrations that express individuality!”
Rachael Urquhart aka blogger at Marry Me Ink
Marry Me Ink is dedicated to one simple premise… that you can actually be YOU on your wedding day. For anyone who’s ever been asked “What will you look like in a wedding dress with all of those tattoos?!” I am here to provide you with the answer: utterly fabulous!
From real-life brides, to inspirational shoots from photographers and of the suppliers of the wedding trade, Marry Me Ink is here to help you show off your tattooed self, especially on your big day! From rockabilly receptions and steampunk ceremonies to indie celebrations and festival weekenders, Marry Me Ink is the ideal place to find inspiration for your alternative wedding.
Shopped Tattoos, a tumblr by artist Cheyenne Randall, from Seattle, imagines a world where celebrities and iconic figures are all heavily tattooed.
Looks like a pretty cool world to us, hey?
Chloë Sevigny
Kelly Kapowski, Saved By The Bell
Kate and Wills
Winona Ryder
Mark Leaver is a third year student studying commercial photography at the Arts University Bournemouth. Portraits are his thing. And his photography project has been created to show the beauty of facial tattoos and dispel some of the myths surrounding them.
Jack Denny
“Facial tattoos have a lot of taboos around them, due to their confrontational nature,” says Mark Leaver on why he started this project. “Unfortunately none of these views are positive, facial tattoos are associated with suicide rates, unemployment, depression and anti-social behaviour. And I can happily report that’s all dated buillshit”.
Jay Read
“Tattoos have recently become incredibly popular and are more accepted by society than ever before. There are many reasons for this, one being their endorsement through celebrity culture. There are countless people with tattooed sleeves and other bits and pieces but that was too broad and mainstream to base a project around. What makes facial tattoos so distinctive is that they are still confrontational, there’s no hiding them. There are only a select few people who make that kind of commitment and it was those people that I wanted to meet and photograph,” says Mark Leaver, about his project.
Mark interviewed each of the subjects of this portrait photographs, to find out a little more about them. These interviews have not yet been published.
“I feel that with documentary work it’s an oversight not to talk to the people being photographed, especially if they are posed portraits,” says Mark. “Candid work isn’t my thing. I try to meet people and set up a portrait in a way that naturally and authentically reveals the person’s character. I prefer the shoots where I get to know the subject a bit better because everyone has interesting stories and backgrounds. Obviously, there are some things that are impossible to communicate with an image, so the text adds to the portrait without changing it. During Touka Voodoo’s interview he told me he had a sex change operation to become a man and that the tattooing on his face, which he did in the mirror himself, represented both his masculinity and femininity.”
Touka Voodoo
A full interview with Mark, can be viewed at Huck magazine. And his work can viewed on his website, www.mdleaver.com.
Also look out for issue #7 of Things&Ink, which will feature brand new portraits and accompanying interviews from this project.
All photographs by Mark Leaver, www.mdleaver.com, www.facebook.com/
Are you a collector of things as well as ink?
Things & Ink photographer Heather Shuker is looking for people with tattoos and collections to photograph for a personal portrait series. Heather would like to hear from any tattooed individuals who have interesting, obscure or even just a large collection of everyday items that they can be photographed with.
Photograph of Lou LaLa collector of tattoos and cats, by Heather Shuker
Contact Heather via www.facebook.com/
Read the story behind therapist and model Laurence Moniasse Sessou’s tattoos and scarification in ‘The Modification Issue’ #6, thingsandink.com. The feature includes Laurence’s story in her own words, a stunning eight-page emotionally-charged photo shoot and also comments from her body modification artist Iestyn Flye and her tattoo artist Touka Voodoo, both work at Divine Canvas.
Here’s some unpublished images from the shoot, and the illustrations by Katerina Samoilis that were based around Laurence’s story and used as projections in the background of the photo shoot.
The beautiful Laurence Moniasse
Illustrations based around the story of Laurence’s scarification and tattoos
Photography and Art Direction – Josh Brandao
Model – Laurence Moniasse Sessou
Words/Story – Laurence Moniasse Sessou and Alice Snape. Thanks to India Ame ‘Ye’ for the title
Illustrations and Set Dressing – Katerina Samoilis
Styling – Olivia Snape
Make-up and Hair – Anna Wild using Nars
Septum Ring – Studio Lil Art and Design
Earrings – Manaka Handmade
More information at thingsandink.com.
Food is essential fuel, enabling us to move, function – think.
“The idea behind ‘Food for Thought’ was to shoot a series of images, which explore the desk as environment. Mixing real stationery items with stationery made from food, specifically from icing and cheese, we created a deceptive image, requiring closer inspection and greater thought in order to identify which items are real and which have been crafted from food.” Kristy Noble
