Here are two pics from my 8/5 session. My back is now connected to the front via the sholder, and the outline of the right side is quite clear on the top portion of my chest. The distinctive munewari shape is finally coming into focus. I thought getting tattooed around my collarbone would hurt more than it did, it actually wasn't so bad. At the last session we also discussed doing some touch-up work to a few areas on my back either to minimize areas of cover-up or to try again on places where the color didn't take very well the first time. There are definitely some places where my skin was not very receptive to the red ink in particular.

Now that the background on my arm is complete, we're moving on to my chest. The first picture details work from my last session, two weeks ago. The next two pictures are of the entire piece so far. I've been focused on displaying the newest work so it has been a while since I posted pictures of the whole tattoo. Hopefully this gives some of the "context" or perspective I mentioned in my last post.
There really is not a whole lot of background on the front of my torso, so I think from this point on the background is going to go much faster. I'll probably have one or two more sessions near the top of my chest, and then we'll continue working up from the bottom again from where Shinji left off on the right thigh.
Overheard on the web recently: "Japanese is the new tribal".

This picture is from 7/15/07, just before my last session. The background on my arm is finally done! As far as pain goes, we saved the best part for last - I'd say the inside of your bicep is fairly sensitve but further into your armpit is worse. Also, this took a long time to heal and it's still not 100%, especially the area where your arm attaches to your chest since it folds and stretches everytime you move your arm in any direction.
A few people have made comments about how the background takes up most of the space on my arm and there's little room for color. One person went as far as to call it a "negative space tattoo". I suppose you really need to see the tattoo as a single piece covering my entire body to get the right sense of scale, thereby putting my arm into the proper context - it's really just a small part of a larger whole.
In other weirdness: this is old news but in case you missed it the first time around, check out this article about a woman who got an advertisement for a casino tattooed on her forehead. She planned to use the money to send her son to a private school where he "promises to get good grades".

I'm finally getting an internet connection in my apartment this week, so updates should be more frequent after that. Here are a few pics I took on 6/22/2007. I've had some work since then, will post more current picutres soon.

Just came back from a 9-day trip to Japan, and I had a great time. One of the highlights was definitely hanging out in Asakusa, Tokyo for Sanja Matsuri. This festival is starting to be known for open displays of tattoos, something which is very unusual in Japan. In fact this year they banned riding on the mikoshi in order to discourage the more flamboyant displays of tattoos from yakuza types. Still, a few were out in force. Here are some of the pics I snapped. I believe everyone in this set of pictures was tattooed by Horigane (the fellow in the white suit). Please email me if you believe this info is incorrect, my Japanese is pretty bad so it's possible I misunderstood (added 11/27/07 - made a correction, the artist's name is Syodai Horigane (Kanazawa, Kesao), his website is at http://www.horigane.com). Anyway, check out the great work!

Sorry, I've been slacking on the updates. These pictures cover work from two sessions. As you can see, there's a bit more shading on my elbow and we've moved further up my arm. The tattoo on my arm is actually connected to my back for the first time.

At a dinner a few months ago with some folks who work in the tattoo industry, I voiced my opinion that the current fascination with all things tattoo-related was nearing an end. After all, how many tattoo reality TV shows, books, magazines, etc can the public really absorb? So imagine my surprise when the other day I walked by the Macy's department store here in Manhattan and saw their latest window displays which are built around classic tattoo imagery in support of a new line of clothes sporting Ed Hardy's designs. Does the tattoo fad still have legs? Or is this the death knell? Can tattoos maintain their "street credibility" now that they have been whole-heartedly embraced by mainstream corporate America? In the end, it doesn't really matter to me; but it must come as a bit of a blow to those who got tattoos in order to cement their personal "rebel" status. I wonder if tattoos can go the way of the skull - once used to strike fear in the hearts sailors by pirates, but now suitable for baby clothes. In an age where tattoos are increasingly common, can they still be thought of as marks of individuality?

As promised, here are a few shots of recent work. The first three are after my 3/11/7 session and the second set are after my 4/1/7 session. I've gone again since then and will post more pics soon.


I recently read an article on tattoos in Contexts magazine, a publication of the American Sociological Association. The article, titled "Why Do People Get Tattoos" was written by Miliann Kang and Katherine Jones at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. As the title suggests, the authors discuss the myriad motivations people give for wearing tattoos, especially among women. They also devote some time to discussion of tattoo subcultures (so called "modern primitives" and "tattoo enthusiasts") and the limitations of using tattoos to communicate messages due to cultural stigmas attached to tattoos. The tone of the article is captured best in the following quote:

"While these individuals give varied and multilayered meanings to their own and other's tattoos, their personal assertations are sometimes at odds with the pervasive popular interpretations of tattoos as signs of rebellion or faddishness."

I agree. If your tattoo is a means of communicating a message, it probably won't be very effective since most people already have such strong preconceptions about tattoos.
Some recommended reading cited in the article:

"Tattooed: The Sociogenesis of a Body Art" by Michael Atkinson
"Revolting Bodies: The Monster Beauty of Tattooed Women" by Christine Braunberger
"Bodies of Inscription: A Cultural History of the Modern tattoo Community" by Margo DeMello
"Tattoo Narratives: The Intersection of the Body, Self-Identity and Society" by Mary Kosut
"Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoos" by Margot Mifflin

Sorry I've been slacking with the updates! I've got three sessions worth of pictures to post. Sometime this week I promise to get them up. Until then, check out this movie on the NYTimes website. It's the first in a series of short videos called "The Story of Skin" (sorry, a login is required to view), and it is on tattoos. The description on the site reads "Dr. Nina Jablonski says the human canvas offers something different and deeply personal for a world where fashions are mass produced." The video features a brief appearance by New York's Daredevil Tattoo. Thanks to Josh for forwarding me this.

These pics show the work done on 2/25/07. The rocks are now starting to be shaded in, and we also did a little more work on the background. I just had an appontment yesterday so I will try to post more pictures shortly. Also, I just purchased a new camera (a Canon SD 900) so I should be able to produce better pictures for this site. In other news, I'm planning a trip to Japan in May so I'm pretty excited about that. I'll be in Tokyo for Sanja Matsuri! I was hoping to have most of the background on my right side finished by then but I'm doubting that I will have enough time.

Here is the latest batch of pictures. The background now runs completely around my right forearm. I have an appointment later today, and I'm guessing we will continue working up my arm.
I finally picked up a copy of Poysden and Bratt's "A History of Japanese Bodysuit Tattooing". It's a great book. It goes into a lot of detail regarding the history of tattoos in Japan and also the history of Japanese yakuza (mafia) organizations. The book also showcases Horikazu and his work, which is incredible.

Here are some pics of the last session's work, sorry for the delay getting them up. It wasn't fully healed when I took these pictures, but you get the idea.
As you can see, we started on the background on my right forearm and finished the shading of a large splash of water. The forearm is an easy enough place to get tattooed, it doesn't hurt too much at all.

One reason why getting tattooed on the front of my body and arms has been interesting is that I can actually see Horizakura work, carefully placing each spot of color with a deft movement of his hand. It seems he hits my skin at a certain angle, and once punctured, pushes the ink downward with flick of his wrist. Amazingly, he's able to do this quite quickly while maintaining the required precision.

Tebori aside, if you haven't already you should check out Troy Denning at his shop Invisible NYC. He's been doing great work here in NYC for years, and he's also been very friendly the few times we spoke. I understand he has a small gallery at the shop where they showcase various artists, all the more reason to stop by.

Those of you interested in Japanese woodblock prints or ukiyo-e should check out my latest acquisition: a series of 29 prints depicting the story of the 47 Ronin. If anyone happens to have more info on this series, please contact me. I purchased it from a vendor at an antiques market who did not know much about it.

A company called Somark Innovations has successfully tested an RFID "tattoo" on cows, mice and rats. An array of needles is used to inject a passive RFID ink which can be read at a distance of 4 feet. Looks like this will be used for branding cattle and...military personnel. More info at The Register and Engadget. Now if this isn't the "mark of the beast", I don't know what is. ;)

I wonder what other applications they'll think of? They already use RFID to process credit card transactions ("Paypass") and are pilot testing the same payment system for use in the subways here in NYC. Now if you can get a tattoo of your baby momma's name on your neck and pay for your beer/cigarettes/lotto tickets by banging your head on the cash register..that would be something.

The outline on my left side is done! Just a few details to be added here and there, but the bulk of the work is finished. Now Horizakura can start filling in the background again. The plan is to start on my arm and work his way up. Eventually the background creeping up my leg and the background creeping up by arm will meet around my sternum somewhere. The pace of tattoo work has been steady lately, and I don't have enough time to adjust to my new body between sessions. I find myself looking in the mirror and wondering - "Who is this person in front of me? What am I becoming?" Sometimes this sensation is interesting, even pleasant. Other times it's not. I joke that the tattoo has a mind of its own but some days it doesn't feel like that's far from the truth.

Last weekend a few of my coworkers saw the portion of my tattoo which covers my forearm. We all went out for drinks after work, and after a few beers I thought "Fuck it". It was a group of people I'm fairly comfortable with, and no senior management was around. It's just exhausting for me to try to repress every part of my personality that doesn't fit into the narrow slice of humanity we call "corporate culture". I've spent my whole life living on the edges of acceptable and polite society, which basically means I've never felt free to talk about most anything in my past or that happens outside business hours with people at work. I'll be damned if I can't even unwind and enjoy a beer in my off hours.

Anyway, I better stop before I launch into a full-on rant. ;) Next update will be in a few weeks.

Happy New Year! Sorry for the delay in posting updates. I was far too busy eating, drinking, being with friends and family, and all those other holiday-type things. As you can see, the incredible man-eating tattoo has started to engulf my right arm. I decided on the seven-tenths length sleeve ("shichibu"). It's primarily composed of more crashing waves and rocks, punctuated with a solitary maple leaf. There is also a small plant growing out of the rock near my elbow. The scale of the tattoo doesn't allow for a whole lot of different elements on my puny arms. The tribal-style tattoo on my upper arm will be completely covered (It won't be missed. Oh, to be 18 again..). This is the first time any of my tattoo work has extended into an area that is usually uncovered (that's outside of my office, of course - at work it's long sleeves everyday). I'm sure it will spark a few interesting conversations since many people, even people I've known for ages, don't know about my tattoo work. These conversations tend to make me a little uncomfortable. Tattooing is a personal thing, and I'm not really much of an exhibitionist (I know, I know..the existence of this blog suggests otherwise ;). People always have such funny notions of what type of person gets a tattoo. Upon seeing the tattoo some people have said "oh, I never would have guessed you were that type of person". For some, the presence of ink in my skin apparently is enough to undo all of our past interactions. Wouldn't it make more sense for these people to reexamine their preconceived notions of "people with tattoos" now that they have some evidence which suggests these theories are bunkum? The next update will be in about 3 weeks. I believe in the next session we are going to complete the outline on the right side of my body.

This is a picture of the work completed last Sunday. The water being churned up around the koi is now completely shaded. At some point soon, Horizakura will need to begin outlining again since we are only a session or two away from finishing the black and gray shading in the previously outlined area. At the end of my last session he spent some type sketching out the outline for my right shoulder and arm, so I suppose that's where he will start next. I have another session scheduled next week so I should be posting new pictures in about a week and a half.

Here are the pics of last week's work. It's is not quite healed yet, but it's getting there. The background just above my knee is now completed, I anticipate the rest of my right leg will be completed during the next session. When we first started to connect the new background to the old, I was a little concerned as the new area was noticeably darker. Over the past month or so however the color has mellowed out and now it matches the back of my leg perfectly. I'm still wondering if this will be that case when we start connecting areas that are 3 or 4 years apart.

Horizakura is back in action! Yesterday was his first day back, and I was there for my ink fix. I will post pics in a few days, when my skin is not so swollen and red. Did I mention the pelvic area is not a fun place to get tattooed yet?

Until then, I leave you with this Christmas gift idea for the little 'uns.

Bad news: Horizakura broke his collarbone and is out of commision for the month! Let's all wish him a complete and speedy recovery. Of course this means I won't have any tattoo updates for a little while, I'd say at least 3-4 weeks.

The work pictured here was done on 10/5/2006. In this session we continued the shading on my right thigh, as you can see the rocks at the bottom edge of the design have been completely shaded. I wasn't quite sure how they would turn out but I think they look great.

Is it strange to say "we" continued the shading? Even though I have given Horizakura pretty much complete creative control, somehow I feel as if I played some part in the creation of this tattoo. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking. Others have made similar comments. Once someone asked me why I chose to undergo such extensive tattoo work, and I jokingly replied "Everyone's got a hobby" - to which she responded under her breath, "More like someone else's hobby.."
Another friend once asked if Shinji ever requested that I let his friends tattoo me, sort of like a "guest appearance" on my skin. That struck me as an absurd question. Why would he ask such a thing?I can only guess that he perceives me as having surrendered my skin completely to the whims of others; a living canvas who cared little what ended up painted on him.

Perhaps I do surrender something each time I go in for a session. But I still believe that because this act of surrender is what enables the creative process to begin and continue, it is in fact my small way of actively taking part in that process. As strange as it may sound, it takes a significant amount of energy and will to surrender in this way. I believe that energy and will is exactly where a tattoo derives much of it's ability to amaze.

I came across this story on CNN today, about a convicted child molester and murderer who had a tattoo forcibly applied to his forehead in prison. "Katie" was the name of the young girl he killed. The full story can be found here. Prison justice can be brutal, and child molesters rank at the very bottom of the prison hierarchy. This reminds me of some of the prison tattoos detailed in the fascinating book "Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia". As a mark of shame, nothing can surpass the tattoo - it is the permanent Scarlet Letter. In a very similar way, tattooing was used in Japan during the Tokugawa period as a form of punishment. To quote from "Japanese Tattooing from the Past to the Present" by Mieko Yamada:

"Crimes such as extortion, swindling and fraud were punished by tattooing. The criminals were tattooed with a black ring around an arm for each offense, or with a Japanese character on the forehead."

To many this custom marks the beginning of the poor reputation wearers of tattoos face in society. Yamada goes on to say:

"The tattoo became a mark of punishment, used by the authorities to ostracize the outlaws from society. While the purpose of this penalty was to identify criminals and repeat offenders, tattooing as punishment became a vicious circle. The tattooed criminals were ostracized by society throughout their whole lives. Some of them abandoned all hope, and sank to a level of despair and a cycle of crimes. Consequently, the penal system formed a solitary minority group, called eta class, the social outcasts. For this reason, ordinary people became afraid of tattooed people. The people with the penal tattoos often used the records incised on the skin for illicit purposes. They hardly rebuilt their trust in society. Some of them abandoned themselves to despair and repeated crimes. This phenomenon made other people feel frightened and they came to see any tattooed person as a criminal or evil. Therefore, showing tattoos was perceived as a threat to society."

From what I have been told, the association between tattoos and criminals has decreased in recent years, and now many young Japanese proudly display their Western-style tattoos. But there are still many places in Japan where showing a tattoo would be considered completely inappropriate, especially the larger, traditionally styled tattoos which have been strongly connected to criminal organizations for years.

I picked up a book the other day with pictures of tattoos by Horikazu (I think it's called "Horikazu's World" but since I can't read kanji I can't be sure) and I definitely recommend grabbing a copy - that is, if you don't mind the high price, usually around $200-$250 USD! Horikazu has been tattooing for over 40 years and his work is highly regarded. I believe some of his work is also featured in the book "A History of Japanese Body Suit Tattooing" by Mark Poysden and Marco Bratt. I don't own that book though, so I can't verify. Anyway, this book is great; it's filled with high-quality images of his detail-laden and colorful work.

Those of you near Montreal, Canada should try to get out to the tattoo convention this weekend. Horizakura and Horimasa will be there along with too many other great artists to name. More info can be found on this site (in French and English).

Here are the pics. I had to keep the lighting low to avoid glare from the A&D ointment, so the pictures are not as sharp as they could be - sorry. This session was a departure from the norm. In the past, Shinji was very strict about following a certain order: first outline, then background and black shading, then color. This session he decided to do some shading even though the outline is only about 1/4 complete. I wasn't quite sure if this reflected a change in his thinking or had more to do with the availability of his gear. At any rate, tebori was a nice change of pace. The work was concentrated on the bottom right portion of my thigh. As you can see, the new background on the front is starting to be joined to the background on my back. Shinji also did some shading in the water at the top of my thigh and thickened up the lines which form the rock on the left side of my right thigh. I am surprised at the uniformity and crispness of the line he created in the rocks, I imagine this is quite difficult to do by hand.

Just got back from another session, will post pics soon. I had the pleasure of meeting Horimasa while I was at the shop, who is in town for a few weeks. Horimasa is another one of Horitoshi's students, and I believe he will be working out of the well-known Starlight Tattoo in New Jersey while he is here.

Horimasa, hope you enjoy your time on the East Coast!

A friend sent me this link, along with a note which read "I think I found the perfect coffee table for you!"

Here are some pics from the second outlining session, completed yesterday. At this rate, I imagine it will take approximately 6-7 sessions total to complete the outline. Notice the outcrop of rock near my armpit and on the bottom of my thigh. The rest is crashing water and backgroud. You can also start to see the right boundary take shape near my center-line.
I dragged myself to the appointment even though I felt awful. Tired, hungry and with a headache is not the way to walk into a tattoo parlor. Amazingly, I felt much better during the actual process than I did last time. Still, I was glad that we finished a little ahead of schedule and I could get out of there and into bed.

After months of waiting, we finally started work on my tattoo again. It's been a long time since I felt the stink of a tattoo gun, and I had almost forgotten it's distinctive touch. The motor's vibrations spread out in waves from the area of impact like an earthquake emanating from the depths of an inky black fault line. The electric tattoo gun has a bite that a hand-driven needle doesn't, but this is offset slightly by the calming buzzing sensation. The front of my torso is an area which has never been tattoo, and different areas respond in their own ways. On my side over the ribs, and the pelvic area on top of the bone - these areas are not particularly pleasant to tattoo. The rest of it isn't so bad really, nothing nearly as bad as having your backside tattooed. The plan is to make this koi white with a shock of red or orange on it's head, something like the Tancho or Kohaku koi varieties. We won't start the outline on the left side of my body until the right side is complete. I'm realizing that photographing the front of my torso presents it's own challenges; namely, that I can deal with baring my ass online but full frontal nudity is a bit much. For now I've resorted to using a none-too-subtle black bar to hide my "naughty bits". Hopefully I can come up with something a bit more subtle without sacrificing visibility.
It's a little scary starting this project, even with the previous experience under my belt. But with something like this, the only way to begin is by jumping in with both feet. And I've certainly done that..

Apologies for the lack of updates, but there hasn't been much to report. We are scheduled to start the next phase of work on 8/23/06, and I anticipate more frequent updates after that. It sounds like we are leaning towards a simpler design, for the most part incorporating just water, maple leaves and koi. We had discussed working in yokai of some sort, but it just didn't feel right.

Check out this website for a fascinating look at one man's munewari style tattoo by Horiyoshi III. The design is packed with mythical imagery and detailed explanations are given for each item. And of course, Horiyoshi's artwork is as wonderful as ever.

Happy Birthday New York Adorned! Surviving 10 years in the tattoo and piercing industry is a feat in and of itself, but New York Adorned has done more than just get by - they have been recognized time and time again as one of the finest shops in New York. They have an incredible roster of tattoo artists and a great selection of custom jewelry, and I've always found the staff to be friendly and knowledgeable. Here's to 10 more years.