I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday. I gave myself a tattoo today. BME also seems to be dead, which is very sad...

Thanks for the link Gregg!

December! What a wonderful month, maybe not. Can't wait for this crummy weather to go away and summer to come again...

In the new film The Bucket List one of the things that Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) wants to do before he dies (kick the bucket) is to get a tattoo, skydive, kiss a beautiful woman, etc.

This seems to be making waves...

Joanne Raine's "Supermarket" TattooJoanne Raine's "Supermarket" Tattoo

I am on needled.com/blog

Also if you have your palms tattooed, if you could take a second to e-mail me about your experience, that would be great & helpful towards me.

I'll have an amazing video and some new (great) photos to post later on in the week.

I'll be touring in February.

Enjoy the holidays!

Here is the new ad campaign (gross) for 'Juicy Couture' for their new perfume and cologne located in Times Square.

A giant Truth TV billboard running their current documentary commercials is right below it.

I received a comment in a few posts down regarding the latest Italian issue of Vogue.

Here we have a fashion editorial in the latest issue (December 2007) of Italian Vogue. The models in the editorial are Lara Stone, Kinga Rajzak, Meghan Collison, Maryna Linchuk & Hanne-Gaby Odiele. The photographer is Steven Meisel. A quick Google search reveals that NONE of these models are heavily tattooed as depicted in the cover or any pages that follow throughout the magazine.

So here we have an EXTREMELY high-end fashion magazine incorporating tattoos into its pages (namely its cover). From the detail I can deduce that the tattoos were either painted on- or either in the fashion of those obnoxious sheer legging type sleeves that they sell online.

While it angers me on one end that the tattoos are obviously fake- the layout and incorporation of the idea of 'patterns' is intriguing. The models / fake tattoos are treated in a respectable, interesting manner and are actually part of the photographs, rather than being objectified or ridiculed in any sort of obnoxious manner.

This brings up the idea of why not just use heavily tattooed models, instead of just 'regular' models. Unfortunately, the on-call models who are heavily tattooed (tastefully) and also fit the anorexic body type are few and far between.

Here we have a model 'wearing' tattoos, 10 years ago a model would wear flannel, 20 years ago I don't know, 30 years ago they would be wearing polyester. All in all, my feeling is that fashion is just fickle.

Italian Vogue home (click Vogue Photo Story)

I was linked from Gothamist a few days ago...

I finally caught Eastern Promises, the latest from David Cronenburg. Prior to viewing, I noticed that the trailer is embedded with flash pieces of jail / criminal tattoos.

This is one of the only Hollywood movies I've seen in the past few years which the idea of the concept and process of the tattoo is done in a tasteful, positive outlook. While the content of the film is dark, the film does not exploit the 'criminal' factor that could be easily covered when dealing with such content.

The film instead uses the theme of tattoos as a major character. Tattoos linger from beginning to end in the film's main dual protagonist and antagonist. The main character, Nikolai, is covered in tattoos, notably his hands, which are highlighted often due to his deemed profession as a 'driver.' Tattoos are used as identifying marks in a criminal investigation by Russian Police. Tattoos are also a crucial element in the initiation of the main character into a secret organization, whose alumni identify Nikolai's social history by the artwork on his body. Nikolai then goes through the actual process of getting tattooed, as an initiation. The film then climaxes full force with Nikolai's violent naked body in full view, in all its glory.

This was a really great movie, if you liked 'A History of Violence' or 'Videodrome' -same director. Go see it.

Banksy exhibit opening at the Vanina Holasek Gallery.

Shirts - $50, Books - $35 / $50, Actual Pieces - outrageou$

Snapcase - Caboose



Ian MacKaye comments on the Nike fiasco.

Banksy is also having an opening this afternoon in Manhattan.

http://vaninaholasekgallery.com/upcoming.html

I saw the last Snapcase show this past Sunday in Brooklyn. I also saw Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) do a Q&A this afternoon.