Jonathan Shaw

[Petri Aspvik]

I was re-introduced to him via this blog post by Tomas Tomas. Fucking amazing stuff! Any more pics or stories, I would love to hear them!!

Remember this? Jonathan Shaw (NY.2000?) « Tomastomas108's Blog

Love the backpiece!

http://www.scabvendor.com/wp-content/gallery/TATS/13.jpg

[Julio Avila]

I HATED his tattoos. But I do appreciate what he did for International Tattoo Art when it first came out.

Last I heard he was in trouble for having a storage unit full of guns he wasn't supposed to have in New York

[hogg]

Well, at least I'm not the first to say it. Good GOD, his tattoos were fugly, but I loved that magazine. Yes, I found his famewhoring annoying (he was almost like an early version of Kat in that way), but at the same time, those mags had several pieces in every single issue that made me stop and stare. The same cannot be said for many mags today, so yeah...begrudging props.

[Julio Avila]

i get that in the beginning of the mag it must have been difficult to get people to submit photos. so why not fill the fuckers with your own photos or photos of guys at your shop? i remember seeing tons of old garver and snake eyes tattoos. i loved them! could do without that goofy tribal stuff though.

[Joe Shit]

I met him at Fun City when Garver was there.He wasn't the easiest guy to talk to.I thought his name was much bigger than his work.Never did like his tattoos.

That shop was a dump when he owned it.It looks so much nicer now.I did meet Garver there,and was gonna get a cover-up from him,but he wanted to do a foo dog,and i didn't want that.His work was excellent back then too.

[ShawnPorter]

I always thought he was a shameless self aggrandizer; but hell, most of those old guys were. First time I met Gil Montie, he referred to himself in third person. (Come to think, second and third times, too)

[Avery Taylor]

I was reading some of the Phil Sparrow book, and he said the same thing about Tatts Thomas. I don't mind a good showman as long as they can back up the talk with their work.

[Julio Avila]

Talking about yourself in the third person=when I start walking away from you.

[hawk]

Hey Avery, yeah Phil said allot about Tatt's but please read between the lines in the book and remember that Phil was a quirky kind of guy and Tatt's was ahead of him by a long shot, not only in the "industry" but also in the Chicago tattoo politic's of his era which made Phil put a slant and maybe a slander on Tatt's. There is a much deeper Phil/ Sam Steward/ Phil Adros to know and I hate the thought of turning this post around into a he said she said about Phil but it should be clarified that Tatt's was more of Phil's dogging competition at the time he wrote the book and Phil was looking for some payback. Phil wrote lots of stuff on many topic's and was many things in his life.

Here is a bit more into the persona of Phil in his last interview before he died, Phil was much of the "set" in the art world much further than the tattoo side. This is not to mention darker stuff like why he was "dismissed" from his position as a teacher before his venture into tattooing. Tatt's walked a walk that some today would find difficult and his "folk art" was such that it stood the test's and maybe exceeded most and this is not to mention the amazing company he kept in tattooers of his time.

Here is a peek into Phil's last interview;

glbtq >> Special Features >> Samuel Steward, 1993

Not trying to be shit or nuthin, just want to illustrate how "artist's" can be when ya get too many in the kitchen. Again, don't want to side track this post about Shaw and I feel not matter how insignificant a contribution whether past or present, as long as it's a positive one, it is a contribution non the less.

[Avery Taylor]

Hey Hawk I know what you mean. I shouldn't post at work. I shorten things too much. What I was really commenting on was showmanship is fine by me when it is backed up with something (as in Tatts case). I think that it is hard for us to imagine, in this internet age, what it took to promote yourself. Which like it or not is a necessity of owning your own business. I think that was probably a big part of these guys becoming such characters. It was a matter of survival.

[Petri Aspvik]

Interesting. Do you guys not like his work because what kinda guy he is or doesnt it just work? I dont know anything about his personality, but his abstract work looks great to me.

[Deb Yarian]

I worked for Gill and one bike week worked with him, Randy Adams, Crazy Ace with the occasional visit from Roy Boy.

No offense to any one but it wasn't the high point of my career.

Gill really looked up to Mr Tramp--- I think they all fancied themselves "Tattoo Celebrities"

Jonathan was just a little more avant gard.

[Deb Yarian]

I think it's just personal preference

There was no rhyme or reason to his "tribal" work? It didn't really do anything to enhance the part of the body he was working on and over time it tends to run together

[Donn]

I worked for him for the time I lived in NYC and had a great time working for him. He new I was into vintage tattoo memorabilia and would bring old flash, machines and photos for me to look at. This was especially great since it was his begining issues of IT that got me into Bert Grim, Todd and Shaw and he would bring in stuff for me to check out and read every few days. I had never worked for an owner who did more to put people in my chair and make sure that all the tattoo tourist who came to check out the mystique that was Fun City sat down with one of the guys working there and went home with a permanent reminder of what tattooing was like before shops mainly populated strip malls.

I know that many don't like his ways or manner but one thing he taught me was that you should never forgets who you are and start believing what you hear about yourself and that if you can't have a good laugh about your life you probably aren't living much of one.

[Deb Yarian]

The balance and symmetry shown on Tomas Tomas's blog is uncharacteristic for Jonathan---

[Petri Aspvik]

OK. Thanks for the input Deb! :) And Donn, Hawk and others

[75xs670]

Like or dislike the guy he deserves his place in history.

A buddy of mine has a now covered up bit of his tribal junk that he specifically asked to not have has his initials put in, but the sneaky bugger did em backwards so when he looked in the mirror there were the immortal JS initials.

But pretty classic stuff Lower East Side with the telephone booth you had to call from so he could scope you out before he let you in!

[Julio Avila]

I just don't like his work. The "tribal" stuff that is.

[ShawnPorter]

I worked for Gill and one bike week worked with him, Randy Adams, Crazy Ace with the occasional visit from Roy Boy.

No offense to any one but it wasn't the high point of my career.

Gill really looked up to Mr Tramp--- I think they all fancied themselves "Tattoo Celebrities"

Jonathan was just a little more avant gard.

I find Royboy to be one of the most fascinating examples of "Tattoo Celebrity" out there. His videos were once reviewed as "little more than proof of possessions for his insurance company with liberal dashes of racism and bad tattooing". I should know since I wrote that review :D

Yet he seems to really love tattooing. And speaking about himself in third person.

Shawn approves. hahaha

[Deb Yarian]

Funny side story.

I was working at Gill's underground shop in Daytona---- he went out and the the police raided the shop while he was gone--- we all got arrested , our equipment confiscated etc etc etc

but the press he got in all the magazines!!! --- I do believe he called---he and Mr Tramp were of the PTBarnum school of thought "even bad publicity is good publicity"!

----

Also, the same shop

I was manning the shop alone when Roy Boy and his lady friend came looking for Gil.

While there, a group of 1%s from Pa came in----- so what did Roy Boy do? Left me alone there with the group. Someone took one of my machines.

A fight went on in town afterward, over my machine. Someone got very hurt.

The following year after having tattooed for 4-5 bike weeks in a row-- I cocktail waitressed instead ---in a bar that featured David Allen Coe along with go go dancers

Those were dark days.

And now roy boy is gone and crazy ace too

[ShawnPorter]

Wow. I hadn't heard that Royboy passed away. He was one of those guys that just seemed so cartoony and silly; even when he was wrestling with a tiger or tattooing with no gloves you'd just sort of laugh it off with a "well, that's Royboy."

This is a dude who put "the birthplace of Elvis's son-in-law" on his business card when Lisa Marie Presley married Michael Jackson. Classic.

[Some Grass]

Has anyone read Narcisa or the other book he released through Heartworm? Narcisa was a pretty crazy read.

[Shannon Shirley]

yes quite the self promoter. FYI ; i was the back cover of the first issue.

[Pat O'Donnell]

do any of you guys actually know him? or better yet have any reference for the time period he tattooed in?lmfao, i didnt particularly care for him back in the day (political differences) but he is a good guy and funny as fuck to hang out with . he was/is a shameless self promoter, but at the same time that is why you know his name. if you tattoo in new york you wouldnt even be tattooing legit now if it wasnt for him..... just saying give credit where its due. as for the tribal thing, you obviously havent been tattooing for more than a decade if you dont understand what and why he was pushing the tribal thing....

[Deb Yarian]

. as for the tribal thing, you obviously havent been tattooing for more than a decade if you dont understand what and why he was pushing the tribal thing....

I don't understand this statement, no disrespect .