Who do you think deserves some recognition?

[MsRad]

Honestly, I didn't mention traditional in the context of artists "scratching away doing other people's flash" at all so I don't understand how I could possibly be "putting down most western traditional artists." I'd be happy to reply to Stewart's points but I imagine this should move to PM or just die away. I'm happy with both.

you're right, you didn't say it. but it was the first thing that came to mind when you said flash (though there are pages of flash than most of us are probably aware of, many of which are of shitty designs made by various companies and not individuals).

anyways, glad to see that you came to a solution.

no one's mentioned Devon Blood as far as i know, so i'm going to. i think his new work, is actually better than his old work. you can find out more about him, and more about the left hand path here:

Devon Blood Tattoo| Left Hand Path » art

[CaptCanada]

Also this talk about Hooper has me aching to get tattooed... I'm trying to get in with him sometime around the SFO convention

Lucky, would be awsome to get a tattoo from him. Do you know if he is sticking around for a few extra days?

[Stewart Robson]

I know this is slightly off topic but I thought MsRad's question was interesting and it's not worthy of a brand new thread.

oh and was Tomas Tomas around before Hooper? i feel really stupid asking, but i only do because Hooper has said he is heavily influenced/inspired by him. i wonder the same about Jondix, but since i learened about Jondix at the same time as Hooper, i don't really know either of their histories,

I'm not a historian, so I won't attempt to give dates and I don't know how long everyone has been tattooing but knowing where those guys worked makes it clear that they all influenced each other. That makes it all even cooler to me. I didn't work with all these guys so maybe I'll miss some important detail but I know a few of them and the people they worked with.

Hooper used to work at IntoYou, when Xed LeHead worked there. Jondix used to visit and do guest spots. So did Mike the Athens and his 'student' Tas. Then, Tas' work had much more Thai/Tibetan and Borneo/Micronesian influence than it does now, so did Hooper's. Tomas Tomas moved from a different shop in London to work at IntoYou. So at one shop, including guests/friends you had:

Alex Binnie, Xed, Thomas Hooper, Jondix, Mike the Athens, Tas, Tomas Tomas and Duncan X.

There were of course other awesome tattooers working there who specialised in different styles but these 8 people are very influential in the dotwork/blackwork (non-tribal) styles.

Hooper and Jondix are close friends and have done series of paintings together and a few collaborative tattoos. I see Mike's and Alex's influence a lot in the work of Jondix, Thomas and Tas' (non Japanese) work. A lot of the dot shading comes from Xed and Tomas Tomas, I think Tomas in particular took it further than anyone, to great success.

It's been awesome over the last 8 years or so, watching this amazing work grow out of existing tattoo styles and have other influences slowly added to each person's work and seeing them push themselves and tattooing in general. To me, that's perfect way for new styles to develop, rather than someone deciding that they have invented a 'new thing'.

If these guys weren't awesome enough most of them can do great tattoos in many other styles too. I have learned a lot seeing their work, particularly Hoopers healed work in the flesh and nervously tattooing next to it.

[Joe Shit]

http://www.tattooartists.org/Gal18450_Nicklas_Westin_s_Gallery.asp Like this guy's style. James Acrow Tattoo | Custom Tattoos | Appointment Only Studio | Vancouver BC Met this guy years ago in BC

Genziana Cocco (Genziana) on Myspace

[Ursula]

no one's mentioned Devon Blood as far as i know, so i'm going to. i think his new work, is actually better than his old work. you can find out more about him, and more about the left hand path here:

Devon Blood Tattoo| Left Hand Path » art

I find it weird that his portfolio is almost all paintings (which I don't like at all) and only 2-3 tattoos. Seems to me like it should be the other way around, or more half and half.

[blessedmatter]

Where does he work when he comes to Philly Capt? Cool to see some Philly love in this thread with Sailor Eddie, Jr. Had never heard of him until now. Speaking of Philly, what about Gus at Olde City? He does some really wacky stuff.

Gus is OK. I don't always love his designs, but he usually rocks flash pretty well.

If you're in Philly you should check out Bonnie and Clyde's where Sailor Eddie Jr. works. Barrett Fiser works there, too, and his stuff is crisp and awesome. He's Philly's best kept secret.

Barrett Fiser

[hogg]

I'd like to point out this gallery right here on LST: kayle leogrande's Pictures - Tattoo Gallery @ Last Sparrow Tattoo

Kayle joined, uploaded a ton of great pics of Americana and Japanese work, then vanished. I hope he comes back and joins the discussions. I'll admit that I was unfamiliar with his work, so I checked out his site. Turns out dude is (or was?) a professional cyclist! Very cool.

[gougetheeyes]

I know this is slightly off topic but I thought MsRad's question was interesting and it's not worthy of a brand new thread.

I'm not a historian, so I won't attempt to give dates and I don't know how long everyone has been tattooing but knowing where those guys worked makes it clear that they all influenced each other. That makes it all even cooler to me. I didn't work with all these guys so maybe I'll miss some important detail but I know a few of them and the people they worked with.

Hooper used to work at IntoYou, when Xed LeHead worked there. Jondix used to visit and do guest spots. So did Mike the Athens and his 'student' Tas. Then, Tas' work had much more Thai/Tibetan and Borneo/Micronesian influence than it does now, so did Hooper's. Tomas Tomas moved from a different shop in London to work at IntoYou. So at one shop, including guests/friends you had:

Alex Binnie, Xed, Thomas Hooper, Jondix, Mike the Athens, Tas, Tomas Tomas and Duncan X.

There were of course other awesome tattooers working there who specialised in different styles but these 8 people are very influential in the dotwork/blackwork (non-tribal) styles.

Hooper and Jondix are close friends and have done series of paintings together and a few collaborative tattoos. I see Mike's and Alex's influence a lot in the work of Jondix, Thomas and Tas' (non Japanese) work. A lot of the dot shading comes from Xed and Tomas Tomas, I think Tomas in particular took it further than anyone, to great success.

It's been awesome over the last 8 years or so, watching this amazing work grow out of existing tattoo styles and have other influences slowly added to each person's work and seeing them push themselves and tattooing in general. To me, that's perfect way for new styles to develop, rather than someone deciding that they have invented a 'new thing'.

If these guys weren't awesome enough most of them can do great tattoos in many other styles too. I have learned a lot seeing their work, particularly Hoopers healed work in the flesh and nervously tattooing next to it.

Stewart, thanks for that. This is the kind of stuff I do feel privileged to know, to be able to connect the dots. And the kind of connections I bet others will be talking about over the next 50, 100 years.

[RoryQ]

Agreed, that was a really interesting post, useful to hear these snippets of modern tattoo history....

[MsRad]

I know this is slightly off topic but I thought MsRad's question was interesting and it's not worthy of a brand new thread.

I'm not a historian, so I won't attempt to give dates and I don't know how long everyone has been tattooing but knowing where those guys worked makes it clear that they all influenced each other. That makes it all even cooler to me. I didn't work with all these guys so maybe I'll miss some important detail but I know a few of them and the people they worked with.

Hooper used to work at IntoYou, when Xed LeHead worked there. Jondix used to visit and do guest spots. So did Mike the Athens and his 'student' Tas. Then, Tas' work had much more Thai/Tibetan and Borneo/Micronesian influence than it does now, so did Hooper's. Tomas Tomas moved from a different shop in London to work at IntoYou. So at one shop, including guests/friends you had:

Alex Binnie, Xed, Thomas Hooper, Jondix, Mike the Athens, Tas, Tomas Tomas and Duncan X.

There were of course other awesome tattooers working there who specialised in different styles but these 8 people are very influential in the dotwork/blackwork (non-tribal) styles.

Hooper and Jondix are close friends and have done series of paintings together and a few collaborative tattoos. I see Mike's and Alex's influence a lot in the work of Jondix, Thomas and Tas' (non Japanese) work. A lot of the dot shading comes from Xed and Tomas Tomas, I think Tomas in particular took it further than anyone, to great success.

It's been awesome over the last 8 years or so, watching this amazing work grow out of existing tattoo styles and have other influences slowly added to each person's work and seeing them push themselves and tattooing in general. To me, that's perfect way for new styles to develop, rather than someone deciding that they have invented a 'new thing'.

If these guys weren't awesome enough most of them can do great tattoos in many other styles too. I have learned a lot seeing their work, particularly Hoopers healed work in the flesh and nervously tattooing next to it.

thanks Stewart for the informative reply!

[MsRad]

I find it weird that his portfolio is almost all paintings (which I don't like at all) and only 2-3 tattoos. Seems to me like it should be the other way around, or more half and half.

i think he's rebuilding his portfolio after getting shot in the head and having to learn to tattoo all over again. he used to have more of his older tattoos up, from when he was right handed, but i think it gave off the impression that his tattooing now would be the same as then, which it's not. this is purely speculation though, and either way, i like his work and his paintings, so i guess this is another thing we can disagree on.

[gougetheeyes]

i think he's rebuilding his portfolio after getting shot in the head and having to learn to tattoo all over again. he used to have more of his older tattoos up, from when he was right handed, but i think it gave off the impression that his tattooing now would be the same as then, which it's not. this is purely speculation though, and either way, i like his work and his paintings, so i guess this is another thing we can disagree on.

Oh man, totally remember this dude from.. maybe 5 or six years ago? Jesus.

[Gregor]

I really like Gary Stanleys Tattoos he works in Birmingham and does really nice Japanese stuff

Facebook

[MsRad]

Oh man, totally remember this dude from.. maybe 5 or six years ago? Jesus.

we have a lot of mutual friends but i've still never met him. i think his work is different, and reminds me of a lot of graffiti i like, but is also influenced by traditional western tattoo designs. i know that doesn't make for a good tattoo necessarily, but it's still what i like which is good enough for me.

i'm just going to shut up in this thread though. i feel like i belong in the sandbox, so i'll just keep watching the big kids playground. i'm also having a bad day, so don't mind me.

[Jaycel Adkins]

i think he's rebuilding his portfolio after getting shot in the head and having to learn to tattoo all over again. he used to have more of his older tattoos up, from when he was right handed, but i think it gave off the impression that his tattooing now would be the same as then, which it's not. this is purely speculation though, and either way, i like his work and his paintings, so i guess this is another thing we can disagree on.

The brain injury and subsequent relearning resulted in a change of his dominant hand, MsRad?

edit: Okay, got to read his story on the site....pretty rough.

Thanx for sharing, has an interest in the brain.

[Avery Taylor]

Adding to Stewart's earlier post about all of the guys working at Into You around the same time. There was a guy that worked there named Jason Saga. He did a lot of Japanese stuff that was pretty incredible. He passed away a few years ago, but if you Google him you can still find a few examples of his work. I feel a bit weird posting about someone that has passed away, but he was a really good tattooer, and I think that he deserves the recognition.

[gougetheeyes]

i feel like i belong in the sandbox, so i'll just keep watching the big kids playground.

MsPout. Who cares about the big kids anyway? Buck up.

[Raskolnikov]

Adding to Stewart's earlier post about all of the guys working at Into You around the same time. There was a guy that worked there named Jason Saga. He did a lot of Japanese stuff that was pretty incredible. He passed away a few years ago, but if you Google him you can still find a few examples of his work. I feel a bit weird posting about someone that has passed away, but he was a really good tattooer, and I think that he deserves the recognition.

Yes, he was a fabulous artist, and Into You have only very recently taken down his RIP page. I thought this was a very moving post from Tomas Tomas regarding Jason at the time of his death. Also features some wonderful Japanese work in the first picture.

[Stewart Robson]

Avery, Jason Saga was a fantastic tattooer. I have the pleasure of seeing some of his work in the flesh. He was a versatile tattooer and capable of many styles but much of his Japanese style work was influenced by the Horitoshi family. A few of my customers have work from him.

Again, off topic but Frank Frazetta learned to paint and draw with his 'other' hand after a stroke. He was still totally fucking awesome too.

There's a documentary (you can find it on iTunes) that's pretty cool.

[Ursula]

MsRad - everyone is allowed to like or not like whoever's tattooing they want ;) I didn't know anything about the dude getting shot. To have gone through that and still maintain a normal life in an accomplishment on it's own. I wouldn't think less of you if you got tattooed by him and not some one else. I'm just picky about who I get tattooed by now because I've got some really really bad tattoos when I was younger. Oh and you are one of the big kids ;)

I think the disagreements over who likes who just comes from people liking stuff for different reasons. Where for example maybe Stewart is appreciating the tattoo from a tattooers light, looking at the technical work and maybe say me or you might be looking at if we like the design or not. I dunno. I just know when I see someone's work I can usually tell right away if I like it or not based on how I feel when I look at the images.

[Jaycel Adkins]

Let's have an embargo on the childhood metaphors.

[MsRad]

MsRad - everyone is allowed to like or not like whoever's tattooing they want ;) I didn't know anything about the dude getting shot. To have gone through that and still maintain a normal life in an accomplishment on it's own. I wouldn't think less of you if you got tattooed by him and not some one else. I'm just picky about who I get tattooed by now because I've got some really really bad tattoos when I was younger. Oh and you are one of the big kids ;)

I think the disagreements over who likes who just comes from people liking stuff for different reasons. Where for example maybe Stewart is appreciating the tattoo from a tattooers light, looking at the technical work and maybe say me or you might be looking at if we like the design or not. I dunno. I just know when I see someone's work I can usually tell right away if I like it or not based on how I feel when I look at the images.

seriously, i'm just having an off day. it wasn't a statement directed at anyone but myself. it's gloomy outside and i'm cranky. wah.

[MsRad]

is David Bruehl a really recognized artist? i've seen Shawn mention him on here, and while i wouldn't get some of the stuff he tattoos tattooed on me personally, i still like his work, especially his birds. i just haven't heard many people talk about him on here or in person.

Tattoos and Art by David Bruehl

[chrislj54]

Dan Rick! After seeing his Rock of Ages tattoo in that thread I was amazed.

[briankelly]

i just saw this and the mention of berit from tatau obscur and felt like i had to say something. while i don't think i would get tattooed from her, she needs to be respected partly because of her history in berlin. she was one of the first tattooers in berlin to actually know how to draw and helped break the hell's angels control of tattooing by simply refusing to pay their protection fee. jan and fide from fuer immer both worked at tatau obscur before opening their own studio. she is one of the older tattooers in berlin and everyone respects her, including lars uwe who some would think is one of the greater tattooers in this country. she might not be well known, and her style might not be everyone's cup of tea but tattooing in berlin wouldn't be what it is without her.