It’s been said, even by my own people, that I sometimes work in strange ways. I make decisions that seem odd, but which, in the end, work well thank you, God . So, when I found out that some of our current artists were moving on to new things in their lives, I decided that it was the perfect time to make the next jump up. What I’ve decided to do is to open a new, beautiful shop on Elizabeth St, with all of our tattooers and piercers in one location, and to transform our Second Ave shop into a jewelry store, albeit a non-traditional one. Details to follow once I work them out…

continue reading:  NEW YORK ADORNED — New Beginnings.

Last month, I wrote about the new Body Art 3 book that I was honored to be featured in. Today, I am again thrilled to share with you the new article that Bizarre Magazine was so kind to include me in. The December, 2009 issue of Bizarre features a 4-page article about me, written by Denise Stanborough and Ben Miller, with photos by the incredible Michelle X Star.

via Jinxi Article in the December Issue of Bizarre Magazine – Blog – Jinxi Boo.

Edition Reuss recently released Black Tattoo Art: Modern Expressions of the Tribal, a photographic homage to a particular genre of skin art. The book is curated by Marisa Kakoulas (lawyer, writer, circus lady, and blogger.) Above and after the jump, Boing Boing’s exclusive peek at some of the hundreds of striking, full-page images you'll find inside.

The 536-page hardcover includes work by tattoo artists from Borneo, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Europe and North America. The book weighs nearly ten pounds, and the binding is stitched with silver embossing. It's fat, heavy, and gorgeous.

“There has never before been a book on this style of tattooing in English,” Marisa told Boing Boing over email. “The style is called “blackwork,” where the artists are limited to one color and so they have to stretch their imagination in terms of design elements to create original works, rather than having a palette of colors and shading techniques to chose from as in other styles of tattooing.”

Some of the photos we selected to share on Boing Boing also include the use of a single additional color.

Black Tattoo Art examines how indigenous tattooing has evolved over the years, beginning with a history section, then each of the styles that originate in tribal arts.

Lots more photos from the book after the jump. NSFW-ish warning: one of them is a human hiney.

continue reading @ Black Tattoo Art: Modern Expressions of the Tribal Boing Boing.

I hardly know where to begin when talking about the one-and-only Mike DeVries. Not only is he the maestro of realism tattoo art, a top-selling author, tattoo product entrepreneur, shop owner, painter, dad, husband, and all-around amazing guy; he is also one of my best friends and a person who I owe a lot to, both in the tattoo-appreciation sense and in the sentimental sense.

It’s no secret that Mr. DeVries has decorated a huge portion of my skin with his awe-inspiring skills. In fact, he has had to put up with me for nearly 200 hours worth of tattoo work (at this point) and if he doesn’t mind, I plan to keep that number ascending for as long as I can trick him into it (wink wink).

I first met Mike at a tattoo convention, took one look at a monkey portrait he had executed and nearly fell over. I had never seen an animal so precisely and realistically tattooed before, and it took about a split second longer to decide that I simply had to have him design my throat piece.

via Jinxi’s Interview With Tattoo Artist Mike DeVries – Blog – Jinxi Boo.

Charlie Wagner, is one of America’s great tattoo legends. Wagner tattooed in New York City from the 1890s up until his death in 1953. Working on the Bowery in lower Manhattan, Wagner took over the shop space at 11 Chatham Square that Samuel O ‘Reilly had occupied for many years. Charlie Wagner carried on where O’Reilly left off in more ways than one. They both patented a tattooing machine, and both became very famous for tattooing sideshow attractions. Samuel O’Reilly patented the first tattooing machine in 1891 (patent #464,801). Wagner improved upon that design and received his own patent in 1904 (768,413).

I wanted to pay homage to this Legend so I did this painting.

I wanted to do a study of the tattoo machine and make it as realistic as i possibly could with my crude skills.

via Professor Charlie Wagner « HOOPERS ELECTRIC.

The first time I met Aric Taylor he left such an excellent impression. He was quiet and kind, working hard over in his corner booth at Art Junkies Tattoo Shop in Hesperia. But it wasn’t long before I realized that you can’t let that cool and calm demeanor fool you because WOAH, that guy can pack a PUNCH when it comes to breathtaking, bold tattoo work.An artist for close to fifteen years now, he shares good times and good friendships with the other talented artists at Art Junkies, located in the high desert area of Southern California. The vibe at AJ is so positive and infectious, with all of the artists encouraging, teaching and inspiring each other. I always love visiting the shop and Aric is definitely one of the great reasons that the establishment rocks.

Your realism work is so excellent and continues to get more and more impressive each time I see it. Is realism your favorite genre to work in?

Thank you so much, Jinxi. I also like to do oriental tattoos. I mostly try to focus on the realism. There is so much technical learning in the process of making one, and it gives me motivation to never stop learning and push myself more and more.

On the other hand, I like to be a well-rounded tattooer, so I do a lot of different styles as well.

I just love your use of color in your tattoo work. It is so vibrant and explosive. How do you describe your style and how has it evolved in the last year?

I don’t think I have much of a style in the realistic side of my tattoos. I just try do the best job that I can and take the picture that they give me and make it look cooler than the original. This last year I have just been focused on my art and hopefully that will reflect in my tattoo work.

via Jinxi’s Interview With Tattoo Artist Aric Taylor – Blog – Jinxi Boo.