Total Tattoo - January 2017

WIN INTO YOU GOODIES - ALEX BINNIE PRINT & INTO YOU HOODY
STAR WARS
PAUL BOOTH
IN DARKNESS THERE’S NO LIGHT
THE FORCE IN THE FLESH
THE ULTIMATE STAR WARS
TATTOO BOOK
INTO YOU REESE

CLOSES HILBURN OUR COVER MODEL
WE BID A FOND FAREWELL AMERICAN TATTOO TV START
FLO NUTTALL
MENDHI INSPIRED SCOT BASED IN ITALY
BARNY WATTSSTUNNING HAND CRAFTED
TATTOO MIRRORS AND PLAQUES
MUKESH WIN A FREE PRINT

WAGHELA
AND HOODY
DESIGNED BY
ALEX BINNIE
A LEADING LIGHT OF INDIAN TATTOOING INTO YOU
Plus - ALL THE NEWS AND REVIEWS • PAUL TALBOT - TALES FROM THE NAUGHTY STEP £4.20
CONVENTION CALENDAR • INTERNATIONAL GALLERY • COVER MODEL PROFILE TTM147
STOCKHOLM INKBASH • PORTFOLIOS - AARON CLAPHAM, ALEX HENNERLEY JAN 2017
WELCOME TO ISSUE 147 92
7 WELCOME TO ISSUE 147 70 MAKE UP FOREVER

Lizzy shares her thoughts We investigate the growth in
cosmetic tattooing
36
8 NEWS & REVIEWS JAMES BARNY WATTS
All the news that's fit to print 76
Tattoo-themed carved paintings
14 PAUL BOOTH that will amaze and delight!
We interview a legend.
Can tattooing get any darker? 84 FLO NUTTALL
Astoundingly precise mehndi-inspired
24 STOCKHOLM INKBASH designs from this Italian-based Scot
PORTFOLIOS
The twentieth anniversary of one of
Europe's top conventions 92
INTO YOU
Aaron Clapham from Hope and Glory
30 Alex Hennerley from Adorned
TALES FROM THE

A fond farewell to this iconic
London studio 97
36 FORCE IN THE FLESH NAUGHTY STEP

An awesome book of Star Wars Paul Talbot is adamant that tattooing
inspired body art is not a service industry
42 COVER MODEL PROFILE 98 CONVENTION CALENDAR

Tattooist and fine artist Reese Hilburn Get out and about
47 GALWAY TATTOO CONVENTION Cover Model Reese Hilburn

Photo by Jenna Kraczek
Real Irish hospitality at this friendly show
Advertising & general enquiries
76
52 GALLERY 01603 958062
A feast of fantastic tattoos from
around the world [email protected]
62 MUKESH WAGHELA Subscription enquiries

Leading the way in contemporary
Western-style Indian tattooing 01603 958062
[email protected]
dISClaIMer
Adverts and articles appearing in Total Tattoo magazine carry no implied
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SUBMITTING PHOTOS
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editing and editorial comment.
aNd CONdITIONS
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date. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered. The editor’s
All correspondence should be sent to decision is final. Only one entry per person please, and remember to include your
Total Tattoo Magazine name and address.Winners of convention tickets will be responsible for their own
transport and accommodation unless stated otherwise.Total Tattoo is not
111 Furze road, Norwich, Nr7 0aU responsible for items lost or damaged in transit – though of course we will try to
help if we can.
www.totaltattoo.co.uk
Total Tattoo magazine No. 147 January 2017

Published monthly by KMT Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Printed in England on re-cycled paper by Buxton Press Ltd
4 Total Tattoo Magazine Distributed by Seymour Distribution
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Editorial team Editorial enquiries Artwork enquiries Social Media Contributors

[email protected] [email protected] Instagram: @totaltattoo
Perry Rule, Lizzy Guy Twitter: @totaltattoomag Travellin’ Mick • Jenna Kraczek
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Jill Feldt, Luke Wilson [email protected] [email protected] Facebook: totaltattoomagazine Alice Snape • Paul Talbot
WELCOME to 147
December is here again! Woo hoo! But I'm It's no surprise that most people fail in their
not going to talk about Christmas. Instead, New Year’s resolutions. If you think about it,
I’m going to focus on the New Year. And, we're still on a post-celebration come-
specifically, on New Year’s resolutions.You've down. In addition, we’re hit by winter (in the
eaten all the leftovers, drunk all the booze, Northern Hemisphere at least), which
and watched all the cheesy TV known to makes us feel even more miserable. And if
man.You’re feeling bloated, partied out, in we're in a negative frame of mind when
debt and ready to escape the family and thinking about how we ‘should’ change in
head back to work.You’ve probably put on the pursuit of happiness, are we really likely
weight (but then again it's so goddamn cold to focus successfully on doing it?
you need the body fat) and you’re feeling ill
from all those drinks… In other words, it’s Perhaps New Year’s resolutions should be
the perfect scenario for making those given a more positive spin. Instead of
dreaded resolutions as we all plan how we thinking about what we need to change
to massively improve ourselves in the about ourselves, or things we want to stop
coming twelve months. doing, perhaps we should focus on our
virtues – the things we want to do more of.
I read somewhere that 2015's top ten New Are you a good listener? Maybe your
Year’s resolutions were: Lose weight, get resolution could be that you will continue
organised, spend less (and save more), enjoy to be at the end of the phone to your
life to the full, get fit, learn something friends. Are you great at cooking? Hold a
exciting, quit smoking, help others achieve get-together. Do you make people laugh?
their dreams, fall in love and spend more Then continue to do so, because we could
time with family… which, on the whole, all do with it. (And if you're all these things,
sounds promising. Come January 1st, we'll then you could also consider signing up to
have bought our running shoes, signed up to Tinder.)
crochet classes, binned the cigarettes and
called our second cousin's husband’s sister. As for the stuff we don't like about
Great. But by the second week, we're ourselves, well I suggest you pop another
munching to curb the cravings, tangled up in segment of that chocolate orange in your
the wool, nursing our sprained ankles and mouth and wait until the January blues have
remembering that we actually really hate passed. By then, you'll feel more motivated –
our second cousin's husband's sister. Then instead of the motivation being forced upon
we feel rubbish, give in, eat the rejected you.
parts of the selection box and light a roll-up.
As for finding love and living life to the full? Be kind to yourself.You survived the horror
That's a bit vague – and anyway, we're too of 2016.You’re doing great.
depressed.
Lizzy
Total Tattoo Editorial Team
[email protected]
“We will open the book. Its pages are

blank. We are going to put words on
them ourselves. The book is called
Opportunity and its first chapter is
New Year's Day.”
Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Total Tattoo Magazine 7

NEWS & REVIEWS
Tattoo news and reviews for your delectation and
delight. If it goes on in the tattoo world, it goes in
here. Send us your news items, books or products
for review and items of general curiosity and
intrigue for the tattoo cognoscenti.
News, Total Tattoo Magazine, 111 Furze Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0AU
BOOK REVIEW THE BIG NORTH

The Art of Mr Charles Plans are coming together for our first tattoo
Burchett Davis convention at the Metro Radio Arena,
Barnaby Titchener Newcastle Upon Tyne in April next year.
Hardcover Advance tickets have gone on sale and are
£85.00 priced at just £12 for a day and £21 for the
Available from weekend. They're available from
www.tattoobarny.bigcartel.co facebook.com/bignorthtattooshow
where you'll also find the latest information
about who is coming to join the party!
When you hear the name “Burchett”, it's the

King of Tattooists, George Burchett, who
comes to mind. It's all too easy to forget that
he had a brother, Charles, who was also a
gifted tattooist. In addition to tattooing, TATTOOS FIT
Charles Burchett Davis also sold kits and
supplies, and even invented a tattoo removal FOR A KING
solution.Yet very little is known about him.
At the time of writing, over 75% of these

limited edition box sets had been sold. It’s not
hard to see why. Presented in an A4 matt black
box, the set also contains stickers, a
bookmark, an introduction sheet and A4/A5
colour prints. The book itself is just as
immaculately presented. Barnaby Titchener has
chosen to keep the words to a minimum, the
only text being a letter from Charles’s
granddaughter, who gives us a glimpse into her
personal memories of her grandfather, as well Thailand is currently deep in mourning for the
as his life story. The rest of the book contains late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died on
over 140 digital colour images of Burchett’s 13th October. According to news reports,
work, ranging from coloured flash sheets to men and women of all ages (some of whom
pencil drawings. The images themselves are have never been tattooed before) are paying
now part of Barnaby’s own collection, and we tribute to their revered monarch by getting
can all feel privileged that he's chosen to share inked. Popular designs include royal portraits,
them with us. If you’re a collector of tattoo statements about doing good deeds in the
history, this box set is an absolute must-have name of the King, and declarations that the
(if it’s not already sold out...). wearer was born during the King's 70-year
reign.
8 Total Tattoo Magazine

WIN! INTO YOU GOODIES!
This October, the iconic ground-breaking
tattoo studio Into You tattoo closed its doors
for the last time, bringing to an end an
astonishing twenty three year period of
creativity and innovation. To mark this historic
event we have been given a limited edition
print by the studio's founder and owner, Alex
Binnie, along with possibly the last ever Into
You family hoody! To be in with a chance of
winning these collectables, simply email us the
answer to the following question:
In which decade did Into You first

open its doors?
A 1890s
B 1990s
C 1950s
Email your answer to

[email protected] with Into You
as the subject line. Terms and conditions apply
(see page 5) and closing date is January 31st
2017
LATEST LASER TECH

There's a huge demand for laser tattoo
removal now, and the technology itself is
steaming ahead too. We're hear that the new
PicoSure laser is reportedly twice as fast as its
predecessors and can also give better results,
even removing blue and green ink (which can
be tricky for traditional lasers).
WISH FOR GOLD ONE TOO MANY

Tattooist Dan Gold has teamed up with furniture makers Wish Interiors to offer what is We've heard about an invention that could
described on their website as “rock star luxury” that will shake up the upholstery world. With rescue your night out. It's a bit like a
edgy street graphics, and features such as snake-skin detailing and silver studding, these hand- temporary tattoo, but it's actually a 'smart'
made designs are unlike anything else on the market. The Union Skull chair is the first in the patch that measures the amount of alcohol
range.Visit www.monstersofart.co.uk and www.wishinteriors.com to find out more. in your body and sends the information to
your smartphone. So if you're sober enough
to use your phone, but want to know how
drunk you really are (before you text your
ex, or walk into the nearest tattoo studio
perhaps...) this could be a lifesaver. The
device works by stimulating perspiration
and measuring associated electrical
changes in the skin.

BOOK REVIEW
Sayagata: Design Patterns of
Interlocking Manji
Sam Rivers
Softcover, 256 pages
£57.86
www.kintaro-publishing.com
Sam Rivers is a master of dotwork tattooing,

and this book celebrates his attention to
design detail. It's crammed full of patterns
from all around the world, ranging from simple
repeating swastikas to trippy warped manji
(across a double-page spread) and motifs
more commonly associated with architecture.
Produced mainly in stark black and white, it's a
valuable reference for artist looking for
inspiration.
NOT SO NASTY
TOTAL
US President Elect Donald Trump famously TATTOO
accused Hillary Clinton of being a “nasty MAGAZINE
woman” during a pre-election debate. This NOW ON
insult has now been turned into an inspiring
INSTAGRAM
message for female empowerment by Inkbox,
a temporary tattoo company. According to co- We'll be posting great
tattoos, news, and exclusive competitions.
founder of the company Tyler Handley, the Follow us on @totaltattoo
design emerged from the disgust they felt at
the negativity of the whole election campaign
and their desire to turn it into something
positive. The temporary tattoo design has THE BIG
become a bestseller, joining the many other
NORTH
'Nasty Woman' products – t-shirts, stickers,
TATTOO
and so on – that can be found on the internet.
SHOW IS
After all, any woman who can become the first
female US presidential candidate can't be that
NOW ON
nasty! Check out
INSTAGRAM
getinkbox.com/products/nasty- We'll be posting updates of who is working
woman plus competitions to win tickets and prizes
Follow us on @bignorthtattooshow
EXIT VIA THE GIFT SHOP TATTOOS WITH
The Field Museum in Chicago is offering
TOPPINGS
visitors to its 'Tattoo' exhibition more than
just an insight into the history of tattooing.
They can also leave with a permanent
reminder of their visit in the form of an actual
tattoo. The museum has opened its own
tattoo studio for the duration, showcasing
some of the city's most talented tattoo artists,
including Zach Stuka (Deluxe Tattoo),
Stephanie Brown (Butterfat Studios), Tine
DeFiore (Black Oak Tattoo), Jennifer Trok
(Speakeasy Tattoo) and Lance Lloyd (Taylor
Street Tattoo) – all of whom usually have
substantial waiting lists for conventional studio
appointments. Tattoos cost $250 each (which
includes admission to the museum) and must
be selected from the artist's flash sheet. The Pizza Hut has brought together three good
exhibition runs until April 30th 2017. For things – tattoos, technology and takeaways –
more information, and to book an by offering a unique way of ordering your
appointment for the tattoo shop, visit meal. Special temporary tattoos, that you can
stick anywhere on your body, contain all the
www.fieldmuseum.org/discover/on-
data necessary to get your favourite pizza
exhibit/tattoo As we go to print, we delivered to you (or prepared ready for you
understand that most of the tattoo to collect). All you need to do is scan the
appointment slots at the museum are already design with your smartphone whenever you
filled, but you will still be able to watch the get that craving. Find out more on the Pizza
artists working. Hut Facebook pages.
BOOK REVIEW
Day of the Dead and Other portraits are mainly themed around sugar
Works skulls, there are nods to other genres – such
By Sylvia Ji as the art nouveau influenced 'Coral Snake'
Hardback, 112 pages and the surreal 'Spring Bonnet'. Whether you
are into realistic Day of the Dead portraits, or
£19.99
just looking for fresh inspiration for your own
www.koreropress.com painting, this book is an absolute steal.
Sylvia Ji is a truly fantastic painter whose

timeless works echo the old masters. This
book guides us through her output from the
early 2000s to 2015, and clearly shows her
honing her techniques whilst creating one
beautiful artwork after another. Although the
please mention total tattoo when replying to adverts • please mention total tattoo when replying to adverts
Paul Booth is an artist who needs no
introduction. He's a legend in his own lifetime.
I met him at the Dublin convention, and as we
began our conversation three tattooist fans
came over to have their photos taken with him
and thank him for his contribution and
inspiration to their own work. Paul tells me it's
the kind of attention he's become used to.
“It's been like this for nearly 25 years now. I'm
very humbled by it.”
Not having seen Paul at any shows for a while, I wondered where he'd been. “I
started travelling again a couple of years ago, but I did take six or seven years
Words and portrait by Perry off. I kind of needed to stay at home and get my head straight. Plus at home I
Photos by Paul Booth can work on multiple-sitting projects rather than one-shot pieces. I don’t really
start big pieces on the road because it can be years between appointments and
things tend to take so long that it’s not good for me, my work or the customer.
At home I work in a real chilled out, mellow environment, so I can focus on
larger projects. I like a balance of the two.” I asked Paul if the break from
travelling had injected a new enthusiasm for being back on the road? “Yeah,
I’m trying to get to places I’ve not been, or at least not been for a while. I’m
heading to Bucharest soon, and I’m looking forward to visiting Transylvania,
which will be cool! The opportunity for travelling is one of the special things
about being a tattooist. Thanks to tattooing I've managed to see three quarters
of the world in the last twenty five years.”
Taking time out from the 'scene' has also given Paul a unique viewpoint from
which to observe tattooing's recent evolution. “Quite a bit has changed...
Tattoo television is now a global plague, and I can see how this has affected
people. I'm not a fan of these shows. I have no issues with any of the artists
themselves; it's just the way television represents the industry, and the fact that
the public really don’t know any better. I don't like competitions. I think artists
should be comrades, and not made to feel jealous of each other, or portrayed
as being better or worse than each other. It’s like there's a new breed of
tattooist who is less educated – either by choice or because there's a lack of
old timers around – and they have no knowledge of the history. I know that
makes me sound like an old timer myself, but somehow I've become one! These
artists don’t seem to have any idea of what went before. I'm seeing some really
exciting work, and some of the artists are super cool, but some of them have
egos bigger than anything I have ever seen in this industry before!”

We talk about the importance of keeping
your feet on the ground. “I've seen guys
actually cry when they haven't won an
award at a convention,” Paul tells me.
“Contests are good for promoting your
career, but they're more for your client to
have fun and play a part in the show.
They don’t really mean anything for the
artist because sometimes stuff wins that
shouldn’t and vice versa. If you take it
too seriously you will always be the
loser. It’s better to compete with yourself,
and just try to be the best you can be.”
“But I guess we really only have ourselves to blame,” Paul continues. “Tattooing
got glamorised. A bunch of us are responsible for that – including myself. We all
helped to make it commercial. The music industry is pretty much dead, and
tattooists are now the new rock stars. So everyone wants to be a tattooist, except
they don’t really want to pay their dues and learn to do the whole job properly.
What they forget is that with tattooing there is an artistic side that needs to be very
strong, and a technical side that needs to be very strong too. You have to be able
to put in a solid line, and pack colour in a way that means it will stay. It's no good
floating some colour over at the end for the sake of a good photo. You need to
think about the effects ten years from now. Contrast, construction, placement and
application are all vital and you can’t learn that without the investment of time.”
We talk about the new wave of artists who often seem too impatient to put the time
into diligently learning their craft (fuelled perhaps by the ease with which
equipment is now available) and the tendency for the younger generation to

specialise in a particular tattoo style very
early on rather than developing all-round
ability. Paul picks up this point. “Half the
stuff you see on instagram is going to fall
out in a year or two. The saturation is
pumped up in Photoshop, or it’s a fresh
tattoo and you don’t see how it's going
to be after a year when the skin has
grown back over the top. Some of the
realism is amazing, and truly impressive
artistically, but it won’t have the
longevity. Without that, for me it's just not
a tattoo”.
I wondered what Paul felt about the

current popularity of lasering. “Each to
their own. It does suck to make such a
painful mistake, and people should be
able to change their minds if they really
want to. Things change, and our lives
change. Lightening prior to a cover-up
can be very useful... although that does
mean we are losing the art of the cover-
up which used to be a unique skill in
itself”.
As our conversation moved towards the

technical aspects of tattooing, I asked
Paul to tell me a little about his own set-
up. “I use Inkjecta rotaries a lot. FK Irons
are cool. I've got a Bishop that I use. I
don’t really solidify myself with any one
particular manufacturer or group. I like

to try new things as they come out. I’ve
been off coils for about six years as I find
I work faster with rotaries. I get a lot
done in a short period of time, partly
because my style lends itself to speed.
Over the years I've developed my work
to become as efficient as possible to
cater to the demands of my customers. I
have to work fast because what I do is
like sketching on the skin, building up
layers, like charcoal on paper. The way I
create textures requires speed to pull it
off, and the more I refine my technique
the faster I become. But I do need to
slow down a little as sometimes it kind of
gets out of control.”

I wondered if Paul ever felt trapped by
his well-known tattoo style. “No. In fact
it's the opposite. I believe people need to
pigeonhole you and put you in a
category in order to remember you. It's
human nature. Back in the early 90s,
when I'd come out of nowhere and the
magazines all wanted to know about me,
I decided that if I was going to get
recognised then I wanted it to be for
doing the things I loved. My heart is in
the macabre and demonic stuff – my
demons and monsters – so that was all I
ever sent to the magazines. I deliberately
pigeonholed myself into the place I knew
I wanted to be.”
With such a strong individual style, I

asked Paul how he sees his art
developing. How is he taking things
forward? “Well, when I am home I can
experiment much more. On the road it's
more freehand and I whip up whatever
comes into my head... but actually I'm
always experimenting in subtle ways that
people probably don’t even notice! The
big thing for me is doing my painting in
conjunction with the tattooing. I just
finished a new painting last week and
already I'm finding myself incorporating
things from that directly into my
tattooing. For me it's all about balance.
The painting inspires the tattooing, and
vice versa”.

“I'm still involved in the ArtFusion
project,” he continues, “which takes me
to galleries and museums all around the
world as well as to tattoo conventions.
We've just done a collaborative
exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum
in Toronto, which was a lot of fun. The
project has kind of died down a bit
because I don’t have the manpower to
run it properly, but I'm very proud of it as
a movement. It was always about
collaborative art and getting artists to
work together, to teach and learn from
one another.” My own first encounter
with the ArtFusion project was back in
2003 at the inaugural London
convention, and I put it to Paul that this
event was an important catalyst –
encouraging tattooists to open up to
each other creatively, and share
information in a way they hadn't done
before. “Yes. I don’t want to toot my own
horn, but at that first London convention
everyone just got it! They were all
jumping into each other's booths,
collaborating on the art fusion stage, all
over the place. At one point we had
twelve artists on four victims, rotating
every fifteen minutes! Filip Leu and
myself did a collaborative tattoo back in
2000 – which wasn't the first by any
stretch, but was almost certainly the first
to be done so publicly.”

At this point we are interrupted by yet Paul is very much part of the New York
more fans wanting to have their photos art world, and even owns two galleries
taken with Paul... himself (although he never shows his own
work there, as he feels this would be
Paul then returns to the point he was “tacky”). “I guess I'm known more as a
making. “ArtFusion was hugely successful gallery owner than a painter,” he tells
at conventions all over the world. It was me, “but I do get a lot of respect from
a little like Burlesque is now! The problem fellow painters. I'm a huge fan, and
was getting the right balance of artists. If many of them give me tips and advice
you get a good team that vibe off each which I love. For me, the hard part is
other, the magic will happen; if there are finding the time to put together a big
a couple of guys who have never painted enough body of work to fill an exhibition.
before, it can get messy. But it's always I have commissions for paintings that I
about learning and teaching at the same need to get finished, and then maybe I
time, and it's not always important to will start to put together a show.”
create a pretty picture. If it’s on a public Is the pressure of living and working in
stage you need talent, but if it's in a New York part of the driving force
closed environment everyone can jump in behind Paul's creativity? “I thrive on
and have a go.” hatred!” he laughs. “Actually New York
is really cool. It’s an intense, congested
place with a lot of energy – which many
people can find overwhelming. My
studio, Last Rites, is a bit like an island in
a sea of crazy. Once you're inside, you
kind of forget that you're in New York.
There are a lot of tattoo studios around,
but it's different from say the West Coast
where you get groups of artists hanging
out, collaborating, intertwined. On the
East Coast, shops know each other and
some are friends, but there isn't as much
camaraderie. Where we are, studios
tend to keep to themselves. It's just the
New York way. Instead of Hello, we say
Fuck You.”

I ask Paul to tell me more about his
team. “The present line-up at Last
Rites is Logan Aguilar, Darwin
Enriquez, Yarico Enrico and Jose
Conteres. My entire staff is Latino. All
I need now is a good assistant. I go
through so many of them, because I'm
a very difficult person to deal with on
that level. At the moment I have to do
all my own emails and scheduling,
which actually makes sense because
no one really knows when I’m ready
to tattoo apart from me... but it
means that if I get it wrong I have no
one to yell at apart from myself!”
At the Dublin convention, Total Tattoo

Magazine had the booth just along
from Paul's and all through the
weekend people kept mentioning how
scary Paul was as they crept past in
silence. I asked Paul how that felt. “I
love scaring people,” he tells me. “It’s
like a hobby for me. There are two
kinds of scared – people who are
afraid to talk to you because they are
shy, and people who think you're
going to bite their head off and kill
their baby. Both of which are true! It
all depends on my mood. I do enjoy
being out in the ‘real’ world, going
into the grocery store and having all
the little old ladies look at me with
fear and disgust... And sometimes I
meet fans who are trembling with
excitement and simply don't know
what to say. That can be quite cute.
But I don’t take it very seriously. As
far as I’m concerned, I’m just a fat
guy from New Jersey who is riding a
wave and having the best time for as
long as he can. If you take yourself
too seriously, you become just
another asshole.”
Last Rites Tattoo Theatre

325 W 38th St, New York, NY
10018, USA
www.lastrites.tv
Tel: +1 212 529 0666

words and pictures by Travelin’ Mick
STOCKHOLM
1.
INKBASH 2016
20 years of the Stockholm Inkbash! Two decades of top
tattoos at one of Europe's best conventions. And two decades
of coming to this beautiful city to spend an August weekend
at the spectacularly situated old brewery building, the
Münchenbryggeriet.
Tumppi and his organising team from House of Pain have always managed to lure the world's
top tattoo brass to the Inkbash. It's not just the atmospheric location that brings them here; it's
also the appreciative crowds who attend the convention, who know a good tattoo when they
see one (and are prepared to pay accordingly). The peaceful vibe helps too, as well as the
good food, the great parties, and the way all the artists are so well looked after.
The last two decades have flown by, and a lot has happened on the tattoo scene. The
widespread acceptance of inked skin is now a reality: football matches on television look like
Best Sleeve contests, professionals in all walks of life have visible tattoos on display, and in
many families we are seeing a third generation of tattoo clients growing up. And of course
we've also seen the rise of social media and all kinds of creative technology. Unfettered
access to information, coupled with a rapidly evolving tattoo supplies industry, mean we now
have a much younger tattoo elite (and even the average artists aren't doing too badly). Back in
1997, who would have thought it would be like this? Tattoo styles have come and gone too.
Twenty years ago, tribal designs, sinister skulls, colourful tigers, 'realistic' black-and-grey
wolves and 'ass antlers' were the latest thing; cartoon tattoos were making their first
appearance, and a dragon crawling up one's arm was seen as the epitome of fine tattoo art. All
old hat, right? But hang on a minute...
As I walk round this year's Inkbash I see the dragons that have never gone out of style in
Japan-crazy Sweden... and over there Stizzo and Capex from Italy, Sweden's Drew Horner,
and several others too, are doing a whole string of old school designs... Right next to them,
Julian Corpsepainter from Germany is working on a cartoon sleeve... and American Tim Kern
is inking a (truly) realistic wolf into someone's armpit. The underboob, a pretty adaptation of
ornamental tribal, is now the latest fashion accessory, and there's still plenty of script and lots
of portraits to be seen. So maybe not so much has changed after all – or you could say that
it's all changed for the better! But the old tattoo rules still apply: bold will hold, details will
disappear, and contrast is what makes a tattoo design readable. Not just today, or for a few
moments on Instagram, but for ever.
So I don't think the Stockholm Inkbash is going to start doing things differently any time
soon. A great convention is like a great tattoo: a statement for eternity! Times may change,
but quality remains.
1. emil edge, buzzstop 28 (sweden)

2. mankan, rough stuff (sweden)
3 & 4. timur lysenko (on the road)
5. mr dist, big slick tattoo
(sweden) and unknown artist

2. 3.
4. 5.

6. 7.
8.
6. erik svensson,
stockholm classic tattoo
(sweden)
7. all artists were busy
8. tim kern, tribulation (usa)
9. mr. dist, big slick tattoo
(sweden) and unknown artist
10. eric svensson, stockholm classic
tattoo (sweden)
11. levgen knysh,
red berry tattoo (poland)
12. by matt curzon, empire tattoo
(australia)
9.

10. 11.
12.

13. 14.
15.
16. 17.

13. ben kaye, ship shape 18. 19.
tattoo (new zealand)
14. peter svensson,
porky royale (sweden)
15. trevor mcstay,
dynamic tattoo (australia)
16. julian siebert,
corpsepainter tattoo
(germany)
17. iwan yug (russia)
18, 19 & 20. johan losand,
imperial tattoo (sweden)
21. jordan croke, second skin
20.
21.

Interviews by Perry & Lizzy Guy • Photos by Perry & Lizzy Guy
London's legendary Into You tattoo studio has closed its doors for the
last time, after 23 years of astounding innovation and creativity. It's
one of those studios – perhaps the UK studio – whose story is the
story of contemporary tattooing, and its closure marks the end of an
era. The last weekend was really special, with Saturday as the last day
of tattooing and an auction of shop artefacts on the Sunday. Total
Tattoo Magazine was honoured to be invited to the farewell party and
we couldn't let this occasion pass without hearing from the people
who have made Into You so much more than just a place to go and get
a very fine tattoo. Here's what they told us...
Alex Binnie had a shop like it – a shop that he wanted to
(Owner and tattooist) visit. So he decided he would just have to
Alex told us he felt both sadness and relief create his own. “I started with a business
about the end of Into You. “I'm obviously partner, body piercer Teena Marie, in
sad, of course, but we did a good job. October 1993,” he continues. “In fact it was
Without wishing to sound like an arrogant Teena who found and named the shop. She
prick, I feel we did it properly. We had a worked at one end behind screens, and I
great laugh. It's not me choosing to close the worked at the other.”
shop; a natural end was presented to me
when the lease came to an end. It's Over the years, Into you has played host to a
something that was always going to be huge list of influential tattooists including
inevitable. We couldn't carry on forever. literally hundreds of guest artists (Horiyoshi
And I'm just going along with it. I'm happy III, Henk Schiffmacher, Filip Leu and Freddy
to have a change in my life. I never planned Corbin to name but a few...) The shop's
to be tattooing this long and I never dreamt influence has reached far and wide.
the shop would keep going as long as it did.” “It's been a fabulous journey,” Alex admits.
(At this point it feels important to point out “We've never viewed tattooing as a job. It's a
that Into You certainly didn't close due to a vocation, a calling, a path. And the shop was
lack of demand!) more a life raft, a meeting place, a safe haven
for people like us. We never saw it as just a
Alex then pauses to focus on applying a business. Goodness knows how we kept it
tattoo to our very own Lizzy Guy. It's a together for so long – it was pretty crazy at
special one-off design produced for this last times – but we did. It was great, and I want
day at Into You. Alex then tells us that he to say thanks to everyone who came and
started the shop because, back then, nobody trusted us to tattoo them. Thank you all, it
has been beautiful.”

Zoe Binnie
(former receptionist, tattooist,
and Alex's wife)
“Into you has played a massive part in my life,
both socially and professionally. I started by
coming here and getting tattooed by Mo
Coppoletta. I met Alex and we got talking, and
soon after that I got a job working on
reception. Five years ago Alex and I got to build, and the new shop would always
married and so my relationship with Into You be compared with the original. I
changed and moved on again. No matter completely understand the need to draw a
what's happened in my life, Into You has line under the past and let it lie.”
always been there in the background. When
Alex told me he was thinking of allowing Into
You to close – retiring, and not looking for
another premises – my first reaction was 'No!'
you can't do that. But we forget that it's
someone else's stress, time and effort to keep it
all going. And London has changed so much in
23 years. Round here, it's slowly become
gentrified to the point where it's not such an
interesting area to be any more. This final
weekend has been looming for both of us for a
quite a while now – but strangely, things came Matt Lodder (tattoo historian)
full circle last night when, out of the blue, “I remember coming to Into You before I ever
Teena Marie got back in touch. We hadn't got tattooed – and walking straight out again
heard from her for years.” We asked Zoe if because I thought the place was too scary. In
there was anything else she would like to put those days, all tattoo shops had a bit of an
'on the 'record'. “The first thing I heard about Jim MacAirt
edge. It's what made tattooing exciting. I think
Into You was all the crazy parties and drug (former tattooist at Into You)
Into You somehow managed to maintain that
problems... but what Alex has allowed people “I worked at Into You right at the
edge. This shop represent a real turning point
to do is develop creatively in their own ways. beginning. Alex put an advert in the tattoo
in tattoo history, where we moved away from
Each artist has discovered their own originality trade journal ‘The Buzz’ asking for
sheets of flash on the walls to include the art
in a supportive environment. Into You has someone to join him, and I applied. But he
school educated tattooists. Tattooists who were
never really been a business. It has always be had already found someone – that was
looking to advance in directions that had not
more of a collective, a bit like an art school.” Curly. Three months later he called me and
been seen in this country before. If you look at
said he was going travelling and would I
the names of some of the artists that have
cover while he was away, so I worked from
passed through these doors – Curly, Jason
September to Christmas. Into You has
Saga, Xed le Head, Duncan X, Nikole Lowe,
always been a ground-breaking shop, for
Mo Coppoletta, Tomas Tomas, Lucy Prior, the
art-based tattooing from arts school
list goes on and on... – they have all have been
educated tattooists. It was a power shop.
massively influential around the world. All
There had never been anything like before.
from this shop in East London.” Matt has
The time is right for it to close now
clearly put a lot of thought into the question of
though. Hopefully the demise of Into You
whether Into You should have relocated instead
will create a vacuum that will get filled by
of closing. “I totally understand Alex's
a new creative force. As Into You grew it
decision. It would be impossible to recreate the
attracted like-minded clients that were
atmosphere of a shop like this. It would be a
brave and enthusiastic enough to travel
parody of its former glory. The history held
along with the artists on a creative journey.
within these walls would take another 23 years
It would never have happened outside of

London. There was a strong underground
scene going on in London at the time. This
was an underground shop, and people were
willing to take chances. There has probably
never been another shop with such a great
range of artists who have gone on to influence
tattooing all around the world. That's partly
down to Alex and his laid back attitude,
allowing and encouraging each artist to
develop their own style in their own time. My
only hope is that someone comes along to
continue what has been developed here and
take tattooing forward on the next leg of its
journey.”
James Lovegrove
(tattooist at Into You)
James has been working at Into You for seven
years. “Into You has been my extended family.
It's been the place that I've been allowed to
develop my work the way I want to do it. It
changed tattooing for everybody; it changed
the format of what a tattoo shop should be; and
it changed people's expectations of what a
tattoo could be! I loved to hang out here, and
so did many of the customers. I'm sure people
ended up with more tattoos than they'd initially
intended to have, just because they wanted to
hang out in the shop. They came in for a small
tattoo and left years later with a sleeve and a
hangover!” James is moving on to work at
Lucy Prior
Jayne Doe in Hornchurch. “It's close to where
(tattooist at Into You)
I live. I didn't feel I could work at another
Lucy moved to Into You (from
London tattoo shop after leaving Into You. I
Nottingham) thirteen years ago. She'd been
would be forever making comparisons. So I've
getting tattooed by Alex, and one day he
gone for a different style of shop with a
suddenly rang to say the shop needed a
different pace to it.” So how did James come
female tattooist to do walk-ins. “At that
to be at Into You in the first place? “I just kind
time, there weren't many female tattooists
of hung about enough to be a pain,” he told us,
about. Alex said to me 'You can either
“and when an opening appeared, I was there
continue doing walk-ins or you can
ready. I'd been tattooed by Dan Gold when he
develop your tattooing to do whatever you
was at the shop, and I was friends with the late
want.' There's a lot of sadness around the
Jason Saga. Everyone who worked at Into You
closing of one of the world's greatest tattoo
had been about for a long time, and we all
shops,” Lucy continues, “but I understand
looked out for each other and supported each
why Alex is doing it. By stopping Into You
other. It's very much a family thing.”
now, the shop will always remain true to
what it was supposed to be. If it had been
taken over, it may have deteriorated and
damaged the reputation it has established –
so we all understand that this had to come,
and I know we can all evolve and move on.
I've had a great time here. I'm very proud
to have been part of Into You.” Lucy's
plans are to move abroad, work guest
spots, semi-retire, and see where the future
takes her.

Curly
(former tattooist at Into You)
“In the late 80s, while I was living in a
caravan in Wales, I went on my chopped
Moto Guzzi to a party in London where
Malcom McLaren and Zandra Rhodes and
other trendy people were, and I met Alex
Binnie, who had a couple of tattoos. This
was the first time I had seen tattoos as
anything other than a slight embarrassment,
and the seed was sown. I was 23 years old. A
few years later I started tattooing, and I met
Alex again. While I was getting tattooed by
him, he asked me if I wanted to work with
him at Into You, which had just opened. At
first it was just the two of us tattooing and
the set-up felt well removed from the tattoo shop norm of the time (which I personally had no
interest in). Tattooing intensely filled my mind, and still does, and we worked steadily and
gradually. I guess I developed a bit of a style, from what was initially rather naive work. I
worked for the first six years of the shop's existence and I was able to spend time with some of
the top tattooists of the time, many of whom worked as guests in the shop. Alex and I went to
New Zealand and worked at two big conventions there, as well as the biggest one in England
(Dunstable), and also the Amsterdam convention a number of times. Looking back it seems
odd, but at the time it was normal to be drinking (etc!) with people like Horiyoshi III, Filip
Leu, Freddy Corbin, Hanky Panky and numerous other tattoo heroes and nutters. It seemed to
me that tattooing had stagnated – like a lot of other things – but Into You was different in so
many ways. We, and definitely I, had absolutely no interest whatsoever in flash or any of the
traditions of western tattooing. In fact I hated it all. It was critical to me that the work was
individual. I still hate the mass production of art. It cancels out everything that tattooing is
supposed to do and be. Into You was a place that felt separate and different from the staid
traditional tattoo world. It was also a melting pot for madmen and madwomen with all their
various behaviours! It is of course hard to know what my contribution to the first quarter of
Into You's history was, but it shaped me as a human being and tattooist – and now, after
twenty four years in the field, I feel enormously grateful to Alex Binnie and all the other
interesting individuals I met at Into You. I am still obsessed with the artform. I tattooed myself
last night, and I'm getting more from a friend in a minute when I finish this. Tattooing should
not be dabbled with. It's not 'fun'. It hurts and it's savage, as the world is.”

Blue
(Into You's “shop mother”)
“I was the first receptionist at Into You back in 1993. I knew Teena Marie, the piercer who
started the shop with Alex, and she asked me if I wanted to come and work there. (I'd also
been tattooed by Alex in the early 90s.) I worked at Into You for a couple of years, then I left
to do other things, but a few years later I was asked back. That's when it all kinda really
started for me. I had more responsibility within my role - I was a bit more than just a
receptionist – and the shop was always busy. There was so much amazing work coming out of
it, and so many amazing artists working there. I somehow became the 'shop mother'. It was
more like a family, and a home, rather than just a job. I'm so proud to have been part of this
great history. I'm not sure what else to say. It's a bit difficult. Yesterday I closed the door for
the last time... Into You really changed the world of tattooing. I still can't believe I was
amongst it all. The next chapter for me is to open a new tattoo studio with Nikole Lowe and
work again with my friends. You never know, Alex Binnie well may to a guest appearance!”

Interview by Perry • Pictures courtesy of Shane Turgeon
When Shane Turgeon's The Force in the Flesh Volume I came

out in 2007, this incredible collection of Star Wars inspired
body art sent ripples of excitement right across the galaxy,
and it's still a highly sought-after book today. The
beautifully produced and eagerly-anticipated Volume II is
now available, containing more than a thousand photos
documenting Star Wars tattoos (and the stories behind
them) by some of the best artists on this planet. A tattoo
collector himself, we met Shane at the recent Star Wars
Celebration in London to talk about the project.
Tell us about your connection to the tattoo world and your relationship
with Star Wars...
I have to say right out of the gate that despite owning a shop and writing books and articles
about the industry, I’m not a tattoo artist. A lot of folks automatically assume that I am, so I
like to clear that up right at the start! My initial connection to the tattoo world came from
my relationship with Star Wars, and that's a relationship that's been lifelong. I was born in '77,
so I was the perfect age to get sucked into the hype around The Empire Strikes Back and
Return of the Jedi. I grew up with the toys, and starting collecting them on a more serious
level back in 1991. Over the years I've built a fairly large collection of vintage toys and made a
lot of connections within the Star Wars fan community. When I was growing up, heavy metal
and punk music were also a big part of my life, and that's where my appreciation of tattoos shane turgeon
first came from. Then in 1994 Star Wars Insider magazine ran an article on Star Wars
tattoos... and I knew what my first tattoo would be.
jordan croke jordan croke

What was that first tattoo?
I got it in 1998, and it was an abbreviation of
Straightedge done in the Star Wars Aurebesh
lettering.Very soon, I followed that up with a
realistic Yoda based on a well known Tsuneo
Sanda painting. The Star Wars fan community cecil porter
was burgeoning online and I noticed a few
other folks getting Star Wars tattoos as well,
so I decided to build a central place for
everyone to share their tattoos with one
another. That website
(www.tattoosandtoys.com) became the first
home for geeky tattoos on the Web. It grew
quite quickly and attracted a lot of attention.
cecil porter
And where did it all go from there?

In 2002 I went to the Star Wars Celebration II in Indianapolis and met a lot of other like-minded
fans, as well as some folks from Lucasfilm who opened a few doors for me. I wrote a follow-up
article for Star Wars Insider in 2003 and in 2005 started working with Celebration organizers to
include more tattoo programming for Celebration III, including the first Star Wars tattoo
competition and a gallery of Star Wars-inspired paintings and art done by a number of well-
known tattoo artists such as Guy Aitchison. Also at that event I started the photography for
Volume I of The Force in the Flesh. Then in 2010 I opened my shop Shades of Grey in Edmonton,
Alberta [Canada] – a tattoo, toy and comic shop with an accompanying art gallery as well. Since
then I’ve continued to work with Lucasfilm bringing tattoo programming to their Celebration
shows all over the world. I've also coordinated a large Star Wars-inspired art show, with thirty
artists, that toured four cities in three countries. It was called Portraits from a Galaxy Far, Far
Away and we published an exhibition catalogue for that event as well.
max pniewski

Is ‘The Force In The Flesh’ totally
your own project?
Yessir! It's 100% my baby. Self-financed, self-
published, and self-distributed. To say it's a
labour of love would be an understatement! I
interviewed all of the artists myself, and wrote
all of the bios. An incredibly talented designer
named Jeff Correll was the visionary behind
the look of the series. He and I worked
together on how everything would come
together. Once the book was ready it was
printed by Palace Press, who were fantastic.
What made you decide to do the

first volume?
I've always loved big, beautiful art books. And
you have to keep in mind that when Volume I
was published, social media was not the beast
that it is today. Art books were still flourishing,
and in many cases they were the only way you
could see some of this stuff. I felt that it was
important to document not only the
collectors and the artists and their art, but
their stories as well. A lot of people don't
realise that the books are more than just
photos. There are some pretty wonderful
stories about each of the people featured that
you don't necessarily get anywhere else. For
me, the stories are the most important part of
the books.
How did you decide on who to

include and who to leave out?
For Volume I it was pretty easy. Back then,
there wasn't anywhere near the amount of
people specialising in Star Wars or other
geeky tattoos that there is now. Neither the
tattoo or geek communities were anywhere
near as supportive of this as they are today.
While I may have missed a few folks, the
artists that are featured in that volume were
cecil porter really the only guys out there doing it at the
time and they were all people that I had
personal relationships with. Fast-forward to
2013 when I started laying the groundwork
for Volume II and there were a ton of people
I'd never even heard of doing Star Wars
tattoos. After I'd set the line-up for that one, I
kept meeting more and more people that I
would have loved to have featured but I had to
stick to what I had. It was a shame to leave
out so many talented folks but I guess that's
what a potential Volume III would cover.
thom tijdink thom Tijdink luis vella gomez

What were the most difficult aspects of the project?
To be honest, I think the hardest part of self-publishing comes right after the book has been
released. By the time the book gets printed, you're already so exhausted from the process of
writing itself, and dealing with all the logistics and the various curve balls that get thrown your
way, that the monumental task of marketing, promotion, sales and shipping becomes a bit of a
monster. It takes all the excitement away from the accomplishment of seeing your book in print.
You’ve visited lots of international conventions. Do you notice any difference

between Star Wars fans around the world or are they all fanatical?
I'm always loathe to use the word fanatical. To me that's something extreme and unhealthy. What
Star Wars fans are is passionate, [=========='passionate' in italics, followed by
comma=======] and that passion runs the world over. One of the great things about Star Wars
is that it bonds people together across continents and language barriers. Star Wars fans are
generally some of the warmest, kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met – no matter where
in the world I’m meeting them.
Are there any future plans for The Force in The Flesh?
Right now I’m toying with the idea of doing a Kickstarter campaign to reprint Volume I. One of
the biggest complaints we get is that the first one has been out of print for so long and people
want the pair. So I’m trying to put together an enticing campaign that would allow the first one
to see print again and be released some time in 2017.
What do you see as the cultural significance of the Star Wars franchise?
That's a pretty broad question that could be answered in a number of ways. For me, the ultimate
significance of the Star Wars franchise is not the tattoos or the merchandise or even the movies
themselves – it's the community. It's something I write about in depth in the introduction to Volume
max pniewski II. In a nutshell, the Star Wars community is global, it’s far-reaching and it has the power to bring
people together in the most extraordinary ways. Fan groups become online neighbourhoods,
conventions replace church, charity drives raise millions of dollars a year and lifelong friendships are
formed in the process of it all. It's quite an extraordinary thing to be part of!
cecil porter
javi antunez matt diffa

cecil porter
If someone wanted to join the Star jordan croke

Wars tattoo world what should they
do?
Research, research, research! It hurts my heart
day-in and day-out to see so many people still
getting really bad Star Wars tattoos. There are
incredible artists the world over who are
chomping at the bit to do Star Wars tattoos
and your first step would be to find them. Sit
down with them and discuss what you're
looking for, listen to their input, and work
together to come up with a cool design. The
nice thing about finding a fellow Star Wars fan
to do your tattoo is that they're going to get pawel jankowzki
it. They're going to put the same amount of
love and passion for the franchise into your
tattoo that made you want to get that tattoo chris 51
in the first place. adam guy hayes
You have many other strings to your choose a favourite but here are a few...Visiting the
bow... Skywalker Ranch is always pretty special. And I toured
Yes, and everything that I've done in my career the ancient Mayan city of Tikal in Guatemala, which
is in some way related to everything else. I was used as a filming location in A New Hope, with
started organising comic conventions around Lorne Peterson who was a model maker on the
the same time the website started to grow, original films and who oversaw the original shoot
which led to making it much easier to there in 1976. Knowing that Robin Williams received
coordinate organizing things with Lucasfilm. a copy of Volume I a few months before his death and
Working in management in my previous loved the book (something I write about in Volume II)
career in television gave me a lot of the tools I was profoundly surreal and definitely one of the most
needed to write my books and publish them – special moments I've had in doing this project. And
to bring those projects to fruition. And I guess honestly, just being able to travel the world with a
all of the experiences I’ve had in both my like-minded group of friends, numerous times over,
career and personal life have helped me keep and share in those life-changing experiences that
a level head through it all. travel brings, all because we share a mutual love of
some silly sci-fi movies, man, those will forever be the
Are there any artists you would like some of the best experiences of my life.
to work with in the future?
Definitely! Too many to name! It seems like If you could change anything about The
every time I turn around there are new Force in the Flesh what would it be?
people out there doing incredibly innovative I'd like better distribution for this volume, to be
things in the Star Wars tattoo world. If (and honest. I think that's the one and only thing I’ve
it’s a very big if!) there is ever a Volume III of struggled with and would like to change. I'm
the series, I have a long list of folks I’d like to incredibly proud of how the second volume came
include. together and I love the response it gets from those
who purchase it. I would really love to get it into
Do you have a favourite Star Wars more hands. If anyone is interested in purchasing
moment? wholesale copies of the book or carrying them in
There have been so many amazing moments! I their stores, I can be reached through our website
wouldn't even know where to begin to www.theforceintheflesh.com thom

R
eese Hilburn is a tattooist and fine artist
who shot to fame in the hit US television
show ‘Tattoo Nightmares’. Since then, she's
been gallivanting around the world, tattoo
machine in hand, and currently she can be found
at Luckys Tattoo Parlor in downtown San Diego,
California.
What was your first memory of didn't have time or they didn't want a
tattoos? female working in the shop, so when
Living on the beach you are exposed to this opportunity came along I jumped
tattoos early on because, well, we at it and held on tight.
beach dwellers don't wear much
clothing! I always found the designs As a tattooist, how would you
intriguing, like a child seeing something describe your style?
shiny; just mesmerising. In high school I I love to mix styles. At the moment I
had Surf PE, and our surf instructor had particularly enjoy dotwork geometry
tattoos. I was hooked on the idea of and mandalas mixed with realistic
being tattooed. Not just one or two – I elements. I am mostly known for my
wanted to be heavily tattooed. black and grey realism, my portraits
and my painterly colour tattoos.
And did you always want to be a
model or an actor? And your own tattoos...?
No, I never planned it all. My father My body will always be a work in
wanted my brother and myself to be progress. There's no rhyme or reason to
child actors, but we didn't like it. I my ink. I get tattoos to remember an
chose sports at school and for a long experience, and not really for the
time I told myself I would never get in content of the design. They're like a
front of a camera again. I wanted a souvenir of a place I've been to, or a
stable desk job, so I pursued a career memory of an amazing time I'd like to
as an accountant. I actually already remember forever.
had my sleeve at that time. I loved the
idea of becoming a tattoo artist, but it What do you look for in a
wasn't until I was in my 20s that I found tattooist?
out I could draw! Drive. I can admire even a mediocre
tattoo artist if they work hard for what
How did you get into tattooing? they want and constantly push
A flyer for a 'wine and paint' night themselves to do better.
came through my door – and I love
wine, so I thought “What the hell, why Do you feel that tattooing is still a
not?” even though I'd never painted very male-dominated industry?
before. I ended up selling my first Females are on the up and up these
painting for a pretty penny... pretty days, but I think this is a very recent
enough to think that maybe I had a thing. On my travels this year, I met
talent for it. So I quit accountancy, went some of the top female tattoo artists
back to school to study Fine Art, and who I've looked up to in the past (and
became a full time artist. At one of my who I can now call friends!) but in
gallery shows a guy came up to me previous years I didn't come across so
and asked if I'd ever thought about many female artists. It's nice to see that
tattooing. I said yes! I'd tried getting an we're getting out there and pushing
apprenticeship, but either the artists creativity to its limits.

How did the your role in the TV
show come about?
Actually I was contacted through
Facebook. I thought it was a scam at first,
because they kept sending a copy-and-
paste style message, and I asked them to
stop messaging me. But someone got
back to me asking me to call their
number so that they could explain... and
suddenly I was booked in for an
audition. I can't believe I actually
accepted (remembering that moment
when I was younger, and how I'd
decided I would never get back in front
of a camera again). I was cast for a
different show at first, and I actually
turned it down. I wondered whether I'd
done the right thing at the time, but I
always listen to my instincts and I stuck to
my decision. A few months later they
called me and offered me 'Tattoo
Nightmares'.
Do you get recognised in the street?

Yes, it used to happen all the time. But not so much now that I've gone blonde. (On
the show I had long black hair.) I get recognised the most in South America, where
the show re-runs year round. I take it in my stride. It doesn't bother me too much. I
don't think I'm that famous.
What have been the best and worst things about being on a tattoo TV
show?
The best part is all the travelling I get to do – while spreading my love of art
through tattoos! I do what I love and I make a living doing it, and the show only
helped boost my career. I can't help but be grateful for it. The only bad thing about
it is the creepier fanatics. The letters and gifts I receive are sometimes a bit
sketchy... but they do make for great stories...
How do you feel you were

represented on the show?
I got really lucky. The makers of 'Tattoo
Nightmares' considered us (the artists) to
be the heroes of the story, so they were
always trying to make sure that we were
shown in the best possible light. The
drama was the messed-up tattoo on the
client. My personality on the show
(hyper, happy, optimistic) is me in a
nutshell!
What have been the reactions from

others within the industry?
So far I've only had really great
feedback from my fellow artists. One or
two have lashed out via social media, but
that doesn't count – because if you don't
have the balls to say it to my face, then
you're just making yourself look silly.

Tell us about your other artistic activities.
I like to paint with oils and draw with coloured pencils.
I usually draw in airport bars and lounges... It's a great
way to pass the time on layovers. Painting, well, I do that
in the comfort of my own home, with a glass of whiskey
and some good tunes.
Any new projects coming up?

Right now I'm opening up my own shop in Carlsbad CA.
It's called The Anatomist and I'm very excited about it.
I'm also going to be picking up my travels again. I'll be
going to Rio in January and Bologna in March. So if
you're going to be there too, be sure to say hello!
How do we connect with you?

I have all of the social media – instagram, Facebook,
Twitter, etc – and they're all under the username
TheArtOfReese. My website is www.itsreese.com
and if you'd like to get tattooed, email me at
[email protected]

Words Perry • Pictures Perry
GAL W AY
TATTOO SHOW
I had the great privilege of visiting the first Galway Tattoo Convention a
couple of years ago. I remember having an amazing time, so accepting
the invitation to return for this year's show was a bit of a no-brainer.
Once again it was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel near the centre of town.
After the typical Friday night set up, it was off to O’Connell’s Bar for
the pre-show welcome party, which soon established the tone for the
weekend. Lots of people turned up, including artists, traders and visitors,
and everyone had a chance to hang out and make friends.
The convention opened early on the Saturday morning and it was pretty evident from the off
that it would be a busy weekend. Around one hundred and twenty tattooists came to ply their
trade. Naturally there was a strong representation from Ireland including some excellent artists: 1.
Remis, Willy G, Angus from Awol, Isaiah from Fat Cat Tattoo, and dotwork master Dave
Barry. From the UK came Chris Jones from Physical Graffiti, Will Sparling from Black Dog
Tattoos, Sam Ford of Silver Needles and relative newcomer Alex Whiley. There were many
more and I would urge you to visit the website (www.galwaytattooshow.ie) for a more
complete list.
The show took place in the hotel's large function suite, which has a line of columns through the
centre making a natural divide between the artist booths and the entertainment area with its
stage and bar. Over the weekend the stage played host to a myriad of performances from
bands, plus a hula hoop artist, a body painting contest, and the judging for the tattoo
competitions but without doubt the highlight for me was tattooist Jorge Becerra’s display of
mind reading and magic, which was... well... magic!
The after-show party on the Saturday night took place in the hotel and was open to all –
customers, artists and traders alike – and Sunday was a re-run of the previous day with the
added extra of slight blurriness and a strange pain in the head region! The tattoo competitions
were well attended and, as you would expect, there was some really great pieces to choose
from. Best of Show was a traditional eagle by Stephen Daly from Ravenstooth Tattoo. 1. the venue,
the radisson blu hotel
Galway is one of the most relaxed and fun shows you could wish to visit. The super friendly 2. isaiah cummings, fatcat tattoo
Irish hospitality is evident everywhere, both at the convention and around the town. Many of
(ireland)
the people I spoke to mentioned how much they were enjoying themselves and how much they
wanted to return. Judging by the sore heads on the coach on the way home the weekend had 3. will sparling,
been an amazing success. If you’ve not been and you want a true Irish experience, I suggest black dog tattoo
2. 3.

4. 5.
6. 7.
8. 9.
10. 11.
12.
13.
4. lewis king, crooked rook 10. sam ford, silver neeles

5. stephen daly, ravenstooth 11. rich harris,
(ireland) dark horse collective
6. unknown artist 12. jorge becerra,
7. endre szabo, tattoo end carpe somnium art
8. dave barry 13. the cannonball run
9. chris jones, physical graffiti came to town

14. 15.
16.
17. 18.
19.
14. abbie williams, lost time

15. unknown artist
16. peppe gallá, adhd tattoo
17. maja bohemien, the ink factory
18. edel walsh, eden art tattoo
19. state of the arts, body painting

GALLERY
anrijs straume,
bold as brass tattoo company
max rathbone, second city tattoo club
anna garvey, adorned tattoo
dan frye, angelic hell

max pniewski,
southmead tattoo
mathieu varga, varga’s ink (france)
bob tyrrell,
corey divine and ilya karkov (collaboration) night gallery (usa)

jak connolly

yarda , mystic eye tattoo (spain) mark ford, jolie rouge
alex rattray, dave barry, natalie petals puppet

red hot and blue follow your dreams angelic hell

patrick mcfarlane, black freighter tattoo company
e j miles, angelic hell
benjamin laukis,
the black mark (australia)
kurt marlow,
goodall street steve butcher
tattoo parlour ship shape tattoo (new zealand)

elliott wells,
jason colley, dragonfly tattoo triplesix studio
jim orie, dragon tattoo (holland)
joe carpenter, five keys
leo, hope and glory

matt adamson,
northside tattooz
pioneer, (russia)
han maud, infinite ink alan aldred, cosmic tattoo

millie koh,
ben carter, adorn tattoo utopia tattoo (singapore) yves kreatvyes objects
rhys gordon, little tokyo

(austarlia)
jordan croke, second skin
steve butcher,

Words by Perry • Pictures by Mukesh
estern style tattooing is still very much a
W new thing in India. It's incredible to see

the advances being made, and to see the
artists' insatiable ambition and positive drive. One
of the pioneers of this new movement is Mukesh
Waghela, who has been tattooing in the Goa region
for about 12 years. He's a rare find, and he's
established a reputation for super smooth black and
grey realism that compares with anyone around the
world.
I start our conversation by asking Mukesh whether he feels a bit

like the leader of an artistic movement? “I've been tattooing for
quite a long time now. There are obviously older tattooists, but
among the ‘new style' tattooists I am certainly considered a bit of
an old-timer! Tattooing in India is in a good place right now. It's
growing very fast and we're helping others to become better
tattooists by teaching about hygiene and proper working practices.
I also do my own workshops on black-and-grey. Tattooing is very
young here and we can create a strong industry.”

“I have four studios,” Mukesh continues,
“and they are all in and around Goa.”
Coming from the West, the idea of having
four studios in one area seems rather alien
to me, but as Mukesh explains, it's a
family thing. “I had two tattoo studios,
and members of my family wanted to be
tattooists as well. They're good artists, and
they have lots of passion, so I said OK,
let's do it together. We have a great
partnership and they all do nice work. I'm
helping my family, and I'm establishing
my name at the same time.”
I ask Mukesh to tell me about how he

became a tattooist. “I was fortunate to be
really good at drawing whilst at school,”
Mukesh tells me, “and I managed to win
some prizes in art competitions. I love the
creativity of tattooing. When I first
started, I had such a great response.
I knew I'd always love doing this.”
Mukesh found drawing easy, but realised
that the challenge would lie in mastering
the technical aspects of tattooing. “There
are so many things to learn. It's not just
the image. There's the hygiene, the
needles, the ink and the machines. I learnt
a lot from my friends, then when I felt
ready I searched online for a good tattoo
school. I found one in Thailand that had
won awards, and I emailed them telling
them I wanted to learn how to tattoo
properly. They asked to see my work and
my drawings, then we made the
arrangements for me to go there. It was a
fifteen-day course, and it was very
expensive – especially as I decided to pay
for a friend to come with me. It was the
first time I'd ever been outside of India,
and I was too afraid to go on my own.”

I ask Mukesh if he feels he learnt enough in fifteen days to justify the expense? “They
certainly taught me the practical aspects of tattooing, but of course the art has to come
from the inside. I went back every year to do follow-up courses. I know now that I can
always do a good a job.” Tattoo schools are a very contentious issue in the UK, but it
seems that around the world things are viewed very differently. Mukesh believes that
they are a good thing – and that if the teachers are knowledgeable, then the training is
worthwhile.
When I ask him about his preferred tattoo style, Mukesh becomes very animated. He
tells me he is excited about every tattoo style. “I love Japanese, dotwork, realism,
American traditional... I love learning how to do everything! I am very fortunate that my
name is getting known and people are coming to get tattooed by me. Tattooing someone
is a big responsibility and I am always trying to get better and better at it. I want my
clients to come back and I want them to recommend me to their friends. If you are a
skilled artist and you work hard, I believe you can have a good future tattooing in India.
The bad tattooists will fail, because as clients become more educated, they will not go
back to them.”
Technology is beginning to have more of

an impact on Indian art, Mukesh tells me.
“Before, I used to do a lot of sketching
and a lot of drawing for my tattoos. Now
it's easy to go on the computer and find an
image - but still, as an artist, I like to draw
and create original designs. If I see a great
piece done by another artist, I always
want to take that piece and do my own
version of it,” Mukesh continues, “so my
work changes as I allow myself to be
influenced by the artists around me –
people like my friend Sunny Bhanushali
for instance. And the same thing happens
in the other direction too. And now that
we have tattoo conventions in India, we're
able to meet so many more great artists.
When I first started there were very few
people who were interested in tattooing as
a career. There are now many more, but
it's still a very small number compared to
the overall population. And unfortunately
there are not many who are good artists as
well as good tattooists. There are a lot of
shit tattooists out there who are only
interested in making money – and if
you're only thinking of the money you'll
never be a good artist.”

We talk for a bit about different skin types. “English people and other Europeans with
lighter skin can usually be tattooed much more quickly. “Darker Indian skin needs two,
three or even four sittings to build up the tones in the tattoo,” Mukesh tells me. “We
have to touch up a lot. But of course it's easy for our local Indian clients to come back to
the studio.”
At the Goa tattoo convention earlier this year Mukesh spent his time working on just
one piece on a Westerner with white skin. I ask him about the strategy behind this. “I
wanted to really showcase my art,” he tells me, “so we worked solidly. It was a
demonstration piece to show people my ability. My plan worked, because I took
bookings for three new appointments right after the show. Having that piece
photographed and published will also be good for me in the future I hope.” On a
personal level, though, Mukesh is not looking to be a famous. He is not interested in
getting caught up in some sort of league table of tattooists. What he loves most is the art
of tattooing – working in his studio, creating a piece that makes his customer happy.
From that he takes great joy and satisfaction.

Like many of the artists we met in India,
Mukesh is an incredibly warm, friendly
person, and very appreciative of every
opportunity to develop his art. I ask if one
day he would like to travel to Europe to
attend some conventions outside of India.
“Yes, I love to travel and I love meeting
new people. Every time I meet a new
artist I learn a little more. I want to get the
chance to work with lots of other artists,
which is why I enjoy conventions. I see
Indian art influencing tattoos in the West.
The Ganesh that I did at the Goa
convention was very important to me. I
really wanted to use my own cultural
reference to showcase my work here
amongst all those international artists.”
Fellow tattooist Sunny Bhanushali, who is

sitting in on our conversation, speaks
highly of Mukeshs's achievements.
“Mukesh has always been there, right
from the beginning, and he's always been
willing to help and share knowledge. He's
a major influence on lots of younger
tattooists. He has ten to fifteen students a
month who come to him for advice and
training. He teaches them about hygiene
and the importance of good working
practices. It's through this method of
direct education that we can make
tattooing in India better and safer for
everyone. We are always pushing to be the
best we can, especially with the hygiene
issue, which was the biggest problem
here. We all have families, so it's as
important for us to protect ourselves as it
is for us to protect our customers.”

Mukesh is 33, and has five children with
another on the way. “They are like gifts
from God,” he says. He goes on to tell me
more of his personal philosophy. “For me,
I don't want anything. I have no desire for
material goods. I only ever want to tattoo.
When I first meet my customer, we talk. I
like to find out about their life, and I ask
them what sort of tattoo they want. I
really love to create something
meaningful that is connected with who
they are. If they want a butterfly, I ask
why, and what sort of butterfly, and what
does it mean to them. If it means nothing,
I may talk more with them and find
something that has a better connection to
them – something that they will love for
the rest of their lives. It is important for
me that there is a spiritual and cultural
significance in the work that I do.”
Mukesh
Moksha Tattoo Studio
Calangute Beach Road
Near Baga Circle
Calangute
Goa
India
Tel +91 9881773312
[email protected]
www.goatattoocenter.com

MAKE-UP
FOREVER
by Alice Snape

Just like traditional tattooing, the idea of permanent make-up is
steeped in history – from ancient Egyptian women staining their
lips with plant extract to wartime women faking a stocking seam
when hosiery was difficult to buy. Whether it's by enhancing
eyebrows or improving the appearance of scars, cosmetic
tattooists all over the country are helping people to reclaim their
bodies and feel more confident. These really are therapeutic
tattoos.
O
ver the last couple of years in the UK, there’s been a huge
surge in the popularity of cosmetic tattooing – particularly
eyebrows. And the practice has certainly come along way Eyebrow treatments should enhance
from the thick, obvious block-shaped brows we have all seen brows, rather than overpower them. A
in the horror stories that are rife on social media. If you cosmetic brow should look as though it
choose an experienced practitioner, over-plucked and weak belongs on your face – like it was always
brows can be remedied, full eyebrows can be perfected, and the appearance there. But with some practitioners
of hairs can be re-created for clients who have lost their brows due to offering brow tattoos for as little as £100,
chemotherapy or conditions such as alopecia. that isn’t always achieved. 'Good tattoos
aren’t cheap, cheap tattoos aren’t good' is
The eyebrow trend was catapulted into the mainstream by reality TV series as true for cosmetic tattooing as it is for
'The Only Way is Essex' and now permanent make-up artists are popping up any other kind of ink. Lisa, of Beautiful
all over the UK – to saturation point in some areas of the country. And it's Ink in Brighton, has chosen to specialise
not just eyebrows on their repertoire. There are nipples, eyeliner, lipstick, in eyebrow corrections and removals for
and treatments to hide scars. The incredible, empowering thing is that a exactly this reason. “I've seen some grim
person can choose the way they want to look – regardless of what their cases in my time,” she told me. “You
bodies have been through. Cosmetic tattooing can truly help people to regain won't believe the photos people send me
lost confidence. asking if their brows can be fixed. It's a
false economy if you go to someone
Tattoos are often seen as making the wearer stand out from the crowd – but cheap, as you will end up having to spend
here, the aim is to achieve exactly the opposite. I spoke to Campbell, 21, from more trying to get them fixed!”
London, who got micropigmentation on his eyebrows as he suffers from Permanent make-up artist Helen Porter
alopecia areata (which had caused him to lose his natural eyebrows and is in agreement. “When choosing an
eyelashes). “It can be really upsetting when you have no control over a artist, don't go on price,” she says. “If it's
change in your appearance. But my new brows have really given me a huge too cheap there's a reason. Do your
boost of confidence. I like the feeling of knowing that my problem isn’t research. It costs a lot more to fix a bad
noticeable now.” job than it does to pay a skilled
practitioner to do a great job the first
time round.” “Make sure you look at
experienced practitioners who have
qualified with a reputable company,”
advises Rachel Pitman, an elite
technician and artist working
in London. “If you like the
work in their portfolio, and
the way they communicate
with you, then you're probably
in reliable hands. Ask all the
questions you need answered,
and choose someone you feel
comfortable with.”

During the session, the artist will draw on the shape with pencil first. “This
is very important, so that you know exactly what shape you'll be getting,”
explains Helen. “The colour will be discussed and you will be given a choice
of hairstrokes or powder finish. The effects will initially look bold and a
little heavy for 5-7 days, but the skin will gently shed and leave a much
softer colour. There is a huge selection of colours available so every hair
colour can be catered for.”
Cosmetic tattoos can help to reclaim physical appearance after trauma, and one of the most
important treatments is MediTatus, or as Lisa dubs it “dry tattooing” (because it's just like
tattooing, but without the ink). Also known as MCA micro-needling, this technique has been
used in medicine for almost three decades to improve improve the appearance – and feel – of
scars and stretch marks. The action of the machine on the scar helps bring new cells to the
surface, allowing new skin to grow and improving its appearance by making it smoother. The
scar will still be there, it will just be less visible. Scarred skin is notoriously difficult to tattoo
over, so a treatment can even prepare the skin ready for a traditional decorative tattoo.
Luca, 22, a student from London, has scars from female-to-male surgery. Even a
year after the procedure, the scars were still very tight, red and raised, so he
decided to try dry tattooing at Beautiful Ink. Just four days after his first treatment,
the scars felt better (“After feeling so restricted for so long, I’m amazed!" he told
me) and now, more than six months later, he feels very happy. “The tenderness
I felt in the scar tissue has completely disappeared and the redness has started to
fade. The raised sections have flattened a great deal too – not completely, but a
considerable amount. Lisa recommended three treatments, but I have only had one
and I already feel so much more comfortable. Though my scars are still visible,
I don't notice them any more and
they aren't restricting me in the
way they once did.”

Rachel, 32, from Surrey, also
found incredible results after dry
tattooing over a scar on her
forehead. “It didn't hurt at all. It
actually felt like a beauty
treatment. There was calm music
playing and Lisa used numbing cream on the area,” explains Rachel. “I am so
happy with the results. The scar was very visible before, even when I tried to
cover it with make-up. It's almost completely flat now, with no redness. I've
had two sessions and I believe after my next last session it will be practically
invisible. I would recommend this treatment to anyone with scars affecting
their confidence.”
Anybody who receives this treatment must be prepared for

the healing process. As with any other tattoo, and the results
hinge on good aftercare. “People who have been tattooed
know the score,” says Lisa. “Wounds need cleaning regularly
to avoid infection and they must also be kept moisturised.
With correct care, the skin can keep on improving for several
months afterwards.” However, she cautions that the scar is
also likely to look worse before it gets any better, and anyone
who wants to get treated must be prepared for this. “I always
like to manage my customers' expectations,” Lisa continues,
“and ensure they know what is achievable with the scar they
have.”
What's clear is that these

treatments alter not just the
body, but the mind too. And for
those who have suffered an
illness or a life-changing
trauma, that boost of self-
confidence can be something
really special.

01603 958062
CALL
01603 958062
Artist James Barny Watts was born and raised in
New Zealand. He came to the UK in the late 80s
with his band Static, but after landing a record deal
and touring as a drummer, things petered out. He
found himself drawn back to his first love, art, and
a chance encounter led him into the world of
tattoos, his major source of inspiration. We caught
up with him in his studio space (conveniently
located behind Lal Hardy's famous London shop
New Wave Tattoo) where he makes his amazing
tattoo-themed carved paintings and engravings.
JAMES BARNY
WATTS
You're incredibly passionate about your art. Did you pursue
any formal artistic training?
No, but I've always been an artist in one way or another. I'm from an artist
background. My mum's an artist. She paints in oils. So I'm lucky – I've always
been able to pick her brains. As a kid, I was always being taken to museums
and art exhibitions by my parents. At the time, I was bored shitless, but
obviously something must have stuck! When I first started on the UK arts
scene in the late eighties I was making installation pieces. I used a lot of bio-
industrial stuff. Then I started making fetish masks for parties and the
clubbing scene, using circuit boards and stuff like that. It's always been really
difficult for me to be taught by someone else; I have to just do it myself and
make mistakes along the way, because that's the way I learn. When the band
finished and I had to find something to do with my time I actually took a
course in furniture restoration. I did a bit of that for a few years, then I got into
full-time carpentry, laying flooring, etc.
How did you go from installation art and carpentry into the
work you produce now?
When I was a carpenter, I met Naresh (of Flamin’ Eight) who'd just opened
his first shop. I went down and got my first tattoo there, and we became
By Lizzy Guy
friends. He wanted some furniture for the shop, so

I made a couple of carved tables for him to put his
portfolios and flash sheets on. He could see that I
had an interest in tattoo designs and he took me
under his wing. I apprenticed as a tattooist with
him for a while, then my father got really ill with
Alzheimer's so I had to stop and look after him for
eight years. While I was doing that, I was slowly
developing everything that I'd learned in the past
into what I'm doing now. I bought a cheap version
of a Dremel and started messing about with it,
seeing what I could do. I had a little bit of mirror
hanging around and I tried etching onto it, and
found it worked really well. It kind of blossomed
from that really. So I was doing the engraving to
start with, and the mirrors that I was using were
just cheap and nasty things that didn't have frames.
I began to make frames for them, and that’s how
the flash paintings started really – as a frame for
the mirrors. It developed from there.

So Naresh was a huge inspiration?
Yes, it's all down to him – big time. He taught
me how to combine images and how to build
up something that tells a story, to make it more
interesting to look at, rather than having just
one single image. Tattoo imagery is endless;
there are endless possibilities. I'd have been
lost without Naresh, really. I don't know what
I'd be doing now if I hadn't gone into his shop!
I could have gone down a totally different
route and ended up doing carpentry for the rest
of my life... but thank God I didn't!
How did you meet Lal Hardy and

end up working behind his studio?
I'd been hanging out with Naresh for about
three months. We went out for a drink and Lal
was there. I'd just got some flames done down
my arm and I was sitting there nervous as hell
because I was with Lal Hardy and all he was
doing was staring at my fucking arm! I started
using the workshop behind New Wave because
I was moving house and had nowhere to work
for about eighteen months, and Lal said I
could make use of the space. Lal is Lal. He's
an incredibly generous man. Very old school.
Very traditional. If you show him respect, he'll
show it back to you tenfold. He's very helpful
and hugely knowledgeable. All the stories he
tells, and the history he's got behind him... It's
incredible. He's a dying breed.
Where do your designs come from?

The majority of the time I make up the images
myself. There are so many good artists out
there, but I've always tried to avoid being
influenced by anyone in particular because I've
wanted to develop my own style. These days,
you can just go on the internet and you're
inundated with ideas. I usually pick an image
that I want to do, then I add to it. I love
traditional old school designs. Maybe three or
four colours – I'm drawn to really bold
primaries – and then some nice dark shading to
make the colours pop out. I never think about
the colour when I'm designing something. It's
not until it's all cut out and primed up that I'll
look at it and think 'I want red there'. So I’ll
put some red in, and once I've put one colour
in, another colour bounces off that and I
slowly fill it up. I hate whiting out things. I try
to avoid that like the plague.

Could you tell us a little about your
process?
The piece I'm working on at the moment is
HMS Bounty, for an upcoming maritime
exhibition. I'll be putting a frame on this
engraving and adding to it, so the designs are
very important to start off with. Everything is
hand drawn, then I transfer it all on to a board
(usually MDF, as it's easier to cut and paint). I
cut out the design with a jigsaw, push things
back with a router, then get my Dremel and cut
out the lines. Then I prime it up by dropping in
the black, wiping it back, and rolling on the
white so the black comes out – so it's like a
line tattoo. Then I fill in with colour. With the
engravings, I transfer the designs over with
carbon paper. In a way, the process is very
similar to tattooing. Every piece I produce is
individual. I never reproduce the same piece. If
someone came to me and wanted a dozen of
the same thing, I couldn't do it. I would
inevitably start producing each one of them
slightly differently... and the last one would be
totally different from the first!
Is it difficult to price your work?

It goes by size and time now. Some things that
are small can take forever, and some things
that are really big you can just whack out
really quick. Engravings tend not to take as
long as the paintings. It's difficult to price
pieces, because you don't want to scare people
away – but then again some people value
things on a monetary basis and they might say
'Why is it so cheap? Is it because it's crap?'
Once, I had a commission where the customer
paid me double because he thought I'd
undervalued my work. That sort of thing does
make you feel good! It boosts your confidence.
But at the end of the day, you've got to believe
in yourself and believe in your work.

You're doing a lot of commissions at the moment. Do your clients always
bring their own ideas?
It varies. They come to me because I have a particular style and they want it. Nine times out of ten
they have an idea in mind, but they always want me to put my own slant on it.
Do you focus on one piece at a time?

Ideally, yes, that's what I like to do. But normally I have two or three pieces on the go. It's nice to
chop and change a wee bit. You can get bored if you're just sort of whacking them out. As the
years go by, I get quicker at producing things. Some of my earlier pieces might have taken me
about three months to produce, whereas now it's more likely to be three weeks. Then again, it all
depends. Sometimes, you get really stuck – like writer's block. When that happens, I can always
put a piece down, work on something else, and come back to it – although on the whole I try to
avoid doing that because I've got things from ten or fifteen years ago that I still haven't gone back
to... and probably never will now, because they're shit!
What is your working day like?

I usually work from 10am until about 3pm or 4pm, then paint at home for another three or four
hours. It's constant. It's hard to switch off. Even when I'm watching the telly I'll still be working,
looking at that piece... Someone said once that if you want to be an artist, you should throw away
your telly!
What drives you to keep producing piece after piece?

Pure love. I'm pretty obsessed with these. I can't not do them. And I've seen them develop over
time. Looking at my early pieces, compared to the stuff I'm doing now, they're very similar but I
can see the progress. I just want to get better at what I do. And I have to do some form of art,
especially with not tattooing. I'd like to think that in a hundred years' time my work will still be
hanging up in tattoo studios... That would be cool.
To get in touch with James to

enquire about commissions or
pieces available for sale:
Email:
[email protected]
Instagram: @barnywatts
Facebook: Barny Watts Designs/
Tattoo Themed Carved Paintings
New Wave Tattoo
157 Sydney Road
Muswell Hill
London N10 2NL
Tel 0208 444 8779

By Lizzy Guy
Flo Nuttall's work clearly shows the influences of her travels

and she's acquired a worldly-wise approach to her tattooing
that is unusual in such a young artist. When we stumbled
across pictures of her stunning pieces on the internet we
knew that we had to feature her in Total Tattoo, so we
arranged a rendezvous at the recent London International
Tattoo Convention. In keeping with her careful and considered
way of doing things, Flo didn't want to rush the interview
process, so our conversation continued by email over the
subsequent weeks…
Flo, what first sparked your interest in tattooing?

I grew up in small Scottish villages. Not many tattoos around, and no tattoo shops. It was through
a combination of art and music, when I was teenager, that I found my interest in tattoos. I was
redrawing Freddy Corbin designs from books, sacred hearts with wings, roses with tribal... but it
wasn't until I was around twenty that I even conceived of the possibility of learning to tattoo.

Did you seek an apprenticeship or
did you teach yourself?
When I moved to Edinburgh, I started meeting
people who had tattoos. That helped bring the
dream a bit closer to reality. A friend of mine
persuaded me to take a portfolio of my work
from art school and a photo album
(remember those?) of my paintings to one of
the Edinburgh studios. The guy took one look,
told me it was a yes, and said come back
tomorrow. I was at that studio for around six
months without tattooing any customers; I
was terrified, shy and clueless. It didn't work
out and I got fired. Two years later I tried again
at another shop, and I worked with them
(actually tattooing) for three and half years. I
owe an enormous thank you to Love Hate
Tattoo for giving me my first real job; it was
working with Bradley George that kept me
going through the rough days. So, in answer to
your question, I didn't really apprentice under
anyone, but I had guidance on what to do. The
rest I'm still figuring out to this day. In my own
mind, I'll never not be an apprentice!

Tell us more about your art school
education.
Art school was very different to what I
imagined. I was hoping for a more relaxed and
bohemian kind of experience, forgetting that
the 'school' part of the term 'art school' is
there for a reason! The day started early, no
one stayed late, and it was just boring and
deflating for me. At the same time, I'm grateful
to have had the opportunity to go. It helped
me develop my skills and it showed me that
the art world is, in many ways, just like the
rest of the world – it's about politics, money,
and who you know. I had thought I wanted to
be a painter, but I realised I wasn't cut out for
it. Later, when I came to tattooing, I felt like I
had discovered what I was looking for all
along. It made sense to me.
Who, and what, inspires your work?

Classic tattoo styles, great tattooers, art,
culture, travel, books... Artists like Ed Hardy,
Bert Grimm, Ben Corday, Bob Roberts,
Robert Crumb, Eric White, Thomas Hooper,
Jondix, Claudia de Sabe, Chris Conn, Alvaro
Flores, Kelly Violet,Valerie Vargas, Tamara Lee
Dot... Tibetan art, Indian henna, geometry... and
everyone I work with at Swan Song Tattoo and
Psycho Tattoo Studio, whose dedication I find
really invigorating. My guest spot at Black
Garden Tattoo in London was a dream come
true too; those guys are amazing.

What is it about tattooing that Which other media do you work
appeals to you, as opposed to other in?
artistic media? I love to paint with acrylics. I do love oils,
Tattooing is interesting to me for many but they take too long to dry and I'm
reasons. Art exists and has a life outside of impatient. I don't paint as much as I used
you... Tattoos travel with a person, become a to, and I feel very guilty about this. I should
conversation starter, intrigue people and push myself to do it more.
offend people (as art often does)... For me, a
tattoo is different from other types of art With such a busy schedule and
because it exists between two people – me such a large client base, how do
and the customer – instead of just me and the you maintain the enthusiasm for
paper or me and the canvas. It's a strange and your craft?
physical ritual that changes every time. I really enjoy working. It gives me a sense
of purpose. It's my focus and I think about
it all day every day. When I take a holiday I
find it difficult to switch off (which creates
a few issues). I like being busy, although
sometimes if I'm extremely tired it can feel
a bit suffocating. But realistically, what a
great thing to complain about! So even if I
occasionally feel trapped, I do what I can
to stay positive. I make sure I remember
how lucky I am, because it won't last for
ever. I try to work a lot and make the
most of it because you never know when
it will change.

Your current tattoos are more You're incredibly talented and it
mehndi-inspired and in black and seems that you can turn your
grey. Was it a conscious decision to hand to a wide variety of styles...
move away from colour? Firstly, thank you, but I don't feel talented
It was definitely not a conscious decision at at all. I just love trying to create good
all. It just started to drift that way, and I tattoos – beautiful tattoos – that make
allowed it. I do miss colour sometimes. I love people happy. My tattoos are more similar
it and it's so cheery. Good colour is so these days than they used to be. They are
satisfactory to look at in a tattoo. But at this more repetitive. But I am still enjoying
point in time I feel my work suits black and myself. I should experiment more, and in
grey more. It looks great on both darker and the future I plan to. At the beginning, I
lighter skin tones, and I find it relaxing to do. worked in a street shop so I've done every
style you can think of, and walk-ins, for
years. It's great practice and it's important
to have that skill I think. Most apprentices
don't go through that, and maybe they
think they're lucky, or too good for 'that
kind of tattoo', but I think they're missing
out. I mean, that is tattooing, after all.You
learn a lot about yourself – and what you
can do under pressure – and you meet
some really weird and funny characters,
with some very random stories you can
tell people about for the rest of your days.
I'm not pretending that I've tattooed for a
long time – I haven't! – but I got a lot of
practice in the beginning because I was
making four, five or six tattoos a day. And
that was hard. The reason I occasionally
turn down people's ideas these days is
because I know what I'm comfortable
doing, or what my natural drawing style
suits, or what my imagination is capable of
creating – and that stems from all that
early experience. It's not because I think
anything is below me. People who get
tattooed from me now probably never
even think about all the tribal with names
and flowers, the stars and bows on the
feet, or the full sleeves of football badges
that I've made in the past!

Which aspect of your work do you feel that you
excel at?
Honestly, I don't really know. In the beginning people just
wanted linework from me because they liked it so much, then
my shading. No one really asks me for colour, but I feel I've
learned how to pack it well enough, when it suits the tattoo. I
just keep trying to improve everything I do all the time. I'll
never stop. Every tattoo pushes me more, and that's why the
fire is still burning – the yearning to make that perfect tattoo
that you might never achieve. It's the carrot dangling at the
end of the stick. I torture myself looking at photos of what
I've done – the things I want to improve next time, the things
I wish I'd tried instead. It's possibly a pointless exercise, but I
just can't help myself! One day I hope to be a really good
tattooer... If I keep pushing I might get there... and I would like
to thank everyone who trusts me and gets tattooed by me.

Tell us about Rome.
I moved to Rome for love and for a new job (enormous thanks to Heinz). I'd never really
considered moving overseas but the timing seemed right and the opportunity was too
good to miss. I'm glad I took the plunge. It's changed me, and it's changed my life in ways I
could never have foreseen. I work in two shops – Swan Song Tattoo and Psycho Tattoo
Studio – and the scene in Rome is fantastic. All the best shops (or most of them!) are
connected with strong friendships and mutual respect; we dine together, we go on
holiday together, we do conventions together. It's wonderful and very enriching. All my
colleagues are very hard-working, friendly and creative. It's important to surround
yourself with people who make you happy.
Swan Song Tattoo, Via Enrico Fermi 172, 00146 Roma, Italy
Tel +39 06 45444048
www.instagram.com/flonuttall

PORTFOLIO
Showcasing the art and tattoos of some of the best tattooists working today.
If you would like us to consider your work, please send examples to:
Portfolio, Total Tattoo Magazine, 111 Furze Road, Norwich NR7 0AU, UK
AARON CLAPHAM
HOPE AND GLORY TATTOO

ALEX HENNERLEY
ADORNED TATTOO

by Paul Talbot
Hello again dear readers. I've just come back from the Paradise We're not a service industry. We're artists, and
Tattoo Gathering (a completely different type of tattoo we're supposed to be pushing the boundaries.
It's what we love doing, and if you let us do it,
convention, with much more of an emphasis on education and you'll find we're pretty bloody good at it.
discussion) and I want to share with you a thought I had while I
was there. Actually I had lots of thoughts, but there's only As always, this is my own very personal view.
Let me know what you think.
space for one of them here – plus, I'm currently sitting in a
hotel room in New England typing as fast as I can to meet my Until next time - Paul
deadline! [email protected]
During one of the Gathering's themed then maybe you should stop doing it and try a
discussion evenings, someone referred to non-service industry based approach to
tattooing as a service industry. I thought, 'Hang tattooing.
on, no we're not'.Yes, we do offer good
customer service – but that doesn't mean that You sell art for money. Speaking in your own
we're a service industry. And I think this voice is the smartest thing you can do. And
highlights one of the many problems facing let's be honest, it's much more fun. Imagine if
tattooists right now. Pablo Picasso had crowd-sourced his art, or
Led Zeppelin their albums – creating only
We sell art for money. And from the beginning what was deemed to be the best according to
of our artistic journey, we're taught to strive the general consensus. Do you really think we
for perfection. We're told that our technique would have the same incredible bodies of
must be flawless and our skills second to work by these artists if their output had been
none. But ask any career artist and they will governed by the popular vote? I think it all
tell you that the key to getting clients isn't would have been distinctly vanilla flavoured.
artistic perfection. It's artistic expression. They
will say that it's far better to be a one-of-a- Thanks largely to what they've seen on the TV
kind voice that shocks or wows, even if that shows, clients now seem to be increasingly
voice is a little messy at times. fascinated with the idea of theming themselves
by cobbling together greetings card-type
If we categorise ourselves as a 'service images and popular internet memes, or
industry', then our portfolio is at the mercy of personalising their tattoos with times, dates,
our clients. We will be forced constantly to places, and all manner of things that can't
regurgitate the same old tired designs until really be described as artistic concepts and
they (the clients) decide to move on to can so easily descend into cliché... whereas
something else. The tattoo scene will be we, the tattooists, are dying to create
governed not by what is best but by what is something amazing and unique for them.
most popular. Sound familiar? If it this is you, Something nobody else has.

CONVENTION CALENDAR
UK CONVENTIONS May 5-7 July 29-30
Liverpool Tattoo Convention Portsmouth Tattoo Convention
December 3 Adelphi Hotel Portsmouth Guildhall
Cariad Ink Tattoo Festival Ranelagh St, Liverpool, L3 5UL Guildhall Square, Portsmouth,
Venue Cymru www.liverpooltattooconvention.com Hampshire PO1 2AB
The Promenade, Llandudno, LL30 1BB www.portsmouthtattooconvention.co
www.facebook.com/CariadInk May 13-14
Brighton Tattoo Convention September 29-October 1
February 18-19 Brighton Centre Midlands Tattoo Industry Show
Frome Tattoo Convention King's Rd, Brighton, BN1 2GR Leicester Athena
Cheese & Grain www.brightontattoo.com / Queen Street, Leicester, LE1 1QD
Market Yard, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1BE @brightontattoocon www.facebook.com/Midlands-Tattoo-industry-
www.facebook.com/frometattoocon/ Show-980219155377587
May 13-14
March 4-5 Glasgow Tattoo Festival OVERSEAS CONVENTIONS
Tattoo Tea Party The Studio
EventCity 8 Dixon St, Glasgow, G1 4AX January 13-15
Phoenix Way, off Barton Dock Rd, Urmston, www.facebook.com/GlasgowTattooFestival Goa Tattoo Festival
Manchester, M41 7TB Tito’s Whitehouse
www.tattooteaparty.com May 27-28 Arpora-Siolim Road, Anjuna 403 509, India
Scarborough Tattoo Show www.goatattoofestival.com/
March 25-26 The Spa Scarborough
The Scottish Tattoo Convention South Bay, Scarborough, March 3-5
Edinburgh Corn Exchange North Yorkshire,YO11 2HD Mondial du Tatouage
10 New Market Rd, Edinburgh, EH14 1RJ www.scarboroughtattooshow.com Grande Halle de la Villette
www.scottishtattooconvention.net 211 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris, France
June 10-11 www.mondialdutatouage.com/en
April 15-16 Bristol Tattoo Convention
Portsmouth Tattoo Extravaganza The Passenger Shed March 18-19
Pyramids Centre Station Approach, Bristol, BS1 6QH 7th Rotterdam Tattoo
Clarence Esplanade, Portsmouth PO5 3ST www.bristoltattooconvention.com Convention
www.tattooextravaganza.co.uk Ahoy Rotterdam
June 24-25 Ahoyweg 10, 3084 BA Rotterdam,
April 15-16 York International Tattoo The Netherlands
Maidstone Tattoo Extravaganza Convention rotterdam.unitedconventions.com/
The John Hendry Pavilion New Earswick & District Indoor Bowls Club
Detling Showground, Maidstone, Huntington Rd,York,YO32 9PX May 26-28
Kent, ME14 3JF www.yorkinternationaltattooconvention.co.uk 13th Amsterdam Tattoo
www.maidstonetattooextravaganza.co.uk Convention
July 1-2 Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention
April 29-30 Cirque Du Tattoo Festival Centre
TOTAL TATTOO & TATTOO TV Bescot Stadium Europaplein, 1078 GZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
present: Bescot Cres, Walsall, WS1 4SA, www.tattooexpo.eu/en/amsterdam/2017
The Big North Tattoo Show www.facebook.com/cirquedutattoo
The Metro Radio Arena July 15-17
Arena Way, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 7NA July 8-9 NY Empire State Tattoo Expo
www.facebook.com/bignorthtattooshow Leeds International Tattoo Expo New York Hilton Midtown
First Direct Arena 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
April 29-30 Arena Way, Leeds, LS2 8BY 10019, USA
Lincs Ink Tattoo Convention www.leedstattooexpo.com www.empirestatetattooexpo.com/
Beachcomber Holiday Park &
Entertainment Centre July 15-16 August 4-6
208 North Sea Lane, Humberston,Cleethorpes, Cardiff Tattoo and Toy 27th Berlin Tattoo Convention
Lincolnshire, DN36 4ET, Convention Arena Berlin
www.lincs-ink.co.uk The Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Eichenstrasse 4, 12435 Berlin, Germany
Mary Ann Street, Cardiff, CF10 2EQ, www.tattoo-convention.de/tcb-final
www.cardifftattooandtoycon.co.uk

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WIN INTO YOU GOODIES - ALEX BINNIE PRINT & INTO YOU HOODY

INTO YOU REESE

MUKESH WIN A FREE PRINT

7 WELCOME TO ISSUE 147 70 MAKE UP FOREVER

TALES FROM THE

36 FORCE IN THE FLESH NAUGHTY STEP

42 COVER MODEL PROFILE 98 CONVENTION CALENDAR

47 GALWAY TATTOO CONVENTION Cover Model Reese Hilburn

62 MUKESH WAGHELA Subscription enquiries

Total Tattoo magazine No. 147 January 2017

Editorial team Editorial enquiries Artwork enquiries Social Media Contributors

“We will open the book. Its pages are

Total Tattoo Magazine 7

BOOK REVIEW THE BIG NORTH

When you hear the name “Burchett”, it's the

At the time of writing, over 75% of these

8 Total Tattoo Magazine

In which decade did Into You first

Email your answer to

LATEST LASER TECH

WISH FOR GOLD ONE TOO MANY

Total Tattoo Magazine 9

Sam Rivers is a master of dotwork tattooing,

Sylvia Ji is a truly fantastic painter whose

14 Total Tattoo Magazine

16 Total Tattoo Magazine

I wondered what Paul felt about the

As our conversation moved towards the

Total Tattoo Magazine 17

18 Total Tattoo Magazine

With such a strong individual style, I

Total Tattoo Magazine 19

20 Total Tattoo Magazine

Total Tattoo Magazine 21

At the Dublin convention, Total Tattoo

Last Rites Tattoo Theatre

22 Total Tattoo Magazine

1. emil edge, buzzstop 28 (sweden)

24 Total Tattoo Magazine

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26 Total Tattoo Magazine

Total Tattoo Magazine 27

28 Total Tattoo Magazine

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30 Total Tattoo Magazine

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32 Total Tattoo Magazine

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Total Tattoo Magazine 35

When Shane Turgeon's The Force in the Flesh Volume I came

jordan croke jordan croke

36 Total Tattoo Magazine

And where did it all go from there?

Total Tattoo Magazine 37

What made you decide to do the

How did you decide on who to

thom tijdink thom Tijdink luis vella gomez

38 Total Tattoo Magazine

You’ve visited lots of international conventions. Do you notice any difference