After watching the Thom DeVita episodes of ViceTv’s groundbreaking Tattoo Age series, I decided that I should head to Pittsburgh this summer and get tattooed by the incomparable Nick Bubash. Earlier today I saw that he’s going to be having a solo show at the Warhol. This summer.

I like it when everything lines up.

From the Warhol Museum:

 The Patron Saint of White Guys That Went Tribal and Other Works, the first solo museum exhibition of work by Pittsburgh artist Nick Bubash features a recreation of the artist’s studio which focuses on a large group of found object sculptures.  These sculptures reveal a playful approach to the artist’s practices and sardonic sense of humor.  Bubash has exhibited extensively across the US since 1989, with work exhibiting a wide range of media and diverse stylistic approach.  Bubash is also a nationally recognized tattooist and is the owner of Route 60 Tattoo in McKees Rocks.

Read more at warhol.org: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=17145#.UZDxFRiN-m8.facebook#ixzz2TOd0p8z3

I think this is going to be one of those ‘worth the commute’ sort of things, so if you can make Pittsburgh part of your travel plans, you might just oughta!

Our thoughts are with Richard Stell and his wife Jen right now; Richard has suffered a heart attack and is currently on the mend but still has to deal with the hardship of medical bills at a critical time (the building of Pair o Dice tattoo is still under way) and could really use our help.

As such, our good friends at Yellowbeak Press are donating all proceeds from the 5/14-5/15 sales of their new BORN WEIRD book to Richard. So you can give Richard and Jen much needed relief AND get a rad tattoo book out of it! I’m still working on a full review of Born Weird, but the word ‘indispensable’ comes to mind.

If you’ve already got the book and would rather get tattooed to help them out- check out “A day of tattooing for Richard” for shops participating.

Get well soon, Richard!

Buying records in Philadelphia is much harder than it should be. While we have a few decent record stores, none of them ever seem to actually get new releases  (at least in the two weeks surrounding their release)  instead offering a friendly “we can order it for you though” in place of the CD/LP/Cassette I want.

So while  waiting for ‘The Godward Way’ to arrive from Thrill Jockey I swung by Repo Records on South Street to see if there was anything new and interesting out that I may not have heard of and was surprised to see yet another new Higgs release.

From Wild Sages:

WSR5 DANIEL HIGGS Cassette & Digital Download + 3 Songs @ around 13 Minutes Recorded In A Wintery 2010/11 by Nathan Bell & Re-Mixed By N. Shineywater, Mastered in LA using 1930′s era EQ, this unique combo of  Digital Download MP3  & 2 Sided Cassette compliments modern & vintage listening devices. (sold separate)

As the cover art suggests a mighty lion holding the sun, eating floating green diamonds, we bet  the track “Throne Of The Kind A Light Upon My Mind“ will get your lion a little more iron!
4.20.2013 MAIL-ORDER FROM SAN FRANCISCO:
http://www.midheaven.com/label/wild-sages

The link above has both the cassette and the digital download, for whatever tickles your fancy.

For folks into the music of former tattooer/Lunfish singer/poet Daniel Higgs, Southern Records has released a new Higgs project on vinyl and cd titled “The Godward Way”.
From Southern’s Website:

1 song, 23 minutes.  Exclusive recording from Daniel HIggs, visionary artist and former frontman of Lungfish.  500 numbered, hand-packaged CDs in foil blocked origami style folder with colour insert.   Also available in an edition of 1000 LPs – 180gm white or black vinyl with numbered, hand-packaged sleeves including foil-blocked inner and colour insert.  Cover artwork by Daniel Higgs.

I ordered mine from Thrill Jockey, but if you’re a vinyl collector and you want both colors (I think TJ only got white? I may have read it wrong) you can order directly from Southern.
Southern Records. 
Thrill Jockey Records.

Rachel Timmins Interviews Krooked Ken at Black Anchor Tattoo from rachel timmins on Vimeo.

I’m lucky to have talented friends.
One of them, a talented Maryland based artist named Rachel Timmins, interviewed folks active in the Body Modification industry (re: not just tattooers) for a paper in her Masters program and was kind enough to share the unedited footage of the legendary Krooked Ken with us here at OV.

When you watch the video, keep in mind that it was intended for print and isn’t edited. None the less, it’s a fascinating peek into Ken’s world.

Thanks, Rachel!

(if you’re into jewelry- both metal work and textile- check out Rachel’s blog. )

It’s been damn near eighteen years since I was tattooed by Jason Minauro.
Back then he was really finding his voice as a tattooer. In the years that have followed he’s more than found it; his work is subtle while still being bold and while most certainly influenced by those who’ve come before him is able to stand on it’s own. For my money Jason is also one of the finest pin-up tattooists currently working.

He’s been dropping additions to his ‘red pencil club’ to a Facebook gallery, which you can find by following him here, that are just stunning. I was hoping to meet up with him when I was in Florida getting tattooed by David Bruehl, but sadly my schedule didn’t allow for it. If you find yourself traveling to the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area and are looking for a kickass new tattoo- get in touch with Jason. You wont regret it.

https://www.facebook.com/jasonminauro

This is a formica table. Green is it’s color.
Ron Henry Wells. Twin Peaks. I really don’t need to say more. He’s a man obsessed and I’m obsessed with the results, so… any time I see one, it’s going up here. Simple as that.

If you want to find out more about the ‘Man from Another Place’ you can swing by the Wiki Page on him or better yet… watch the show.

If you want to find out more about Ron Wells- visit The Laughing Hyena.

My various social networks are all linked together, so when I see a photo on one, it tends to pop on the rest. So as you can imagine, a whole social flutter of BORN WEIRD made so very happy. Scott and his partner Kayla are really doing right by the Tattoo Community with their Yellow Beak Press imprint, and if the samples I’ve seen from Born Weird are any indication, this is going to be an indispensable book for tattoo nerds.

I think there are still copies available, so swing by Yellow Beak central for more info. If they Zeis book is still available… pick it up too. You seriously won’t regret it.

Now all I have to do is sit by the mailbox till it arrives!

I’ve been really looking forward to Yellow Beak Press’s newest offering “Born Weird” since Scott started sneaking me samples of some of the truly bizarre contributions that some of the world’s finest tattooers submitted to the show. That style of ‘Weirdo’ tattooing has always appealed to me.

There are some folks who do it when called upon, and others who’s style is just a little more… janky. Tattooers who’s aesthetic, regardless of the design, is always kind of out there and bordering on oddball. And that’s a good thing.

One of the folks who always comes to mind when I think of that particular style of tattooing is Ash Davies. He mixes cartoons and popculture imagery with a very underground comix edge with just enough Ed Big-Daddy Roth to make it interesting. Just my kinda tattoo.

If you’re looking for a great tattooer to follow on Instagram- Ash can be found here.

Obviously walk-ins were the status quo for tattoo shops pre-Hardy (who I tend to over credit everything to, so it’s fair to say that he wasn’t the first appointment only tattooer, just the standard bearer for the concept) but as the whole ‘custom only’ thing hit it became a dirty word, something that you worked hard to move away from. It’ great to see people still enjoying the challenge of creating really rad pieces on folks who walked right up.

This clip from the classic MetamorphosisII video ‘Dave Lum’s Heavy Duty Tattooing’ features a group of die hard Dave Lum fans going that extra mile to get tattooed by Dave. In the case of one client… 200 miles, with some folks showing up at midnight the night before hoping to secure a spot. Dave is one of those guys who really influenced the way I got tattooed back when I started getting larger work; someone who didn’t mind nonsensical/weird imagery with a sense of humor and solid almost vibrating color. He’s also someone who’s name doesn’t get mentioned nearly as much as it should; it’s my hope that converting and sharing these videos will get folks interested in guys like Dave; people who don’t really have a digital ‘presence’ by who really made an impact on modern tattooing.

I know I haven’t been putting videos up lately- no apologies, of course, but to explain- my laptop is on it’s last legs and importing, converting, editing and exporting video is getting to be a process that my 2008 macbook can’t keep up with. I’m working on options, but for the time being video content will be fewer and further apart. OV doesn’t take advertising; we don’t monetize the videos on youtube.. save for selling tshirts (which don’t sell a lot) we’re 100% nonprofit, so budgeting a laptop for video conversion isn’t top priority in my life; hopefully I’ll have a solution long term, but for now- watch this fun short clip and keep checking back for more!