Tattooers on Instagram: Chad Chesko

 

I spent the evening in Boston last night talking to my old friend Chad Chesko- a tattooer I was lucky enough to meet almost 20 years ago shortly after he started tattooing and who I’ve been pleased to watch grow into a DAMN fine painter and tattooer. We geeked out talking about the old days. people we’ve been tattooed by, pieces he’s done and would like to do… a fitting conversation since I was sort of dreading getting tattooed next Tuesday- he pumped me up and reminded me why we sit through the pain.

His Instagram can be found here: http://instagram.com/chadchesko

 

Living the Dream

More Fred Corbin on VBS; episode two is now streaming.
FC2 at Vice.

The two Corbin episodes that have dropped have really played out like a loveletter to the culture of Tattooing; you can see in Fred’s eyes that he knows he’s one of the luckiest son’s a bitches in the world and that he’s thankful for everything tattooing has brought him. You can also see the respect his peers have for him in all of the interviews that accompany the piece.

It’s a bummer that we only have one Corbin episode left; the good news is the folks at Vice are finally calling this Season One….

The picture above is of Mr. Corbin and Daniel Higgs, showing their Ed Hardy back pieces. Fred is the Rock of Ages. So damned cool.

Let me hide myself in thee- David Bruehl

Earlier on OV I featured an amazing Sol Invictus Rock of Ages painting by my old friend David Bruehl; he’s back with a black and grey version of the iconic Rock that is simply breathtaking. David is one of my favorite people, and as such, certainly one of my favorite tattooers. Every chance that we’ve been able to spend time together I’ve come away learning something I didn’t know as well as leaving with a damn fine tattoo.

You can find David at Think Ink in Norman OK.

Cleft for Me

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee

I’ve contemplated a ‘Rock of Ages’ tattoo since picking up the Hardy Marks book of the same name in 1992. The interpretations varied radically while containing the same central ideology and over the years I’ve considered several different incarnations of it to wear. This painting by my friend David Bruehl doesn’t stray too far from the classic design while still incorporating his own iconography. David tattoos in Norman, OK at Think Ink- you can read a (admittedly dated) interview with David here.