Simon Erl: Jesus

Why is it that when Simon Erl tattoos a Jesus image, the Prince of Peace looks like he’s mad at you for something?
Subdued color palette  tattoos are really impressing me these days; I tend to go for a more colorful Robert Ryan aesthetic, but the Brits have really been catching my attention with the more muted tones; this Erl piece, Bradley Thompkins newer output… so much great stuff that’s really making me jealous that they’re so far away (and that I’m running out of available skin).

You can ask Simon to do an angry Jesus (or happy Satan, your call) tattoo on you via his tumblr account: http://simonerl.com

 

Rabbit’s Moon- a tattoo by Erl.

Not content to just do kickass Jodorowsky and Wicker Man tattoos, tattooer Simon Erl has started incorporating the works of Occult Cinema wunderkind Kenneth Anger into his tattooing. This tattoo is from Anger’s Rabbit’s Moon, which was shot in 1950, released in 1972 and rereleased with a new soundtrack in 1979. I was lucky enough to see a restored print of Rabbit’s Moon along with a Q&A with Anger several years ago. While not as overtly occult as his Magic Lantern films, it’s beautiful none the less. Shot in cool blues and featuring the ironic Pierrot, Harlequin and Columbina, it holds up as a classic in indie/ avant-garde cinema.

If you feel like learning more about Anger’s work- http://www.kennethanger.org
To follow Simon Erl on Tumblr- http://simonerl.tumblr.com

And finally, to watch Rabbit’s Moon:

Holy Mountain

I’m currently vacationing in Santa Cruz California. Other than a brief post on my personal blog I’ve been pretty lazy with keeping things updated. But when I saw this Holy Mountain torso piece by Simon Erl in my inbox I braved the WordPress iPad app to be able to update from our rental car en route to San Francisco. Simon tells me he has a pretty epic back piece lined up that will appeal to occult cinema nerds; I can’t wait to see it!

Our bees make honey, but your flies make shit

Simon Erl. El Topo.
He’s done it before and something makes me think he’ll do it again. Seeing this reminds me that I haven’t watched the film in way too long. I’ll remedy that tonight.

YES/NO

Been a while since I featured something from Simon Erl; there’s no time like the present to make up for that.
This little ouija piece was done at Temple Tattoo while Simon was visiting the West Coast. It sucks that he wasn’t visiting Philly and tattooing me, but thems the breaks sometimes.

You’ll simply never understand the true nature of sacrifice

Sergeant Howie: And what of the TRUE God? Whose glory, churches and monasteries have been built on these islands for generations past? Now sir, what of him?

Lord Summerisle: He’s dead. Can’t complain, had his chance and in modern parlance, blew it.

I try not to think about the Wicker Man remake.
Nicholas Cage seems like a nice enough dude, but his ability to appear in movies that are absolute crap is only slightly outweighed by his ability to make movies that are awesome crap. (Con Air and Drive Angry 3D, I’m looking at you, and I’m liking what I see.)

There was some subplot about bees, if I remember correctly.

That said.. the original Wicker Man, directed by Robin Hardy and starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, is a classic film. My interest in the Hand of Glory came from watching that movie as a kid, and it’s cheeky blasphemy (“Himself the son of a virgin, impregnated, I believe, by a ghost..”) still makes me smile.

This tattoo by OV regular Simon Erl is of the titular Wicker Man. The clouds/smoke background was executed really well.

So get a tattoo by Simon, then go buy Wicker Man on dvd.