The Tattooed Poets Project: Eric Morago

This morning's tattooed poet is Eric Morago, who shares these lines of verse from his forearm:

I am a BIG Charles Bukowski fan, so I immediately recognized these lines ("what matters most / is how you / walk through the / fire") when I saw the photo.
Eric explains:

"The tattoo is taken from a the title of a collection of poems 

by Charles Bukowski. 

 I got [the tattoo] over Thanksgiving break at a local tattoo shop (Body Art Tattoo) in my hometown of Whittier, CA during my first semester of grad school.  I had just finished grading a bunch of papers as well as writing my own for a class and was just overwhelmed by what the next two years had in store for me that I wanted to do something commemorate the struggle ahead.  So that when all was said and done, M.F.A in hand, there was also tangible proof (besides a piece of paper) for what I had I succeeded in obtaining.  And the words would be a damn good reminder on those occasions where papers and grading and thesis deadlines loomed in the distance." 

By way of poetry, Eric offers up this tattoo-related gem:

ENTANGLED

A beautiful portrait of destruction,
her back is tattooed from shoulder
to shoulder—a giant octopus tears
boats apart with unworldly tendrils.
This turns me on.  I am a prepubescent
again thinking I’ve found ambrosia
between the pages of Victoria’s Secret
catalogues.  I get dizzy, lost in fantasy.
How though its body is submerged
in murky water, hidden by shading,
I believe the monster is winking at me.
I sit, imagine freckles into tiny frenzied
sailors jumping ship into the dark of her
skin, sinking down spine’s curve,
drowning, or falling into the creature’s
waiting, open-beaked mouth.  I would
never tell her any of this, of course.
Better she stay in the peep, a shadowy
figure of myth.  And like a yarn-spinning
seadog swearing by fantastical beasts—
all tentacles, sharp snouted and snarl
toothed—I too am ensnared, imagination
entangled in the suction-cupped arms
of wanting.  It is all I can do to fight,
struggle being pulled under an inky
veil where our eyes can clearly meet,
where any and all mystique is gone.

~ ~ ~

Eric Morago is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet who believes performance carries as much importance on the page, as it does off. Currently Eric is an an associate reviewer for Poetix.net, poet-in-residence with California WorkforceAssociation, and teaches workshops for Red Hen Press’ Writing in the Schools program. 

His first full length collection of poetry and prose entitled, What We Ache For, is available from Moon Tide Press. Eric holds an MFA in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach and lives to write in Whittier, CA.

Thanks to Eric for sharing his poem and tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Emily's Typewriter

Last week, on Eighth Avenue, I spotted an incredible tattoo on the back of a woman's calf and knew that I had to speak to her about it. Check it out:

This vintage typewriter belongs to Emily, and was tattooed by one of my favorite artists in New York, Virginia Elwood at New York Adorned. You can click the tag at the bottom of the post to see other work of Virginia's that I have been fortunate enough to spot in my Tattoosday travels.

Emily explained that she is a writer, and wanted a vintage typewriter inked to represent her vocation. My guess she had decided on one of these Royal typewriters, and then Virginia worked her magic. Emily elaborates:

"I asked her originally to give me a little typewriter on top of the books here:

but there wasn't enough room ... [Virginia] was like It'll be too small if I put it on your arm, we'll have to do a big one to get the best detail."

The rest, as they say, is history.

Emily has nine tattoos in all, counting a half-sleeve as one large piece, and all of her work has been done by Virginia.

Emily is managing editor for a website called xoJane, and has even written about her tattoos. She directed me to this article she recently wrote, called "My Tattoos Make Guys Think I'm Easy." She's got a smart style that really taps into the heart and soul of the subject. I'm sure many tattooed women can relate to the sentiment in that piece. She also pointed to a more current article she wrote, with some input from Virginia, as well, about sexism in tattoo shops, specifically with the drama in the premiere (and subsequent episodes) of the latest tattoo reality series, New York Ink.

I, for one, certainly recommend checking out Emily's site, xoJane, and exploring not only her contributions, but those of the other writers, as well.

Thanks to Emily for sharing her incredible work with us here on Tattoosday, and for talking with me, even though she was running late. I do appreciate it and hope we'll see more of her tattoos here in the future!

This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Tattoosday Weekend Recap

I just wanted to share some interesting tidbits that have come my way over the last few weeks:

First, someone has been sharing links in the comments section anonymously on several recent posts. As is my custom, I only approve comments if they are related to the post in question. Nonetheless, the links point to a YouTube channel for Sullen TV. I thought I'd share one here, which features the artist Nikko Hurtado, and interested parties can explore their YouTube channel here.

~

The other day I came across a cool site called FreshTrends.com that has a really nice collection of body jewelry, a lot of which would look great with a new tattoo. It's definitely worth a look!

~

Last June, I featured this tattoo by artist Scott Campbell. I was recently told about this short film on the site Nowness.Be sure to check it out!

~

And finally, we're about a month away from April, and our third annual installment of the Tattooed Poets Project. I wanted to give a shout-out to one of last year's poets, Erica Rivera, whose tattoo was featured here. Her new book Maneater is available on Amazon:

Visit the Man Eater Facebook page for a taste of Erica Rivera's writing.

Alyssa's Arabic Ink

It wasn't Alyssa I approached on a Friday afternoon outside of Madison Square Garden, but her friend, who had several visible tattoos.

However, the friend was unhappy with all of her ink, so I asked if anyone else standing with her if they had work they'd like to share.

Alyssa offered up this Arabic tattoo, behind her right ear:


The script is the transliteration of her name, Alyssa, which she said means "flourishing" in Greek.


Definitions I have found point to it meaning "rational," or "noble," rather than "flourishing". Nonetheless, it is widely regarded as a very pretty name.

This was tattooed at Crazy Fantasy Tattoo in Manhattan. Work from that shop previously posted on Tattoosday can be seen here.

It just so happened I recently read the book Arabic Tattoos compiled by Jon Udelson. It's an interesting look at the phenomenon of the increase in popularity of Arabic script tattoos, and well worth a gander.

My favorite Arabic tattoo that has appeared on Tattoosday is this one.

Thanks to Alyssa for sharing her tattoo with us here on the site!

Where The Wild Thing Tattoo Is

The day after I met one Jared, I met another, out in front of Madison Square Garden.

With a tattoo like this:


how could I not stop him?

As one would imagine, Jared loves the book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.



The tattoo displays, on Jared's right forearm, one of the "Wild Things" that is in Max's imagination.


Jared, who was in town visiting from Boston, has ten tattoos. He had been thinking about getting a Where the Wild Things Are piece for several years and finally had it done by Chris Ford in January 2009. Ford had worked in L.A. but is now in New Jersey.

Jared said that he has had a lot of attention from people about the tattoo, in part due to the publicity from the movie adaptation coming out this Fall.


Thanks to Jared for stopping to talk and share his "wild" tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

The Tattooed Poets Project: Moira Egan's Literary Ink, A Little Bit of Ireland, All the Way from Rome

Today's tattoo comes to us from across the Atlantic, contributed by Moira Egan, a poet living in Rome, Italy:



Hers is a literary tattoo. Moira reports, it's:

"A page corner from the Book of Kells (an illuminated manuscript that's housed in Trinity College, Dublin), in this version, housed a couple of inches below my left clavicle. Little Vinnie of Little Vinnie's Tattoos in Maryland is the artist, and this was done on Memorial Day of 1993. In fact, Vinnie was kind enough to open the shop that day for me and my brother and a friend. A good way to Memorialize a day."

Moira added, "since I'm Irish-American, and a writer, well it seemed appropriate".

Indeed, please check out one of Moira's poems, both in English and Italian, over on BillyBlog.

The Tattoosday Book Review: High Voltage

As a viewer of the cable show Miami Ink, I watched with great interest when Chris Garver brought his friend Kat Von D. into the shop as a guest tattooer in the show's early days. Kat's portrait work is phenomenal, and she is an extremely charismatic person.

The problem with reality shows like Miami Ink, its spin-off L.A. Ink, and the A&E Series Inked, is that the producers feel, and perhaps rightfully so, that a show filled with tattoos is bad for ratings. When I was getting my second tattoo, in 2005, I asked my tattoo artist, Peter Cavorsi, what he thought of these shows. He shrugged and said "too much drama" and told me he didn't watch them. He struck at the core of the tattoo shows' problems: the purists in the tattoo community generally are frustrated by the fact that the personal relationships often overshadow the occasional tattoo. Fans of the shows will tell you: drama drives ratings.

Kat Von D.'s popular success is not due solely to her skills as a tattoo artist. I am not saying she isn't talented. She's immensely talented. But I admire her just as much, if not more, for her ability to parlay a dramatic turn of events (her conflict with Miami Ink's chief protagonist, Ami James) into what is appearing to be an empire. Kat Von D. may be a great tattoo artist, but she's also a hell of a business woman, as evidenced by her shop's success in L.A., her show's ratings, and her successful side projects, like the Tattoo/Music festival "Musink," her cosmetics line at
Sephora, and, most recently, her book High Voltage Tattoo. In other words, Kat’s not just an artist. She’s a brand.

People generally either love Kat Von D. or hate her. She has a devoted fan base and a huge following. She is indisputably the most popular tattoo artist in America. But with success of such magnitude comes detractors. The tattoo community has always been a very close-knit, insular, society. Tattoos have never been so popular, and there is significant resentment among "old school" tattoo aficionados, that trendiness breeds sell-outs, and a dilution of the purity of tattooing as an art form.

Personally, I understand this sentiment, but at the same time, I admittedly am part of the handful of people who are riding the wave of tattoo popularity. Tattoosday was in-part inspired by the Miami Ink phenomenon. My knowledge of tattooing was limited when I got my first two tattoos. I am much more knowledgeable now than when Tattoosday was "born" a year and a
half ago, but I hardly think of myself as an expert, nor do I pretend to be. I am just writing about what interests me and ultimately, in its purest form, that is what Kat Von D. has done with her book High Voltage Tattoo.

This, ultimately, is a first for Tattoosday. It is a bona fide review. Have I sold out the original concept behind Tattoosday? Hardly. I am just writing because that's what I do, like a tattooer tattoos because that's what they do.

So let's take a look at the book, which any L.A. Ink viewer knew was coming, as the story behind the book was one of the many episodic plot lines in the show.


First and foremost, let me first say this is a beautiful book. The production value reflects the care that went into its engineering. The first printing has a thick padded cover (the second printing reverted to basic hardcover with dust jacket) which enhances the feel of the book. The pages are thick and bright with colorful graphics and photographs. For the simple fact that the book has on display so many beautiful tattoo images, it is worth the list price, purely for its aesthetic value.


Drilling down into the contents, High Voltage Tattoo offers a great introduction to not only Kat Von D., but to the art of tattooing in general, perfect for the average person looking to know more about tattoos.

The 175-page project is built around the High Voltage motif which has inspired Kat Von D.'s shop in West Los Angeles.

The five sections of the book are named after AC/DC songs: "Highway to Hell," "Let There Be Rock," "Back in Black," "If You Want Blood, You've Got It," and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Each chapter takes on another aspect of Kat's journey, from her biography, to the genesis of High Voltage Tattoo, to a portfolio of portraits, to a section profiling some of Kat's work, and ending with a brief selection of artists who have inspired her.

This is certainly geared to the Kat Von D. fan, but there is something for everyone. Most compelling is her biographical chapter that gallops through her career, astonishing considering she is celebrating her 27th birthday today (March 8, 2009). We only get the highlights, which is understandable because what is often underplayed and lost on television, is that the life of a tattoo artist may seem glamorous and exciting, but there is an insane amount of hard work and tedium involved. At the same time, the most interesting biographical tidbits seem glossed over. I was very curious to get more of her take on the whole conflict with Ami James. To her credit, she doesn't take any real shots at Ami, and doesn't exploit the drama, despite the public's appetite for such controversies.



Aside from her biography, I really enjoyed the small section on tattoo machines. It certainly gives the reader a better understanding of the basic mechanics and the variations in design. It's not just a tool that gets plugged in and runs. Kat's rudimentary introduction paints a broader base on machine knowledge than one normally sees.

Another fascinating part is the several pages devoted to her own physical canvas. She catalogues her tattoos and answers the burning questions about her ink and their provenance.

I especially like her "yearbook" leg, the left limb on which her friends and family have tattooed their marks. It shows a lack of pretentiousness that is appealing to me, at least; that she is not all about the perfect piece in the perfect spot. It drives home the point that many tattoo snobs
don't get: the meaning behind the tattoo more often than not outshines the quality. And that's completely okay.

Other elements of the book that are useful are Kat's "dos and don'ts", although a lot of it is common sense. But given the lack of sense some people display, these pointers will certainly spare some artists the grief caused by otherwise clueless clients.

I was a little bit put off by some small features of the book, like her lists of things she’s inspired by and the catalog of items she collects. Whether this was just filler, or something the author thought the fans wanted to see, I would have preferred more artwork. In the grand scheme of
things, how important is it that Kat’s inspired by “The F Word” and that she collects leg warmers?

Another section is devoted to what terminology to use and not use. I knew that the expression "tats" is generally not favored (unless it is) and I was corrected early on in this blog's history not to refer to a tattoo machine as a "gun". But I was chagrined to see the expression "ink," referring to tattoos, as much of a no-no as "tats". There aren't a lot of synonyms for tattoos a writer can use, and I was annoyed to have another one frowned upon. Especially since the three most popular shows about the craft all have "ink" in their title. But I'll get over it.

This is a Kat Von D. Production through and through. You can tell she put her heart and soul into this book, and it's certainly a testament to her perseverance and success.

The worst criticism I have is that she certainly makes herself out to be a craftsman devoted to the art, but she doesn't really dwell on her own faults. She acknowledges that she is still learning, but it's hard to find faults in the rosy facade that she paints of herself. She cautions that one
should never get tattooed while under the influence. Sage advice, but she seems to revel in the fact that a lot of her early work (both given and received) was delivered while in "party mode". But if you can get beyond those small contradictions, then the book is a treat for the eyes and the
brain.

I have tried to paint as an objective review of High Voltage Tattoo as I can. The bigger the personality, the more controversial the figure. If you strip away the small aspects and focus on the larger facts: that Kat Von D. is an immense talent, that she is a savvy businesswoman, and, most importantly, has a devout love for her art, then you should derive immense pleasure from this testament to a career that is flourishing in an industry at the height of its popularity.

Not to mention the fact that she is rock and roll, through and through.

A Weird Day

Here’s a new one for you. A straight narrative, speckled with ink references, which eventually resembled a “traditional” Tattoosday post. It certainly takes the cake as one of the most unusual encounters. I’ve significantly edited it down for space considerations.

I've also waited a week (this is back-dated) to see how it would play out.

Today was a gloomy, sleety, cold New York City day and I decided to go out at lunch, despite the rain.

After an unsuccessful circuit through the Chelsea Whole Foods, I hit the Muhlenberg branch of the New York Public Library and pick up a few CDs (The Black Parade is Dead! by My Chemical Romance, Lost Highway by Bon Jovi, and Rock My World by Bret Michaels) and some books What Is This Thing Called Love by inked poet Kim Addonizio,

Sailor Jerry Collins: American Tattoo Master

and Tattoo Nation: Portraits of Celebrity Body Art.

I head back toward work and stop under the overhang outside of Fashion Institute of Technology to take a break from the freezing rain.

I decide to talk to two students who are talking outside, smoking. I introduce myself and explain the blog and one of them is un-inked and has agreed to participate in the Unin(k)itiated survey. I’m about to talk to ask the first question when a guy comes up to us to ask a question.

Here’s where the abridging of the conversation begins.

Initially, he is looking to get directions to the Apple Store on 5^th Avenue. He is visiting from San Francisco and needs to pick up a PC from there. He speaks very fast. He has been a web designer since the early 90’s. He rattles off several websites he has built for various companies. He refers to himself as “Apple Pirate,” and he mentions an Apple tattoo.

My interest is piqued. “You have tattoos?” “Four,” he replies. But he is covered in clothing and is visibly cold in the non-San Francisco weather. I don’t expect him to show me anything. I mention the blog, but he is dismissive. He makes a comment about not having time for websites that are small. I am not offended, though I could take issue with what could be perceived as a sleight. But Tattoosday is still a little baby blog, and I’m a small fish in a big blogospheric ocean, despite the occasional delusion of grandeur.

The conversation is all over the place, with Chris leading most of the discussion. Among the topics: where the nearest bike shop is, how he’s been crashing on the floor at The Hotel Chelsea because he doesn’t have the credit card he used to make the reservation at the W Hotel (he was mugged in Baltimore), the quality of F.I.T. as a school, and why the Baltimore School for the Arts is losing students to F.I.T. Also discussed is the weather, some SF vs. NYC banter, technology, design, and more on tattoos.

We drift back to his ink and he has decided that he will show me one of his pieces. Here is where this starts looking like a normal Tattoosday post. This is the tattoo on Chris’ left elbow:

That’s the Apple Pirate logo.

Chris kept talking and I continued standing with the two F.I.T. students, whose names I never got. My lunch was over and I needed to get back to work. However, both women have my card, and will hopefully contact me so I can finish the story.

They never did. Nor did Martin.

It was a truly bizarre little encounter, one which may still be unfolding in the days and weeks to come.

There was actually more to this post. Chris credited his tattoo to a well-known tattoo artist in another state. The original post discussed this artist, along with his shop, and the fact that I tracked down the artist to verify if this tattoo could be attributed to him. Ultimately, the tattooist has no recollection of the piece or the individual.

Another day in the life of the tattoo blogger!

Currently Reading: The Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment

Winter is not conducive to good inkspotting in the big city, so I've got nothing for you today.

Nothing, at least, in terms of tattoo photos.

I will report, however, that I am reading the book The Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment.

A work of literary fiction, The Tattoo Artist tells the story of Sara Ehrenreich, who was born in the early part of the 20th Century, became an artist, went to the fictional island of Ta'un'uu, where the art of tattoo is celebrated as a cultural and spiritual form of expression.

I have only completed a brief section of the novel, but am enjoying the narrative immensely. The protagonist's tattoos are described by her briefly as the tale progresses. I have yet to reach the point where she becomes a tattoo artist. However, she describes early on, as an old woman looking back on her life, how she is covered fully by ink.

Here's how she describes one of her tattoos:

His portrait graces my left breast. It is the first tattoo I engraved on myself. The portrait, however, in no way resembles the face I kissed that night; an unlined, untested face of cavalier certitude that the future would be as easy to read as a palm. The face on my left breast is desecrated, pillaged of all illusions, and though it breaks my heart to admit it, it is also the weakest part of my design--the point on my flesh where my emotions exceeded my skill--and no amount of virtuosity can disguise that weakness. The face on my left breast is a living death mask, as far removed from the young Philip as I am from the girl I was.

I haven't finished the book, but would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary fiction and has even a cursory interest in the art of tattoo.

Thanks to Cynthia, my mother-in-law, for yet another inspired holiday gift!

Here's a link to a review of the book in The New York Times.

Read a preview/excerpt in Google Books here.