InkSpired Magazine: The Book by InkSpired Magazine

MAGAZINE

THE BOOK

WHO’S ON

THE COVER Claire Celeste Finneran has been a professional piercer for a year and a half in addition to her apprenticeship. She currently pierces at Mantra Tattoo Studio in Lakewood, Colorado. “It has been an ambition of mine for a long time and to be able to completely love what I do and constantly be able to advance in it is a gift,” Claire says. She is a huge fan of the outdoors and one of her favorite things to do is hike and soak in the wonders of nature. Claire is also a lover of horror movies, Lord of the Rings, animals, and pineapples. The Colorado native’s modeling career began with advertisement for Hell’s Boutique followed by a cover with InkSpired Magazine’s Sullen fashion feature. Good job, girl! Remember you saw her here first Follow Claire on Instagram: @xoclaireceleste Photo by: Sean Hartgrove

Tattoo Artist: Julian Siebert 4 Together We Rise: Sullen Art Collective 14 Fashion: Rat Baby 26 Rodrigo Melo: Living for the Love of Art & Life Itself 34 Krewell Takeover 46 Lindsey Kuhn: Fighting Chaos with Art 54 Punk Rock Bowling 58 Tattooed Model Shelly d'Inferno 64 Tattoo Artist Bruno Santos 72 Carnage on Larimer 82 Julia Dumps 90 Interview: Amber Lee Terry 104 When Life Gets Complicated, I Ride 110 InkSpired Story: Ryan "Coach" Harris 122 Piercing: Luis Garcia 126 Rhonda & Will 132 Tattoo Artist: Flo Gropper 142 Chester Bennington 152 The Dark Art of Adriana Michima 170 InkSpiredMagazine.com

Editor-in-Chief - Candies Deezy Liu Creative Director - Sean Hartgrove Art Director - David Rossa Features Writer: Simone Jane Piercing Editor - Sean Dowdell European Editor - Ákos Bánfalvi Positive Spin Editor - Kate Monahan Staff Photographers - Radek Photography & Billy Ward

Tattoo Artist: Julian Siebert Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi

Interview: Amber Lee Terry Interview by: Candies Deezy Liu Photos: JJ Velasquez

Fashion: Rat Baby Photos courtesy of: Rat Baby Living for the Love of Art & Life Itself: Rodrigo Melo Words: Kate Monahan

When Life Gets Complicated, I Ride Photos: Sean Hartgrove InkSpired Story: Ryan “Coach” Harris Words: Candies Deezy Liu Photos: Sean Hartgrove & Gabriel Christus

Krewella Takeover Words: Candies Deezy Liu Photos courtesy of: Krewella

Piercing: Luis Garcia Interview: Sean Dowdell

Fighting Chaos with Art: Lindsey Kuhn Words: Simone Jane

Rhonda & Will Photos: Radek Hruby

Punk Rock Bowling Words: Candies Deezy Liu Photos: Sean Hartgrove

Tattoo Artist: Flo Gropper Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi

Shelly D’inferno Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Photos: Pascal Latil & MyBoudoir - Nicola Grimshaw Tattoo Artist: Bruno Santos Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Carnage on Larimer Photos: Justin Larwick & Wolfgang Wilmhoff

Remembering Chester Bennington Exclusive images by: Sean Hartgrove The Dark Art of Adriana Michima Words: Simone Jane Together We Rise: Sullen Art Collective Words: Candies Deezy Liu Photos: Sean Hartgrove

Tattoo Artist: Julia Dumps Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi

Advertising info: info@InkSpiredMagazine.com

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FOREWORD InkSpired Magazine presents its first ever book edition: The Book of 2017, featuring the best of the best in editorial, features, stories, and photography. In these pages, you will find the heart and soul of InkSpired - tattoo culture and lifestyle evolving. The forefront of tattoo culture lives here as we continue to immerse ourselves in various aspects of its evolution. World-renowned tattoo artists specializing in various styles grace the pages. Inspiration derived from the artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work continues to push the boundaries of the artform itself. Interviews with each tattooer reveals their individual stories that led them to their artistic path today.

Chester Bennington. This book is home to exclusive images published in his honor, as seen in the memorial issue: Remembering Chester Bennington. Similar to the many lives he touched, Chester made a tremendous impact on InkSpired Magazine. InkSpired Magazine: The Book of 2017 is a collective of what tattoo culture and lifestyle embodies. It goes beyond the artwork on our bodies and what it represents. Time to get InkSpired.

Fashionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influences have spearheaded tattoo culture, and vice versa. The same has occured between the progression of tattooing and art. InkSpired Magazine has always paid homage to these massive influences and contributions to tattoo culture and lifestyle. Discover here our hand selected art and fashion features through 2017. Motorcycles, hot rods, and tattooed babes. When life gets complicated, we ride. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the ride or dies that make or break us. Sometimes, ya just gotta ride, ya know? 2017 was the year the world lost

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JULIAN SIEBERT Words: Ákos Bánfalvi Born and raised in Munich, Germany, Julian Siebert has been drawing since he can remember. When he was six years old, Julian recalls seeing a tattooed Undertaker when he was watching wrestling. This was the first tattooed person he had ever seen and had a tremendous impact on him. In the years after this, Julian spent a lot of time drawing as he finished his school years. When you were young, did you think you would grow up to become an artist or work in the artistic field? I always wanted to earn my money with some kind of art. What was your initial exposure to the tattoo world and when did you first add your own piece of ink to your skin? Was that a transformative time in your life? I got a better view of the tattoo world by listening to different bands. After a bad car accident, I got my first tattoo - a Slipknot tribal. Where did you learn to tattoo? Did you have a formal apprenticeship? If so, can you tell us about this time in your life and how it prepared you for all that you do now? I learned the basics of tattooing in a small, not too famous shop in Munich. But almost everything about drawing I had to learn by myself. Most of my knowledge from today I learned from other tattoo artists at different tattoo conventions. What did your family and friends think about you getting into the business? All of my friends and family know that I love tattoos, so everybody was glad but not really surprised.

“I ALWAYS WANTED TO EARN MY MONEY WITH SOME KIND OF ART…” 4

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concept to finished design, as well as how you try to put your own unique touch on your tattoos. I always choose my clients by their own ideas. Once I like the idea, we have a drawing appointment. I start the tattoo design a couple of days before the tattoo and my client will see the design on the day of the tattoo appointment. What is one of your favorite pieces that you’ve tattooed on someone? The skull front piece I did at the London Tattoo Convention in 2015. It was my own drawing and I completed the whole tattoo 3 days in a row. In total, it took 24 hours to finish. Winning the best of show at this convention was unbelievable! What is your favorite thing about being a tattoo artist? Travelling around the world, meeting with a lot of very nice people, and earning my income by drawing. www.Corpsepainter.com www.Facebook.com/Corpsepainter Instagram: @Corpsepainter

What was the first tattoo you ever made? It was a skull on my own leg and it was really exhausting to be concentrating and in pain at the same time. But it was a good experience to learn and feel what you do on someone else. What is your favorite style to tattoo? What would your dream piece be to work on? There isn’t any favorite style and I don’t have a dream piece because there are so many good ideas. I’m always very excited about what my next clients ask me for. Describe how your role models and any other sources of inspiration have affected your tattoo style. One of my biggest inspirations, when I was growing up, was the comic art of Todd McFarlane and the dark biomech art of H.R. Giger. Can you tell us more about your own shop called Corpsepainter Tattoo & Piercing? My shop has five other artists with very different styles. We are all friends and learn from each other. We have a lot of inspiration every day. Describe how you go about creating a tattoo from

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Words: Candies Deezy Liu

Photography: Sean Hartgrove

Sullen was created based on ideologies that combined SoCal beach culture and tattoo driven art. What began in Huntington Beach with a small group of tattooers and artists has massively grown into a worldwide Art Collective that shares the same principles when it comes to art and its influences. Sullen co-owners, Ryan Smith and Jeremy Hanna have played massive roles in facilitating collaborative efforts to combine tattoo culture with progressive fashion trends. In doing so, Sullen has become an industry leader and household name within the alternative world since its inception in 2001. The evolution of Sullen continues. Although they began with a staple that everyone needs in their closet: black tees, Sullen always knew how to integrate artistic virtue to make their apparel appealing. Throughout the years, the high demand combined with artist collaborations have provided them with the inspiration and resources to expand their styles. Sullen Clothing now incorporates flannels, swimwear, sunglasses, and other accessories into their collections. In addition to progressing apparel and fashion trends, Sullen has started to incorporate other aspects of tattoo culture and lifestyle into their brand, such as Blaq Paq travel bags (the first ever travel backpacks for tattooers) that feature padded pouches for tattoo machines. They are even releasing a Power Paq with two USB ports that provides two laptop charges or 12 iPhone charges. Before the end of this year, Sullen is collaborating their first co-branded machine with Bishop Rotary that will be commercially sold. Bishop is designing a Stormtrooper version for their newest Fantom machine as part of this collab with Sullen. “We have a hat that Franco [of Bishop Rotary] and I designed. We literally passed a piece of art back and forth and that art will be on the underbill of the hat. It’s a full on Sullen/Bishop collectible. It’s a gift with purchase that is only available if you buy the machine,” Ryan says. With no plans of stopping, Sullen has several future collaborations with other industries in store. Their mission of fully integrating the lifestyle aspect into tattoo culture as a collective and brand has just begun. Sullen’s foundation is heavily based on a thorough knowledge and understanding of tattooing and its culture. This has garnered the respect of world renowned tattooers that have become part of the Sullen family and collective. Sullen’s creative direction is influenced and inspired by tattooers and artists around the world, each bringing their unique talent and styles to the collective. “Together we rise” defines Sullen’s ethos. As they continue to expand, they keep in mind that success and growth is a collaborative effort. Stay updated with Sullen at: www.SullenClothing.com, www.Facebook.com/SullenFamily, Instagram: @SullenClothing

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SULLEN WAS CREATED BASED ON IDEOLOGIES THAT COMBINED SOCAL BEACH CULTURE AND TATTOO DRIVEN ART.

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F A S H I O N 26

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RAT BABY Photography: Provided by Rat Baby Grunge glam alternative fashion line Rat Baby is a perfect equation of heavy metal, gutter punk glory, and occult imagery, humorous tongue-in-cheek references, combined with kitties, unicorns, and witchcraft. It’s a blender of all things gothically debauched, frivolously overconfident youth, and aggressively rock and roll. Product narratives include descriptive words like curse, trance, coven, bondage tops, ritual, pentagram, worship, sacrifice, addicted, hex, damnation, she-devil, going postal, mad max, and outlaw. Combine these descriptives with today’s hottest fashion trends, and Rat Baby has it all. The line offers a full wardrobe of easy-to-wear street fashion from head to feet, including leggings, tees, dresses, sweaters, and cardigans. Dive into summer with Rat Baby’s swimwear designed for the witchy, punk babes who want to spend their day at the pool or beach in gothy style. Shop Rat Baby at: www.InkSpiredShop.com

IT’S A BLENDER OF ALL THINGS GOTHICALLY DEBAUCHED, FRIVOLOUSLY OVERCONFIDENT YOUTH, AND AGGRESSIVELY ROCK AND ROLL.

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LIVING FOR THE LOVE OF ART & LIFE ITSELF

RODRIGO MELO Interview: Kate Monahan

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Rodrigo Melo is a well known tattooer in New York City, but also recognized around the world for his work. He has worked and traveled to many different countries and states tattooing, as well as owned his own shop and private studio. But what makes Rodrigo stand out is his love for art and a life well lived. Since he was young, Rodrigo has been an artist. His interest in tattooing peaked in his teenage years as he watched his brother get work done. His brother, six years older than him, was a bit of a rebel. He’d come home and show just him the work he’d gotten done. One was a tribal piece. Rodrigo could see the art in it and saw how this could potentially become a career. At seventeen, he did research, reading several tattoo magazines and saved his Christmas money and bought his first kit from the back of one of his magazines. He had to figure it out himself, there weren’t many places to apprentice so he mainly worked on friends. But that wasn’t really going anywhere and he became discouraged. Coming to New York in 1986 with his family from Rio, Brazil, Rodrigo had a taste of relocating and exploring new places already. So in 1998 when his brother wanted to move to Puerto Rico, Rodrigo didn’t hesitate. He made stone jewelry and sold it on the street, making enough to get by and his brother worked as a piercer. Through his jewelry, he met Harry Seda, who would soon become Rodrigo’s mentor in tattooing. Rodrigo’s work impressed him, and their relationship took off. Rodrigo learned from him the technical aspects and how to turn art into a tattoo. He got his first job tattooing professionally at eighteen. It was a street shop, Senzala Tattoo Shop in Puerto Rico, where he stayed from 1999-2000. Rodrigo learned a lot in that shop and made many friends, ones he would later work with in New York in years to come. The shop brought in all kinds of tourists and customers. Europeans off cruise ships, New Yorkers, and return customers

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from all over who had cruise ship memberships. Rodrigo learned many things there, from having to sit and wait for something to come through the door, and no matter what it was, to take the idea and create a great piece of art that looked good on skin. After a few years, Rodrigo was working on bigger pieces, large scale ones and had a pull to the Japanese style of tattooing. With his family, his roots in New York, dating back to his grandparents, Rodrigo returned to New York. He heard Fun City Tattoo was hiring and when he went in for a job, they sent him to the west side location. It was no easy job. He got stuck with the graveyard shift, working 7pm - 4am taking whatever came in off of the street. By midnight, he explained, it would get crazy. Rowdy people getting into fights, drunk and puking everywhere. And while it wasn’t the ideal situation, again Rodrigo took everything he could from his time there. He learned how to interact and deal with people by guiding them in making their idea come to life and look good. He amped up his technique, it was a fast shop. His work had to be solid and the customers were a quick in and out.

It was in 2007 that Rodrigo decided to open his own shop, North Star Tattoo in the Lower East Side in NYC. He explained to me that it’s just kind of how it goes, it was something he had always wanted to do. You put your time in, you learn from street work, build your own style based on your passion and then you reach a certain level and want to branch out on your own, hence him opening his own shop. Here, he could focus solely on Japanese style work and delving deeper into his art, style, and large scale pieces ranging to full body suits.

Eventually, the shop was sold to another owner, and Rodrigo stuck around for a few more years, making more contacts and improving his skill. After that, he decided it was time for a change. He wanted to focus even more on Japanese style work and strictly large scale pieces so he decided to work at Rising Dragon Tattoo, a well known shop located underneath the Chelsea Hotel. He began building a strong personal client base and remained there for six years.

In his eight years in the shop, Rodrigo faced his own challenges, but was grateful for being busy. He was busy to the point where travel, a passion of his was almost impossible. He worked hard to keep busy, making sure the shop was properly staffed and well run. Through all of this, Rodrigo also didn’t have much time to paint, which was a large part of his process. His life is art, and through running a business, that was compromised. New York was getting more and more expensive and stressful. After eight years, he had

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Rodrigo owned North Star for eight years. In that time, he met his incredible wife, the love of his life who he apprenticed himself, now Anna Melo, whom he works side by side with. True partners in every sense of the word. He also published a book through Schiffer books on his art. He took all of the pictures himself, in addition to writing it with some help from his wife, whose beauty combined with his work graces the cover. The book was published in 2012 - Japanese Style Tattoo Art, Revisiting Traditional Themes, available for purchase on Schifferbooks.com.

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the revelation that closing the shop was the right thing to do. It would allow him to focus more on his art, having quality time with his wife, and living life. He was firm in the concept that one needs to live life, not governed by money, being busy for busy’s sake, and that his art, on paper and skin, needed to be enjoyed and not solely for profit. He wanted to keep his love, patience, and effort in his work and not be divided by also owning a shop and all that comes with it. After closing the shop, Rodrigo and his wife Anna, opened a private studio in their home with a strong clientele that they have built throughout the years. This allowed them to schedule appointments at their own discretion, giving them time to get out, breathe in fresh air, travel, and live, which he feels is what a healthy and full life is all about. His art thrived as he was allowed to focus on his passion for Japanese body art. His newfound freedom allowed him to push his art further. The personal choice to be free was worth more than anything to him. But this isn’t where the story ends. After over a year in their home studio, Rodrigo and Anna decided that they wanted to engross themselves more into freedom and art and decided to take their work and art on the road. In the spring of this year, they will be hitting the road. Van life, touring the U.S., working on the road, tattooing at conventions, doing guest spots, wherever the road takes them and visiting friends along the way. It’s a journey in which Rodrigo and his wife are letting the universe take them on the adventure that they were meant to be on. He admits it’s a funny time to do it now with the state of the country, but one must follow their dreams and passions when opportunity presents itself, and feels blessed to be able to do so. Rodrigo is booked until they leave and stopped taking clients last year. He has work to finish and plenty to do to get their van ready for travel, which they named, “Smokey Robinson.” They’ll be coming back to New York as they have family there and friends, so it’s not a final goodbye to the city, they’re just no longer confined to it. They also plan to go overseas, from the UK to Amsterdam, where they have friends and plans to expand their networks and opportunities of travel. Follow Rodrigo on his journey and stay updated on his work at: www.RodrigoMelo.com Instagram: @RodrigoMeloTattoo

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Krewell Takeover

KRE WELLA TAKE OVER Words: Candies Deezy Liu

Photos courtesy of Krewella

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EDM duo Krewella was formed in 2007 by sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf with friend, producer, and former member, Kris “Rain Man” Trindl. What began as a fun, stress-free hobby on the weekends and a “pipe dream,” as they called it while they were juggling jobs and college became a full-time music career for the girls. They remember that moment clearly—“it was in the suburbs of Chicago. We were with Kris and our manager, Nathan. We were in Kris’ basement and mutually made the decision to quit our jobs and drop out of school to focus on music as a full-time gig.” This monumental decision also led to their first tattoos: 6-8-10, the date of which the group

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agreed to make Krewella their fulltime livelihood. Since their inception, Krewella quickly became a sensation in the world of EDM. It began on social media and spread like wildfire into the hearts of music lovers around the world. Their rabid, cult-like following endearingly referred to with the hashtag - #krew is a loyal fanbase. I witnessed it firsthand when they performed during their sold-out Sweatbox Tour in Denver, Colorado. Two shows in one night and both topped my list of best performances I had seen all year. The tour brought back the brilliant concept of underground electronica in small, intimate venues. As the name suggests, it

"MUTUALLY MADE THE DECISION TO QUIT OUR JOBS AND DROP OUT OF SCHOOL TO FOCUS ON MUSIC AS A FULL-TIME GIG.â&#x20AC;? InkSpiredMagazine.com

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was sweaty and jam-packed with energy. Up close and personal with Krewella—their fans would have had it no other way. Krewella has successfully fused EDM with rock ‘n’ roll, with the sisters’ voices resembling fallen angels against the high-energy beats of drummer, Frank Zummo. Max Bernstein on guitar and synths completes the charismatic Krewella equation. Known for integrating elements of dance, rock, and pop, Krewella’s sound is a recipe for EDM sorcery. Original and fearless, Krewella has broken several boundaries as EDM superstars. Yasmine and Jahan rose to stardom in an era when EDM was still a heavily male-dominated industry, redefining in many ways the meaning of female power. The sisters are first-generation Pakistani Americans on their father’s side. Music for them is not only a creative outlet. It’s a way to make an impact on the world. Music, as they described has the power to unite people in ways nothing else can. Stay up to date with Krewella at: www.Krewella.com www.Facebook.com/Krewella IG & Twitter: @Krewella

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FIGHTING CHAOS WITH ART LINDSEY KUHN Words: Simone Jane

HIS ELECTRIFYING ART FORM GOES FROM THE BOLD OLD SCHOOL COMIC BOOK IMAGERY ALL THE WAY THROUGH MULTICOLORED FANTASIES OF B HORROR, TO THE AVANT-GARDE COLLAGES OF PUNK.

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Photo: Sean Hartgrove InkSpiredMagazine.com

Vivid, shocking, erotic, defiant; Lindsey’s Kuhn’s rock posters are the visual equivalent of the music they advertise. His electrifying art form goes from the bold old school comic book imagery all the way through multicolored fantasies of B horror, to the avant-garde collages of punk. Every punk music loving skater makes a start somewhere. Lindsey began designing flyers for skate contests and punk shows he was promoting in high school. “The cut and paste full punk rock and roll stuff,” he describes. Attending the University of South Alabama he continued his habit of working with local bands creating not only flyers, but expanding to t-shirts and stickers for their shows. He landed in Austin, Texas in 1990, and met Debbie Jacobsen of L’imagerie Gallery at a record convention. He would then embark on his screenprinting career producing such lowbrow Art of Robert Williams, Robert Crumb, and Big Daddy Roth. “When you print a Robert Williams design that is 25 colors, that is breathtaking,” Lindsey recalls. During that tenure at L’imagerie, he was exposed to all of these artists who were moving from the lowbrow art and the comic world to fine art, and Lindsey says, “I considered that my education in the art world.” This was when he decided to split off on his own and his business, SwampCo was created.

for a three week backpacking trip through Cuba that he busted out the new Alphabet series. The Alphabet series is from an old massive vault of drawers containing drawings that Lindsey has held on to, and as he sifted through them and chose each one, he tried not to think what he originally used them for. As he defines the series, he is fighting chaos in the world with art. At the first art opening of the series in Denver, only one person recognized one of the drawings from the Rob Zombie poster from years ago. Lindsey laughs, “I can tell you what each and every one was used for. I changed everything about them, including the line work. I just looked at them in a different way.” When it comes to original work, when you first designed a poster for one of your friends, it can be mind boggling to see it selling far beyond your original price.

“EVERYTHING IS AN INFLUENCE AS YOU GET OLDER, CLASSIC ART, TRAVELING, ARCHITECTURE, ALL TYPES OF MUSIC,” LINDSEY EXPLAINS, “I AM ALWAYS OPEN.”

Every artist has their influences and Lindsey is no different. But the uniqueness is his inspirations. He loves the dark element of skateboarding, the artwork of Pushead, Speed Racer, and Godzilla; he is more into monsters than superheroes. “Everything is an influence as you get older, classic art, traveling, architecture, all types of music,” Lindsey explains, “I am always open.” Whatever his influences, being prolific or getting jammed up or distracted can become a problem for any creative artist. It is a question of how to break through the gridlock.

When creating art, the ebbs and flows of innovation can become a factor. Lindsey sometimes gets bogged down by stress. “Skateboarding and travel help with that, as there are lulls, and ups and downs,” Lindsey explains, “Projects tend to come in waves, and when there are downs I focus on something else.” Growing up down south where winter was not a factor, “I hate the cold, and as a skater, so does my body,” Lindsey laments. He finds the winter is more about original art and paintings. In summer, Lindsey tends to focus more on the bands that are touring and posters. To him, it is all cyclical. One project can lead to another project. It was when Lindsey and his wife got away from the Colorado winter

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The first rock poster Lindsey ever printed was of Green Jello and Tool at a 1991 New Year’s Eve Party at the Jello Loft in Los Angeles. It was Tool’s first show and it was recorded for their first album. Lindsey was friends with Paul, the original bass player for Tool. “I heard one sold for $4,000 on the aftermarket,” Lindsey marveled. “I mean it was an awful poster!” Due to the overwhelming demand Lindsey made 125 reprints for the 25th anniversary of the show. “Most everyone was happy,” Lindsey noted, “Since I didn’t make a ton they still retained value.” There are still bootleg copies of the poster out there that Lindsey sees, and he is always amazed when someone pays big money for a copy that he did not print.

Lindsey ultimately took the personal challenge to embrace modern technology in digital printing. “There are literally thousands of poster artists which is what I have been pegged as,” he explains, “there are friends of mine that have been wanting me to get into the realm of the “Giclee” (meaning, “pushed ink”) style of printing. I finally broke down. I am glad I did.” This new technology has improved his output, and he has been amazed at the difference in the quality of the color. “The inks are super bright, almost florescent and the printing process is so amazing! It is no longer such a physical process. The computer does it for you. I just really have never given in to it,” Lindsey laughs, “It is like skaters against BMX’s you know?” He concedes, “And now my stubbornness at 48 almost 49, I can see why people do it, the end result is stunning.” Let’s hope that with this new technology conquered we will see a great deal of Lindsey Kuhn’s art for years to come.

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PUNK ROCK BOWLING Words: Candies Deezy Liu

Photography: Sean Hartgrove For the last 20 years, Punk Rock Bowling has been one of the longest and most iconic punk festivals in the United States. It all started as a 4 day long festival in Las Vegas, featuring some of the best bands in punk rock history to date. The artist lineup features old school punk rock icons to the latest and greatest up and comers. In addition to Downtown Vegas, Punk Rock Bowling fever has spread to 2 other locations: Denver, Colorado and Asbury Park in New Jersey. In June of Summer 2017, punk rock fanatics in Denver enjoyed two nights of Punk Rock Bowling at the Summit Music Hall and Marquis Theater, two locations highly regarded in their history of hosting legendary concerts and shows. The streets of Downtown Denver were flooded with punks excited to mosh to their favorite artist performances. Denver’s epic Punk Rock Bowling lineup included The Casualties, The Vandals, Lawrence Arms, D.I., Face to Face, Nobodys, and Black Eyed Saints. Punk Rock Bowling’s lineup in Vegas and Asbury Park included Iggy Pop, the punk rock Godfather, Discharge, Television, Drug Church, Municipal Waste, The Specials, NOFX, Buzzcocks, amongst many others. In addition to its epic lineup, PRB was sponsored by some of the biggest and most recognized names and brands in the punk scene, including Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Sourpuss, Deep Eddy Vodka, Ska Brewing, Monster Energy, and more. This annual celebration of punk rock music and history will undeniably continue to be one of the biggest parties in the United States. www.PunkRockBowling.com www.Facebook.com/PunkRockBowling IG: @PunkRockBowling

THIS ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF PUNK ROCK MUSIC AND HISTORY WILL UNDENIABLY CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES. 58

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Band: The Blackeyed Saints

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Band: The Casualties

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Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Shelly d’Inferno is a tattooed model, performer, fashion designer, makeup artist, and photographer. She has been involved in the alternative scene since many years back and has graced the covers of several international magazines such as Bizarre Magazine, Skin Deep, Tattoo Italia, and Advanced Photographer. During her early teens, she experimented with photo shoots and discovered her passion for modeling, photography, and styling, which she took on as a career after moving to London. Alongside the already mentioned trades, Shelly also designs and runs her own clothing company, Inferal Clothing (previously Heavenly Inferno), that focuses on recycling used material for new creations. Making clothes as a hobby since she was 15 years old, she also has a 3-year degree in fashion design. Inferal Clothing creates anything from punk rock streetwear to custom made stagewear and creative costumes. In 2013, Shelly was part of founding a new fire-group called Pyrohex and took on yet another profession as a fire performer. She practices the arts of poi, fire eating and breathing, body burning, double staffs, sai blades, and angle grinding. Pyrohex has already performed in the UK and France’s biggest metal festivals Download and Hellfest, along with many other events and venues. As a woman of many trades, Shelly tends to be drawn towards many creative and versatile styles, which we can see by not only viewing her modeling portfolio, but her own photography and makeup looks. Quoting her own words, Shelly explains she could never be stuck in one genre and that she knows herself as a bit of a shape-shifting wild child

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who sees beauty in a lot of things. Where did you grow up and how was it growing up there? Would you say that it influenced you? I grew up in Stockholm, Sweden and a small town outside Stockholm. I will always think of Stockholm as a calm rather organized small place. It’s a place I call my childhood home and it’s always relaxing for me to go back there to recharge my batteries. I moved to London when I was 21 as I fell in love with London’s huge creative scene and the city seemed beautifully chaotic compared to Stockholm. I think it was probably a good thing to grow up in a smaller place and spread your wings to wilder ground when you’re old enough. As a tattooed model, performer, fashion designer, makeup artist, and photographer, how do you handle so many things at the same time? Tell us a bit about these different sides of you. I like to label myself as a creative to fit it all into one word. I’ve always been very into creating in all different aspects. I guess it all comes back to ways of emotionally expressing oneself. I love to create beautiful/ cool things to look at, to wear, to feel, to experience. I was too curious to stick to one thing and I want to enjoy creativity as much as I can. But for time, there is not enough time, so I have to focus on fewer things in periods of time. The last couple of years I have focused on my modeling and performing. Later, I plan to take up my clothing and photography again and even try a bit of music! Tell us a little about your interests and your favorite bands. My interests are everything I work with, luckily! I was always very driven to get to work with the things I call my hobbies so a

few years back I was lucky to finally be able to become completely self-employed. A few of my favorite bands are Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Mission, David Bowie, Enigma, Gojira, and Cigarettes After Sex. I like a good mix of music, something for every mood. Have you always wanted to model? What made you say yes? I started getting into modeling when I was 13 because my friends and I wanted to be pop stars. (Laughs.) We built up a “studio” with blankets, did each other’s makeup and styling and took photos with an old camera, then waited a week for them to be developed. It was a lot of fun and the hobby grew with me through my teenage years and I developed a skill in photography and modeling. I started taking it on as a career after I moved to London. How was your first shoot? Were you nervous? What advice would you give new models about how to prepare? I felt quite comfortable on my first shoot with a stranger photographer, I had done it many times before with my friends. I was never a very shy person either so I guess that helped a lot. My advice to aspiring models is to love what you do and what you create. Are you passionate about your style, your work? Then yes, you are on the right road. What goes through your head when you are in front of the camera? I see modeling as a sort of stop-motion acting. So I transform myself into a character. When I shoot a normal look, it’s different. I guess I just pull a good range of different poses that suit the styling. It’s more interesting when you shoot more extreme looks and you really have to feel the character to be able to deliver good emotion into the shots.

“I SEE MODELING AS A SORT OF STOPMOTION ACTING. SO I TRANSFORM MYSELF INTO A CHARACTER…”

Photo: Pascal Latil InkSpiredMagazine.com

Were you a fan of body art before modeling? How is body art a big part of the alternative industry? I guess a lot of people who are into alternative photography & modeling are into alternative looks too. That doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t count for everyone, of course. I was very interested in all sorts of alternative sub cultures and wrote an essay about it. Throughout my teens, I tried a lot of styles and listened to a big range of different music. And still to this day you can see I have a very varied alternative style if you look at my creative work. Body art was something I started with as soon as I could, a great way of expressing yourself and your style. When did your interest in tattoos begin? How long was it from then until you got your first one? I think my love for tattoos developed with my taste in music, art, clothing, and lifestyle. I liked them for as long as I can remember, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I started planning my own until I was 17. I got my first tattoo when I was 18.

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What is it about tattoos that appeal to you? There are many beautiful ways you can accentuate a body’s curves and features with tattoos. The actual artwork that gets put on a skin can be stunning, I also find the effort people have put into their tattoos can be beautiful. It’s a work of art that takes a long time. How do you come up with the ideas for your pieces? It’s a mix of things I find beautiful, my favorites artists, things that mean something to me, lyrics, and a few friend tattoos. I was never someone who planned out big sleeves or big tattoos, I was always one for getting smaller ones at different times.

THERE ARE MANY BEAUTIFUL WAYS YOU CAN ACCENTUATE A BODY’S CURVES AND FEATURES WITH TATTOOS.

Tell us about some of your tattoos. My left arm is my music arm; it features portraits or symbols of Nick Cave, Leonard

Cohen, Gojira, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Lord of the New Church, Killing Joke, The Mission, and Enigma. On my right arm, I have more of a henna style with a portrait of my mum surrounded by a beautiful dot-work pattern, my hand has a mendhi design on it which has always been one of my favorites. What’s your most significant tattoo and why? I like my pirate ship on my left side. It’s the biggest one I have and it symbolized my love for traveling and adventure! It’s done by my good friend Miguel Angel at Latil Angel in Richmond, UK. Where would you never get a tattoo? Probably on the sole of my feet… Ouch! Do you think you will miss getting tattooed when you consider yourself finished if that time ever comes? I think there’ll always be little things to complete and change. But I do find myself thinking, “damn, I wish I had another body so I could try this or that.” There’s just so many cool idea and styles. Not enough for one body.

Photo: Pascal Latil InkSpiredMagazine.com

It’s a difficult question, but do you have a favorite tattoo artist? Miguel Angel, he’s been my good friend for a very long time and has done a good majority of my tattoos. I love his work! Do you consider tattoos as a serious art form? I don’t like to take it too seriously personally, I like to have fun with my art, and don’t mind getting a friend tattoo or just let an artist doodle on my leg, for example. But I do understand people who are

Photo: MyBoudoir Nicola Grimshaw 68

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Photo: MyBoudoir Nicola Grimshaw InkSpiredMagazine.com

InkSpiredMagazine.com Photo: MyBoudoir Nicola Grimshaw

very serious about it, and for them it’s important. So it’s up to each and everyone what they feel about it. What is one thing that life has taught you? Be good, do good, be one. Do you have a favorite quote? Today is the first day of the rest of my life. (Smiles.)

Photo: MyBoudoir Nicola Grimshaw

www.ShellyDInferno.com www.Facebook.com/ShellyDInferno Instagram & Twitter: @ShellyDInferno www.YouTube.com/ShellyDInferno

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Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi 30-year-old tattoo master, Bruno Santos is from Araxá, a small city in Brazil. He has been living in Dublin, Ireland, for almost 3 years now, working at Dublin Ink. Back in his childhood days, he was like most of the Brazilian kids he grew up with. He loved football and his dream was to become a football player. Bruno took it seriously and he was ready for it. He played professionally in a big team for 6 months, but things didn’t work out for him. He went on to do some other things for work, including working with his father refilling cartridges for printers. With this money, Bruno bought his very first tattoo machine and some ink. His father is still in the business with his own shop. When you were a young, did you think you would grow up to become an artist or work in the artistic field? Do you remember drawing and creating a lot as a child? Not at all. I was totally focused on the football thing. In Brazil, you have to start really early and I was already an athlete at that time. In the beginning, that was my goal but besides that, I loved drawing and messing things up. In my free time, I always drew portraits by graffiti. I started selling them for very cheap. I think that was the beginning of everything. My mum is an artist too. She is a well-known decorator in my city. Maybe I got the artistic skills from her. When did you know that you wanted to be a tattoo artist and what were the first steps you took to learn the craft? The portrait drawings got more serious. I was still selling them for cheap though. Then I had always thought about doing something that I would enjoy and the money would be a consequence of that in my life. So I decided to go after a tattoo artist called Ton, who used to work in my

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city very often. He was totally open and offered me an apprenticeship in his shop in another city. I moved there and he was guiding me for a while, showing what I could or could not do. I will be forever thankful to him for having given me this opportunity to start off my career. What was the first tattoo you ever did? Have you always worked in the same general style? The first tattoo I ever did was a kanji on a wrist. It was so hard. I was sweating and when I did the first line, whipped it down, and there was nothing in there, I realized that it was not like paper… (Laughs.) I used to do everything I was asked for. Just when my career got more solid I decided to go for one style. Back in that time, it was kind of impossible to give yourself a direction and just do a specific sort of style. You wouldn’t have enough work. At least I could learn a bit of all the tattoo basics… lines, shadings, textures, color, and black and grey. Can you tell us more about Dublin Ink, what it’s like working there, and what a typical day is like there? Working at Dublin Ink means you have to know how to deal with pressure. It is a well-known shop for the quality of the artists and guest artists who come to work with us. It is a very busy shop with the best atmosphere that I’ve ever been in terms of a tattoo shop. We are all friends with each other, spending almost all day together. Working and making fun is our specialty… (Laughs.) All the guest artists who visit us, go literally crazy with the shop. We are always trying to help each other, watching the other stations, asking and giving advice on each other’s work. I think this is the main reason everyone is successful at the shop. Ego is something out of our context.

Describe how you go about creating a tattoo from concept to finished design, as well as how you try to put your own unique touch on your tattoos. It begins with a consultation with the client where we can talk about the project and maybe get a rough sketch drawn. After that, I have a folder with his name that normally brings few references based on the idea. Can be whatever, digital, real, drawing, painting images. Anything that helps to visualize what can be done. Then I photoshop the main idea and start doing the drawing. Usually, it is really simple. Just the main lines and that is it. They have to trust how it will turn out. Every tattoo is a surprise, even for me. Textures, lines, shadings and abstract things normally go on the skin. Just at that moment is when I start putting my own twist on it. I like feeling how it goes, don’t ask how it will be and exactly how long it will take because I never know. Tattooing is like a ritual for me. I have to take my time. What’s your tattoo style of choice and why? I never know how to name it. People say it is blackwork. I don’t really care about that. I prefer to focus on my work and they can pick the name. This allows me to have total freedom with the skin I’m working with. I don’t really like being stuck with a reference and become limited to the style. Not being limited to a certain style also allows me to enjoy the time I’m tattooing more. For me, the clients are my canvases with similar shapes. What I have to do is get them painted. You are an incredible artist. How did your professional tattoo art journey lead you in this direction? First of all, thank you. I don’t really feel like that. It was a natural process,

“TATTOOING IS LIKE A RITUAL FOR ME…”

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trying to put a lot of effort into making something unique while giving my best to my clients. They wait for a long time to get something done by me. Our responsibility is huge, and we have to make it worth it. I am surrounded by a lot of amazing artists with different styles. I see art and tattoos all day. Sometimes I ask myself if I’ve been doing a great job, due to the unbelievable high level of skill nowadays. In the end, I think it has been great! Describe how your role models and any other sources of inspiration have affected your tattoo style. My inspiration comes from a lot of different things, from the other artists in the shop to a simple thing I see on the street. The big artist names also inspire me, like the painters, Raffaello and Caravaggio, who did paintings with dark backgrounds. I think I could use that on my pieces, not necessarily a dark background, but the whole piece darker, working with high contrasts with the skin and adding elements of aggression, darkness, and creepy looking things. When I got tattooed by the next level Brazilian artist, Junior Goussain, I realized that tattoos have no limit. Feel free and you will have more fun. Better for you, the best for the client. What’s one of your favorite pieces that you’ve tattooed on someone else? Hard to say. I always do better when I like the ideas. But if I can be honest, I’m never completely happy with it. I always think something could be better. I think this keeps me moving forward. I just have to be careful not to get my mind fucked… (Laughs.) What’s one of your favorite pieces on your own body, and who did it? It is the tattoo on my lower leg, the last one I got. Junior Goussain from Sao Paulo is the artist. It is a kind of a flower, a sea abstract flower with loads of mini eyes in it. Classic Junior and his trippy, awesome stuff. What is your favorite thing about being a tattoo artist? I think being able to work with what you love in such a nice atmosphere, without strict rules as in a company, not having to do the same thing every day and always being challenged makes it a different profession from others. We get stressed and really tired by the pressure of working with our minds all the time, but we never get bored.

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Do you have any funny tattoo stories? What about horror stories? Just after my apprenticeship, I was tattooing in a cool and different bar in my city. A friend of mine came over me and asked to do a tattoo on the sole of his toe. It was the tic tac toe and we had to play on a piece of paper before. We tied and I used that as a reference to tattoo it. Have you noticed a change in the types of images people have asked for over the years you’ve been tattooing? Absolutely. It has changed a lot. People used to come with one reference and that is it. They would like to get exactly that done. Maybe because of the lack of options in the past. Nowadays they have more knowledge, searching for the artist who will suit better what they are looking for. They’re even way more open and understanding that we are the best person to decide what is the best for them. It makes a huge positive difference in the end. Tattoos seem very mainstream now. Do you think that’s good or bad? Both. On one hand, there are plenty of new styles, new awesome artists, new TV shows, new ideas, et cetera. I am part of it. Tattoos are trending, mainly because of those new concepts and I think it is awesome for the industry. With easy access to information all the time, we breathe tattoos and it helps everybody rise up. On the other hand, anything that gets too popular brings bad things too. The easy access to those things can make everyone an “artist” nowadays. www.DublinInktattoo.com www.Facebook.com/BrunoSantosTattoo Instagram: @BrunoSantosTattoo

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Years ago, there was a car club called the Carnage Crew started by a bunch of close friends with a common interest in vintage steel beers and motorcycles. As times change and life gets in the way, so changed the car club which now calls themselves the Evil Souls. The last two founding members left standing are Jimmy Boulay and Jason Sellers with other members: Sam, Keith, Danny, Mike, Cole, Jeff, and Jason the Greek. The show started 10 years ago on a rough street in Denver. The idea of the show was a free event where a bunch of blue collar kids could show off the machines they restored and built themselves in their garages. In the beginning, it was limited to pre-1972 cars but as the show evolved, so did the cars. Carnage on Larimer is in August each year, rain or shine. This annual event has become a Denverite favorite with art, music, food, Tecate beer, and mixed drinks, as well as various other vendors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Carnage on Larimer takes a lot of time, work, and money. We would like to thank our sponsors and vendors who have been with us from the start. Also big thanks to Donnie Keeler and the Wounded Warriors Warehouse, the nonprofit organizations where all the proceeds from the show go to,â&#x20AC;? says Boulay. www.Facebook.com/CarnageOnLarimer www.Facebook.com/EvilSouls.CarClub Instagram: @EvilSoulsCC

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“MY STYLE IS VERY FEMININE AND PLAYFUL SO I AM NOT IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH A LOT OF MALE ARTISTS…”

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Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Julia Dumps comes from a very small village with about 1300 people in Upper Austria, near the border of the Czech Republic and Germany, where she was born and raised with her two sisters. Julia had a very sheltered childhood in the countryside, playing outside in nature everyday, strolling around the forest, camping with the family and building caves in the snow in winter with her two sisters. Maybe that is the reason why she prefers to do nature-themed tattoos. “I am very close to my family and friends at home, but at the same time I always loved visiting foreign places, learning about other cultures, meeting new people and getting lost somewhere,” Julia says. What made you want to become a tattoo artist and how long have you been tattooing? I’ve been drawing all my life, actually since I have been able to hold a pencil. While other children preferred playing computer games, I just hung out in front of the sketchbook and tried to draw things like flowers, comics, and portraits. When I was young, I loved to draw comics, especially Mangas. My parents have always supported my talent and so I visited a technical college for graphics and communication design in Linz. When I was 16, I got my first tattoo done and from that day on I wanted to become a tattoo artist. I showed up at every shop in Linz but nobody wanted to teach me. After I had finished school at the age of 19, I worked as a graphic designer and later as an art director for different advertising agencies. It was fun doing corporate designs and websites, but I always preferred doing illustrations and sketches. As a result, I completed a very short course (about 4 to 5 days) for tattooing somewhere in

Germany but I did not feel educated about tattooing people. I have always taken this aspect very seriously and have avoided making mistakes or doing a shitty tattoo. Years later, in 2013, I got the chance to take a tattoo course by Csaba Müllner, a Hungarian tattoo artist and my absolute hero in the realism tattoo sector. That was how it all started. After I had finished the course with Csaba Müllner, I practiced a lot. I tattooed friends in the evenings after my full-time job in the advertising agency. I also tried to do guest spots in tattoo shops in order to improve my skills. That was a very hard and stressful time and I always doubted this was the right thing to do and the right way for me. I had no formal apprenticeship and it is also very hard to open a shop in Austria because we have to pass an exam, including medicine theory and a practical part. Right from the beginning I have drawn my own designs and tattooed my friends with them. That was the beginning of my abstract and watercolor-style. However, I got a little burned out because of my doubts and my chaotic life between being an art director as well as becoming a tattoo artist and so I decided to undertake my first big journey. I left everything behind and traveled through Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji for half a year. I spent a long time in Hawaii and California and met so many inspiring and awesome people from everywhere around the world. I learned to take life not too seriously and lived every day without planning something. I sketched a lot and tried to find my own style – I wanted to create something unique and was very focused on my work as an artist.

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"TRAVELING AROUND WITH NOTHING BUT A BACKPACK AND STAYING IN SIMPLE HOSTELS GAVE ME A TOTALLY NEW VIEW ON LIFE AND INSPIRED ME A LOT." 94

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"WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I LOVED TO DRAW COMICS, ESPECIALLY MANGAS."

Travelling around with nothing but a backpack and staying in simple hostels gave me a totally new view on life and inspired me a lot. My head was full of ideas and three years after this journey, I think that this was the best decision in my life. It changed everything. When I came back home to Austria in the Summer of 2014, I did the exam in tattooing, got my tattoo license and opened my own shop with my friend and coworker Eva Schmidinger within a few weeks. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it like being a female artist in a primarily male worksite? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think about this aspect too much. I know a lot about amazingly talented female tattoo artists in Europe and the rest of the world. My style is very feminine and playful so I am not in direct competition with a lot of male artists. I also have lots of friends who are male tattoo artists and they respect me and my work. 96

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What did your family and friends think about you getting into the business? I am a very imaginative person and I reinvent myself nearly every week. So it was no surprise to my family when I told them that I wanted to become a tattoo artist. My father just said, “do whatever makes you happy.” I am lucky to have a very tolerant family, Even my grandmother loves my tattoos and one time she said to me: “Julia if I was 60, I would like to get one of your tattoos on my arm. But not with 70, I am too old for that.” (Smiles.) Tell us about the shop you work at. In November 2014 I opened my own shop called “Linzer Tattooatelier” with my friend and co-worker Eva Schmidinger. She is an amazing woman and artist, doing dotwork and geometric tattoos. It is a very small but very cute shop on the outskirts of Linz. We wanted to create a very cozy atmosphere in our shop far away from busy everyday life or street noise, where the clients feel comfortable from the beginning to the end. So it became more like a living room than a shop, surrounded by forest and nature. We have a lot of very old furniture, a lot of drawings and sketches and a lot of small antlers on the walls, which give the atelier a kind of vintage look. Each client is devoted the greatest possible attention, therefore we tattoo only by appointment – so our shop is more like a private atelier. We just do tattoos in our own style based on the idea of the client. Artistic freedom and development are at our focus – each tattoo is designed as requested by the customer and is therefore unique. Describe how you go about creating a tattoo from concept to finished design, as well as how you try to put your own unique touch on your tattoos. The first contact with the customer is via our wish list (contract form) on our website. We book our appointments two to three times a year. I always try to avoid booking many months in advance, but that does not always work out. Mostly I discuss the tattoo designs via email or phone because most of my customers come from further away from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and France. When they don’t have such a long way, or if it is a very big project I love to discuss the idea and the design face to face with the customer and sketching the approximate design directly on their bodies. It is better to meet the clients before the appointment because then I know better what their character is like and what their imagination is. It’s more personal. After that, I draw the design and the clients get it via email one or two days before the appointment. Finally, we choose colors and can change details at the appointment. What was the first tattoo you ever did? Can you tell us about it? The first tattoo I ever did was on my younger sister’s leg. Of course, she was over 18, so don’t worry. It was after my one week course in Germany and I’ve never done a tattoo alone. I was so nervous and afraid, as was my sister. We were both shaking! While I was tattooing a kind of new school cupcake on her leg, the stencil was suddenly gone after a few minutes! So I did the rest of the tattoo free hand. Then my father came home from work and found us tattooing at the kitchen table. He was just like, “oh my God, what are you doing?” and I just said, “I am doing Iris a tattoo…” Every normal father would have been shouting at me or even worse. But he went 98

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away and came back with his camera and said “Julie, smile for the camera!” So my father took a photo while I was doing my first tattoo on the kitchen table. Now, years later, my sister and I still love this tattoo. The colors and lines are still in, which surprises me a bit! (Smiles.) How would you describe your style? And which tattoo style do you like best? Loud watercolor tattoo compositions. My tattoos always consist of a solid concept with straight lines and black and grey in order to provide their durability. Strong colors and unconventional color combinations make my tattoos very lively and dynamic. I especially love using many different pink and turquoise shades. That’s why my tattoos have an imaginative aspect. Moreover, I combine abstract with realistic elements which makes my style unique. I like every tattoo style, dotwork, and blackwork as much as old school, neo-traditional and abstract tattoos as long the tattoos are authentic. I love it when you can see the personal style of an artist. I also wear so many different styles of tattoos on my skin but I can’t decide for just one style or which style I like best. I am a collector of different pieces of art. (Smiles.) Describe how your role models and any other sources of inspiration have affected your tattoo style? As I was an art director a long time, I always tried to do artistic tattoos which reflects my graphic designer’s background. I tried to use sketched elements and mixed it with a lot of colors, patterns, and abstract elements. One of my biggest role models was a young German artist called Gábor Kanyuk alias “Spatz mit Hirn.” He was one of the first who I knew with a totally unusual style. When I saw his tattoos for the first time, I was totally stoked. I’m getting my first tattoo from him this Autumn, and I’m really excited to meet him! Moreover, my style got influenced by my teacher Csaba Müllner, who showed me how to tattoo realistic designs as well as many other realistic tattoo artists I was able to work with. I also got very inspired during one of my guest spots in Switzerland, where I worked with the Spanish artists Rodrigo Kalaka and Tony Donaire, who do unique and absolutely crazy neo-traditional pieces. Moreover, a tattoo artist from the States called Russel Van Schaik alias “Find Your Smile” is a big role model for me. I love his comic inspired and colorful pieces so much. Hopefully, I’ll meet him one day! I always try to refine my style, include new elements, and mix them with my present style. Sometimes I have a current style in which I use a lot of pearls and girly elements, other times I just use sketchy lines, patterns and heavy brush strokes. I always try to change a little bit and interpret the themes in a new way. Do you have a funny tattoo story? Once I had a tattoo request from an American girl from Boston who wanted to get tattooed by me. But it is a very long way from the States to Austria, thus we could not make an appointment. Now, two years later, I am currently traveling through South 100

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"WHEN A CUSTOMER SEES THE NEW TATTOO THE FIRST TIME AND IS TOTALLY ENTHUSIASTIC AND HAPPY WITH THE WORK YOU’VE DONE. THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME SO PROUD!"

East Asia and doing some guest spots in different shops. One day, I was at this absolutely gorgeous and super tiny village in Northern Thailand, called Pai. I was doing a guest spot just for one day in a cool small shop and posted the details on Facebook. Then the American girl wrote me again after two years and told me that she was in Pai too, today at the same place as I am! Somewhere in the jungle of Thailand, both so far away from home, we met up and did her tattoo in this tiny village. The world is pretty small! What’s the hardest part about being a tattoo artist? The pressure of always doing an absolutely perfect tattoo. That you are not allowed to make mistakes. People see your tattoos and expect that you always do accurate work. I always try to give 120 percent when I do a tattoo but you can never know how it will look at the end. Moreover, it is very difficult to be so creative every day. There are days when I am so inspired and so creative that I do lots of designs in two hours and on the other day you sit in front of your sketchbook and cannot even draw one line. Days like these are very depressing. I think that this is the hardest part of being an artist. People don’t see the work behind the tattoo. The hours of sketching up the design and the tons of sketches which land in the trash. What’s the most rewarding part about being a tattoo artist? When a customer sees the new tattoo the first time and is totally enthusiastic and happy with the work you’ve done. That always makes me so proud! It’s such a good feeling when you know that you’ve done a good job and the client loves his new tattoo. Then all the hours and sweat from the sketch to the tattoo has finally paid off. What do you think a client should expect from you as a tattoo artist and what do you, on the other hand, expect from a client to make a successful tattoo and a good collaboration? My clients should expect that I am a professional tattoo artist. That does not only mean that I am doing good tattoos at all, it also means that I am working one hundred percent hygienic and that my shop and working space is clean. That also means that I use the best equipment and colors possible. When my clients come to my shop for their appointment, I always try to do them a tattoo which they will love their whole life. Which also means that I expect them to trust me. Often people have just a chaotic idea of their tattoo and as a professional tattoo artist, you should help them to organize their ideas and elements. I expect that they trust in me when I tell them to change an element or to omit some stuff so that the tattoo looks good in the end. What criteria do you think that a tattoo convention shall have to be really successful, both for you as a tattoo artist, but also for the visitors? Can you give some examples of conventions that meet these criteria really well? I think that it is necessary that the artists have enough working space, chairs, and tables. Many tattoo artists, InkSpiredMagazine.com

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who are traveling, don’t have a bed, armrest or any equipment like this with them. So you always have to improvise a lot. Making a table out of a bed and something like that! (Smiles.) I think that it is also very good to have many different artists with individual styles on a convention. So the visitors are entertained in exploring a new tattoo style on every corner. I did my first Asian tattoo convention in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and I did not know what to expect. So I was pleasantly surprised that it was super well organized. I got a second table, chairs, everything I needed. Moreover, the event organizers were very nice. We had a great time! For me, a tattoo convention is always a chance to combine traveling and working. That’s the reason why I am more interested in conventions abroad. I am doing a lot of conventions in 2017 in the UK, Denmark, Poland, Stockholm and much more. I think every tattoo artist prefers something different on a convention, so I can’t recommend a special convention. For me, it is very important to have a good time with nice clients and cool artists. How would you describe the current status of tattooing by the general public in Austria? I think the whole scene is changing at the moment. There are a lot of young, talented tattoo artists focusing on their own style. Most of the people don’t like to get standard tattoos anymore. They are searching for something more personal and individual. Getting a tattoo does not mean that you want to provoke or that you are a kind of a criminal anymore. People are getting more and more tolerant. We also have a few clients at the shop who got their first tattoos at the age of 55. Of course, a lot of people want to have the option to cover their tattoo with clothes because of their job or something. But I also know a lot of tolerant bosses who are ok with tattoos (or who got tattoos themselves) and I think in a few years it will be totally ok to show your tattoos, maybe even at work. It also depends on the design you get. It makes a difference if you get a tiny small sign or flower on the ankle or if you get your whole arm done with bloody faces. TV shows, the internet, and especially social networks like Facebook and Twitter has become an extremely widespread phenomenon recent years. What positive and negative impacts do you think it has for the future development of the tattoo industry? I think that social networks are a pretty cool thing for artists because you can reach so many people easily without investing too much time and money. For example, you can post a few pictures of tattoos on your Facebook or Instagram profile and you can reach people all over the world. For tattoo artists who are on the road, like me at the moment, this is pretty awesome. I prefer Instagram because I like the artistic aspect. I follow a 102

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lot of tattoo artists and if you see a cool artwork, you give it a like. The people do not comment on everything! (Smiles.) I think TV shows have become very popular now all over the world. When I was younger, I loved to watch LA Ink. Kat Von D was my absolute hero and I loved that she was that independent, talented and successful in a scene ruled by men. I think at this time, it was the only tattoo show (of course next to Miami Ink) on TV. Now we have lots of shows for cover-ups, new tattoos, and tattoo competitions. I want to be honest – I don’t really watch them. The story behind the tattoo is always more important than the tattoo and every client (and sometimes also the artist) is crying the whole time. It looks like we are all crying during our daily work in the tattoo studios and that there has always to be a deeply depressing meaning behind every single tattoo. My personal opinion is that our clients get a false impression of what it is about to get a tattoo – for example – when it comes to cover-ups. People think that they have one appointment and the old tattoo has vanished. However, in reality, you often need a lot of tattoo sessions to get a tattoo covered because the old tattoo comes again and again. You have to see a tattoo (especially a cover-up) when it is healed, not always the fresh ones. A fresh tattoo on a photo always looks good. www.JuliaDumps.com www.Facebook.com/Linzer-Tattooatelier-842869195781064 www.Facebook.com/Julia-Dumps-939428732739535 Instagram: @Julia_Dumps

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INTERVIEW AMBER LEE TERRY Interview: Candies Deezy Liu Photography: JJ Velasquez

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InkSpired Magazine: How and when did your modeling career begin? Amber Lee Terry: My mother got me into modeling for photography students when I was five. As soon as I turned 18, I signed up on Model Mayhem and booked my first shoot on my own, and it took off from there. InkSpired Magazine: Do you have any advice for aspiring models? Amber Lee Terry: Stay true to yourself. Do as many photo shoots as possible. Trust your gut instincts, and make sure you shoot with valid and respected photographers.

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InkSpired Magazine: What else do you do? Amber Lee Terry: I’m a dancer and an artist/crafter. I’m in the process of starting my own little business. InkSpired Magazine: What inspired you to start getting tattooed? Amber Lee Terry: My dad has a few tattoos and I was always intrigued by them. I always knew ever since I was a little kid I’d be covered in tattoos, and here I am! InkSpired Magazine: Tell us about your favorite tattoo. Amber Lee Terry: My favorite tattoo would have to be my thigh piece. It’s a portrait of a lady kissing a snake. It means - don’t be afraid to face your fears.

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InkSpired Magazine: Who are your tattoo artists? Amber Lee Terry: Mike Spasbo and Brian Favello have done most of my work. And my current tattoo artist is Jared Wright. InkSpired Magazine: What role do tattoos play in your life? Amber Lee Terry: Tattoos play a huge role in my life. They’ve molded and helped me become the person I am today and I don’t regret a single tattoo. InkSpired Magazine: What inspires you? Amber Lee Terry: Colors, glitter, and crystals. These are my main inspirations in life that mostly have to do with my future business. InkSpired Magazine: Do you have any people that you are inspired by? Amber Lee Terry: I’m inspired by all the people that have conquered so much and that do the things they love in everyday life—the soul seekers, the free spirits, and well-wishers. InkSpired Magazine: What is something that many people don’t know about you? Amber Lee Terry: I’m a creative person; most people have no idea and are so fascinated by my creativity and ideas. IG: @amberlee_t

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"TATTOOS PLAY A HUGE ROLE IN MY LIFE. THEY’VE MOLDED AND HELPED ME BECOME THE PERSON I AM TODAY AND I DON’T REGRET A SINGLE TATTOO." InkSpiredMagazine.com

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A LONG RIDE IS THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION YOU WILL SOON FORGET. InkSpiredMagazine.com

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“MOTORCYCLES… THE GREATEST THRILL OF FEELING ALIVE COMES WITH THE BIGGEST RISK OF DYING. THAT’S LIVING ON THE EDGE.” - MICHAEL L CEORGOVEANU 114

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“LOVE IS THE FEELING YOU GET WHEN YOU LIKE SOMETHING AS MUCH AS YOUR MOTORCYCLE.” - HUNTER S. THOMPSON

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NEVER RIDE FASTER THAN YOUR ANGEL CAN FLY.

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EAT, SLEEP, RIDE, REPEAT.

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YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE ONLY ONE BIKE RIDE AWAY FROM A GOOD MOOD.

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RYAN "COACH" HARRIS Photography: Sean Hartgrove & Gabriel Christus Words: Candies Deezy Liu Ryan Harris has always been someone that I look up to. Literally, since he’s 6’5”, nearly a foot and a half taller than me. Don’t let his towering stature fool you. Ryan exudes a kindness that is genuine, a wiseness that provokes thought, and a gentleness that is contagious. We endearingly refer to him as “Coach” because to his family, us fellow compadres, and community, he is the epitome of leadership, inspiration, humility, hard work, endurance, success, and mentorship.

RYAN EXUDES A KINDNESS THAT IS GENUINE, A WISENESS THAT PROVOKES THOUGHT, AND A GENTLENESS THAT IS CONTAGIOUS.

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On the field, Ryan had his own coach. He possessed all those qualities as an offensive lineman in the NFL. “For the longest time, I wanted to be President. I had some ideas I thought could change the world. Then it became evident that I could play football and it was what I wanted to do ever since. It was the first time it was OK to be big,” Harris recalls. We watched and followed Ryan on his journey in the NFL. No matter what team he was drafted to, we were rooting for him. It was more than watching our friend play in a sport we loved. He embodied a camaraderie that made a difference in each of our lives. Watching him win the Super Bowl 50 Championship with the Denver Broncos, our home team was a true testament of how hard work and perseverance pays off. It was a success story that hit close to home. Changing the world has always been on Ryan’s agenda, whether he was on or off the field. He has made a tremendous impact on his fellow teammates as they often referred to him as the voice of reason inside the locker room and on the field. Harris used his voice in other ways as an NFL athlete that garnered major media attention as a minority racially and religiously not only in this country but in his sport. As a devout Muslim in the NFL, Ryan actively spoke out in hopes of educating and spreading awareness. As people reacted positively, negatively, neutrally, it was apparent that he was making an impact. The Notre Dame alum converted to Islam when he was 14. “I had been searching. I was part of the Unitarian Universalist Church that made us 14-year-olds make a faith statement. I didn’t know what my faith was and I was eager to find it. Whether it’s religion, exercise, or even tattoos, people look for something to guide them, something to connect to.” When the Islam portion of a world religion video he watched in his 8th grade Social Studies class resonated deeply with him, Harris began his new religious and spiritual journey. As an advocate for change, making an impact has been the backbone in everything Ryan has done and aspires for. He is no stranger to adversity and challenges of his own, whether it was lessons learned from business, or enduring numerous injuries during his NFL career. After reading about the dire straits in a Kenyan desert in the book, City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence, Harris knew where his next advocacy for change would take place. “From our faith, we are taught to take care of everyone,” Harris explains.

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Though Harris is active in Denver’s local community, he has actively inspired change around the world. For his latest initiative, Education for Elevation, more than $31,800 was raised to send six refugee youth to college. In his research, Harris discovered that education continues to be the best vehicle to lasting change. Providing this education serves to be inspiration for more change and success.

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Ryan recently announced his retirement from the NFL. He is now the co-host of an afternoon sports radio talk show with Nate Kreckman on Altitude AM 950. “I had a show 5 years ago when I was with the Broncos initially. I love it because it’s a platform to help educate the fans about the sports they love from the insider’s perspective,” Harris says. “We really humanize the athletes through my experiences,” he continues. From 3-6 PM, they talk sports and how life relates to sports.

AS AN ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE, MAKING AN IMPACT HAS BEEN THE BACKBONE IN EVERYTHING RYAN HAS DONE AND ASPIRES FOR.

Photo: Sean Hartgrove

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LUIS GARCIA Interview: Sean Dowdell City/State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sean Dowdell: Can you give us a little background as to how you came to be interested in piercing? Luis Garcia: I loved looking at National geographic and loved the look of stretched ears. I pierced my own nipple when I was 10 years old with a safety pin. It got ripped out when I went to the first Lollapalooza Tour. Sean Dowdell: What actually brought you into piercing? Luis Garcia: In 1992 (ish) I was hanging out at a smoothie/ head shop in Miami, and guys were talking about bringing in piercing and I told them that I could pierce (I knew I really couldn’t but I knew a little about it). I had read many articles in PFIQ. I was piercing tragi and having the clients come back after a week and change jewelry out with silver! I did figure out how to at least stabilize the tissue prior to piercing it. At least it was trying to develop techniques. I would watch another piercer work in a nightclub and learned a few techniques and applied them to when I was piercing. I just practiced as much as I could by piercing my friends for free. I was 16 years old. Sean Dowdell: How were you finding decent jewelry? Luis Garcia: Silver Anchor was the company I was buying from. They were one of the only companies that I could get consistent jewelry from and it was convenient to go and actually pick it up in Miami. I moved to DC to go to college. Perforations was the only place in DC that did piercings and when I moved up there I went and applied to be a piercer. They turned me down but hired me as a counter staff for about 4-6 months before I got an official apprenticeship. This was in 1995.

I started watching piercings right away and learning more about the jewelry. In about 3 months I was doing most piercings without supervision and in 8 months I was unsupervised and managing the studio. I worked there until 1997 and I left to join another studio that was expanding and I was not making the money that I felt I should have been due to how much work I was putting in at the studio. The new studio offered me more money and was more open to my desire to grow. That was called Industrial Body Piercing. I worked there for a little over a year. The final straw was the autoclave seal had broken and the owner wanted me to continue piercing and sterilize the tools in bleach. I certainly wasn’t going to do that so I walked out. I had applied at Infinite and they just didn’t have space. My boyfriend at the time supported us both and gave me some leeway on finding a position but within a week I had received a call from Infinite offering me an interview so I went and did a live interview and pierced a client for the owner. Impressed, he brought me on full time. This was October 1998. I was at Infinite until 2002. For whatever reason, I was unhappy and I was not giving the customer service that I knew I should be giving and we parted ways at that point. This experience was a great moment for me to understand that I needed to change. My ego was a bit out of control and I needed to self-reflect and make an internal change. I needed the wake-up call. The shop I ended up going to No Ka Oi is literally only four stores away on the same block as Infinite. I was only out of work for about 3 months and it was a little scary. March 2002 was the grand opening and I have been there ever since.

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"I STARTED WATCHING PIERCINGS RIGHT AWAY AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE JEWELRY."

Sean Dowdell: I know you teach at not only APP but I also see you teaching around the country and in Europe. Luis Garcia: I love teaching and I started teaching I believe in 2004 at conference. I taught in Mexico at the beginning of the APP conference down there. Around 2007-2008, I was invited to BMX to teach and it really evolved from that point. I started my own seminar in 2014 in Texas and it went great. I got awesome feedback and it led me into doing them more frequently and I want to keep doing it. Sean Dowdell: How do you feel about piercers’ intellectual property, especially in design? Luis Garcia: I do think that there are some companies that should give something to the piercers that are sharing their ideas. Some type of recognition or a finder’s fee as long as the design or idea was innovative or brought a new way of using the item. Even after working a full day shift I am still thinking about piercing and new ways to do things. When I talk about piercing, in my eyes it’s still my lifestyle and I love talking about it at any moment with anyone.

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"THIS EXPERIENCE WAS A GREAT MOMENT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT I NEEDED TO CHANGE. "

I think you have to have a passion for this if you are going to do it! I still learn new stuff every day from all sorts of people. You have to constantly learn. I also think it is important to remain respectful to the other piercers in your town and the other shops. I concentrate on the good customer service experience. Sean Dowdell: Do you use tools at all, sometimes, or never? If so, on what or why? Luis Garcia: I use plenty of tools. I freehand most things, so I don’t use many clamps, but I love hemostats, receiving tubes, pin tapers, and threaded tapers. I feel that if a tool is going to make both my job easier, and my client’s experience smoother, why not use them?

I find that a lot of piercers equate tool free with being a good piercer, which is not the case in my opinion at all. There are some amazing piercers that work tool free, but I’ve seen a lot of piercers fumble a lot because of their obsession with being tool free to get cool kid points. Sean Dowdell: What is something positive that comes from our industry? Luis Garcia: I think piercers have the power to make people feel better about themselves and their body. I love it when a client looks in the mirror and squeals that they love their piercing. Sean Dowdell: What is something that you don’t like about our industry? Luis Garcia: The amount of piercers that

don’t care. They use garbage quality jewelry, terrible techniques, and are just stagnant. It gives those of us trying to do our best a bad name. Sean Dowdell: What would you like to see change in our industry and why? Luis Garcia: I’d like to see our industry come together more for good reasons, like bettering the whole industry. People complain about this and that but won’t step up to put forth the effort to change what they are complaining about. I’d also like to see more shop owners care about their employees. Do things like offer health insurance, retirement plans, et cetera. In turn, I’d like to see more employees take more responsibility. Way too many times I’ve

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"NO, I DON’T REGRET ANYTHING. I’M CERTAINLY NOT PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT I’VE DONE BUT I LOOK AT THOSE AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE." dealt with people that think working at our shop is a party, and that they can do whatever they want. I guess I’d like to see aspects of our industry “grow up.” Yeah, I’m an old man, haha! Sean Dowdell: Do you like to read? Luis Garcia: I love to read, science fiction and things that are more fantasy driven. Sean Dowdell: Who was most influential to you in the early years and why? Luis Garcia: Jim Ward, Michaela Grey, Raelyn Gallina were for sure the most influential of the older heads. Through PFIQ, I learned a lot about them. I really liked their approach to piercing. John Cobb because he was doing ridiculous shit that was so outrageous, I was blown away. Once I got hired at Infinite, Jim Weber really taught me a lot and was a big influence. Pat Tidwell really taught me a lot of free hand techniques. More people could learn from his outlook and the way he carries themselves. Nate Jenke is another guy that I think is a great piercer in the modern era. Sean Dowdell: What type of things did you innovate? Luis Garcia: Side threaded seam rings that Anatometal currently carries. Surface piercing techniques. I really did a lot of research and studied my techniques and developed wound shaping.

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"I GARDEN AND GROW VEGETABLES AND HERBS. IT’S VERY CALMING FOR ME. IT’S A NICE THING TO DO ON MY DAYS OFF."

Sean Dowdell: What are your current interests and hobbies? Luis Garcia: I garden and grow vegetables and herbs. It’s very calming for me. It’s a nice thing to do on my days off. I have a pond that I like to mess with. I read. I play video games. I love to shoot things in video games. I only drink socially and hang out with my husband at home. I have been with him for 17 years, domestic partnership, civil union, and then finally marriage for about 8 years. I don’t go out and party anymore. Sean Dowdell: Do you have any regrets or things you would do differently? Luis Garcia: No, I don’t regret anything. I’m certainly not proud of everything that I’ve done but I look at those as a learning experience. IG: @LuisGPiercing

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RHONDA & WILL Photography: Radek Hruby

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“HE GRABBED HER IN HIS ARMS AND THAT’S ALL SHE EVER NEEDED…”

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“EVERYBODY HAS AN ADDICTION, MINE JUST HAPPENS TO BE YOU.”

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“JUST KISS ME… WE CAN TALK LATER.”

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“I’LL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF YOU. NEVER.”

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“A PASSIONATE WOMAN IS WORTH THE CHAOS.”

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FLO GROPPER Story: Ákos Bánfalvi German tattoo artist Flo Gropper originally studied media informatics and absolved his apprenticeship as a media designer. As a child, he didn’t know what he wanted to become in the future, but his dad, a church painter and artist showed him in his early years how to draw and paint. Flo thinks he has his father to thank for what he has become now.

“WITH TATTOOS, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FORM YOUR LOOK AS YOU WANT…”

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What was your initial exposure to the tattoo world and when did you first add your own piece of art to your skin? Was that a transformative time in your life? There was no really initial exposure, but the tattoo world first piqued my interest when I was about 14 years old. At 18, I finally got my first tattoo. And yes, I think tattoos didn’t only change the appearance of my body, they also changed and formed my character. With tattoos, you have the opportunity to form your look as you want. Where did you learn to tattoo? Did you have a formal apprenticeship? If so, can you tell us about this time in your life and how it prepared you for all that you do now? At home, on pig skin, and good friends and volunteers. I never had a real apprenticeship; it was more a way of learning and doing. So I have to thank all the people who trusted me on my way from the early beginning. I learned all the basics on my own with the help from YouTube tutorials, learned from my own failures, drew conclusions out of healed tattoos, and just never stopped working or gave up. It wasn’t an easy way, but if you want something really bad, you can get it. What did your family and friends think about you getting into the business? They never loved it, as usual. I’m the only one in my family who has tattoos. But I have a good relationship with my family, and they support me in everything I do. Can you tell us more about the shop you work at and what it’s like working there? I have my own shop, Pain 4 Pleasure in my hometown. It’s not a typical tattoo shop, it more feels like being at home at a friend’s house. I only have one client per day, and it’s a very personal and relaxed atmosphere I think. You can watch a movie while getting tattooed and take a look at the beautiful old town of Memmingen and just forget the pain. (Smiles.) Describe how you go about creating a tattoo from concept to finished design, as well as how you try to put your own unique touch on your tattoos. At first, the client gives me some basic ideas of what they want. But then I try to make a unique design. Maybe I work with references they give me, or I just pick up the essential idea of the tattoo and create something completely new. I 144

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combine the designs with creative elements and place them in size and position, which fits perfectly the dynamic of the client’s body part. I think this is what gives my tattoos the unique touch. What was the first tattoo you ever did? Can you tell us about it? A little music note on my feet. A very spontaneous idea, I just wanted to try out the machine on real skin. What is your favorite style of work to tattoo? What would your dream piece be to work on? That’s a hard question. I like a lot of different tattoo styles. But my favorite style is black and grey realism with huge designs. My dream piece would be a large picture over the full back or front I think. But I don’t have a certain dream piece. Describe how your role models and any other sources of inspiration have affected your tattoo style. There are a lot of role models. I think I picked here and there something that impressed me from some artists and techniques and combined it with something new over the time. But the process of change in the own style should never stop. Standing still is the end. What’s one of your favorite pieces that you’ve tattooed on someone else? I have many favorite pieces but I would say, for example, the tentacle lady I tattooed on the leg of a good client of mine. What’s one of your favorite pieces on your own body, and who did it? I love my left arm a lot. It’s a tribute to the area I came from and to my family. Daniel Bensmann from Hutmolar Tattoos did it. What is your favorite thing about being a tattoo artist? To create something new every day, and make people happy and feel better in their own bodies. Being able to live from something that makes you and the people around you fun. And handling my own schedule and time. Do you have a funny tattoo story? The funniest tattoo stories are ironically combined with alcohol. Small, senseless tattoos resulted from the grand opening party of my studio. Now a few good friends of mine have a small rocket on their leg. You have built up such a loyal clientele. What is your waiting list 146

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like right now and what is the best way for a collector to make an appointment with you? At the moment, I make appointments in three-month blocks. I don’t want to be booked out for a longer time. The best way to get an appointment is a cool idea and being open minded in the interpretation of the tattoo idea. How would you describe the current status of tattoos by the general public in your country? Today, it’s nearly a wonder if you find somebody who does not have one single tattoo. Almost everybody has a small painting on their body. Also, the acceptance of being tattooed is getting bigger in society. Of course, exceptions confirm the norm. TV shows, the internet, and especially social networks like Facebook and Instagram have become an extremely widely spread phenomenon in recent years. What positive and negative impacts do you think it has for the future development of the tattoo industry? Positive: people see what is possible, and maybe scratchers will have a harder time in the future getting clients because people have the opportunity to see the quality that is possible from good tattoo artists. And for artists, it’s easy to get new inspiration from other tattoo artists and artists in general. Negative: people who don’t really know much about tattoos, can be deceived from the photoshopped and filtered tattoo pictures on Facebook, Instagram, and other networks. So, maybe those people get easily disappointed when they get their first tattoo and see it healed in real life without a high-contrast-super-softfocus filter. Is there anything else you wish to say? Everybody should do what he or she wants, and I hope that trendy tattoos will die out in the future when people start to think outside the box. www.Facebook.com/p4ptattoo www.Facebook.com/flo.ryanstinson Instagram: @pain4pleasure.tattoo

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The first day I met Chester was the first day I worked with him for CLUB TATTOO in 2007. It was a 109 degrees in Texas and needless to say, I was a little freaked out that I was actually working for him... It was surreal. We got out of the SUV at the location. He walked up to me and gave me a hug that I wasn't expecting! I had not met him in person yet. He was such a friendly, down-to-earth guy. I was thinking back to that time, when everything was possible. 10 years later, and many shoots in between the decade, I was going to shoot Chester this coming September. My friend, Sean Dowdell (one of Chester's business partners with Club Tattoo) introduced us. From that moment on, I have met so many different people that I have come to know and respect through Sean and Chester. Chester had a wonderful influence on my life He opened many doors for me. He was smart, caring, funny, sharp, and above all, a truly great and dedicated artist. I am writing this in celebration. There were so many good times and stories in between the decade. The first day was very special for me and was the beginning. His lyrics and music carry so much more gravity todayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;gratitude and loss, celebration, and heartbreak. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very thankful to this great, brilliant man. Sincerely, Sean Hartgrove

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1976 - 2017

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DARK ART ADRIANA MICHIMA Story: Simone Jane

“THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING NICE ABOUT HAVING ARTISTIC CONTROL WHEN YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC EYE FOR SOMETHING.”

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“I wish to paint in such a manner as if I were photographing dreams,” said the artist Zdzisław Beksinski, one of the major influences of Adriana Michima, a photographer and videographer based in Portland, Oregon. Her surreal photographs are parallel to the art of Beksinski, but with her own unique twists. Adriana was always interested in art ever since she can remember, but it wasn’t until she started modeling that she found an interest in photography. “I met a lot of amazing photographers through modeling, but there was always something missing,” Adriana recalled, “I always wanted to play with the photos afterwards but I couldn’t because the images were not mine,” she acknowledged, “There is always something nice about having artistic control when you have a specific eye for something.” She feels like she should have been posed a certain way, or the lighting should have been different. It is hard to do be behind the camera and in front of it. “I do self-portraits sometimes and it is hard to see how you are posing when you do that,” Adriana observed, “It is tricky.” When she first got involved in photography, she had a 35 mm black and white camera

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“I LIKE TO INVESTIGATE THINGS AFTER I HAVE THESE IDEAS, LIKE EXPERIMENTING WITH TEXTURES ON THE SKIN, AND SETTING THINGS ON FIRE SAFELY.” InkSpiredMagazine.com

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and worked in a darkroom. Adriana enjoyed watching the images appear in the film developing chemicals. Currently, she shoots with a Canon 60 with a handful of lenses and absolutely loves it. Her creative process is inspired by visions and dreams just like her major influences. Every artist goes through a process to get an end result and there is no straight formula in order to get through to the finished piece. Adriana is no different. She pulls ideas and inspiration from music as diverse as Marilyn Manson to Hans Zimmer, the aforementioned photographers Beksinski, and Robert Mapplethorpe. “I like to investigate things after I have these ideas, like experimenting with textures on the skin, and

“THE STUDIO IS EASIER. THE LIGHTING IS MUCH SIMPLER. YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BACKGROUND ELEMENTS SUCH AS WEATHER, BUT IT IS NOT AS INTERESTING TO ME AS BEING OUTSIDE.” InkSpiredMagazine.com

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setting things on fire safely,” Adriana laughed, “I do a lot of test shoots no one sees before I do the actual photo shoot, it can be a lot of work, but sometimes the test can become the final shoot because it turns out really well.” Each shoot is usually planned out one day at a time. Adriana loves to work in the outdoors with landscape and dark portraiture and the Pacific Northwest’s lush forests lend well to her backgrounds. “The studio is easier. The lighting is much simpler. You don’t have to worry about background elements such as weather, but it is not as interesting to me as being outside,” Adriana related, “I love the forest here in Portland. It is endless. The trees are so tall. I mean it is amazing, I could get lost in them.” She dreams of building a team of people to help support her in the ideas she has. It is not a simple thing when your visions involve body paint, bandage wraps, flour, smoke, fire and any other props she may come up with. As with any creative personality, dealing with a lull in ideas can really mess with the psyche.

“I DO A LOT OF TEST SHOOTS NO ONE SEES BEFORE I DO THE ACTUAL PHOTO SHOOT, IT CAN BE A LOT OF WORK, BUT SOMETIMES THE TEST CAN BECOME THE FINAL SHOOT BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT REALLY WELL.” 176

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Depression can hit any of us. It can make or break your art. It is how you deal with it that can move you forward or keep you still in the water. “Sometimes I will get into this state where I will be at the point like ‘whatever’, and I will waste a lot of time not doing anything,” Adriana laments, “sometimes you just have to force yourself back into it, like collaborating with people or doing something small that you wouldn’t normally do.” As with any artist, being put in a category can be limiting. Adriana’s art can be considered in the category of a dark theme or almost goth, which is still incredibly popular throughout the world and not necessarily a bad slot to be in but the lines can be blurred and most artists do not like to be pigeonholed. “I don’t like categorizing myself since categories and genres tend to change over time or become biased. However, the genre of Dark Art has really struck a chord with me and I can see my work being considered in those terms,” Adriana explained, “My themes involve our internal struggles and demons that we must face day to day and it is our flaws and scars that shape us over time and influence the people we become.” When looking at her images you can absolutely see what she is trying to convey. “I don’t pose the model. I work around their energy and we feed off of each other,” Adriana articulated. Everyone always has their own view of how a piece of art speaks to them. “I don’t want to spoon feed their perceptions,” Adriana insisted, “let them have their own vision.” www.AdrianaMichima.com www.Facebook.com/ AdrianaMichimaArt IG: @MichimaPhotography | @Michima_Dark

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DON’T TOKE AND DRIVE: WHAT DOES DUI MEAN FOR MARIJUANA?

By Scott O’Sullivan, The O’Sullivan Law Firm Colorado continues to blaze a trail for other states when it comes to legalized marijuana. Let’s face it: we’ve had our ups and downs since the vote in November 2012 when our state passed Amendment 64, which legalized recreational marijuana. From “cannabis tourism” to neighborhood spats to a huge spike in child overdoses, we are figuring out a lot of things as we go… for better or worse. I’ve seen quite a lot of misinformation on the internet about what it means to be impaired by marijuana or driving under the influence of marijuana. Like alcohol, I believe that there should be a very low threshold for people driving under the influence because the repercussions can be so tragic. However, marijuana is a tricky thing to measure since it stays in your system so much longer than alcohol. A recent Colorado Public Radio story addressed the complexities: “Colorado’s marijuana DUI law is modeled on the one for alcohol, which sets a number to determine when someone is too intoxicated to drive. For pot, that number is five nanograms per milliliter of blood. Anything above that and the law says you shouldn’t be driving. That’s a problem according to Tom Marcotte who runs The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California, San Diego. “Unlike alcohol, which has a generally linear relationship between the amount of alcohol you consume, your breath alcohol content and driving performance, the THC route of metabolism is very different.” That means blood and breath tests are not a good measure of marijuana intoxication. AAA released a study this spring backing that up, even saying states should wait to set marijuana impairment limits until the science improves.” 180

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So, people in Colorado are getting arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana when they may not even be high. How can a regular pot user protect him or herself from this fate? This is a tricky and complicated issue. Regular users of marijuana will have higher THC levels in their blood even when they aren’t high. Now, before you go thinking, “Why would we want a regular pot user on our streets anyway? Hippies. Addicts. Derelicts,” and all the other things that stereotypically come

to mind, remember this: medicinal marijuana is legitimately helping people deal with pain, anxiety, nausea and a whole host of other ailments. It provides incredible relief for the people who need it. So, should those people be terrified of getting behind the wheel simply because they took pot for their ailments? Science has proven that regular users maintain high levels of THC but it does not necessarily mean they are unimpaired. Clearly, the ways we test for impairment need to develop and mature.

We need to accept that there isn’t going to be an easy, chemically based roadside test for pot the way there is for alcohol (breathalyzer). If one is in development, it could be a while before it hits the mainstream. In the meantime, we need to protect our roads from truly impaired drivers. How do we do that?

A one-legged stand in which the driver counts down while holding one foot in the air standing with eyes closed and estimating the passage of 30 seconds Touching the tip of the nose six times, three times with the index finger of each hand taking a series of heel-to-toe steps in a prescribed way

Roadside Tests and Marijuana

Sound familiar? The fact that the roadside test for pot impairment is similar to the roadside test for alcohol impairment shouldn’t be surprising because, as I said above, impairment is impairment. The tricky part with pot is the gray area where cops might think a person might be impaired but it’s right on the line of legality – we simply don’t have a test like the breathalyzer to for marijuana impairment.

Luckily, our police officers are trained to recognize impairment. That could mean impairment from alcohol, impairment from marijuana, or impairment from any number of other drugs that people put into their bodies. If you are impaired, cops truly don’t care how you did it. They want to get you off the streets. The question is, do police officers know the signs of marijuana impairment? It turns out that the signs are very similar to alcohol impairment. A recent study published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention found that 96.7% of drivers who tested positive for recent cannabis consumption (and negative for alcohol or other drugs) failed at least two of these tests:

My recommendation for pot users: if you’re going to get high for fun, stay off the roads. Period. If you’re using pot for medicinal purposes, keep your medical marijuana card with you at all times and don’t leave pot paraphernalia lying around in your car. We are all part of Colorado’s grand marijuana experiment; learn how to protect yourself from our “young” laws!

If you have any questions about this article, don’t hesitate to contact The O’Sullivan Law Firm. www.OSullivan-Law-Firm.com www.Facebook.com/OSullivanLawFirm

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SPECIAL EDITION Available at: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1332155?__r=578674?__r=578674

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Special Thanks Bobby Lee Black Sean & Thora Dowdell Ákos Bánfalvi Simone Jane The O’Sullivan Law Firm InkMage Ben Gun & Mantra Tattoo Adam Rose & Fallen Owl Tattoo Thick As Thieves Ivan Martinez Billy Ward Radek Hruby Jack Sughrue Dusty Ullerich Faith Young Ken Wyble David Rossa Justin Larwick Thomas Hernandez Michael Hornbuckle Jim Norris Eddie Suicide Jeremy Worm Alex Tyler Mark Malott Maureen Keough Eli James Tod Junker Inked Boutique NeilMed H2Ocean Michael Polemi Yakuza Ha Hau Matt Achziger Brad Wayne

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