INKED WINTER ISSUE 2016
£1.50
UNI TATTOOS
We talk to uni student Tanya Malik about her tats
FAMILY TAT-TERS Why do people have family inked onto their skin forever?
FEMINIST TATTOOS How Donald Trump is affecting the tattoo industry
IN THIS ISSUE
PAGE 4-5
TANYA’S TATTOOS We talk to a university student about what her tattoos mean to her.
PAGE 6 THEME OF THE WEEK We talk to YOU about why you’d ink your family permenantly onto your skin.
PAGE 7
REVIEW THAT TATTOO Marilyn Bailey and Gerogia Lewis share their tattoo stories with us
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NEWS Political fury sparks increase in feminist tattoos Tattooed gang sentenced to combined 150 years in prison
ON THE COVER On this issue’s cover is Annie, shot by Nicholas Lightford. Find his other work on Flickr.
EDITOR’S NOTE For this issue, I was able to talk about something which is important to me family. I myself have a tattoo that symbolises the relationship I had with my mother. My mum died of cancer almost six years ago, and when she died, so did a piece of me. It sounds cheesy, but she was my best friend. However, before she passed she had written a poem which was read to us at her funeral. It was titled ‘Three Little Cherubs’ and it was about myself and my two sisters, and how we were her cherubs and we needed to be looked after now that she was no longer around. I was only thirteen at the time, but as soon as I turned eighteen, I designed a tattoo that incorporated a picture of a cherub into it. It reminds me that no matter where I go, my mum will always be watching down on me. I also have a tattoo on my thigh of some orchids. I chose flowers becuase they’re a symbol of growth and blossoming. There are three orchids, each meaning to portray a different member of my foster family that have helped me ‘grow’ and ‘blossom’ into the person I am today. Enjoy this issue of INKED!
FEATURE
By Charlie Lain
Tanya’s Tattoos
We spoke to Tanya Malik, a university student, to see what her tattoos mean to her
L
ike many teenagers, as soon as the opportunity arose, Tanya Malik got tattooed. For her, however, it was a symbol of the westernisation of Indian culture. Although her father was originally Kenyan, her mother was born in India. “The generation before my parents resent tattoos, as that generation are more traditional, conventional & religious. They believe your body should be covered up, not inked,’ she explains. “Luckily everything is a bit more modern now, and less frowned upon.” Tanya studies Marketing Management and Advertising at the University of Northampton, although she is originally from Bedford. She got all of her tattoos done there, in a studio called Menes Art Base.
Her first tattoo is of a masquerade mask on her bicep. “The mask is meant to symbolise how some people hide their true identity and how there is a lot behind a person in terms of who they are.” She explained how she was afraid to open up about her sexuality and how the mask represents how she remained secretive about it, due to some bad experiences when she first started opening up. “It also symbolises how everyone has facts and things that other people don’t know about them. It’s essentially like being behind a mask.” Tanya is no stranger to hardships. Her mother’s pregnancy was unplanned and unex-
pected, but her grandmother encouraged her to go through with the birth. “The last thing I did with my grandmother was plant roses in her back garden. The roses were a gift for Mother’s Day, and I just remember being so happy.” Malik had a rose tattooed onto her neck in order to be reminded of that day whenever she needed. “My nan passed away in 2013 of cancer. I’m a firm believer in karma, so I believe that even though she is gone, a cure for cancer will surely be found soon.” Tanya believes that her body is a shrine, and tattoos are a form of expressive art. “I want every tattoo on my skin to be something that is dedicated to something that has meaning.” Her back tattoo was dedicated to the bond
between her mother, her sister and herself. “It’s a Celtic Trinity Knot, meant to symbolise the never-ending three-way relationship between us. There is no greater bond than that between mother and daughter, or between sisters.” The tattoo is also accompanied by the lyrics “Don’t You Worry Child” from the song of the same name. “Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia is my favourite song. I heard it live at my first festival and whenever I was stressing or down about something, my family would often say these words to me. They’re instantly calming, and have got me through more than a couple of rough patches.”
THEME OF THE WEEK T
o many people, tattoos are a way of permanently having something on your body as a small reminder of someone, or something. To others, tattoos are just something aesthetically pleasing, a form of art. A very common topic that tattoos seem to revolve around is family. Many people, such as Kayleigh Welch, have tattoos that have strong connections to their relatives. “Your kids are forever,” she says, gesturing towards the tattoo on her upper back. It’s an infinity sign with her children’s names incorporated into the design. Her children aren’t the only family members special enough to have earned their place, inked onto Kayleigh’s skin. On her foot is a small feather.
“That one is a kind of memorial for my dad. Corny as it sounds, I like to think the feather represents a feather from his angel wings as he looks down on me. “My third tattoo is some lyrics from my wedding song. My husband means the world to me. We’ve been married for eight years now.” The lyrics are from the song High by Lighthouse Family. Her last tattoo is writing on her ankle, reading ‘Big Sis’. “My sister has one that says ‘Lil Sis’ on her wrist. It was just a bit of fun but they’re so cute.” Alesha Owens realised that words spoke volumes. “I got the words ‘Mum’, ‘Nan’ and ‘Granddad’ tattooed. They’re the three most important people in my life so I want them to be with me wherever I go.”
This week’s theme is FAMILY. Check out why people get INKED with family tattoos!
Grandparents are important family members, so it comes as no surprise that many a tattoo have been dedicated to the elderly relatives. “Myself and my grandma shared a love of butterflies,” Amanda Wheatley remembers. “I chose butterflies because in the summer there always seems to be one fluttering around nearby, so it reminds me that she is always with me.” “I designed it myself, and I believe it also shows my childlike side as I was very young when she passed.”
Jodie Cox chose Elvish writing for her wrist tattoo. “It translates into ‘Always’, and I got it for my Nan and Granddad.”
Some people are able to slip double meanings into their tattoos. Sam Rye, from Chelmsford, has done just that. “My family and I are not very close,” he says. “Although we all value each other dearly, we find it hard to bond over anything. The one thing we do love as a family is to watch the Harry Potter movies together.” “I wanted something iconic from the film to show not just my love for the movies, but something that I know all my family will like too.” Some tattoos are even used as blackmail. Celeste Charles used her tattoo as a ploy to win her boyfriend back. “I got his name tattooed on my back when he left me.” She laughs for a moment. “But it worked! We’re back together now and happier than ever.”
Do you have any family related tattoos? Send them to us on our Twitter!
REVIEW THAT TATTOO Marilyn Bailey
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crolling through Facebook these days, you’ll come across an abundance of make-up videos, some even including tattooing as part of the beauty routine.
Many a woman (and man) are having their eyebrows tattooed on, in order to cut down on the amount of time it takes to get ready in the morning. Permanent makeup is a cosmetic technique which employs tattoos as a means of producing designs that resemble makeup, such as eyeliner, lipstick or eyeshadow. It is also used to produce artificial eyebrows, particularly in people who have lost their eyebrow hair because of alopecia or as a side effect of chemotherapy. Although archaeological evidence indicates that tattooing was practiced among people in the late Stone Age, about 3300 B.C, permenant make-up is a slightly newer concept.
Georgia Lewis
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eorgia Lewis is a 20 year old Welsh girl, who is obsessed with music. So much so, that she got a tattoo to express her love.
“As cliche as it sounds, music has helped me through the darkest of my days.” There is one band in particular that she was adamant that she loved more than all the others. “I’ve been a fan of Paramore since their first album in 2005. They’ve been though everything with me.” Georgia got a tattoo of the Paramore band logo, with the word “Daydreaming” through the middle. Daydreaming is a song off the 2013 self-titled album.
Permenant make-up only dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century, with tattooist George Burchett, a major developer of the technique when it become fashionable in the 1930s,admitting in his memoirs how beauty salons tattooed many women without their knowledge. They would offer women injections of vegetable dyes to improve their complexion.
“The year leading to the release was hell for me. I’d experienced loss and heartbreak after an extremely sour relationship. I’d had a harsh diagnosis, and just a tonne of bad news, coming one after another.”
Marilyn Bailey, 63, had her eyeliner tattooed when she was in her thirties.
“It was extremely comforting to have something to finally relate to hence choosing the bars logo.”
Georgia believed that the album spoke volumes about what she was feeling at that point in her life.
She chose the song Daydreaming as she found the simplicity of the music video truly inspiring. The video features two fans who travel together to see the band in London, and when getting to the arena, they see Hayley and she smiles and waves before they run off. They’re then seen at the front row having the time of their life. “I genuinely think the recognition Paramore have for their fans is just admirable. I think theres a serious lack of that in bands today, especially when it is so easy to keep in touch with your fans over social media.” “At the time, I had four children, and I had a controlling husband. He wanted me to look good at every stage of the day, as it was still in a time when women were just meant to look good and serve their husbands.” “It was something I’d seen other women my age do. And i still enjoyed going out for fun, so making the decision to get my eyeliner tattooed was easy.” “As soon as I split up with my husband, I went and got it done. It was just to make my life as a mother eaier, so that I wasn’t constantly worrying about touching up my make-up. In thos edays it was still engrained in me that I needed to look presentbale one-hundred percent of the time.” Now that her tattoo is faded, she doesn’t feel as if she’d get it done again. “As much as I loved it, it was uncomfortable and I’m not too fussed about my appearance anymore. I’m too old for that faffing,” she laughed.
“Permanently marking my body with something Paramore related is the least I could do. I owe them my life.”
NEWS
Women expressing political fury with feminist tattoos
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tattoos.
omen across the United States of America are protesting their fury about the election results with
According to many tattoo artists contacted by website Mic, there has been an increase in the number of politically charged tattoo requests by women either wanting their personal beliefs permanently inked, or something to remind them of the good left in the world. Nicole Narvaez is one of these women. She had the words ‘GRL PWR’ tattooed onto her wrist, and the Venus symbol, often associated with feminism, tattooed onto her index finger. Tattoo artist Jess Koala has also posted many photos on her Instagram of other tattoos she had been asked to create. The Venus tattoo seems to be a firm favourite.
This comes after contreversial candidate Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. He is well known for his crude remarkes about numerous races, and women. He has been quoted saying things such as; - “I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married.” - “I did try and fuck her. She was married.” - “Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
Photo credit: Nicole Narveaz
- “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
Tattooed men sentenced to almost 150 years after drug ring busted
A
gang of tattooed men have been sentenced to a combined 147 years in prison.
Ben Monaghan, 35, who supported a full face of tattoos, was among the men who ran the network of dealer rings around the country. Liam Stray, 37, Paul Bush, 38, and Stuart Bailey, 33, were in charge of 17 men and women who transported and sold drugs. The police found that cocaine was regularly transported from Luton and Manchester and then on to Northampton. East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) discovered that the men mixed dangerous chemicals to the drugs in order to dilute the purity of the cocaine, which they then sold for a profit.
Pictured: Ben Monaghan, a member of the drug ring busted by police in November All pictures from this story were sourced from SWNS.com
Above: the money and drugs recovered from the raid
EMSOU, with help from Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Greater Manchester Police, busted the rings and recovered £85,000 in cash, as well as 125g of heroin.
TOP TATTOO TRENDS OF 2016 1. Minimalist
Minimalist tattoos usually consist of simple black lines with no additional colour, They can vary from shapes to script, and are usually affordable.
2. Watercolour
Watercolour tats made a splash in 2016, and work by making it look as if the designs were painted straight onto the skin. They are usually very colourful.
3. Fandom
4. Mandala
A fandom is a group of people who all love the same thing. It can be a musician, a movie, a book etc. Fandom tattoos are a lifelong commitment to prove your dedication.
Mandala tattoos follow the geometric craze. They can hold spiritual meanings, and vary across the world. They generally represent wholeness and balance.
5. Finger
Finger tattoos are small and can be either crude words across the knuckles, or dainty designs. They are very discreet, and can sometimes mimic jewellery.
6. Stick and Poke
Stick and poke tattoos mimic the look of an amateur, home-done tattoo. It looks as if one needle has been dipped in ink and pressed into the skin.
THE BEST TATTOO PARLOURS TATTOO PHIL’S BRIDGE STREET
STAR RATING - 4.9/5
“Very friendly staff, good consultations and good quality tattoos.” “By far the best, great work fine details, just all round excellent.” “Amazing studio, brilliant artists!”
FAT FUGU FISH STREET
STAR RATING - 4.9/5
“Great atmosphere, very hygienic, so professional artists.” “I am so happy with my tattoo, can’t wait to have more done by him.” “Easily the best tattoo shop in town.”
PULSE TATTOO ST PETERS STREET
STAR RATING - 4.8/5
“Both ladies and the man were fantastic in taking care of me” “Very caring, always making sure I was okay with the pain.” “We’re both so in love and over the moon with our new tattoos!”
ALTERNATIVE ART KETTERING ROAD
STAR RATING - 4.1/5
“Superbly talented artists (both male & female) each with their own specialities and styles. Couple that with a genuinely clean, friendly and professional atmosphere - then add a completely refurbished studio and you can’t go wrong!” “Love this place and the great people that weave their artistic magic there!”
IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 4.7/5 - STAR RATING
LUCKY 13
HARBOROUGH ROAD
“This is the friendliest tattoo shop I’ve ever been to and my niece loved both tattoos Kim gave her.” “The quality of the artwork is outstanding.” “Won’t go anywhere else now.”
SUNS AND ROSES
4.7/5 - STAR RATING
ST JAMES’ ROAD
“Had my first tattoo done there today and just love it!” “I had a tattoo I’d had done at a different tattooist redefined today. I’m so pleased with it - it looks so much better and like a new tattoo. Love it!!” “One of the best places I have been - I would highly recommend to anyone.”
DYNAMITE TATTOO
4.9/5 - STAR RATING
ST LEONARDS ROAD
“All the artists are lovely, make you feel at ease and know how to have a laugh.” “Would highly recommend Dynamite Tattoos, all the artists there are amazing. Make you feel so welcome and help bring your ideas to life.” “The quality is absolutely out of this world!”
4.7/5 - STAR RATING
I AM INK
WELLINGBOROUGH RD
“Such a lovely laid back studio and amazing artists.” “The studio is clean and a friendly environment to be in.” “Run by lovely people, they made me feel very welcome and were happy to advise when needed.”