The Ink Issue by Gabriela GF

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The Ink issue. A beginners guide to the world of tattoos.

HUMANS HAVE MARKED THEIR BODIES WITH TATTOOS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. THESE PERMANENT DESIGNS, SOMETIMES PLAIN, SOMETIMES ELABORATE, ALWAYS PERSONAL, HAVE SERVED AS AMULETS, STATUS SYMBOLS, DECLARATIONS OF LOVE, SIGNS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, ADORNMENTS AND EVEN FORMS OF PUNISHMENT. JOANN FLETCHER, RESEARCH FELLOW IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK IN BRITAIN, DESCRIBES THE HISTORY OF TATTOOS AND THEIR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE TO PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, FROM THE FAMOUS “ ICEMAN,” A 5,200-YEAR-OLD FROZEN MUMMY, TO TODAY’S MAORI. Text by Tattootemple. Design by Gabriela García. Fotos: Web.

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TIME TRAVEL

ONCE UPON A TIME.

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3300 B.C.

Estimated age of Otzi’s mummy, his skin bears more than 57 tattoos.

1000 B.C.

The art of “henna” tattooing began to spread across Middle East.

700 B.C.

Romans and Greeks would start tattooing their slaves.

THE WORD TATTOO COMES FROM THE TAHITIAN WORD “TATAU”, WHICH MEANS TO MARK SOMETHING. In order to clearly understand the history and evolution of this form of art, we should take a look at the etymological origin of the word ‘tattoo’ which is believed to have two major derivations; the first is from the Polynesian word ta which means striking something and the second is the Tahitian word tatau which means ‘to mark something’. The use of tattoos is recorded to have begun thousands of years ago and its history is as varied, colourful and diverse as the people who carry them. From a simple scientific point of view, tattoos are created through the insertion of coloured materials beneath the skins’ surface or epidermis. The first tattoos were most likely created unintentionally. Someone with a small wound or gash happened to rub it with a dirty hand that was covered with soot or ash. Once the wound had healed, they realized that the skin had healed over the ash and that the mark became a permanent addition over the skin. Our knowledge of tattooing in Europe really begins with the Ancient Greek and Roman historians. The only sources of information before this are archaeological finds which are scare and, above all, open to interpretations. It is possible that tattooing cultures already existed in Europe before the last Great Ice Ace, 12,000 years ago. Bowls with traces of black and red pigments along with sharpened flint instruments were discovered in the Grotte des Fees (Fairy Grotto) in Chatelperron – France, 1867, and in caves in Scandinavia. The shape and size of the tools suggest

306

Emperor Constantine bans tattoos due to Christianity.

1600

Tattoos as an art began to grow in Japan. Techniques flourished.

that they have been used for tattooing and the rituals involved. Images of people decorated with what appear to be four tattooed horizontal lines on both sides of their noses have been found on prehistoric stone pillars in Aveyron and Tarn, France. Clay Cucuteni figures dating from 5,000 BC showing traces of tattoos have been found in the Romanian Danube region. Drawings and figurines discovered in a Thracian burial mound near Philippopolis may depict tattooed people, but considering the complexity of the decorations it is more likely that these represent body painting or finely worked figurines. One of the main reasons for the disappearance of such ancient traditions in many places was the ending of their almost total isolation. After centuries of living as more or less equivalent cultures indigenous populations were overwhelmed by the dominant European seafaring nations. The technological and militarily superior Europeans introduced their own value systems based on Christian beliefs. Like the Greeks and the Chinese before them the Europeans disdained the practices of the inhabitants of the newly discovered regions. It could not have escaped the notice of the natives that many of the mainly male adventurers found the permanent body decorations of the ‘otherwise so attractive’ women disdainful. Various reserches show us that similarly, many Greenland Inuit women rejected the traditional facial tattoos, fearing that mainland men would find them unattractive.

1870

First American tattoo shops opens. First British studio and “tattoo artist”.

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SIGNIFICANCE.

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How different cultures expressed themselves through tattoos

AROUND THE WORLD.

Because this seemed to be an exclusively female practice in ancient Egypt, mummies found with tattoos were usually dismissed by the (male) excavators who seemed to assume the women were of “dubious status,” described in some cases as “dancing girls.”The female mummies had nevertheless been buried at Deir el-Bahari (opposite modern Luxor) in an area associated with royal and elite burials, and we know that at least one of the women described as “probably a royal concubine” was actually a high-status priestess named Amunet, as revealed by her various funerary inscriptions. And although it has long been assumed by many historians and researches of this field, that those particular tattoos were the “mark” of prostitutes or were meant to protect the women against sexually transmitted diseases, other researches show that the tattooing of ancient Egyptian women had a therapeutic role and functioned as a permanent form of amulet during the very difficult time of pregnancy and birth. This is supported by the pattern of dis-

tribution, largely around the abdomen, on top of the thighs and the breasts, and would also explain the specific types of designs, in particular the net-like distribution of dots applied over the abdomen. During pregnancy, this specific pattern would expand in a protective fashion in the same way bead nets were placed over wrapped mummies to protect them and “keep everything in.” The placing of small figures of the household deity Bes at the tops of their thighs would again suggest the use of tattoos as a means of safeguarding the actual birth, since Bes was the protector of women in labour, and his position at the tops of the thighs a suitable location. This would ultimately explain tattoos as a purely female ritual custom.

1. MEXICO

Polynesians believe that a person’s spiritual power or life force, is displayed through their own tattoos.

Mayan tattooing in Mexico was a sign of courage. When Cortez and his conquistadors arrived they were horrified. The Spaniards, who had never heard of tattooing, recognized it as the work of satan.

Tattoos were done with woad, which left a blue design on the skin. Knotwork is probably the most recognized form of Celtic art, with lines forming complex braids which weave later across them.

2. CELTS

5. JAPAN

3. EGYPT 4. THAILAND

It is believed that Egyptian tattoos were specially worn by women of the royalty because they functioned as a permanent form of amulet during the very difficult time of pregnancy and in the birth.

Women do not have tattoos because they believe they do not need the extra boost of beauty and protection a tattoo can give, since women are already strong and pretty enough on their own.

The Japanese tattoo masters were the undisputed experts of tattooing in their time, they took color, technique and art to another level The classic Japanese tattoo consists of a full inked body suit.

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Tattoos with sailors can be traced back as far as the 1700s when Captain James Cook came across the Maori of the South Pacific, and his crew decided to get tattoos as “souvenirs” of their visit.After that the connection between sailors at tattoos steadily increased. A focus on the regulation of tattoos did not begin until the early 1900s when the United States government declared that anyone with an “obscene” tattoo would not be allowed in the navy. With the declaration many young men took advantage of the easy way out of serving, thus creating a boom in tattoos of nude women. However, if they later decided to join the navy they had to have a tattoo artist “dress” the woman.

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What is hidden behind pin up girls, mermaids, anchors and more.

market stimulated, tattoo artist became very popular in major port cities. This is what began the retail market of tattoos in Europe and all over the world and from their the practice of tattoos became an epidemic. Sailing cultures tend to be rich in traditions. Over time, tattoos became one of the more popular traditions among mariners. Tattoos developed in the underclass of mariner culture; in time, they grew in popularity in the port districts frequented by those sailors. Consequently, the tattoos became associated with the criminals, prostitutes, and gangs who dwelt in these same districts. Sailor tattoos differentiated from these terrestrial tattoos as sailors continued to design new personal and distictive motifs of their own, creating a peculiar and original tattooing culture among sailors and navy members. It is thought that by the 19th century, about 90% of all United States Navy sailors had tattoos.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

ANCHORS AWEIGH!

The westernization of tattoos began in the 16th century with expeditions to Polynesia. While the european sailors were on these voyages they were exposed to many Amerindian tribes as well as Polynesians who were both very involved in tattooing and was part of their cultures. When the sailors discovered the practice of the tattoo they became enthralled, many returning home with numerous tattoos. Surprisingly, by the late 18th century tattoos had become a sign of high class and royalty. They were incredibly expensive and they were never offered to those of the lower class, but as we can infer, this didn’t last long. The US had its first documented tattoo artist in 1840, he was a German immigrant by the name of Martin Hildebrandt, he mainly tattooed the men in the Civil War army. While Europe had its first documented tattoo artist open to the public in 1870s in Liverpool, England. At this point in time as the tattoo

TATTOOS WERE THE PROVINCE OF PEOPLE LIVING OUTSIDE THE CONSTRAINTS OF MAINSTREAM SOCIETY: SAILORS, HOBOS AND CIRCUS FREAKS.

foto: guardianlv.

SWALLOWS.

ANCHORS.

PIN-UPS.

They indicated that a sailor had already sailed 5000 miles. They were also associated with the idea of return, a symbolism rooted in the swallow’s migration pattern. Others believed that if a sailor died at sea, these birds would carry his soul home to heaven.

At sea, the anchor is the most secure object in a sailor’s life, making it the perfect representation of stability. This is why you’ll often see them emblazoned with “Mom” or the name of a sailor’s sweetheart, the people who usually kept the sailors grounded.

Bold, refined and daring pin-up girls and mermaids represented the ideal and extremes of femininity from maidenly perfection to vixen-ish temptation. The woman inked on a sailor’s arm would be the only feminine form he would see for months.

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INSIDE THE JAIL. Fotos: Tattoo Journal.t.

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Prisons around the world are filled with inmates bearing all sorts of ornate and cryptic tattoos. While these designs may look random and confusing to us, oftentimes they have very specific meanings. Here now is your cheat sheet for deciphering some of the most common tattoos in the correctional system. Prison tattooing is the practice of creating and displaying tattoos in a prison environment. Present-day American and Russian prisoners may convey gang membership, code, or hidden meanings for origin or criminal deeds. Lack of proper equipment and sterile environments lead to health risks such as infection or disease (hepatitis, AIDS) from contaminated needles. Prison tattoos are done with home-made needles, tattoo guns, and in some cases tire pigment. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;needleâ&#x20AC;? might be part of a paper clip, a staple or a bit of metal guitar string. An empty ballpoint pen holds the needle. The device may be rigged up to a small motor which makes it move up and down like a professional tattoo gun. Ink for this type of tattoo might come from a pen, or it might be made from melted plastic, burned Styrofoam or whatever else the prisoners can find. Remember that this method of tattooing is typically reserved for those who have no other methods at hand. Always seek the skills of a licensed tattoo artist and do not attempt a prison tattoo in this manner on yourself; scarring or infection could result. Although many prisoners get tattoos without any complications, defenitely prison tattoos can be dangerous. Sterilizing the equipment is difficult or impossible, or the person giving the tattoo may not understand how important sterilization is. Skin infections are a risk of unsterilized equipment. More important, deadly diseases like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS can be passed from one prisoner to another when needles are re-used. Legitimate tattoo shops use special inks that will not irritate the skin and are not likely to cause allergic reactions. The makeshift inks used in prison tattoos may not be safe; they can cause temporary damage to the skin and permanent scarring. They can also contain chemicals that are toxic and dangerous.

The head is home to 12 pairs of cranial nerves that connect with the brain. When you get your head or face tattooed, any number of these 12 major nerves may be triggered to send pain signals to your brain.

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Foto: Danny Trejo.

FOREVER MARKED. PRISON TATTOOS ARE A FORM OF COMMUNICATION FOR INMATES WHO LIVE IN A SITUATION THAT BANS MOST OTHER MEANS OF SELF-EXPRESSION.

GANG MEMBERSHIP.

Prison-made tattoos are a form of communication for inmates who live in a situation that bans most other means of self-expression. These messages, which are easily “read” by other inmates, tell a lot about the wearer, including gang membership, status in prison, family relationships, special life events, spiritual beliefs and personal values. Reciprocal influences exist between prison and professional tattooing. Tattoos have long been associated with gang membership, and connote the toughness desired by gang members as well as the permanence of gang affiliation. The designs used are frequently symbolic and represent particular deeds, such as murder. Burn marks may also be a way of recognition to a gang or a gang member. The gang symbols used in tattoos and graffiti are fairly involved and refer to the mythology and meaning that each gang may invent. For example, the Star of David represents the Folk Nation once led by a man known as King David. In addition, each point of the star represents a “value” of the “nation”. Sureño, commonly associated with La Eme, use the numbers 13 and 3 to refer to themselves, referencing the fact that “M” is the 13th letter of the English alphabet. For many years, prison tattoos emulated the techniques of professional tattoo artists. While the professional shops had access to tattoo machines as early as the 1890s, prison tattoo artists relied on a similar hand-held method that used a bundle of sewing needles affixed to a handle. Using this crude set-up, a strong line could be worked that was very similar to that created by the electric machine, which also used several needles. Tattoos made in this style have a heavy outline with little or no interior shading. In the 1970s, prison tattoo artists began to use a single needle (often affixed to simple electric motor); this method spawned a distinct style of tattooing labeled “fineline” for the characteristic subtle details of shading that result in an almost photo-realistic product. This new look was noted by “outside” professional tattoo artists, who adopted and popularized the all-black fineline style in the mid- to late-1970s. It remains an important prison and mainstream tattoo style today.

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What is hidden behind tear drops, numbers and other mysterious prison motifs.

World War II. By January 1941, the Gulag workforce in Russia had increased by approximately 300,000 prisoners. In this scenario, tattoos were incredibly important to differentiate between an authority or “thief in law”, and the many hundreds of thousands of political prisoners who were imprisoned during and shortly after World War Two for crimes not considered those of a “Vor” (thief). Some of the motifs came from English sailor tattoos, such as the flying tall ships, a heart pierced by a dagger, anchors, a serpent-entwined heart or a tiger baring its teeth. A thief’s collection of tattoos represents his “suit” (mast), which indicates his status within the community of thieves and his control over other thieves within the thieves’ law. In Russian criminal jargon or Fenya, a full set of tattoos is known as “frak ordenami” which means a tailcoat with decorations. The tattoos of russian show a “service record” of achievements and failures, prison sentences and the type of work a criminal does.

THE PRISON CODE.

THE RUSSIAN MAFIA.

The branding of criminals was practised in Russia long before tattooing was customary, and was banned in 1863. In the 19th century, a “pricked” cross on the left hand was often used to identify deserters from the army, and up until 1846, the criminals sentenced to hard labour were branded “VOR”, which means thief, the letters on the forehead and cheeks. In 1846, VOR was replaced by “KAT”; the first three letters of the word for “hard labour convict” or katorzhnik. In the 1930s, Russian criminal castes began to emerge, such as the Masti (suits) and the Vory v Zakone or Blatnye (authoritative thieves), and with that a tattoo culture to define rank and reputation. Up until World War II, any tattoo could denote a professional criminal, the only exception being tattoos on sailors. Under the Gulag system of the Soviet era, laws that were implemented in mid-1940 allowed short prison sentences to be given to those convicted of petty theft, hooliganism, or labor discipline infractions. This led to an increase in the prison population during and after

A THIEF’S COLLECTION OF TATTOOS REPRESENTS HIS “SUIT”, WHICH INDICATES HIS STATUS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF THIEVES.

TEARDROP.

NUMBER 13.

THREE DOTS.

The famous teardrop tattoo, which is by the way , quite painful, can signify that the wearer has killed someone or that the wearer was raped while incarcerated.

The 13, comes from the Mara Salvatrucha gang from El Salvador, their industries range from dealing drugs to child prostitution. It is often found in the face and hands.

The three dots tattoo represents “mi vida loca,” or “my crazy life.” It also represents the holy trinity. This tattoo is typically found on the hands or around the eyes.

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ONE STYLE TO RULE THEM ALL.

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YOU CAN GET A TATTOO DONE IN LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF ART STYLES, VARYING FROM ARTIST TO ARTIST, BUT A FEW REALLY STAND OUT AS MEMORABLE. SOME ARE STEEPED IN A COMPLEX HISTORICAL PAST, WHILE OTHERS SEEM TO HAVE NO REASON AT ALL, AND SIMPLY POPPED UP OUT OF NOWHERE! WHETHER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN ART STYLE FOR YOURSELF, LOOKING INTO EXPANDING YOUR TECHNIQUE, OR SIMPLY INTERESTED IN TATTOO STYLES THIS ARTICLE SHOULD SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY. Fotos: Web Archives, Tattoo models.net.

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TheIN PROFESSIONAL TATTOO ARTISTS CAN CHARGE AN AVERAGE OF $200 FOR EACH HOUR OF TATTOO SESSION.

REALISM.

A fine art skill, realistic tattoos done well look like photographs on the skin. Here, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to have a good photo reference and pick a skilled, well-known artist. Pay as much as you can for a tattoo of this kind - you get what you pay for, and cheap realism and portrait tattoos end up looking whacky.

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TRIBAL.

The oldest tattoo style, from ancient times. Nearly always black in colour, often using symmetry and geometrical design. Sometimes un-detailed with block black lines, or like the tattoo below, utilising delicate detail and precision. A good artist will carefully design a piece to compliment the shape of the body, like this one.

OLD SCHOOL.

In the modern world, as we know it, tattooing began with this identifiable style (traditional). Solid black outlines, a limited colour palette, less detail and impeccable precision traditional tattoos stand the test of time. Popular traditional imagery includes roses, hearts, nautical, eagles, skulls, and daggers.

NEW SCHOOL.

Cartoon-like designs influenced by graffiti and hip-hop artistic techniques and styles. Bubble-like designs, bright colours, exaggerated dimensions and features. Popular with popular culture icons and animals.

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JAPANESE.

Dating back to 10,000BCE, Japanese tattooing is one of the most sacred tattoo arts. Detailed designs often cover large areas of the body such as the back or the arm. This tattooing style follows a very strict set of artistic rules - positioning, imagery used, direction, colour and more, all adhering to the ancient traditions. Imagery includes cherry blossoms, koi fish, lotus flowers, dragons, war dogs and geishas.

WATERCOLOUR.

Currently very popular, this tattoos mimic an experimental artistic process - using splashes and streaks of colour to give the impression of paint being used on canvas or paper. The watercolour effect can be all-encompassing to the design, with no line-work or other styles, but it can also be combined with realism or solid outlines, to form just the background or foreground of a tattoo. Often bright colours are used and themes of nature.

ILLUSTRATIVE STYLES.

It has just as many colors as it needs, along with lines that look like a sketch. If the tattoo has colors, then mixing them is no problem, and the shading will be gradiated. If the tattoos are black and white, they will feature minimal shading. Many tattoo artists choose to stipple instead of using gradiated shading, allowing these monochrome tattoos to match far longer than they otherwise would. With unique tattoo designs, there is no precedent for what a tattoo should look like, tattoo artists can take artistic liberties with their illustrative style.

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BUT WHAT IF I WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT? A Modern tattoo style does not necessarily refer to what’s currently in style. The modern art movement started in the early 20th century and expanded as new technology and printing methods became available. Modern tattoos imitate this style, which focuses heavily on color, line work, printing technique, and the form of the art itself. Black and the two standard colors of text printing are prevalent. The black part of the tattoo will look as if it was painted onto the skin, and sometimes artists even include a bit of ink spatter or trails to emphasize the grungy look. Shading can be done through halftones or by cell shading. Halftones were invented to allow for shading in print magazines while using only one to three colors available in most printers. Everything is made up of dots that gradually get farther and smaller from each other as the color gets ‘lighter.’ Cell shading uses solid colors and inks, without blending anything at all, which is a common technique in comics that had the same printing restrictions, but didn’t like the way halftones would blend the colors. Modern tattoos could also have prominent text motifs in typewriter fonts, along with a general appearance of being stamped.

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THE QUEEN OF INK.

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TATTOO ARTIST KAT VON D HAS WOVEN HERSELF INTO POP CULTURE CONSCIOUSNESS WHILE MANAGING TO ATTRACT THOSE WHO EXIST ON ITS FRINGE. EVEN ROCK STARS WANT TO BE HER. AS AN ACCIDENTAL CELEBRITY WHO HAS BEEN TATTOOING SINCE THE AGE OF FOURTEEN, KAT IS HUMBLED AND AMUSED. WHENEVER I POSE A QUESTION ABOUT HER FAME, SHE ALWAYS DEFLECTS ANY NOTION OF SELF IMPORTANCE AND STEERS THE CONVERSATION BACK TO THE ART OF TATTOOING; IN FACT, ART IN GENERAL. THIS IMPRESSES ME. Text by Inked Magazine.com

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Katherine von Drachenberg got us waiting outside the gunmetal gray door of a nondescript North Hollywood building, where lies a colorful doormat and a kitschy frog statue, the kind you would find on the front porch of a vacation house in the suburbs. The twoo doormats read “Welcome home.” This is not the entrance to the secret Monastery, Kat Von D’s private photography studio. Less than two feet away, there is another door with another doormat. however, this doormat is plain and beige, featuring large black letters that simply proclaim: “GO AWAY.” Kat whips around the corner in a convertible black Bentley with the top down, exclaiming, “I’m so sorry I’m late!” She was, after all, running a whole four minutes behind. The worldwide famous tattoo artist and star of TLC’s LA Ink pulls into the garage, finishes a Red Bull, opens the side door to her studio. She saunters up the stairs past walls lined with an array of religious artwork and greets Oscar the pit bull at the top. It’s here that the room opens up to an airy, four-story loft with 10-foot ceilings and giant windows that allow the afternoon light to flood over statues of the Virgin Mary and images of Jesus on the cross lining the ledges and bookshelves. Kat grew up in a religious family, but the decor isn’t meant

WHO THE HELL IS KAT? 24

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to pay homage to those times. The family belonged to the Seventh-Day Adventists, a religion that typically shuns ornamentation and jewelry. “I remember my sister liked rosaries growing up and my parents were like, ‘You can’t wear that because it’s idolatry.’” Another area of the loft has been sectioned off for her latest passion, which is portrait photography, partially ignited when boyfriend Nikki Sixx gifted her a new camera. After snagging a cigarette, Kat eases into a gilded, thronelike chair, and I settle into a plush Victorian sofa with Oscar sitting proudly next to us. In photos and on the show, Kat’s features seem to have an angular, hard edge. But talking face to face, she appears infinitely softer. Sharpness fades away, replaced with a fresh, feminine beauty that’s just not as apparent on the small screen, perhaps because of the way the film crew lights her AC/DC-inspired Hollywood tattoo studio, High Voltage. And the tattoos, which pop in photographs, blend with her skin in such a way that you would think this is how she came out of the womb. But in her nearly all-black getup, with a long knit cover-up, a slinky top that reveals a striped black-and-white bra, and vinyl pants, she still looks like—with the exception of flip-flips—rock royalty. And she should, Kat owns a successful tattoo studio in the heart of Los Angeles, LA Ink draws in an average of about three million viewers a week, she has tattooed dozens of well-known celebrities, written a book that made the best-seller list, and banked enough cash to afford a top-of-the-line car and a house in Hollywood. Not bad for someone who’s just 27. In 1982, when Katherine Von Drachenberg was born, life wasn’t nearly this glamorous.

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Katherine Von Drachenberg was born on March 8, 1982 in Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to Argentinean couple, Rene Drachenberg and Sylvia Galeano.

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TheIN ARTISTIC VEINS

Her parents, who both hailed from Argentina, had relocated to Mexico so her father, a doctor, could be closer to her grandfather, who was teaching medicine there. The Von Drachenbergs were far from rich, but that didn’t matter. “I have to say, my happiest moments, other than right now, would be that time in my life. It was as simple as it gets.” Life revolved around family and religion instead of pop culture. On the weekends, the Von Drachenbergs played the piano, visited grandparents, and sang hymns. “We didn’t have a TV. I didn’t see MTV until Ithe age of 16, at a friend’s house.” Her grandmother is an oil painter and a pianist obsessed with Beethoven, and she inspired Kat to follow in her creative footsteps. Though sometimes she hated it, Katherine and her older sister, Karoline, practiced the piano for an hour or two each day, and she spent most of her free time playing with her siblings and sketching. Even a cursory glance at her early work would instantly reveal she has a natural talent for art, but Kat didn’t think it would take her anywhere. “I wanted to become a doctor when I was little. My dad was my hero and I wanted to be like him. He would say, ‘Why don’t you be an artist when you grow up?’ And I would say, ‘Dad, that’s unrealistic. Aside from being an architect, there is just no way you can make a steady career out of art.’” When Kat was 4 years old, her parents moved the family to southern California.

MUSIC AND FAME.

“It was kind of a fluke we were born in Mexico, because my dad always had the idea that America was a better place to raise kids.” On the way to their new home, Kat was treated for the first time to music that wasn’t classical or from the church when her father stopped at a gas station in the States and purchased cassette tapes featuring the music of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Elton John. “I remember driving from McAllen, Texas, to California with my dad translating ‘A Boy Named Sue’ to all of us. My mom, when she came to America, didn’t speak any English, and music was one of her ways of learning it.” Years later her father took her mother to Las Vegas and they ended up meeting the singer Dolly Parton. “I remember how stoked my mom was because she said Dolly Parton was so nice to her. That was probably my first experience with understanding the idea of fame because we didn’t have that when we were growing up. Like, Jesus was famous. Fame is not something that sits well with Kat. But it’s something she’s had to come to terms with. “I never wanted to be on Star Search. I just saw it as an opportunity to be a good representation of tattooing.” But despite her well-meant intentions, once she joined the cast, she found herself rejected by a portion of the tattoo community. “Tattooers definitely have their opinions about me or their percep-

INSTAGRAM: @thekatvond.

tion of me, and I felt that a lot of that wasn’t coming from a place of love. There’s nothing that makes me different other than my situation, but I had to come to terms with [that fact that this life] isn’t normal, and from this point on there are just things I can’t do like I used to. I try to separate myself from the tattoo politics. Tattooing is hard enough, and you don’t need other people’s egos affecting your ability to create.”She doesn’t only have to deal with her dissenters; she also has to figure out how to work effectively with the cameras around. “It’s pretty frustrating. When we’re filming, everything takes twice as long as it would in real life.” To capture enough footage for one hour-long episode of LA Ink, the film crew must film for five days—usually from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A lot ends up on the cutting room floor. “Sometimes it’s discouraging because I’m doing a tattoo and the chemistry between me and the client is so compelling and for whatever reason, it gets cut. That’s the stuff that’s out of my control,” she says. To stay content when the cameras are going, she keeps her focus on her tattooing, a passion she discovered at 14 when her friend Oliver Guthrie asked her to tattoo his leg with the iconic Misfits skull. “It was magical. The instant I started tattooing that kid, I was like, this is what I have to do.” Guthrie, eventually ended up becoming a tattoo artist himself, and it wasn’t long until Kat got her first tattoo, an Old English style “J” on her ankle for her then-boyfriend, James.

TATS AND LOVE.

Not long after, she ran away from home with James, taking a bus all the way to Georgia. The bond didn’t last. After a few months, she moved back to California, and they drifted apart. But the tattoo remains. And after fading out of Kat vo D’s life 10 years ago with her wondering if he was still alive, James showed up at the last stop on her book tour for High Voltage. “It was like staring at a ghost. I instantly recognized his voice. I still feel a lot of love for him in those times, but I’m a different person.” James isn’t the only ex whose name is emblazoned on her body. Over the years, she’s had the names of many of her boyfriends tattooed on her including “Orbi,” a tribute to her time with Alex Orbison, Roy Orbison’s son. With the exception of the profile of her ex-husband Oliver Peck on her thigh, she’s kept them all. But she didn’t laser off the portrait of Peck because she harbors any ill will toward him or because she’s upset that he set out to (and did) top her Guinness World Record of tattooing 400 people in one 24-hour period. “I think Oliver is one of the coolest-looking guys I’ve ever met, and by far, one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. But it was a big part of my leg and it was hard to work around.” At 16, she got a job tattooing at Sin City in San Bernardino. After two years of learning to

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TheIN TATTOO SHOPS HAVE CAMARADERIE LIKE A BROTHERHOOD. THERE’S THIS THING THAT JOINS YOU. THAT’S WHY I LOVE TATTOOING SO MUCH.

TIME TRAVEL.

tattoo through trial and error, she was able to enjoy a proper apprenticeship. “It was so exciting and scary because it was such a ghetto part of town—a lot of crazy activity going on. There was a lot of riffraff and drinking and drugs and guns.” She was also living with a prostitute. “I met her at the movie theater and I didn’t know, obviously. I didn’t have a car and she lived close to the shop. She exposed her lifestyle to me and it was really sad to witness because she had two beautiful kids who were already affected by her addiction to drugs and all that stuff.” It was at Sin City that she acquired the moniker Kat Von D. “I would always write out Katherine Von Drachenberg, which I love. But this kid would come around a lot and he abbreviated it to Kat Von D. I always disliked it because I was a fan of Von Dutch, the painter, and I always associate Von D with Von Dutch and I felt that it was already taken. But it stuck.” After all, Von Drachenberg is a bit of a mouthful, and Kat herself was sent home in the first grade because she couldn’t spell her own last name. After a year and a half at Sin City, Kat was searching for something more serious and scored a job tattooing with Pete Costa at Blue Bird Tattoo in Pasadena. “I got the job by accident because he needed some time off. He was the only guy working there. To me, this was like, ‘This is L.A.! This is big-time!’ But it was, compared to what I was doing.” It was there that her tattoo skills greatly improved as she started to understand the difference between a good

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1982

Katherine Von Drachenberg was born in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

tattoo and a great one. After her stint at Blue Bird, she bounced around, working at a handful of other shops until she landed at Clay Decker’s True Tattoo in the center of Hollywood. This is where she fortuitously met tattoo artist Chris Garver. The week she started, Garver was getting ready to leave for what would become Miami Ink. After a few fun months at True Tattoo, she received a call from Garver asking her to be on the famous show. At first, she felt welcome, but those feelings soon faded as Kat butted heads with the shop’s owner, Ami James. So when approached with the opportunity to return to Los Angeles and star in her own series, she jumped at the chance. And while we don’t get to see them onscreen very often, she’s very proud of the crew she’s put together at the shop: Jeff Ward, Khoi Nguyen, Nate Fierro, and others who have dubbed themselves “The B Team.” “Those guys are better than me at tattooing in so many ways. I did that on purpose because I don’t want to be a big fish in little water,” Kat says. “We have a certain amount of camaraderie that I haven’t experienced in any other shop. “Tattoo shops have camaraderie like a brotherhood. There’s this thing that joins you. I think that’s why I loved tattooing so much. I always wanted that and didn’t have it with my family as much as I like to think I did.” That camaraderie extends to the friends, bands, and other clients she tattoos at High Voltage. Recently, she started giving away some of

1986

Her family moves to Los Angeles, California and settles in Colton.

1996

She got her first tattoo and tattoed her friend for the first time.

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her 50 machines as gifts—bestowing one with a Deutsch Mark to Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister and a heartagram machine she used in a music video with HIM to her close friend Bam Margera. “I look at each tattoo machine and think about how I’ve made thousands of tattoos with it.” Tattoos on such people as Margaret Cho, Jared Leto, and Jesse Hughes a member from the Eagles of Death Metal. After each of the tattoos Kat inks, she puts her feather quill pen to paper and writes about the experience, recording that person’s story in her journal. “A friend of mine once asked, ‘How do you deal with all the death and heavy stuff?’ If I don’t get my thoughts out I carry them with me, and that stuff can fester. I went through a really gnarly depression last year learning how to balance it. The journaling has helped me process a lot of those thoughts.” The world will get to see some of these private musings when she publishes a year’s worth of entries in a second book, scheduled for release this fall. Kat will personally select and footnote the entries and photograph each of the persons that are selected. Of course, Kat doesn’t just give tattoos. One of the most recent ones she received was a portrait of musician and friend Johnette Napolitano, done by Dan Smith of High Voltage. “I used to drink through my tattoos a lot. I think that was a major part of getting this far. Because now, as a sober person, it’s definitely been a challenge getting tattooed. I suck at it.” She drank an entire bottle of tequila just before getting her back tattooed with the words “Mi Vida Loca,” but recommends that people don’t drink when they’re getting inked. “You’re probably not going to make the best choice if

1998

Dropped out of school at 16 to work as full-time tattoo artist.

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you’re under the influence of something. Aside from that, it’s really annoying for the tattooer. It’s hard to do a straight line when someone is puking on themselves.” And perhaps her most well-known tattoo, the one of the Hollywood sign written in red lipstick, involved another tattoo no-no. “I totally ripped that off some cool rocker chick. I was working at True Tattoo and she came in. She was like, ‘I want to get the New York Dolls logo, but instead of saying New York Dolls, I want it to say Hollywood.’ I’m like, that’s a genius idea. I ended up getting it. I never thought I would run into her again. But then I did at the Beauty Bar and I’m like, ‘Oh, hey,’ with my fucking midriff showing. I’m trying to hide the tattoo, but I’m sure she’s seen it. If I saw her again, I’d be happy to do it for her. We can be twinsies.” That tattoo is just one of the many that will compose the bodysuit she’s working up to completing, minus the chest. “Eye contact is important, and if you’ve ever had a conversation with a guy, I think boobs are distracting enough” she says with a smile on her face.

THE REAL KAT.

Despite all her connections with the glamorous life and the fact that she stars in a hit show on TV, Von D remains a very private person and she has her reasons. She built the Monastery because she wasn’t comfortable shooting models she didn’t know at her house. The conversations she most enjoys with her clients are those that happen off-camera. And when not at work, she’s usually focusing on one of her many projects, be it her makeup line with Sephora (she’s involved with everything from selecting the color palettes to designing the product packaging and choosing friendly ingridients), the documentary she’s been filming about love, death, and tattooing, the singing lessons she’s been taking, or just taking the time to draw and play Beethoven on her piano. When she does go out, she prefers to surround herself with family, her boyfriend, and her group of close friends—those who know her by a different name. “When I hear someone call me Katherine, I know it’s probably a close friend or family. It’s weird to say, but I am not Kat Von D.”

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I AM A CANVAS OF MY EXPERIENCES, MY STORY IS ETCHED IN LINES AND SHADING, AND YOU CAN READ IT ON MY ARMS, MY LEGS, MY SHOULDERS, AND MY STOMACH.

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TWITTER: @thekatvond. Inked

BREAKING TABOOS. 32

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HOW TATTOOS HAVE EVOLVED AND RECREATED CULTURE. THIS PHOTO SERIES SHOWS PEOPLE FORM AROUND THE WORLD EXPRESSING THEIR INNER STRENGHT, DREAMS AND PERSONALITIES. TATTOOS ARE A FORM OF ART AND THEY ARE THE PERFECT WAY TO CONVEY FREEDOM AND CREATIVITY, NO MATTER YOUR AGE, SOCIAL STATUS OR ORIGIN. Fotos: Web Archives.

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THE NEXT STEP.

As time passes, more and more people are becoming aware of the reasons why tattoos shouldn’t be taboo. Still, many adults say that ink will prevent young people from getting a job and that it doesn’t look attractive. There will always be people who oppose tattoos, just like they’ll always be supporters of them. Whatever the adversaries say, there are perfectly good reasons why tattoos shouldn’t be taboo. Getting a tattoo that represents your love for a person or song or hobby shows that you’re passionate about it. It shouldn’t be shameful to declare your love for something. Everyone wants to be unique, to be their own person. When you get a tattoo, you get to choose the design, the style, elements and location of it. It’ll make your body different from anyone else you meet and it is with no doubt, a creative way to show your individuality and express yourself. Do not worry about what others will say, just enjoy the ink.

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