Mrked Magazine

NOV. 2019

FLASH OF THE PAST Walk through history and view the archive of vintage american traditional flash.

FUN CITY TATTOO Get to know Manhattan's oldest tattoo shop.

CHRISTIAN REX Bringing trashy tattoos to the fine art world.

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CONTENTS

On the Cover

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Christian Rex

Bringing trashy tattoos to the fine art world.

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Editors Letter

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Contributors

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Messages

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Model of the Month Anh Wisle

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Artist of the Month

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Tattoo of the Month

Fun City Tattoo

Get to know Manhattan's oldest tattoo shop.

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Regulars

Flash of the Past

Walk through history and view the archive of vintage american traditional flash.

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Mike Adams

Ed Sheeran

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Editor’s Letter F

irst I want to thank you all for picking this up, and sharing my love for amazing tattoing. There is so much talent in this industry that is hidden, and I think it deserves a bigger spotlight. Tattooing is now more than ever at the peak of it's level, with more resources to improve and access to thousands of talented artists to be inspired from throught the internet. Gone are the days where you had to get an apprenticeship at a shop and spend months of doing menial tasks before you got to pick up a machine.

Now what makes Marked Magazine different from other tattoo magazines? Well here, we are all about exploring what's new in tattooing as well as taking a look at past styles and how they've evolved. Tattoo Styles are specific to their region, and here we also acknowlege and explore that. We explore what's trending, what's making a comeback, and tattoo don'ts.

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Above all, this is mainly about sharing what I love, and giving a slice of my knowledge to you all. I am by no means an expert on the subject but through years of being around tattoo media and following all of my favorite tattoo artists on instagram, I can say I picked up a thing or two.

As an artist myself, I am always inspired by artists who time and time again push the envelope and create something breathtaking. With that being said, I hope you enjoy.

-

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CONTRIBUTORS creative director photo director executive editor managing editor photo editor art editor

Nirel Escalante Nirel Escalante Nirel Escalante Nirel Escalante Nirel Escalante Nirel Escalante

contributing writers Davis Richardson, Devon Preston, Justine Morrow, Claudia Strife contributing photography Central Press, Getty Images, John Pratt, funcitytattoo.com, Jonathan Shaw, Powerhouse books, christianrexvanminnen.com 8 | Marked.com

Messages

I love the tid bits of knowledge on history I get from this magazine.

I feel like so often tattoo magazines focus soley on whats trending and happening now, but forget that the history is just as fascinating and integral to know as a tattoo connoisseur. Thank you for incorporating that into your magazine.

-Kenny Galeno

I was super excited to see some fine art make an appearance on Mrkd Magazine.

I was always curious as to why there was such a divide between the fine art world and tattooing world. All tattooers technically have a fine art background and are some of the most talented and hard working artists out there. I appreciated how Christian Rex brought tattooing into his fine art work and I hope to see tattoo artists bring their fine art into the industy as well.

-Veronica Rodriguez

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Email your message at mrkdmagazine@gmail.com and write "Message" on the subject line.

Always nice to discover gems in your own city.

New tattoo artist favorite

I've actually passed Fun City Tattoo Shop a couple of time but had no awareness of it's crazy history. It will definitley be where I get my next tattoo.

-Ophelia McGowan

Upon Seeing Ana's work from tattoo of the month I fell in love with her style.

Then I realized she works in Paris and I live in Colorado.

Let's just say I treated myself to something special for my birthday next year...

-Ashley Trejo

I look forward to all the upcoming Model of the Month sections for inspiration.

For those of us not covered in tattoos already it's nice to see what other people have to continue to refine and narrow down our taste. Anh Wisle has gorgeous tattoos and perfectly matches her tattoos to her personality.

-Abraham Cortes

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Model of the Month

Anh Wisle

The Mystical Beauty of a Tattooed Traveller

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n October last year, Anh went on what she called a ‘back to roots’ trip with her tattoo artist fiancé in Vietnam, absorbing herself into the culture that reverberated within her veins. In the course of three months, they spent time navigating their way through the cities, lakes, and local elementary schools, interacting with the people they met despite the language barrier, having been brought up with a French tongue.

-Claudia Strife

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Anh's stunning tattoos consist of her large back piece done by none other than Guy Le Tattooer, famous for his large-scale blackwork tattoos. Aside from her back piece, Anh is also known for her impressive sleeves of sacred geometric, oriental, and blackout designs. They frame her laidback, sensual personality perfectly.

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Manhattan's Oldest Tattoo Shop

By Davis Richardson

In a grimy basement off the Bowery in the late 70s, literary madman Jonathan Shaw, son of legendary jazz artist Artie Shaw and starlet Doris Dowling, was high off speedballs, tatting bikers and conmen. Well before tattooing was even legal in Manhattan due to an archaic law passed in the 60s, Shaw had transformed his living room into a DIY tattoo studio, which doubled as a trap house.

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t was an unrecognizable downtown Manhattan. Overdoses at the Valencia Hotel were rampant and anarchists traumatized from Vietnam had crushed beatnik bohemianism into violent protests.

“Fun City emerged City’s first legitimat merged fine art with

Bombings exploded at the headquarters of the Weather Underground and the dancefloor of Electric Circus, causing survivalist stores selling gas masks to pop up. Shaw kept a handgun strapped to his chair in case anything went sideways, and installed a peephole on the armored front-door of his Bowery studio for the barrel of his AK-47.

As the New York punk and hardcore scenes raged against Reagan-Thatcher policies and class hierarchy, encompassed within a Hobbesian state of gang violence and opposition to authority, Shaw’s basement became a regular hangout for artists and musicians.

Dee Dee Ramone and Lydia Lunch stopped by to philosophize and hone signature styles before performing shows at CBGB. Shaw was the ringleader, an eccentric and deranged vagabond who infused traditional tribal art with occultism while smoking crack and befriending musicians who would later enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“The style I’ve been accused of, or accredited with, depending on your point of view, pioneering in the early 80s, is defined as an urban neo-tribal wildstyle, graffiti style of tattooing. That was a style that seemed to visually express an underlying and popular sentiment synchronistic to these other forms of musical expression,” explains Shaw. “Punk rock was this angry, confused, and rebellious ‘fuck you’ scream looking for a mouth. For a while, that mouth became a way people responded to certain iconography that might subliminally express some of those unstated

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emotions: the vibe that went with that sentiment. The styles of imagery I was familiar with and comfortable with seemed to naturally appeal to a certain class of people who really wanted to express themselves visually in a way that was iconoclastic and outside the accepted norm, even in the context of tattooing.”

In the mid-80s, Shaw established Fun City Tattoo on Macdougal Street, before moving it to Saint Mark’s Place in 1989.

Though it had a long way to go in terms of gang violence, by the late 80s, the East Village had transformed into a cultural mecca. And with it came the inevitable tides of gentrification, culminating with the Tompkins Square riots in 1988.

Getty Images

Fun City emerged as one of New York City’s first legitimate walk-in shops that merged fine art with hardcore and punk.

The shop embodied Shaw’s brazen personality. Inside, esoteric paintings, rusty meat cleavers, blood from fist fights, and a sign reading, “If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport” aligned the walls, attracting a diverse client-base that included gang members, Hell’s Angels bikers, celebrities, and artists tied to New York high-society.

Iggy Pop, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jim Jarmusch, Kate Moss, John Joseph, Naomi Campbell, and a young Freddy Madball were just a few regulars intoxicated by the allure of Fun City’s decked out gonzo fantasy.

Johnny Depp even based his role as the swashbuckling boozer Jack Sparrow off his longtime friendship with Shaw, along with Keith Richards.

“People of alike nature tend to gravitate together.

That’s just the law of attraction. Me and Iggy have

as one of New York te walk-in shops that hardcore and punk.” been friends for nearly 30 years,” reflects Shaw.

Hardcore, punk, and hip-hop aficionados all congregated at Fun City, blending together in a quintessential New York melting pot vehemently opposed to Giuliani’s mayoral policies and skyrocketing rent costs. Marilyn Manson, The Cure, and Tupac all paid visits to the shop. Vanilla Ice even waited in line for an appointment, much to the horror of Shaw and everyone else working at Fun City.

In 2001, a young apprentice of Shaw’s nicknamed Big Steve started off as a shop boy at Fun City. At a time when tattooing was exploding as an international art-form, and still very old-school and competitive where trade secrets were hard

to come by, Steve was on the ground floor, learning from the very master who had orchestrated its cultural renaissance.

Steve quickly gained fame on the tattoo circuit with a diverse style drawing heavily on traditional Americana, miniature work, traditional Japanese minimalism, and black and grey imagery.

“Working under Jonathan was really cool and immersed me with some of the best artists in the industry. There was definitely a cast of characters, but I couldn’t have asked for a better place to start,” says Steve.

“Steve answered the phones, he cleaned the shop, and he wrangled the customers. Like so many people who work in that capacity, he got bitten by the tattoo bug just through osmosis and being around it. He was always a really nice guy and someone who I always really liked,” says Shaw.

After September 11, Shaw had a spiritual awakening and decided to leave New York City to pursue sobriety in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. He sold the shop to Brad Fink and Michelle Myles, who were running Daredevil Tattoo in the Lower East Side, and started writing gonzo-style fiction.

Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

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Courtesy of funcitytattoo.com

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f ter just a couple years co-owning the shop, Fink and Myles sold Fun City to Steve and his partner, Maxx Starr from Richmond, Virginia. Together, the duo polished up Fun City’s aesthetics while recruiting a talented team of tattooists, including Mina Aoki, cousin to the acclaimed DJ who also grew up in the hardcore scene.

“Growing up in the hardcore scene, touring across the country, you wind up meeting so many cool people and that’s how Steve and I first met,” says Starr. “Steve and I met through mutual friends at Fun City and immediately trusted one another and it’s been smooth sailing ever since.”

“When I heard that Steve had managed to buy the shop, I was very happy and gratified,” adds Shaw. “I still stop by

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on my trips to New York to lend my support to that happy transition. He’s a real two-fisted tattoo guy who respects the traditions of tattooing.”

Having a deep respect for tradition allows Maxx and Steve to blend the old school with the new and help tattooing adapt to modern times.

“Our goal was to be very respectful of the shop’s history, while carving out our own niche within the industry,” explains Maxx. “We’re probably the most versatile tattoo studio in New York because we pride ourselves on an intensive mastery on all tattoo forms, whether it’s lettering or portraits. Celebrities and musicians come to us because we’re low-key and don’t make a big spectacle like most of the

"Big Steve" Co-owner of Fun City Tattoo

competition. We’re very relaxed and oriented on getting the job done perfectly.”

“I tatted Lizzie Grubman the day she got out of jail,” laughs Steve as he picks up a sterilized needle and goes to work on delicately brushing up the contours of a blackened rose petal. “That was pretty funny.”

Fun City Tattoo has endured numerous incarnations and a revolving door of crowds passing through its doors. Though the violent history of the East Village that birthed the punk and hardcore movements has come and gone, the legacy of the environment shaped by them lives on through the shop, attracting new generations of artists.

The Lower East Side rap group Money Boyz stops by Fun City every weekend to impress clients with freestyles that paint a darker

"Maxx Starr" Co-owner of Fun City Tattoo

portrait of downtown Manhattan. Chicago rapper-turned-punk star HXLT, signed personally by Kanye West to the G.O.O.D Music roster, is a regular. Even mainstream artists are attracted to the allure of Fun City as a hub for punk, hardcore, and hip-hop. Action Bronson was tatted by Big Steve last year.

So was Miley Cyrus this past March, who brought along Flaming Lips singer Wayne Coyne.

On a historic street that has gentrified into a glorified food court, complete with identical looking sushi restaurants and smoke shops, Fun City Tattoo stands as one of Saint Mark’s’ last true relics that continues to shape American culture.

By Davis Richardson

“Our goal was to be very respectful of the shop’s history, while carving out our own niche within the industry.”

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christianrexvanminnen.com

CHRISTIAN REX VAN MINNEN Bringing Trashy Tattoos to the Fine-Art World

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"American New Thought" 2019 60x97" Oil on linen 20 | Marked.com

christianrexvanminnen.com

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christianrexvanminnen.com

"Strawberry Beefcake" 2016 24x30" 22 |on Marked.com Oil Panel

christianrexvanminnen.com

"Small Snare Game With Drag" 2016 24x30" Oil on Panel

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The History, Design and Art of Traditional Tattooing featuring Images from the collection of Jonathan Shaw

Getty Images

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Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

The History Of Traditional Tattooing

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lthough most of the tattoos on ancient mummies are simple abstract lines, dots, and shapes, the Princess of Ukok, a 2,500 year old mummy, hosts an incredible collection of ink that is much similar to contemporary tattoos. This particular mummy was found in southern SIberia and is a great reminder of the cross cultural aspects of tattooing. It is safe to say that every continent, at one point, has had its practice of tattooing that went on to influence the art form in numerous ways. To be sure, tribes all over the globe have practiced tattooing, and although Polynesian tattoos are said to have been the ultimate roots of Traditional tattooing, there are other origins to be considered.

While many sources will state that the findings of Captain Cook and his crew helped spread tattooing to the western world, tattoo historian Anna Felicity Friedman has researched the historical accuracy of this and supports another idea. She states, “A look at texts from before the mid-eighteenth century demonstrates that many authors, explorers, scientists, etc. were well familiar with the practice of perma-

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nently marking the body with a substance embedded underneath the skin.

For example, one of Cook’s contemporaries, explorer Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu, writing about the Marquesan tattooing he saw in 1791, noted the similarities to and contrasts with the European tattooing that he said was not only common but of great antiquity: ‘We should be wrong to suppose the tattooing is peculiar to nations half-savage; we see it practised by civilized Europeans; from time immemorial, the sailors of the Mediterranean, the Catalans, French, Italians, and Maltese, have known this custom, and the means of drawing on their skin, indelible figures of crucifixes, Madonas or of writing on it their own name and that of their mistress.’” Even earlier than de Fleurieu’s description came the prints of John Simon who depicted Native American’s with full body tattoos. As the official New York City guide described, “Titled The Four Indian Kings, the set of images portrays three members of the Mohawk tribe and one Mahican tribesman before they traveled from New York

to England to meet with Queen Anne.”

Traditional tattooing, as the case with all other styles of tattooing, has a foundation in the history of many cultures, and many countries. But, perhaps, there are a few reasons why Traditional Americana flourished so much. It’s true that sailors and soldiers were some of the main aficionados; their consistent travel to new lands guaranteed cross cultural experience with new styles and ideas. America has been involved in major wars, most notably since the American Revolution in 1775. Martin Hildebrandt, said to have opened the first New York City tattoo parlour in 1846, also stated that he had tattooed soldiers of both sides in the American Civil War.

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Part of the tradition of service men getting tattoos was not only to carry symbols of protection and reminders of their loved one, but to also mark their body for identification if their lives were lost in war. The added support of modern Traditional tattooing, is the invention by Samuel O’Rielly, the electric tattoo machine, which helped revolutionize the industry in 1891.

Sam took Thomas Edison’s electric pen, and modified it to create the forerunner of the machines now used the world over. By 1905, a man named Lew Alberts, known as Lew the Jew, was selling the first commercial tattoo flash sheets.

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Dictionary

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Flash /noun/

“Tattoo flash” is the term for the printed or hand-drawn tattoo designs found on the walls and binders of tattoo shops that walk-in customers can select from.

Flash is either drawn by individual tattoo artists for display in their own shops, or traded for or bought from other artists and distributors. Once exclusively hand-drawn, original tattoo flash has largely been replaced by professional “flash artists” who sell prints of copyrighted flash at tattoo conventions and online. Vintage, hand-drawn flash is incredibly difficult to come by, and collectors and enthusiasts alike devour any new discoveries of long-lost original flash.

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fig. 1, 2, 3, 4 by Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

With the invention of the tattooing machine, business had been growing for tattooists, and the demand for new designs and more ideas became imminent. This helped spread the iconography and specific style of Traditional tattooing across the states, and soon there was unified aesthetic of Traditional Americana. It is also worth mentioning that in the early 1880’s many “tattooed” performers working in conjunction with the traveling circus, such as Nora Hildebrandt, Captain George Costentenus, and John Rutherford. Many of these performers had tall tales about their personal histories, but it did bring tattoos to a new crowd quite literally.

Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

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Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

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here are many people who aided in the preservation and popularization of Traditional tattooing, including Sailor Jerry, Mildred Hull, Don Ed Hardy, Sailor Jerry, Bert Grimm, Lyle Tuttle, Maud Wagner, Amund Dietzel, Jonathan Shaw, Huck Spaulding, “Shanghai” Kate Hellenbrand, to name a few. Each within their own way, with their specific story and skills, helped shape the style, designs, and philosophies of American tattooing.

It’s worthwhile to know that many of these artists are considered to belong to certain aspects of the tattooing movement within America. While tattooists such as Sailor Jerry and Bert Grimm are considered the “first wave” of Traditional tattooing helping to spread and hone Traditional design and techniques, there were those such as Don Ed Hardy, Jerry’s apprentice, and Lyle Tuttle who went on to define the societal acceptance of the art form. Lyle Tuttle is known for tattooing celebrities such as Janis Joplin and Henry Fonda. Don Ed Hardy later produced a line of clothing which is well-known in mainstream pop culture. Again, many artists have helped make contemporary Traditional tattooing what it is today. Their ingenuity and fearlessness are all part of American culture that influenced this art movement.

Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

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The Style & Iconography of Traditional Tatooing In 1933 the book ‘Tattoo: Secrets of a Strange Art’ by Albert Parry was published and helped capture the growing industry. As the New York Historical Society states, “According to Albert Parry’s book….tattooists of the time were so inundated with requests that it was difficult for them to keep up with the demand for new designs. But the exchange of flash during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which were largely distributed with other supplies through mail order catalogs, helped artists keep up with the growing marketplace.” These flash sheets preserved pieces that artists had been tattooing for decades: religious iconography, symbols of courage and strength, beautiful pin ups, and more.

Animals, landscapes, Military insignia, and shapes like stars and hearts all show up within many of the Traditional tattoo design portfolio and each has a specific meaning attached to it.

the first days of American tattooing, tattoos were primarily worn by sailors and soldiers, outlaws and outsiders. The visual language of what came to be known as “traditional tattooing” was developed in those early days on the Bowery and catered to the interests of the clientele. Common imagery that soon became canon included sailing ships, women, hearts, roses, daggers, eagles, dragons, wolves, panthers, skulls, crosses, and popular cartoon characters of the era.

The first tattooists also figured out that using bold outlines, complimented by solid color and smooth shading, was the proper technique for creating art on a body that would look good forever. In the over 100 years since then, techniques and styles have evolved, and the customer base has expanded, but the core subject matter and philosophy developed at the dawn of electric tattooing has persisted as perennial favorites through the modern era.

-Justine Morrow

While swallows might mean the distance a sailor has traveled, it may also signify the idea of returning. This particular bird will always migrate back to its original home. Sharks, panthers, and snakes all have similar ideas based in strength and more, but it’s also a visual embodiment of the wearers personality. The dragon tattoo, first seen due to Sailor Jerry being the first Western tattooist to be in contact with Japanese tattooists, is not only a deep appreciation for Irezumi, but is also a nod to the power of the mythical beast. Another important icon of Traditional tattooing is the Rock of Ages, a cross made of stone within a woman clinging to its edifice, usually in the middle of crashing waves and an endless sea. First seen in the 1860 paintings of Johannes Oertel, it is a religious image that many Americans, tattooists and clients included, resonated with. There are thousands of images that coincide with the Traditional tattooing style, each a symbol of something meaningful, that have been collected by studios, art books, and artists around the globe.

Electric tattooing as we know it today was invented in New York City at the turn of the 19th century. In

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“The first tattooists also figured out that using bold outlines, complimented by solid color and smooth shading, was the proper technique for creating art on a body that would look good forever.� fig 1 & 2 by Jonathan Shaw | Powerhouse Books

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Artist of the Month

Mike Adams

His Intricate and elegant style earns him a spot on Artist of the Month @mikeadamstattoo

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courtesy of mike adams instagram

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Tattoo of the Month

Ana

This gorgeous back piece done by Ana is our pick for tattoo of the month. Not only is this tattoo skilfully executed but the design is elegant and one of a kind. @ana_tattooer ana-and-cam.com

Every month, we choose our favorite tattoo from hundreds of submissions all around the world.

Email your submission at mrkdmagazine@gmail.com and write "tattoo submission" on the subject line.

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Simple Ingredients.

Effective Results.

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