Oukh summer15:sp

Page 1

summer 2015

Ruby Rose behind the ink

+

avedon portait of an artist

+

jolie sak yant

Su 2015

1


2

Su 2015



4

Su 2015


summer 2015

8

Orange Is The New Apple

9

on the other side

10

romantic getaways

11 tools

13

richard avedon

24

ruby rose lagenheim

36 sak yant

Su 2015

5


Produced and directed by David Weissman Editor/ co-director Bill Weber Director of Photography Marsha Kahm Location Sound Lauretta Molitor Music Holcombe Waller In Order of Appearance: Ed Wolf Paul Boneberg Daniel Goldstein Guy Clark Eileen Glutzer Additional Music Doug Hilsinger Post Production Supervisor Bill Weber

Archival Footage Many thanks to these amazing filmmakers who so powerfully documented the AIDS epidemic in the early years:

www.canvas.com

Fighting for Our Lives: Facing AIDS in San Francisco Dir: Ellen Seidler Living With AIDS Dir: Tina DiFeliciantonio Silverlake Life Dir: Peter Friedman and Tom Joslin Chuck Solomon: Coming of Age Dir: Marc Huestis and Wendy Dallas Additional Archival Footage Chuck Roseberg Ellen Seidler KQED San Francisco KPIX San Francisco Network for Continuing Medical Education and other sources Archival Photos Crawford Barton Robert Pruzan Marie Ueda Henri Leleu (all the above courtesy GLBT Historical Society) 6

Su 2015


Notes from the editor CANVAS, the magazine, is for people who love tattoo needles. The dedication of sitting through sessions and nonstop buzzing results in lifelong art and written stories. In this magazine, we show you different forms of art on all types of bodies and explore all things relating to self-expression. The human body is a walking canvas, what someone chooses to have drawn on their canvas, gives you a glimpse of their life. We seek to distill information, synthesize solutions and provide through multiple media a dynamic, useful tool that offers a holistic vision of human change and fosters positive growth. Tattoos are sometimes looked down upon, but over time, they have been more and more accepted in this generation.

come up with a cool magazine produce with content and layouts work on it for weeks add personal touches to them appeal to readers interested in tattoos? right where you want to be turn in an awesome tattoo and art magazine

Su 2015

7


8

Su 2015


origin

food culture travel

segment rind (whole outer layer)

albedo

Orange Is The New Apple

Breaking Down The Orange

zest (outermost part)

Sweet, juicy oranges make a delicious and healthy snack or addition to a meal. A whole orange contains only about 85 calories and has no fat, cholesterol or sodium. And, of course, “oranges are well known for their vitamin C content,� said Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist. Oranges may boost your immune system and improve your skin; they also aid with heart health, cholesterol levels and other issues. Oranges may additionally help reduce the risk of respiratory diseases, certain cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcers and kidney stones.

pulp Photography By: Jennifer Oukh Su 2015

9


origin

food culture travel

On the other side

Window Display Is A Lot Harder Than It Looks

10

That means this is your chance to use window displays as a way to not only highlight your unique personality, but turn the heads of those passing by and engage them enough to stop, look back, and walk-in to your store where your floor staff or products can sweep them off their feet and get them to make a purchase. Sounds pretty enticing right? Okay, but maybe you’re thinking, “I’m not a designer,” or “I don’t have a creative bone in my body,” and all those other excuses we’re taught to make any time we’re confronted with something that requires us to tap our artistic sides. This post will hopefully you put all those fears aside, especially if you don’t have the budget to hire a professional visual merchandiser, and get you rolling up your sleeve and getting ready to master the art of putting together unforgettable window displays for your store. Whether you’re a small business retailer or planning your first pop-up store, your window display is one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal of tools to stand out from the competition and draw in foot traffic. Not only are you going head to head with other small businesses, but those pesky big box retailers and chain stores as well. Luckily for you, most small businesses pay little to no attention to creating effective window displays due to limited resources, while all the big guys are too busy being too uniform and boring for anyone to really look twice. When it comes to conceptualizing a window display, it’s always handy to start with a pen and paper. The reason I say it’s important to start with a story based on a theme, versus a theme alone is that you could go crazy wanting to assemble all your orange and black products when it’s halloween, all your red and green products when it’s the holidays.

Su 2015


Su 2015

11


origin

food culture travel

Marrakech, Morocco

romantic getaways

Don’t know where to honeymoon?

top hotels

Desert Riviera Hotel “I thought that rated another positive review...” “Do believe the hype - a perfect oasis”

Honeymoons come in all shapes and sizes — a beach vacation, a safari, a ski trip — and are based more on the couple’s joint personality than on tradition. This list is just a snapshot of 10 of the world’s hottest honeymoon destinations, from sunny beaches to snowcapped mountains and even fairy-tale theme parks. Once the honeymoon destination for John and Jackie Kennedy, Acapulco is still a popular place for newlyweds celebrating their new life together. Temperatures hover in the 80s throughout the year, and the warm water is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. As if that’s not enough to tempt you, the prices in Acapulco are affordable and can allow for an unforgettable honeymoon even on a tight budget. The Camino Real offers well-designed rooms overlooking the private Pichilingue Beach, as well as fine dining and a variety of activities. The hotel’s convenient location allows guests to appreciate the clubs of Acapulco by night and the natural beauty of the beaches by day. So maybe you didn’t escape to Las Vegas to elope, but who says you can’t celebrate your nuptials in this hot destination? Vegas is an ideal place for newlyweds looking for an action-packed and exciting honeymoon that still allows for the option of being pampered, all for a reasonable price. The Bellagio Hotel offers fine accommodations and a fun nightlife, plus gourmet dining, stunning gardens, an elaborate pool complex, a first-class spa and even fine art on display. Las Vegas’ romantic side is undeniable, and the whirlwind of available activities is sure to provide an unforgettable vacation. Six of the top 25 spots on TripAdvisor’s list of the World’s Top Travel Destinations are in Asia, including new hotspots like Hanoi, Vietnam (#8); Siem Reap, Cambodia (#9); and Shanghai, China (#12).

Hotel California

Siem Riep, Cambodia

“The staff tripped over themselves to help us. Checked in, and they gave me a beer. I wish we could have stayed a month. ”

Hanoi, V

ietnam

Bardessono “Impeccable Service” “Tranquil Indulgence” “An amazing gem in the downtown district of Charleston”

, London m Kingdo d e t i n U

12

Su 2015


Su 2015

13


tools

Paintbrush Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind.

tattoo machine Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind.

gauges

Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind.

tattoo chairs Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind.

14

Su 2015


piercing gun Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind, if you’re solely basing your tattoo artist and design decision on your pocketbook.

easel Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind, if you’re solely basing your tattoo artist.

Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind.

ink

needles Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind, if you’re solely basing your tattoo artist.

sketchbook Many people wonder how much are tattoos before heading to the shop to get inked. While it is normal to keep an affordable budget in mind, if you’re solely basing your tattoo artist and design decision on your pocketbook, you may end up paying even more with regret.

Su 2015

15


16

Su 2015


paint your own story summer 20 15

Su 2015

17


Richard vedon A Portrait of an Artist Fahey Klein presents a major retrospective of the photographers work. By Kely Smith

18

Su 2015


Su 2015

19


20

Su 2015


W

hat do Jean Genet, Jimmy Durante, Brigitte Bardot, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacques Cousteau, Andy Warhol, and Lena Horne have in common? They were a few of the many personalities caught on film by photographer Richard Avedon. For more than fifty years, Richard Avedon’s portraits have filled the pages of the country’s finest magazines. His stark imagery and brilliant insight into his subjects’ characters has made him one of the premier American portrait photographers. Born in New York in 1923, Richard Avedon dropped out of high school and joined the Merchant Marine’s photographic section. Upon his return in 1944, he found a job as a photographer in a department store. Within two years he had been “found” by an art director at Harper’s Bazaar and was producing work for them as well as Vogue, Look, and a number of other magazines. During the early years, Avedon made his living primarily through work in advertising. His real passion, however, was the portrait and its ability to express the essence of its subject.

“All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”
–Richard Avedon As Avedon’s notoriety grew, so did the opportunities to meet and photograph celebrities from a broad range of disciplines. Avedon’s ability to present personal views of public figures, who were otherwise distant and inaccessible, was immediately recognized by the public and the celebrities themselves. Many sought out Avedon for their most public images. His artistic style brought a sense of sophistication and authority to the portraits. More than anything, it is Avedon’s ability to set his subjects at ease that helps him create true, intimate, and lasting photographs. Throughout his career Avedon has maintained a unique style all his own. Famous for their minimalism, Avedon portraits are often well lit and in front of white backdrops. When printed, the images regularly contain the dark outline of the film in which the image was framed. Within the minimalism of his empty studio, Avedon’s subjects move freely, and it is this movement which brings a sense of spontaneity to the images. Often containing only a portion of the person being photographed, the images seem intimate in their imperfection. While many photographers are interested in either catching a moment in time or preparing a formal image, Avedon has found a way to do both.

Su 2015

21


22

Su 2015


Su 2015

23


24

Su 2015


Audrey Hepburn and Art Buchwald, with Simone D’Aillencourt, Frederick Eberstadt, Barbara Mullen, and Dr. Reginald Kerman, evening dresses by Balmain, Dior, and Patou, Maxim’s, Paris, August 1959 © The Richard Avedon Foundation

Su 2015

25


Beyond his work in the magazine industry, Avedon has collaborated on a number of books of portraits. In 1959 he worked with Truman Capote on a book that documented some of the most famous and important people of the century. Observations included images of Buster Keaton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Pablo Picasso, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mae West. Around this same time he began a series of images of patients in mental hospitals. Replacing the controlled environment of the studio with that of the hospital he was able to recreate the genius of his other portraits with non-celebrities. The brutal reality of the lives of the insane was a bold contrast to his other work. Years later he would again drift from his celebrity portraits with a series of studio images of drifters, carnival workers, and working class Americans. Throughout the 1960s Avedon continued to work for Harper’s Bazaar and in 1974 he collaborated with James Baldwin on the book Nothing Personal. Having met in New York in 1943, Baldwin and Avedon were friends and collaborators for more than thirty years. For all of the 1970s and 1980s Avedon continued working for Vogue magazine, where he would take some of the most famous portraits of the decades. In 1992 he became the first staff photographer for The New Yorker, and two years later the Whitney Museum brought together fifty years of his work in the retrospective, “Richard Avedon: Evidence�. He was voted one of the ten greatest photographers in the world by Popular Photography magazine, and in 1989 received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London. Today, his pictures continue to bring us a closer, more intimate view of the great and the famous. Avedon died on October 1st, 2004.

26

Su 2015


Su 2015

27


Behind The Ink Ruby Rose is not a household name in America—yet—but in her native Australia, she’s a bonafide It Girl. by: Jane smith Photographer: John doe

28

Su 2015


Su 2015

29


30

Su 2015


Ruby Rose Langenheim

N

eedless to say, she got the job—and the country’s obsession with her only began there. The outspoken, outgoing beauty has also earned respect as one of the few openly gay female celebrities in the country, even being chosen as one of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians. As if that’s not cool enough, she’s also covered in ink.

An interview with Ruby Rose on her tattoos How many tattoos do you have, and which was your first?

RUBY ROSE: I don’t actually know how many I have. If you counted them individually it would be, like, 30 or something, but some of them are grouped together as one piece. As for my first one, I lived in Germany when I was 16, and I came back home with a tongue ring. My mom was like, “Get that filthy thing out of your mouth.” She said if I got rid of the piercing I could get a tattoo. What did you get?

It’s a typical tramp stamp, with a rose and an architectural design around it. It’s ridiculous. It’s such a 16-year-old’s tattoo. I would never get that now. But I would never get it removed either. It’s one of my favorites because it was my first. Did you know it was called a tramp stamp at the time, or was that term coined later?

No! That came out after. I was only 16, and any 16-year-old with a tattoo was, like, the coolest person ever. I was the only person in my whole school with a tattoo, but when I was 18, I saw hundreds of other girls with tattoos in the same spot, and I was like, “Aww, man.” What else do you have?

Boxing gloves on my shoulder blade [in honor of her godfather, top boxer Lionel Rose], a cross on my arm. … I don’t think when my mom said I could have my first tattoo she anticipated that five years later I’d be completely covered head to toe in ink. What does Mom think now?

She’s accepted it. And now she has, like, three tattoos. Every woman in my family has a tattoo, but none of the men do. Even my grandma has a small tattoo on her ankle. Any war stories from the tattoo shop?

I got Meow written inside my lip, and that was the most painful one. It’s so weird, putting a needle right on your face. Clearly I’ll never have cosmetic surgery, because that was scary enough for me. Also, the inside of your arm hurts so much. I know you’re not supposed to, but halfway through getting my sleeve redone, I was like, “Okay, that’s it, I need some whiskey right now! Lots and lots of whiskey!” By the end of it, I was like, “It doesn’t hurt anymore!” But then I tried to stand up and I couldn’t. Do you have a favorite tattooer?

I’ve gotten tattoos in Canada, Czech Republic, L.A., but the ones I get in Australia are by Rhys Gordon from Inner Vision—he’s world-renowned. He’s done about seven on me. Have you ever met anyone with a Ruby Rose tattoo?

I never thought I’d be saying yes to this question, but, yeah, there are a few of them out there. One time I was deejaying in Brisbane, and after the gig, a girl came up to me and was like, “I love you so much. Your gig was amazing. Can you sign my arm?” I was so drunk—I’m surprised I even signed my name with the correct lettering. Su 2015

31

Iinside got Meow written my lip, and thatpainful was theone.most


As an MTV VJ, you interview loads of musicians. Who’s got the best ink?

John Mayer has some of the finest art. He was showing me his tats and I was just like, “Damn you! I love that! I wish I had that!” I get tattoo envy. Pink’s got a couple of really cool ones. The Cypress Hill boys and the WuTang boys have awesome ones as well—really old-school mixed with new ones. Did you know that Snoop Dogg recently got his first tattoo?

Really? I would’ve thought he had stacks. That is so funny. Funny thing about that is that American Idol Kelly Clarkson has, like, 10 tattoos. Snoop didn’t have one until now, and Kelly Clarkson has 10? Bizarre. What are some of the lamest tattoos you’ve seen?

You can’t just get ink—you have to have a personality for it. It’s a bit silly when someone goes into a store and is like, “All my friends have tattoos, and it’s my 25th birthday and I haven’t got one yet, so I’ll take the one with the naked lady.” Or people who get big Asian writing all down their arm and they don’t even know what it means. Or people who get the Playboy bunny logo. The fact that anyone has that creeps me out. I’m a bit of an ink snob. You came out of the closet at the age of 12, and now the media is obsessed with your sexuality. What was your experience in terms of coming out?

When I first came out in school, it was really hard. I got bullied. It was the scariest thing I ever did before I did it, because I didn’t know how people would react, or if I’d lose my job or if people would hate me. But since I [came out] I didn’t have to sacrifice that much. Except everyone is now trying to work out who I’m dating. It’s not a negative thing, like, “Gross, she’s gay.” It’s more like, “Wow, she’s gay—she must be dating everyone she’s ever met that’s a female.” Let’s clear this up. Word on the street is that you’re engaged to model Catherine McNeil. What’s the story?

I think everyone knows I’m in a happy relationship—and who I’m with. Are you more attracted to girls with tattoos?

It would be hard to be attracted to someone who didn’t have a tattoo. I’d be like, “There’s all that prime real estate! What are you doing? Just one! Just a little one!”

Coming up, Rhys Gordon, Ruby’s tattoo artist, will be featured.

32

Su 2015


Su 2015

33


34

Su 2015


The Artist Behind Ruby Rose’s Ink

I BECAME ENCHANTED BY THE WORLD of tattooing in my early teens. Coming into contact with heavily tattooed people planted the seed. Getting my first Tattoo at 15 even though I probably looked 11, I knew this was what I wanted to do. The sound, the smell, the atmosphere of tattoo shops had me hooked. In a time when they were the opposite of today, worn by outsiders, sailors, crooks, the list goes on!!!! Always a sense of fear mixed with excitement when entering this hidden world, almost like walking into a rough pub. Not knowing what to expect or who would be in there. Su 2015

35


An interview with Rhys Gordon How long have you been tattooing?

I started taking tattooing seriously in 1990; I was 17. I got my first tattoo at 15, then began hanging around the tattoo shop from then. I did my first tattoo 16. Where did you start tattooing?

I’m originally from Melbourne and began tattooing with Tattoo Charlie in Reservoir. What was your initial interest from?

This came from seeing Sharpies and knockabout types in my area. Then upon my first visit to a tattoo shop, the smell, sound, design covered walls and clientele; I was in love and clearly remember thinking what a cool job this would be. What are your favourite styles to tattoo?

Obviously Traditional Japanese, but being from a street shop background, anything that is done well i.e. traditional Americana, lettering, black and grey, tribal and dot work. Anything well laid out with a thought for the future, I can appreciate even if there is no interest in actually tattooing it or owning it but Japanese is where my heart is at. This comes down to a certain power, clarity and longevity it possesses. I have the best customers who are wanting large work and a few bodysuits on the go; a huge honour in a time with so many great tattooers around. I’m more excited now, after 25 years, than before and I have a long way to go and am so grateful to tattooing for this life. Who/what are your influences (tattoo, art, music… anything)?

Everyone and everything, good or bad, but these days I’ve limited my referencing to 1970/1980 Japanese tattoo books and past masters of Ukiyo-e and use this as a springboard for my style. From a tattoo artist/shop point of view, I’ve worked in 30+ shops, both here and internationally. Most have taught me what not to do. The influential ones for me are: Kenny Mac, Trevor McStay, Cliffe Clayton and Tatudharma. Trevor McStay has done a lot of tattooing on me since 1995 and has been a great mentor, friend and general ambassador for tattooing; an inspiration. What are your interests outside of tattooing?

I love travelling, friends and horsepower, both 4 + 2 wheels. The usual suspects. What are your future goals (career/art)?

To simplify further both work and life. For Little Tokyo to continue to grow organically as it has. More long haul motorcycle rides and travel. Art wise, just to do more and more. Never is the time to take it easy. Do you do any other art than tattooing?

I try to build old muscle cars and motorcycles into works of art. A little bit of watercolour but nothing major as most of my art is on the street walking around. I study water a lot and am trying for a really readable flow on the body, so lots of rough sketching and scribbles.

36

Su 2015


Su 2015

37

Gallery of Gordon’s work


Sak Yant Also known as yantra tattooing featuring angelina jolie

38

Su 2015



Jolie has Khmer script on her shoulder blade and a tiger also done by a monk on her lower back.

40

Su 2015


Su 2015

41


What is Sak Yant?

Tattoos showing religious deities such as the Buddha or the Hindu god Ganesh - also popular in Thailand - are particularly problematic, especially if they are below the waist. In Thai culture, the head is the most sacred part of the body. The further down the body, the less sacred, and foreigners with religious figures inked on their legs have caused upset. On the main highway into Bangkok from the city’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, huge 50-foot-wide billboards declare ‘It’s wrong to use Buddha as a decoration or tattoo’. Some groups want a complete ban on any tattoos of religious figures. ‘The Buddha was a person who was clean from inside to outside. His mind was free from illusion and all the impurities,’ Manat Chareekote, a spokesman for the Knowing Buddha Organization, told AFP. ‘To tattoo the clean one like Buddha on the body is considered improper and lacks respect.’ ‘Today it’s about fashion. But this type of tattoo cannot be sold just for their beauty. It also has to be for the belief,’ she told AFP. Thailand is not the only Buddhist country to experience a backlash against foreigners appropriating religious imagery. In April 2014 a British nurse was thrown out of Sri Lanka for sporting a tattoo of Buddha on her arm despite her insistence she was a devout Buddhist who bore the tattoo as a mark of respect. And in March Myanmar jailed a New Zealand bar manager for using an image of Buddha wearing headphones to advertise a cheap drinks night. Angelina Jolie had her Khmer script inked on by Thai tattoo master Noo Kampai at Pathumthani province north of Bangkok in April 2003. The black tattoo features five vertical rows of ancient Khmer script, which Noo reportedly said would ward off bad luck and help her avoid accidents. It says: ‘May your enemies run far away from you. If you acquire riches, may they remain yours always. Your beauty will be that of Apsara. Wherever you may go, many will attend, serve and protect you, surrounding you on all sides.’ While many foreign tourists have little idea about the spiritual significance attached to religious tattoos like Ms Jolie’s, others deny being insensitive and say their inkings are more than a fashion statement.

42

Su 2015

Those who wear sak yant often believe their tattoos genuinely lend them magical powers


Su 2015

43


The best place in Thailand to receive a Sak Yant tattoo is a Buddhist temple called Wat Bang Phra. It’s located about 40 minutes West of Bangkok. For hundreds of years the temple has been a pilgrimage site for Thai people wanting to receive the protection of a magic tattoo. It’s also home to the most famous Sak Yant practicing monk in Thailand, Master Luang Pi Nunn. The grounds of Wat Bang Phra are composed of a series of beautifully ornate temples surrounded by colorful statues. I made my way towards the tattoo building located in back. The safety of Sak Yant is debateable. It can be a risky practice. The needle itself is usually wiped with an alcohol pad after each tattoo. Or it might be placed in a bottle of alcohol while a separate needle is used for the next person. But the same pot of ink is used with everyone, and blood can mix with the ink. This opens up the possibility of contracting HIV or Hepatitis. There are no hard statistics though. After getting a close look at his tools, I got a bit nervous and briefly thought about backing out. The workspace consisted of a few cushions surrounded by bloody rolled-up pieces of toilet paper, a nasty bucket of inky water, old plastic bottles full of rubbing alcohol, and grime caked onto the walls… I’d also just watched at least 12 people get jabbed with the same couple of needles. And who knows how many went before I arrived. But then I realized that if it was truly dangerous, there wouldn’t be so many people waiting in line to get one. Right?

44

Location: Nakhon Chai Si, Thailand Cost: ฿75 THB (about $2.50 USD) Useful Notes: You’re encouraged to make an additional donation of ฿100 THB placed in the monk’s alms jar. For detailed directions to the Wat, check out my friend Ian’s great post.

Su 2015


For detailed directions to the Wat, check out my friend Ian’s great post.

For detailed directions to the Wat, check out my friend Ian’s great post.

Su 2015

45


46

Su 2015


art is

never fiffiinished Su 2015

47


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.