This and that

Essay

March 7, 2023

Blastover, I Love You by @Pang.Ink

Interview

August 31, 2021

Gender & Tattooing with Tamara Santibañez

Collector

October 22, 2020

PART 1: DARK HORSE & TAKU HORISUZU

California based writer and tattoo collector Damien Belliveau shares his stories behind his collection. Part 1 : @horisuzu

Interview

May 21, 2020

Yutaro (@warriorism)

We check in with Japanese artist Yutaro (@warriorism) during London’s Covid 19 lockdown and talk about his current thoughts and feelings of the global pandemic on the tattoo industry and home life.

Interview

February 13, 2020

Nadine Anderson (@Devlin_616)

Nadine Anderson is a tattoo collector, gradually blacking out her body in an organic and natural progression. Ed Crooks spoke to Nadine to find out more about the process.

Interview

January 30, 2020

Mark Lonsdale (@lonsdaletattoo)

Having moved with his wife to Australia, Mark Lonsdale has worked in many notable shops in Sydney. His varied oeuvre, spanning blackwork and color, avoids stylistic niche.

Interview

January 24, 2020

Massimo Gurnari (@massimogurnari)

Massimo Gurnari’s bold etching works have developed slowly since he began tattooing in a  “private studio” in the corner of his house. Gurnari now works at DOA Tattoo Factory, set up by close friend Mirko Sata, as well as being a successful painter, amongst other things.

Interview

January 16, 2020

Johan Ulrich (@johantattoos)

Meet Johan Ulrich, a tattooist at Jack Browns Tattoo Revival, Virginia and toy designer. Here, Ed Crooks discusses with Johan the influences on his tattoo career and the journey to becoming a toy maker.

Interview

January 10, 2020

Martin (@martinsyslo)

Martin is tattooed, in a wheelchair, and smiles all the time. Photographer Tereza Koňaříková interviewed Martin about his accident, what his experience of being tattooed is like, and how he still feels limitless.

Documentary

December 23, 2019

TTTV Episode 1

TTTISM spoke to presenter of new show <i>TTTV</i>, Louie Jenkins, to find out some more about how the project came about and what his highlights are from Episode 1.

Interview

December 19, 2019

Tattooed Refugees by Rossinante and Olivier Marescaux

Rossinante and Olivier Marescaux aim to document those who are considered by society to be ‘outcasts’, and found themselves at a refugee camp. They documented the stories and tattoos of the people living there.

Interview

December 12, 2019

Stace Forand (@waterstreetphantom)

Heavily influenced by Japanese style, Stace Forand has developed a style that comes from a desire to strive for authenticity from deep within himself. Being self-taught, Forand discusses the importance of the close community around him, and the expanded horizons of other cultures and places.

Interview

December 5, 2019

Dan Sinnes (@dansin)

Interview

November 21, 2019

Jeroen Franken (@jeroenfranken)

Since first learning in the depths of the jungle in Borneo, Jeroen Franken has since owned several private studios and currently owns and works at Seven Seas Atelier with his wife Kim Anh.

Interview

November 19, 2019

Alina Ruda (@ruda_alina)

Member of tattoo collective Future Berlin, Alina Ruda was someone who was always drawing, before turning to tattooing. Ruda was disciplined in teaching herself, and her strikingly simple designs are at once fierce and humorous.

Bay Area Tattoo Convention

November 11, 2019

Bay Area Tattoo Convention 2019

As a proud sponsor, TTTISM is pleased to present a series of photos from the 2019 Bay Area Tattoo Convention.

Interview

November 7, 2019

Julim Rosa (@julimrosa)

Julim Rosa has spent most of her life moving around but has now settled in Berlin. Throughout her tattoo and contemporary art practice, Rosa has consistently questioned institution and convention.

Interview

November 1, 2019

Alba Rey (@inthenameofrey)

Seeking a different form of learning, Alba Rey travelled the world, developing her own style alongside experimentation with photography and painting with Indian ink.

Press Release

October 24, 2019

LadiesLadies! Art Show 2019

The LadiesLadies Art Show takes place on October 26th 2019 at Three Kings Tattoo NYC. This benefit fundraiser is the sixth instalment of the ground-breaking, female-only collective exhibit–showcasing art from international female tattooers. All proceeds from the night will be donated to Planned Parenthood NYC.

Profile

October 17, 2019

Raphael Voirol (@raf_vo)

Raphael Voirol is a tattoo collector who got his first tattoo, a dragon on his shoulder, on his 18th birthday. Voirol has now turned his own hand to tattooing and is grateful to be able to make the art he loves.

Profile

October 10, 2019

Gotch (@gotch_tattoo)

Self-taught tattoo artist Gotch grew up in the projects in Rousing, just south of Kyoto. He works in his own relaxed and private studio Harizanmai, and over his 20 years of tattooing has worked in Osaka and Paris.

Bay Area Tattoo Convention

October 7, 2019

Bay Area Tattoo Convention Retrospective

In anticipation of the 15th annual Bay Area Tattoo Convention, set to take place in late October of 2019, TTTISM highlights some of its articles on the convention to date.

Interview

September 5, 2019

Rob Noseworthy (@robnoseworthy)

Rob Noseworthy began tattooing under the guidance of Albert Caine in 2005, eventually tattooing full time in 2006. Noseworthy discusses the fine line between influence and copying, and the importance of encouraging a younger generation of tattooers to be original and experimental.

Interview

September 5, 2019

Simon Ban (@squids.ink)

Simon Ban grew up surrounded by a creative family and after finally transitioning to tattooing full time two and a half years ago, Ban has been developing a style that combines traditional rules and layouts with new patterns and exciting placements.

Interview

August 21, 2019

Virginia Elwood (@virginiaelwood)

Virginia Elwood is a tattooist, fine artist, and co-owner of Saved Tattoo with her wife Stephanie Tamez. Elwood discusses her optimism towards the increasing accessibility and diversity of the tattoo world, which herself and her community champions at Saved Tattoo.

Interview

August 19, 2019

Saint Molotov

Saint Molotov discusses his latest zine project <i>Welcome 2 Paradise</i>, how he found his roots in tattoo culture through the support of his tattooer friends, and the influence of mysticism and occultism on his work.

Interview

August 15, 2019

Arminas Stanulevičius

Arminas Stanulevičius developed a skill for sharp lines during his time as an interior designer. Inspired by the darkness in the world, as well as his extensive travels, he’s an artist that utilizes both traditional and digital media in his work.

New Releases

August 4, 2019

Ed Hardy: Deeper Than Skin at the de Young Museum

Ed Hardy: Deeper Than Skin is an exhibition curated by the de Young Museum in San Francisco, California. The exhibition promises to be a monument to the history of tattooing and runs from July 13th to October 6th.

Tattooist

July 18, 2019

21×29.7

Parisian tattooist Joh (@21×29.7) tells TTTism about his self-taught beginnings as a tattooer. Now running a successful private studio some five years later, Joh is known for his experimental approach to (otherwise) iconic imagery.

Interview

July 8, 2019

Ryan Mettz (@ryanmettz)

We speak with Ryan Mettz, a Brooklyn-based tattooer working out of Greenpoint Tattoo Co.. Mettz’s clients come to him for his tasteful style, and leave with pieces that combine traditional aesthetics with modern imagery.

Interview

June 26, 2019

Pride: Part 3

TTTism continues to champion the LGBTQ+ community, acknowledging the steps that have been taken towards inclusivity, and highlighting the distance we still need to go to ensure the safety of all members of the tattoo community.

Interview

June 10, 2019

Dane Nicklas (@tenderbrusselssprout)

Dane Nicklas is a Portland-based tattooist currently working at Good Stuff Tattoos. Nicklas’ work opts for the impact of minimal, graphical designs. He maintains a fidelity towards surrealism.

Interview

May 27, 2019

Michelle Wanhala (@mwanhala)

Michelle Wanhala works in Chicago, driven by the achievement of fulfilling her goal to make a living as an artist. Influenced by references from comic books to retro décor, Wanhala’s art also encompasses a multitude of media including sculpture, embroidery, and painting.

Interview

February 8, 2019

Andrew Stortz: Books Closed

We interview Andrew Stortz, the organizer, founder, and host of the exceptional podcast, Books Closed.

Interview

January 31, 2019

Chad Koeplinger on Hardcore Music: A Conversation With Ed Crooks

TTTism presents an interview between creator of the Still Life zine, Ed Crooks, and Nashville-based tattooist, Chad Koeplinger.

Photography

December 23, 2018

Brian Kennedy (@sewp)

TTTism presents a series of photos by tattooist, artist, and musician, Brian Kennedy (@sewp). The photo series follows Kennedy amidst his extensive travels in Europe and Asia.

Interview

September 21, 2018

Luca Ortis for TTTism

TTTism presents a video portrait of Luca Ortis alongside an interview with the London-based tattooist. Ortis’ discussion of his origins in the industry is complemented by images of rich, large-scale Japanese traditional tattoos.

New Releases

September 6, 2018

Ladies Ladies Art Show 2018

A press release for the Ladies Ladies Art Show 2018, curated by Elvia Iannaccone Gezlev and Martina Secondo Russo. This piece will be followed by an interview with Gezlev.

New Releases

August 30, 2018

FISK Gallery on David Schiesser’s “Spectator Mode”

We speak with co-curators of Portland’s FISK Gallery, Bijan Berahimi and Michael Spoljaric, about their thoughts on the gallery’s current exhibition, “Spectator Mode,” by artist and tattooist David Schiesser.

Photography

December 26, 2017

Photos of the Bay Area Tattoo Convention 1/3

A series of photos documenting the 2017 Bay Area Tattoo Convention, taken by Jake Ricker. This series is presented as part of TTTism’s special issue on the Bay Area Convention.

Interview

December 26, 2017

Taki Kitamura @ Bay Area Tattoo Convention 2017

Co-organizer of the Bay Area Tattoo Convention, Taki Kitamura, discusses the history of the convention, some of its many notable moments, and its place in the world of tattooing more broadly as part of our Special Issue.

Collector

November 28, 2017

Prayers

Photographer and tattooist Elvia Iannaccone Gezlev interviews Leafar Seyer of San Diego-based band, Prayers. Coupled with this interview are striking photos of the band taken in New York by Gezlev.