Lucky Money Cat

 
Seen as a lucky charm or talisman the literal translation of ‘maneki-neko’ is roughly the beckoning cat. It’s moving paw facing downwards, as traditionally depicted, is a more familiar beckoning motion throughout many Asian regions whereas recent variations to the icon have depicted an upward facing paw to convey the same gesturing concept to Westerners. One of the first recorded instances of a figure that today is commonly recognized as maneki-neko came from around Tokyo in the mid 1800s. Today this lucky kitty can be found everywhere, from key-chains to shop entrances. A pleasure working with you on this whimsical collaboration and wishing you safe travels ahead

 
 
 
 

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Body As Identity

 
Opposed to relatively recent, primarily Western classification of the physical as something to be ‘tamed’ or ‘controlled’ body/art could be shown as observance of inherent physiological potential alongside subjective description. Aside from long established use in tribal affiliations, rights of passage and clear indications of specific cultural participation the conscious non-adherence to modern social coding standards as displayed by the body reflects an underlying spirit of self-expression through modification. Roots of contemporary prejudice against and indeed novelization of practices may be partially traced back to no more than historically narrow, single ideological obedience. However with this the concept of narcissism must be acknowledged, which will be explored in upcoming entries
 
| ‘The intuitive spirituality of the body and a spirituality that encompasses physical reality as well as unseen psychic energies, although based in ancient practices and beliefs, are gradually entering mainstream thought of the 1990s. The history of body alteration and the nuances of its various cultural and spiritual meanings would comprise a lifetime of research, but a brief introduction is essential to understanding contemporary shifts in attitude toward body alteration. During the Western peregrination toward modernity, ornamental and religious body marking and alteration became associated with pagan barbarism according to the European world view that dichotomized spirit and flesh and sought out reasons to degrade unfamiliar and colonized cultures. Ancient Egyptian culture located spirituality in physical existence, but by the time of Greek civilization the body was considered an inferior manifestation of a more noble and abstract perfect body.
 
Augustine furthered a schism between man’s physical and spiritual existence as he preached the sinfulness of sexual desire and the need to discipline the body. His influence extended through the middle ages and Anglo-European Christian culture began to see bodies as “interchangeable” and “non-essential” to man’s spiritual growth. Acceptance of magical and symbolic use of the body declined. Medieval practices of venerating relics—the preserved body parts of saints and mystics—faded. Physical existence became something to be conquered in order to transcend one’s humanness and become spiritual. Once the body and its desires were discarded, pure spirit could be achieved. Medieval saints who practiced chastity and ascetic activities that punished the body believed they were renouncing the body rather than enlisting it in the journey toward mystical union with God. This is in direct contrast to religious practices that consciously train the body to enter altered states and consider integrating body and mind an essential element of religious ecstasy.
 
Indian Tantrism, for example, rebels against the dualism that proposes asceticism as the path to enlightenment. The Tantric claim that bodily pleasure and spiritual reality coexist creates paths to enlightenment accessible to individuals not ordinarily credited with spiritual capabilities. As one of the Tantras explains, “Ananda (the mind-expanding bliss that is the essence of Reality and Self) is the form of the Brahman (the transcendental Self) and that Ananda is installed in the body.” By validating the body as a spiritual temple necessary to attain enlightenment in a single lifetime, Tantric teachings during the eighth through twelfth centuries encouraged anyone from any social class to strive for spiritual knowledge. The Tantric philosophy of embracing sexual desires and pleasure as a method of obtaining divine communion was, and remains, controversial. Likewise, the medieval mystics caused consternation in the church when they claimed to experience the bliss of divine union without the aid of scripture or church authorities by fasting and flagellating themselves. While the saints may not have known they were democratizing spiritual bliss, the Catholic church probably did. This was probably the basis for Catholic castigation of many of the ascetic women mystics for their extreme and unauthorized practices… | continue

 
 

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Stretching

 
Otzi The Ice Man’s remains are dated to around 3300 BCE and currently constitute some of our earliest recorded evidence of body/art practices. His remains were found bearing not only tattoo artwork yet he also had his ear lobes stretched to 0 gauge or 8mm. From the Maasai of Kenya to the Huaorani of the Amazon, stretching portions usually of the ears and lips to accommodate larger jewelry is a long standing modification style. Today ‘plugs’ in the middle of stretched ear lobes may be considered relatively commonplace across a number of mainstream Western-centric cultures
 
| ‘In order to achieve a stretched piercing, typically one first receives a regular piercing in the ear, lip, or other part of the body, and allows that piercing to heal while wearing the starter jewelry. Once the piercing has healed, there are a number of ways of stretching the hole, which usually involve stretching it a little bit at a time in order to minimize tissue damage and pain.
 
Tapering is the most common technique used for stretching, and involves the use of a conical metal rod known as a taper, which is pushed through the hole until the widest part of the taper is even with the skin; larger jewelry is then pushed through, parallel to the back of the taper. Larger tapers, and then jewelry, will be substituted over time as the hole gets bigger. Another gradual method of stretching uses teflon tape. The existing jewelry is removed from the hole and a piece of tape is wrapped around it, forming a slightly larger diameter. As the hole stretches to accommodate the new size of jewelry, the jewelry is removed and more tape is applied.
 
Men and women have been stretching their piercings for thousands of years. Stretched lips into which lip plates or lip plugs are inserted have been worn in ancient Meso-America, South America, among the Inuit and other Northwest Coast Indians, and among a number of tribes in Africa. Stretched ears have been worn in ancient Egypt as well as a number of Asian countries… | full entry

 
 

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Ink Brush Bamboo

 
Working almost in shadows or silhouettes this particular technique of creating bamboo initially paints artwork on rice-paper before transferring into skin. Using Chinese calligraphy brushes with heavier, pronounced strokes results in a style that is arguably more akin to minimalist abstraction. Offering the strongest contrasts by staying just with black ink, the natural flow of bamboo lends itself very well to not only the torso placement yet could be further complimented by distortion from everyday movement. Congratulations again, we look forward to discussing your next composition

 
 
 
 

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Psychology Of Appearance

 
Expanding the Guides’ series of academic publications we delve into the psychology of appearance with a first entry exploring its history of research. Adoption consistently broadening with the industry’s options, today tens of billions are spent annually on all manner of procedures. How tattooing or scarification compare in acceptability to say the whole series of mainstream often invasive cosmetic procedures is an intriguing yet rarely debated distinction. From an historical context the lines between subversive and conventional practices may be argued by some as entirely, subjectively arbitrary
 
| ‘Evidence for the fascination humans have with physical appearance comes from a rich variety of sources, including mythology and legends, anecdotes from history, fairy tales and a variety of contemporary sources. Examples of the interest we as a species take both in our own appearance and the way we present ourselves to others have been derived from as long as 30,000 years ago, when in Africa people chose to decorate their faces, and from examples of portraiture from 23,000 BC…
 
We are also preoccupied with our own appearance. The first true mirrors were made in 1460 by the Venetians, who worked out how to create clear glass. People enjoyed seeing themselves so much that this quickly turned into big business. The del Gallo brothers found out how to create a perfect reflection in 1507, but the Venetians managed to keep the knowledge to themselves for more than a century, despite the efforts of spies and diplomats from other countries who tried to discover their secret. We examine our own appearance thousands of times in our lives, and most of us respond to the urge to check out our reflection in shop windows or mirrors when the opportunity arises. The sight of our familiar appearance does much to reassure us about our identity; however, we are taken aback when our appearance does not conform to our own internalized self-image – for example when harsh lighting offers a version of ourselves which appears older than our internalized self-view, or when others claim that a photo we consider unflattering is in fact a good likeness. Physical changes to the body, and in particular the face, powerfully affect the way we experience ourselves and take some time to assimilate into our self-view.
 
This phenomenon is recognized by health care professionals who carefully manage the first post-operative glimpse in a mirror following major trauma or surgery. Those affected can be shocked for some time afterwards when catching sight of an unexpected image… Whatever our personal beliefs, most of us actively attempt to influence the way we look (for example, through our choice of clothing or hairstyle), either to conform to perceived norms of appearance, or out of a desire to express our individuality… | full article

 
 

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Scarification

 
Despite often being relegated to far more ‘fringe’ categorization today as opposed to tattoo arts’ mainstream popularity, scarification has been practiced across the world for an equally long time. Although notably associated with tribes in Africa and say the Crocodile People of New Guinea, scars from dueling or battle were portrayed as essentially desirable marks of pride in recent Western history. Aside from the patterns’ significance or believed potential influence the sheer fact of voluntarily withstanding pain while undergoing its creation is a statement in and of itself
 
| ‘Scarification refers to the practice of slicing the skin in order to create scars, which are typically joined together into decorative patterns. Also known as cicatrisation, scarification is an analogous practice to tattooing, in that both mark individuals with important social information such as rank, genealogy, marital status, social status, and tribal or clan membership, and both are often performed as a part of a rite of passage, generally enabling the wearer to move from youth into adulthood. Because both practices are painful, wearing a tattoo or scar is a sign of one’s strength and bravery, usually for a man, but sometimes also for women. Finally, both scarification and tattooing are often seen as a form of beautification, without which the individual would be less attractive. Tattooing, however, tends to be practiced by people with relatively light skin, through which the tattoos can show, while scarification, tends to be practiced by people with darker skin.
 
There are a number of different techniques used to create scars. Some techniques involve cutting the skin deeply, either in long lines or short ones, to create a scar. Indented scars are produced by slicing out a piece of skin, usually in a line. Others involve first pulling up a small amount of skin with a hook, and slicing off a piece of the elevated skin. This creates a raised welt, and, when multiple pieces of skin are raised and cut, it creates an overall design that can be quite stunning. Another method is to cut the skin, and afterward insert mud or ash in the cuts, which can leave the scars colored, or can leave raised bumps, known as keloids.
 
In many cultures, especially in Africa, women are more commonly scarred and wear more elaborate designs than men. Often, women’s scars are seen as an indication that she can withstand the pain of childbearing, making her well suited to be a wife. Girls are generally first scarred at puberty, and the face, the shoulders, the chest, and the abdomen are the most common locations… | full article

 
 

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Minimalist Watercolor

 
This aesthetic in particular requiring a far more open canvas the spacing surrounding watercolor strokes highlight brush movements and details. The organic movement of ink, as painted on canvas prior to re-creation in skin, is further accentuated when contrasted by the small series of geometric bars almost reminiscent of piano keys. Needing under one full session to complete this category of composition exemplifies the ‘less is more’ ethos. A true pleasure working with you, we are looking forward to your next concept already

 
 
 
 

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Ideas Of Order

 
Quite frequently in body/art it can be argued that the medium overshadows the message. Meaning simply the fact of utilizing skin or one’s body as the ‘canvas’ in itself becomes critiqued and acknowledged over the subject conveyed or significance attached to the work. Collating choice interpretations and perspectives from a variety of classical artists the author presents substantial rationales for conventional alongside contemporary artwork creation. All of which may be said to, following possible adjustment of canvas choice, remain pertinent for the modern day body artist
 
| ‘Discussing the adaptive functions of human art, Joseph Carroll highlights its role in organizing the capacity of the mind to envision circumstances beyond the immediate. Able to conceptualize future problems and pleasures, to anticipate a multiplicity of outcomes for any event, to speculate about individual motives or group dynamics, and even to foresee their own mortality, humans occupy a mental universe far larger than their actual physical and social environment. “The Brain–is wider than the sky–,” as Emily Dickinson observes. The uniquely anticipatory, creatively constructive characteristics of human psychology have proven to be a source of strength for the species, ensuring “behavioral flexibility” in handling “contingent circumstances”. At the same time, however, these abilities are the source of “potential chaos” and “psychological exile” for the restlessly hypothesizing individual mind. By ordering and interpreting the welter of interior hopes, fears, and schemes, art counters psychic chaos and isolation: deliberately shaped artifacts–in paint, in music, in words–seek to teach, to console, to cheer, or to inspire.
 
The ordered completeness of the imagined worlds artists construct is underscored by their recognition of the fragmented, confusing character of human consciousness. Without assistance such as that supplied by art, individuals tend to become lost in the dismaying multiplicity of their own projections, memories, and hypotheses. The sometimes overpowering richness of the external environment is magnified, on a moment-by-moment basis, by an avalanche of interior responses to it.
 
In consequence, as Wallace Stevens points out, “we live in a constellation / Of patches and of pitches, / Not in a single world” (“July Mountain”). No one has described the “thousand odd, disconnected fragments” comprising individual awareness better than Virginia Woolf: “hanging and bobbing and dipping and flaunting,” the contents of the “rag-bag of odds and ends within us” tease and exasperate. Seeking to understand the self as “nothing but one self,” its life’s experience as “a single, downright, bluff piece of work,” the individual is confronted instead with a hodge-podge of interiority that recklessly overlays sense impressions with the “capricious” effects of memory, apprehension, and desire. The result, Woolf avers, is that “nothing [can] ever be seen whole”: “body and mind [are] like scraps of torn paper tumbling from a sack”. This “chopping up small of body and mind” threatens to annihilate identity: one feels “disassembled” by a myriad of “separate scraps” all simultaneously attempting to define the self and direct its thinking… | full article

 
 

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Punk

 
Emerging around the 1970’s and described by some as a ‘bricolage of culture held together by safety pins’ – the punk movement not only practices a variety of body modification it may be argued to have further influenced the modern art forms’ development. From a very broad standpoint the central themes of the ideology are often held to center around individual freedom as well as anti-establishment. Irrespective of individual political affiliations or beliefs, the spirit of self-expressionism echoes an underlying universal
 
| ‘Since punk is an oppositional subculture, punks have historically used forms of fashion and body adornment from the margins of mainstream culture, and that represent the ideology of freedom, nonconformity, antiauthoritarianism, and rebellion, thus the heavy use of ripped and defaced clothing, messy or crazy hair, ugly and loud makeup, and elaborately decorated jackets and jeans. These stylistic elements, when viewed as a whole, created a coherent style that was intended to shock society.
 
Punks have also drawn on the primitivist ideology in their critique of the excesses of Western civilization. For that reason, body modifications popular with the modern primitives scene are often used by punks, and the two movements often overlap significantly. Finally, because punks have typically spurned commercialization, they instead choose to express and reinvent themselves via their own artistic creations with respect to style. Piercings fit perfectly into this do-it-yourself ethos, since many can be done by oneself, at no cost, with simple (although perhaps not terribly hygienic) tools…
 
Tattooing is and has been one of the most heavily used modifications in the punk scene. Because punks often drew indecent words or images on themselves, tattooing is the perfect medium for the expression of countercultural values. Punk tattoo styles were initially drawn from a number of other subcultures such as bikers, rockers, and teddy boys, and, like those other groups, marked the wearers as outsiders to mainstream culture, as well as insiders to the punk movement… | full article

 
 

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Eye See You

 
Single large human eye crafted in high detail on the side / torso. Typically black and white offers the sharpest contrasts for these kinds of intricate elements. All too often done below minimum recommended sizes, in order to retain the fine lines over the years to come, this composition is well within the preferred proportions. Whilst the eye itself is sharply realistic, soft almost ink-brush fading was used to transition so as seemingly emerging in to or from the body. Always a pleasure working with you Mikael. We look forward to the next series of concepts

 
 
 
 

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