Phil Luck Trivial Ink – Part 1
NEWS
Studio 21 Meets Sailor Jerry Rum
Studio 21 Meets Sailor Jerry Rum
Cultural Dynamic of Tattooing…New York City Roots
Phil Luck (Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery artist) has a bit of tattoo history under his belt. If you were to take a smoke break with Phil, he could bend your ear about what it was like in New York City being a part of history, experiencing the explosion of tattooing and it’s changing art form. The book “Tattooing New York City” by Michael McCabe has recently been put back into circulation and it is worth reading about the exciting times of the counter culture going back to the 1930′s. Phil was one of three artists who tattooed in all five boroughs in New York City, needless to say he has a few tales of his own. Phil’s style goes back to basics, traditional themes that span the time frame from the original electric version of the tattoo machine creating a foundation of “Old School” influences that have held true, not necessarily subscribing to the new liberal values. Many New York tattooers haven’t strayed far from the original design themes, bold images, rich black shading and primary colors. The book includes many page spreads showing Phil’s original flash art, his personal philosophies on style, and how the raw characters he worked with helped shape the cities’ history. Tattooing transcended the landscape of diverse ethnic groups and cultural differences to unite those with the urge to get tattooed in a city where tattooing was banned for 30 years. In July 1997 tattooing was legalized causing the once underground tattooers to work with officials to set public safety health guidelines…and the explosion began, shops materializing overnight. This paragraph reflects how tattooing has changed through time in New York City as well as the mainstream awareness.
“Today in the city, without a tattoo you are outside the loop. A backlash of sorts exists, where people resist the impulse but basically it has reached the point where most young people feel comfortable exploring some part of their personality with a tattooed image. This process of discovery and acceptance has been gradual, picking up speed within very recent time. People no longer get tattooed to declare themselves as outsiders, wearing a tattoo today underscores people as consummate insiders who are in touch with the bearings of their time. This shift in attitude reflects the cultural dynamic of mainstreaming and is the by-product of a powerful leveling process that has radically changed things for both artists and customers–some would say for the better, others for the worse. Change is fluid, unpredictable and difficult. It leaves some sensibilities in the dust and encourages others to expand.” ~ Michael McCabe
Creepy Wins Big!
Mike Biggs, resident tattoo artists proudly poses with his trophy. At the “2010 Biggest Tattoo Show On Earth” in Las Vegas Mike managed to pull off the second place award for “Best Color Design Sheet” in October. Kudos to Mike, excited for you and well deserved. The color and execution is amazing! For more visuals of Mike and Dasha’s (his wife) work visit their website http://causticimagery.com/
Trash to Treasure Rat Rod
The transformation began from Austin’s backyard junk to Mike’s rat rod. From Mike’s words: I was talking to Austin one day and mentioned I was starting a car project and I had bought an old chevy 350 motor. He then went on to tell me he had this old 36′ ford cab and truck bed sitting in his backyard collecting dust! I asked why it was just sitting back there and he explained why. I offered him money to buy it from him, some money and a “I – Owe -You” for an original painting later. I got the cab and bed over to my friend Ian’s shop, PAID 2 PLAY over at the Las Vegas Speedway. Ian is very good at building hot rods from scratch so I started giving him money periodically to build mine. I really liked the rat rod look so I kept the original rusty look. Ian built the frame from scratch and put everything together custom. It was fun seeing all the parts come together and finally getting to drive it for the first time. PAID 2 PLAY did an amazing job on my 1936 Ford pickup rat rod. I got my logo stenciled on the doors and the top, then scraped off to give it a vintage look. The bed of the truck was covered with really nice wood panel flooring to cover the suspension and everything else to give it a clean look. The white wall wheels finished it off.