Paul Vickery sent me these strong and beautiful images. Why would I write, they speak fro themselves.

Commitment and dedication is something unquestionable to me. It defies critical sense. It generates the ugliest and the most beautiful faits. And fantastic tattoos too. Amaya is a dear friend and an icon in Lausanne. No wonder she ended up starting a friendship with her own icon, London’s own in-famous Pete Doherthy. And tattooed his signature on her forearm!

(Listen, i know the title is not properly written. It’s a “clin d’oeuil” to a song I love that’s called “deadicated”. It is totally unrelated but if anyone knows it, we shall be friends!)

Rob.
Roberto Medeiros, whom I met as he was working outside, selling bahjis and pakoras at the Bricklane/Bethnal green corner, one freezing cold afternoon of the winter 2005.
He just sent me this.
What a nice surprise. I’m kinda moved actually.
Rob also lived in one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen. A squat in an old early 20th century garage in Stockwell.

Crazy mf.

new tattoos by Jun Matsui

The delightful Patka. She’ll be mad at me for adding her words but her English is a hell of a lot better niż mój język Polski.

Janini is at Premier (London)

The Collector.

When did you have the first done?

‘I remember the date because I had it done on a special date so I’d remember it. It was January the 1st 1971. At Ben Gunn’s. You had to argue at Ben Gunn’s’.

‘I really want that one there’.

‘Nah, that’s too big.  It’s your first one, you can’t have that, it’s too big’, he said, ‘I’ll do you a nice panther’s head’.

I said, ‘I don’t want a panther’s head’.

People warned me: ‘He’ll try and get you to have a panther’s head’.

I got it done eventually.

(More for SB5)

Today I said goodbye to my conflicted goddess
Her lush eyes show surprise
At how we could gather knowledge
The painting has a dream
Where shadow breaks the scene
And the colors run off
Blue is bashful, green is my goal
Yellow girls are running backward
Until the next time, with six hits of sunshine
The lights will blind us with blues in haiku
The shadow has a dream
Where painters look to sea
And colors burn out
Now I know where I once saw you
Stepping into muddy water
John’s reflection decried perfection
Now you walk him through the garden
Waiting in the wings
Painters shade their dreams
With falling colors
See me wave goodbye forever
Happiness the goddess lover
Hurry back remember last time
The hits of sunshine, the hits of goldmine
I’ll see you back tonight
Where painters love the light
And yellow shadow girls
Today I say goodbye to my complicious goddess
Her hushed eyes show surprise
At how we captured knowledge
I’ll see you back tonight
Where shadows dream of light
Let’s slip on outside
Sonic Youth – Hits of Sunshine (For Allen Ginsberg) appears on the album A Thousand Leaves.