Sometimes television can be useful. Recently the BBC ran a six part series called Tribal Wives. It was honest, inspirational, often very moving and it reminded me how fruitless my lust for things that sparkle will always be. If you didn’t catch it, here’s a relevant moment.

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(Almost) all these tats were made by and/or with Maxime (not me, Berlin-Maxime) and his fucked up machine ;) no wonder they look hand made… and good! Much love to all our Berlin folks: Fred, Sonia, Xavier, Maxime, John, Olivia, … Take care y’all it was nice meeting you all.

Two of the (many) photos I made…
I am so fan, I wanna don’t disclose them all at once, but keep posting in the next weeks!
There will also be an extensive feature on F in SBIII…

The man himself

A Vivienne Westwood ring. Everything is said.

As I was about to try and blag my way inside Art Unlimited in Basel, Switzerland, from afar, I saw a geezer who looked familiar. Cryptic handmade tattoos, long hair, svelte silhouette. As I took a few steps towards him I realized this probably was Fergus, this mysterious guy I had received a couple of pictures of in for SBII. I had to figure this out. With the nicest smile Fergus confirmed he indeed was… Fergus.
What an amazing and pleasant surprise. Not only does he have one of the most interesting tattoo collection I’ve had the pleasure to see, but he’s the nicest person ever.

Tomorrow, we will meet at the Patty Smith signing then have a little interview for SB III. Clare Hilland will take some portraits of him to go with it. Today was a good day.

(Photos by Clare Hilland)

The young swiss award-winning artistic group Blakam Madame is known, among others, for their very personal appropriation of tattooing, which they practice more as a ritualized gesture than an aesthetic effort, like traces of a mysterious rite. Their tattoos often quote their paintings and installations which, subsequently, integrates and implies themselves—the bearers—as full-time parts of their art.

Blakam also run an art space in Lausanne: Bellevaux

Here, some random little videos made during a tattooing session. Note the videos are no way part of their work, just a vague and informal documentation.

blakam 1

blakam 2

blakam 3

sang bleu tshirt, sang bleu tattoo
erik made it!
live from amsterdam
c u around pal

HAND-MADE/HOME-MADE…
literally