Tag: American

2024, the 6th Seaside Tattoo Show

When much of California experiences heat waves in July, visiting the Ventura County Fairgrounds, which has a microclimate with temperatures in the mid-70s Fahrenheit (mid-20s Celcius), is excellent. We can breathe and enjoy a three-day convention there. The organizer, Christina Diaz (who also manages Evolved Tattoos and Fine Art) and her key sponsors Working Class […]

Steven Johnson’s Tattoo Collection: Body and Museum

The year 1969 marked the birth of Steven Johnson in Chula Vista, California. In the early 1970s, his father, a senior chief in the navy, got tattoos by legendary Bob Shaw at 22 S Chestnut Place in Long Beach (currently known as Outer Limits, the longest continuously running parlor in the United States). His father’s […]

Interview with Joe Truck, a Veteran New York Rocker and Tattooer

Joe Truck, born in 1961 in Manhattan, New York, has over forty years of expertise as a musician and over thirty years as a tattooist. His father, film producer Charles D. Kasher, was connected to 1960s films starring Michael Caine, and his mother, Lodi Carr, was a jazz singer. His background was far from glamorous, […]

An Essential Interview with Tattoo Legend Big Frank

Frank William Harrison was born in 1959 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Known as Big Frank in the tattoo community, this nickname was derived from the fact that there were numerous Franks in the industry, and he stood the tallest at 6.3 feet. Big Frank has legendary status, with over three decades of experience in tattooing […]

A Conversation with Eddy Reyes Sr, a Tattoo Icon in Chicano Culture

Although South California (especially Los Angeles) was already known for black-and-gray prison-style tattooing, in North California, Eddy Reyes Sr popularized Chicano art by mixing aspects of Mexican culture, religion, and history with the street vibe of the West Coast of the United States. His meticulously crafted body art, made with fine-line needles, displays a delicate […]

Dearly Departed Tattoos: An Interview with Mark Clifford

Mark Clifford spent most of his life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was born in 1975. He held various jobs and played in a band, which led him and his bandmates to get tattoos and ignited his interest in this art form. Clifford started working as a tattooer in 2001 and co-owned a tattoo shop […]

Dianne Mansfield’s Eye of the Beholder

The master photographer Dianne Mansfield’s “Eye of the Beholder” has been released in hardback format by Raking Light Projects. Mansfield has documented the tattoo community for over four decades in a raw and compelling manner, capturing the reality of a tattooer’s life and work. From photos of Pacific Islanders to images taken at major conventions, it is clear […]

Art Show by Seventh Son Tattoo at 111 Minna Gallery

Even though 2022 was the official “Year of the Tiger,” Seventh Son Tattoo believed it would be a fitting homage to begin 2023 with a traditional motif as the theme for their art exhibition. From Pinky Yun to Ed Hardy, the tiger has been consistently and strongly represented in the tattoo industry. Luke Stewart, tattooist […]

Secret Sidewalk Tattoos History and 20th Anniversary

Eddy Reyes Sr was born in 1975 in Pajacuran, Mexico, and immigrated to the Bay Area of northern California, USA, at two years old. He began tattooing at 13 with a handcrafted machine and became a professional in 1995. He planned to utilize tattoos to depict the Bay Area by fusing what he saw on […]

Freddy Corbin, Oakland’s Tattoo God

Freddy Corbin was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1966, grew up in Sacramento, and at 18, went to San Francisco, California, to pursue a career as a tattoo artist. Joshua Golden gives him his first professional tattoo at Lyle Tuttle’s shop. Corbin spent a lot of time at studios and received body art from various […]