In honor of Tattoo Age’s Thom deVita episode, VICE is holding an art show and sale at Mike Rubendall’s Kings Ave Tattoo shop in NYC from January 11th-13th. Thom’s one of a kind creative rubbings from tattoo stencils, art boxes, signed books, and more will be available for purchase. The legendary artist himself will also be present to talk about his art and Scott Harrison will be tattooing Saturday and Sunday… (more…)
In the final part of Thom deVita’s Tattoo Age series we have to cover a lot of ground. So please sit back and prepare to go from the days before tattoo artists wore gloves while working to Thom’s current life as an artist. Enjoy. [More info on expanded page] (more…)
In the new episode of the Thom deVita Tattoo Age series we explore the neighborhood in which Thom live and worked, the Lower East Side of Manhattan. We also go into the types of tattoos Thom did, and what it took to talk someone into getting tattoos that were a little out of the norm. [More info on expanded page](more…)
In part three of Thom deVIta’s epic Tattoo Age series, we take look at his personal history and how he came into tattooing. We also hear from tattoo legend Angelo Scotto on the history of tattooing in New York City… [More info on expanded page](more…)
In the second part of the Thom deVita Tattoo Age series we focus on the touching and often hilarious relationship he has with Nick Bubash. Thom and Nick met in the early 1970s and soon after Thom started to tattoo Nick, he also started to teach him how to tattoo. Over the past 40 years their relationship has gone way beyond tattooing, or even art for that matter, but they still continue to create together… [More info on expanded page](more…)
Thom deVita began tattooing in the late 60s in New York’s Lower East Side, when the practice was illegal. He quickly began to forge his own styles, drawing influence from Puebla Indian designs to Lord and Taylor shopping bags. In this episode, we hear from Ed Hardy, photographer Clayton Patterson, Nick Bubash, Scott Harrison, John Wyatt, Angelo Scotto, Bubba Reeves, Robert Ryan, and more, as we unfold Thom deVita’s epic story…. [More info on expanded page](more…)
While we’re waiting for the premiere of Tattoo Age’s Thom DeVita killer episode, we just released some Valerie Vargas Bonus Footage. Vargas takes us to meet the legendary English tattooer Lal Hardy who has been tattooing since 1975 and is generally considered to be one of the people who elevated tattooing in the UK in the 1980s.
The next Tattoo Age series is about Thom deVita. Thom is an artist on many levels, and tattooing is just one of the ways he expresses himself. He began tattooing in New York City in the late 60s, when the practice was illegal. In this episode, which starts on November 21, we will hear from Don Ed Hardy, Nick Bubash, Scott Harrison, John Wyatt, Angelo Scotto, Bubba Reeves, and Robert Ryan, as we try to tell the epic story of Thom deVita, the artist. (more…)
In Part 3, Mutsuo reflects on the blurry line of legality of tattooing in Japan, along with the prejudice against tattooed individuals that still lingers within society today, where people with tattoos are not welcome in public baths, beaches, pools, etc. He muses on why tattooing makes him happy and provides personal thoughts on spirituality, while bringing us to local temples of his hometown and introducing us to his lovely family. (more…)
In this episode of Tattoo Age we delve into the history of Three Tides Tattoo. We hear from Mutsuo, Chris Garver, and Masa Sakamoto, as they give us insight into how western-style tattooing gained ground in Japan after the 1999 Tokyo Convention. We also hear about all the guest artists who have contributed to making Mutsuo the artist he is today.
The new Tattoo Age features Mutsuo, he has more styles than the first of day school.
This series revolves around an artist named Mutsuo who tattoos at the world-famous Three Tides Tattoo in Osaka, Japan. Mutsuo went from being one of the shop’s first customers to its first apprentice, and now he is considered its most senior tattoo artist. He learned the trade from all the American tattoo masters who visited Three Tides, and got what Chris Garver calls “a 90s-style tattoo education.” Enjoy.
In the last part of our Valerie Vargas episode, we take a closer look at the tattoo power couple that is Stewart Robson and Valerie Vargas. When we began shooting this piece, we didn’t know how close these wonderfully talented artists were and found ourselves pleasantly surprised by their shared pleasure in tattooing. P.S. Be on the look out for a little Valerie Vargas bonus part coming out later this season. Enjoy.
Second installment of Tattoo Age’s Valerie Vargas piece is now live! We take a closer look at Frith Street, the tattoo parlor where she works, and its owner, Dante DiMassa. Valerie also gives us insight into her development as a tattooer and why London will be her home base for the foreseeable future
Valerie Vargas grew up in Scotland, but has lived and worked in London for the last five years. You can find her at Frith Street Tattoo in SoHo, where she’s known for doing the prettiest “lady heads” in the world. Valerie has only been seriously tattooing since 2007, so she’s proof that talent and hard work will never fail you.
Chad Koeplinger: Who are some of the tattoo artists that you were interested in at that point? What were you looking at tattoo-wise? What was blowing your mind?
Valerie Vargas: At that point I don’t think I became fully aware of people that I like now until I already started my apprenticeship, because that’s when I was allowed to have a look through the books that for me at the time were way too expensive -I couldn’t afford them. And my boss had all of the Tattootimes. He never looked at them anymore but they were up on the shelf and any time it was quiet I’d have a look. I became more aware of Ed Hardy and more of the West Coast kind of guys. But even then I was still struggling to remember names, I just knew the work. I remember some backpieces that are still pretty awesome. And it was also through my friendship with Stewart in the beginning that he was really on it. He knew who everybody was, what they were doing, and he was totally stoked about everything, and he taught me a fair bit about it… (more…)
Courtesy of Sailor Jerry Rum Company: Sailor Jerry will open its very own London venue later this month bringing rum, clothing, music, film and the original art of tattoo master Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins to Soho. Opening on Thursday 19th April, Hotel Street at 120-125 Charing Cross Road is named after Honolulu’s infamous Hotel Street District where Collins’ made his name. A gallery and store by day, and gig and dive bar by night, Hotel Street will be an all-round good place for bad people – open Tuesday’s to Sunday’s from midday to midnight, serving up the best Sailor Jerry Spiced cocktails in town… (more…)
My name is Tarrah Wray and I am writing you in regards to a tattooer from London, Ontario named Jason Wojceik, or ‘Addictive Jay’ as he’s also known. The point of my letter to you, is to respectfully request that Jay be featured in your magazine. He was owner of Addictive Tattoo, also in London, as well as being my co-worker, partner and mentor…. most importantly, he was a very talented and formidable tattooer. So I’m writing to be a voice to make him known to you. Jay was exceedingly humble, and because of my respect for him I’m doing this on his behalf. He had an unpretentious demeanor and had never put value into being eminent, or well-known, but after nearly 20 years of hard work, perseverance and amazing tattoos he’s amounted into a distinguished artist, and he was more than what I would describe as noteworthy… (more…)
Phil Kyle: Would you recommend an apprenticeship to people knowing how difficult that is to do on your own?
Xam: Totally and definitely. It’s the only way. Not anyone can do it. Not everyone deserves it, people will still try it, like I did… Call me selfish if you want but there are too many of us now. It’s out of control. Some will fail and most will keep doing shit forever. And that’s it really… (more…)
In honor of Tattoo Age’s Thom deVita episode, VICE is holding an art show and sale at Mike Rubendall’s Kings Ave Tattoo shop in NYC from January 11th-13th. Thom’s one of a kind creative rubbings from tattoo stencils, art boxes, signed books, and more will be available for purchase. The legendary artist himself will also be present to talk about his art and Scott Harrison will be tattooing Saturday and Sunday… (more…)
Courtesy of Sailor Jerry Rum Company: Sailor Jerry will open its very own London venue later this month bringing rum, clothing, music, film and the original art of tattoo master Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins to Soho. Opening on Thursday 19th April, Hotel Street at 120-125 Charing Cross Road is named after Honolulu’s infamous Hotel Street District where Collins’ made his name. A gallery and store by day, and gig and dive bar by night, Hotel Street will be an all-round good place for bad people – open Tuesday’s to Sunday’s from midday to midnight, serving up the best Sailor Jerry Spiced cocktails in town… (more…)
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