From (Drawings) Longhorn Extravaganza flash project

Blutarbeit projekt 3

So, my friend Markus “Old Horse” (Bloodwork tattoo/ Sweden) finally got my drawings from the flash exchange project. His drawings were posted here
And I was holding to post mine in this blog to not break the surprise for him. And here’s my version of what would be “old school” style?
Read about the project here

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やっとマーカス宛に僕の下絵が届きました。これでこのプロジェクトは本格的にスタート(?)したのかな。。。
マーカスの下絵はこちら
プロジェクト(企画)に関してはこちら

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And I couldn’t resist to draw up a homage to all things Scandinavian (tattoo related). I visited Nyhavn in 2008 together with Markus, and it gave me a strong impression. Man, that tattoo shop is the oldest in the world! More than 100 years in the same spot…
And even if was a sunny Sunday packed with tourists and families and all sort of food smell, I was in heaven. The tattoo shop itself was closed, and I even didn’t dare to take a snap for myself.
Is one of these moments that you just feel: “OK, I’ve been here” and you instantly turn your back and walk away. Just like a beautiful women you met. Keep her smile engraved in your heart. Just like a tattoo

上から二枚目はコペンハーゲン(デンマーク)にある”ニューハウン”という港町に2008年に行った事を思い出し、下絵を描いてみた。写真下、真ん中あたりの黄色い建物に”Nyhavn 17″と書かれているビルの半地下にあるのが世界で最も古いタトゥーショップがある場所。最も古いと言っても多分誰しもが”戦前”とか言うイメージしかないだろうが、実は100年以上同じ住所で今だなお元気で(?)営業中です。勿論オーナーは変わっていますが。。。

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In the photo above where you can see a yellow building with “Nyhavn 17” on the wall, is where the oldest existing tattoo shop is located. And is not a museum piece or whatever. It still be run as a tattoo shop!

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The photo above and bellow are from another shop located in the area as well. I met the owner (Tattoo Svend) in a convention in Sweden
(写真上下)こちらは同じ地区にある別のタトゥーショップ。昔はヨーロッパの港町では飲み屋、売春宿、タトゥーショップがセットで必ずあった。世界中から行き来する水兵たちが記念にタトゥーを彫ってまた別の国に行く。こうして彫師たちの作品が広がって行き、競いあっていた。
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トンネルを抜けたら隣の国。タトゥーにはロマンがあります!

Blutarbeit projekt 2

Can you remember when was the last time you received a orthodox and good old fashioned actual letter?
Me too.
Needles to say that tattooing involves a great demand of analog work. Say, comparing to other fields of design and visual arts. And letter trading was a great deal for the art of tattooing back in the days.
Many artists used to communicate along exchanging opinions, drawings, pigments and machines.
You could have access to these addresses spread over the world through out sailors (the majority of the clientele) collecting memories (and syphilis?) on the port towns of exotic, tropical or glacial corners of the globe.
The business cards carried by them were the Google’s and Yahoos of ancient and romantic times.
By no means I’m trying to force you any idea of “old days were better” kinda philosophy here. I am aware that we do live in a era where (adding to) technical advantages can be conciliated well with the luxury of oral/ handed down cultural exchanges.
Above all, the consistent conscience (of doing something) is the strongest weapon for the revolutionary struggle of tattooing as true art representative of the masses. Working class = (equals) art mass
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And as predicted here, with great surprise I received this envelope this last weekend. I measure a state of living in a different country turning from “exciting new” to “normal”, when your post box starts to get filled with bill’s and other sales and direct mails.
So, is good to have a refreshing letter in your box from time to time, it makes more exciting surely. And, you can be reminded that within Europe (or surroundings) is so practical and fast to attempt a project like this. And this is just the beginning…

前回お約束どおり、マーカスから下絵が届く。さあ、これからどう残りのページをお互いが埋めていくかが楽しみ。新しい国に住むと、最初は全てが新しくめずらしく、面白い。慣れていくにつれ、郵便物はDMと請求書に変わりはじめドンドン現実を付つられていく(笑

たまにはポストにこんな素晴らしい封筒が入っていると嬉しいもんです。

Blutarbeit Projekt

Fresh back from the convention and time to kick another interesting project.
Well, obviously the seed was planted more than a month ago. And now is time to lay your souls to the god’s of rock’n’roll!
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The idea started with a skype session with my dear friend and fellow tattoo artist Markus Winter from Bloodwork Tattoo (Sweden). Suddenly he brought this very interesting proposal of a “trade” of drawings.
The ball just rolled and we got in terms:
a) Once a month we will draw and send half of a A3 size drawing to each other
b) The remaining half page have to be completed by each of us
c) Markus do specialize in Old School/ Traditional and I, in Tribal and Japanese. So we will “switch” each others style as a challenge

Pretty simple and interesting project. Don’t you think so?
Check his blog here

Oh, and BTW…I’m updating some of the old works I had done back in Tokyo. Please check them here

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コンベンションモードからすっかり普段のショップモードに切替わり、また新たな下絵プロジェクトがスタート。
このブログは本当に下絵が多い。刺青の基本と言えばそうなんだが。。。
もちろん下絵と同時にタトゥーもバリ彫ってます。お客さんとスケジュールのにらめっこなんで進み具合はマチマチになってしまう。ショウガナイないですが、予約と予約の合間は下絵で埋めていくのでこっちが仕上がるのが断然早いです。

今回は昔からの友達のスウェーデン人アーティストのマーカスとコラボ。彼も最近まではBloodwork Tattooというショップを地元ヨーテボリでオープンしていて、今年から本格的に予約オンリー、口コミオンリーのプライベートショップに移り変った。
こうしてみると、彼のムーブも何時も自分と近いタイミングで同じような事をやっていたり又は考えていたりと興味深い。

そこで、プロジェクトと言うのはこういう事である:
_A3サイズ半分に絵を描いてお互いに送る(月一)
_残り半分をそれぞれがお互いのジャンルで描きあう
_マーカスはオールドスクールを得意としているんで、僕はオールドスクールを描かなけらばならない。
そして彼はトライバル・和柄に挑戦

そんな感じでどう展開していくのが非常に楽しみ!今週中に彼に送る予定。。。

マーカスのブログはこちら