But, this isn't really about me, or my feelings toward the art except to say that what I have on me is an expression of something that I find sacred and the artists who ink me are people I either seek out or trust intrinsinkly. There is something about placing a mark on something that is so transient. Suffice to say the symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures, sometimes with unintended consequences.
But, I digress - moving on to the art. Whether or not you care to admit, those who ink are artists, beyond skin, most tattooists work in other mediums as well. Franco Vescovi has produced some breathtaking work in airbrush, one of his paintings looked like a sepia-toned photograph when I first saw it. Equally stunning is his ability to stain a photograph into the skin of your calf.
I "discovered" Regino Gonzales on a pack of cigarettes in a 7-11. As I stared at a striking pack of Camel Wide's, which I quickly purchased, I was stricken by the artistry and the fact that it was on a pack of cigarette's in a 7-11. The back of the box simply said "For the past 12 years, Regino Gonzales has succeeded as a tattoo artist, graphic designer, and painter. Residing in Manhattan now, he looked to the turn of the century American tattoo flash and design for his Camel artist pack."
This of course led to a Google search, where I learned about another artist - Scott Campbell of Saved Tattoo in New York. Campbell, has apparently also done some design work for Camel.
A self taught tattoo artist and former biochemist who traveled all over the world (Madrid, Singapore, Japan and France) before landing in Brooklyn, New York, where he owns and operates Saved Tattoo. Campbell's work stands out for its mix of progressive style and old-school authenticity. 
Inspired by antique typography, his work resonates with current trends in the fashion world: antlers, birds, nautical and skulls underpinning many designs. Campbell's graphic designs are simply stunning - and it's apparent that the advertising and fashion world have taken notice of his breathtaking talent. I would certainly admire this ink upon my own stained skin.I should note that I did not write what follows below. It is from one of my favorite art blogs called "Lines and Colors," written by Charley Parker, but it fits perfectly with the flow of what I had to say. I should note that Regino Gonzalez is a resident artist at Invisible NYC, an exclusive, appointment only tattoo studio and art gallery. Their tattooists are some of the most highly sought after, respected tattooers in the world, and their art exhibits boast top young, contemporary artists. Invisible NYC is a fusion gallery and studio supporting the contemporary art and tattoo communities.
Regino Gonzales appears to be a tattoo artist by trade, but his site also includes paintings, illustrations, sketches, fashion graphics and digital comic coloring. Some of his sketches and studies would seem at home on the web site of a more traditional illustrator or painter. Gonzales may be an interesting artist to allow those put off by the very idea of tattoo art to creep across the border into outsider territory and take a peek at what the other side creates.
Some of Gonzales’ tattoo images are of what you might consider “typical” tattoo subjects, skulls, snakes, dragons, etc., while others are more unusual, with Aztec themes, rendered images of the Buddha, naturalistic plants or faces and figures that look almost classical. Some are heavily rendered and over-the-top, but some of them are graphically spare, nicely drawn and would elicit a very different reaction from us if they were presented on paper in a frame and matte rather than on the sweaty arm of the drummer from the thrash band down the block.
Many of his images, the tattoo images in particular, are intentionally unsettling, created to provoke a reaction, and are probably successful at that.
At its most basic, however, a tattoo is a graphic image, pattern or decoration applied to a surface. The fact that that surface happens to be human skin is enough to bother many people in itself, but people in various cultures have been decorating their bodies in both temporary and permanent ways since the dawn of recorded history, and probably long before.
The fact that the surface, or “canvas” if you will, is a human body presents other challenges for an artist in addition to the obvious ones. The human body is composed of curved surfaces. Not only is this challenging in terms of working on the drawing, but the design and proportions must compensate for the curves in order to be perceived correctly as a coherent image.
I know a couple of tattoo artists, and the good ones work as hard at their craft as any illustrator I know. I even designed a simple tattoo myself, at the request of someone I know, and did not find it simple to do. Like the 19th century illustrators whose work had to be interpreted for printing by woodblock engravers, I had to design for someone else to create the final piece. I also had to consider that someone would make this drawing a permanent part of their body, a sobering thought. It was enough to give me some respect for tattoo artists and what they do.
So start with Gonzales’ Studies and Sketches, look through the Paintings and Sketchbook and, when no one’s looking, take a peek through the fence at the Tattoos.
