A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Now that’s an explicit tattoo!

Well, I think my tattoo has healed enough and is close enough to done that I can post it here. This was done over four sessions by Shane Faulkner at King of Fools in Toronto (an amazing tattoo artist that’s done almost all of my work), and is based on a Tom of Finland painting combined with several pieces of artwork from BME/HARD as well. Anyway, it’s kind of tricky to take a picture of your own chest, but here you go:

cbt-tattoo-blurred.jpg

Yes, I am also a fan of gay mermen

ModBlog returns for real tomorrow or Tuesday. I hope everyone had as fun a weekend as the dudes in my chestpiece!

Comments

322 responses to “Now that’s an explicit tattoo!”

  1. Herger Avatar

    Looking at the piece, i always get the impression of seeing a ‘big brother is watching you’- tattoo… urging the main characters of the scene to live their dreams in a more ‘secret’ environment instead of ‘accepted, safe & relatively public’.

    But hey… of course i might be terribly wrong on that one hahaha

    Nevertheless: definitely an awesome tattoo & biiig congrats to both… the artist & the owner!

  2. Herger Avatar

    Looking at the piece, i always get the impression of seeing a ‘big brother is watching you’- tattoo… urging the main characters of the scene to live their dreams in a more ‘secret’ environment instead of ‘accepted, safe & relatively public’.

    But hey… of course i might be terribly wrong on that one hahaha

    Nevertheless: definitely an awesome tattoo & biiig congrats to both… the artist & the owner!

  3. veronica Avatar

    i love the colors in this piece. i wonder how the whole piece will look like in a few years though ..

    & i don’t think the nipples need to be tattooed over 🙂

  4. veronica Avatar

    i love the colors in this piece. i wonder how the whole piece will look like in a few years though ..

    & i don’t think the nipples need to be tattooed over 🙂

  5. Ayla Avatar
    Ayla

    Great piece! Nice shading, etc.
    But if it were me, I would ‘ve tattooed your nipples.

  6. Ayla Avatar
    Ayla

    Great piece! Nice shading, etc.
    But if it were me, I would ‘ve tattooed your nipples.

  7. iris Avatar
    iris

    i think you could have done that nipples as well 😉

  8. iris Avatar
    iris

    i think you could have done that nipples as well 😉

  9. Jessica Avatar

    It is a work of art. The colors are amazing. I really, really hate the subject matter though but that’s okay.

  10. Jessica Avatar

    It is a work of art. The colors are amazing. I really, really hate the subject matter though but that’s okay.

  11. Em Avatar
    Em

    That’s FANTASTIC… one of my favourite tattoos ever.
    The colours are amazing.
    If I was going to get an explicit tattoo, it would be homo-erotic CBT all the way… in fact the only reason I don’t HAVE a tattoo like that is lack of funds….

  12. Em Avatar
    Em

    That’s FANTASTIC… one of my favourite tattoos ever.
    The colours are amazing.
    If I was going to get an explicit tattoo, it would be homo-erotic CBT all the way… in fact the only reason I don’t HAVE a tattoo like that is lack of funds….

  13. xPalehorsex Avatar

    haha HAHAHAHAHa nice colors tho! im still stunned, lol

  14. xPalehorsex Avatar

    haha HAHAHAHAHa nice colors tho! im still stunned, lol

  15. rori Avatar

    i can’t stop scrolling back up to look at this…i wish i could think of some theme i like enough to cover my skin with in this large of scale…it’s marvelous

  16. rori Avatar

    i can’t stop scrolling back up to look at this…i wish i could think of some theme i like enough to cover my skin with in this large of scale…it’s marvelous

  17. mxyzptlk Avatar
    mxyzptlk

    I thought you said you’d tattoo over your nipples? Either way, cool tattoo!

  18. mxyzptlk Avatar
    mxyzptlk

    I thought you said you’d tattoo over your nipples? Either way, cool tattoo!

  19. Inkpad Avatar
    Inkpad

    Lots of us are *gay* when we are drunk. But this fine art work would make me feel gay when I’m sober. Beautiful scene, Shannon.

  20. Inkpad Avatar
    Inkpad

    Lots of us are *gay* when we are drunk. But this fine art work would make me feel gay when I’m sober. Beautiful scene, Shannon.

  21. Bruce Potts Avatar

    Love your chest piece. It is very dramatic and provocative art. I agree the nipples need to be shaded or something else for it does take away from the impact of the awesome piece on your chest. Maybe just remove the nipples and tat the area when fully healed. Hmmmm.

  22. Bruce Potts Avatar

    Love your chest piece. It is very dramatic and provocative art. I agree the nipples need to be shaded or something else for it does take away from the impact of the awesome piece on your chest. Maybe just remove the nipples and tat the area when fully healed. Hmmmm.

  23. Masticate Avatar

    I love the design to this tattoo… original.. I still love it, its an explicit tattoo with class

  24. Masticate Avatar

    I love the design to this tattoo… original.. I still love it, its an explicit tattoo with class

  25. Rev. Tom MF Harrison Avatar

    Outstanding work though I’m left to ponder why a man who photoshops out nipples would choose to leave his colorless…

  26. Rev. Tom MF Harrison Avatar

    Outstanding work though I’m left to ponder why a man who photoshops out nipples would choose to leave his colorless…

  27. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    #72 Stretcher – The brand of pigment won’t make a difference if you don’t have a capable artist to put the pigment in properly. (not saying you don’t have a capable artist)

  28. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    #72 Stretcher – The brand of pigment won’t make a difference if you don’t have a capable artist to put the pigment in properly. (not saying you don’t have a capable artist)

  29. sean Avatar
    sean

    I guess I’ll just throw it out there since no one else has (or those who have didn’t get their comments posted. Which could possibly be the same case for me.) I don’t like it. I’ll admit the colors are really amazing and vibrant but that’s it. For a while I thought it was a joke on all of us by shannon and his photoshop skills. Unfortunately I was wrong. But if he likes it then that’s what is important.

  30. sean Avatar
    sean

    I guess I’ll just throw it out there since no one else has (or those who have didn’t get their comments posted. Which could possibly be the same case for me.) I don’t like it. I’ll admit the colors are really amazing and vibrant but that’s it. For a while I thought it was a joke on all of us by shannon and his photoshop skills. Unfortunately I was wrong. But if he likes it then that’s what is important.

  31. redrobin Avatar
    redrobin

    erm, yeah….

    whatever floats your boat, i thought you were a pioneer for body art and modification, body beautiful.

    but alas, it seems to me you are out for simple shock value, blatant content, simply un-inspired. and not even your nipples, this is hard core, in the softest way.

    Each to their own, and sorry for the out burst, but only seemed like kissing ass was done so far…

  32. redrobin Avatar
    redrobin

    erm, yeah….

    whatever floats your boat, i thought you were a pioneer for body art and modification, body beautiful.

    but alas, it seems to me you are out for simple shock value, blatant content, simply un-inspired. and not even your nipples, this is hard core, in the softest way.

    Each to their own, and sorry for the out burst, but only seemed like kissing ass was done so far…

  33. redrobin Avatar
    redrobin

    and…..

    how do you take your kid swimming?????

    AND, when do you explain to her what it means?

  34. redrobin Avatar
    redrobin

    and…..

    how do you take your kid swimming?????

    AND, when do you explain to her what it means?

  35. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    redrobin – You seriously think BME/HARD is about “shock value”? Give me a break. That’s like saying that people have sex because they want to be involved in things that are too terrible to be put on television.

  36. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    redrobin – You seriously think BME/HARD is about “shock value”? Give me a break. That’s like saying that people have sex because they want to be involved in things that are too terrible to be put on television.

  37. Frester Avatar

    looks like it’s straight out of a comic book, great work!

  38. Frester Avatar

    looks like it’s straight out of a comic book, great work!

  39. JenO33 Avatar
    JenO33

    .. kid ?? Oh my

  40. JenO33 Avatar
    JenO33

    .. kid ?? Oh my

  41. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    I got the piece on my chest (versus, say, my leg) so that I could control who I show it too and who I don’t show it to. Obviously I’m not about to show it to kids!

  42. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    I got the piece on my chest (versus, say, my leg) so that I could control who I show it too and who I don’t show it to. Obviously I’m not about to show it to kids!

  43. Em Avatar
    Em

    The “oh noes think of the childrens” crowd always amuses me. They seem to think that bringing up kids is all about token gestures – no nudie tats on the parent, the sight of a happy person suspending will kill their little minds, etc, etc.

    Actually, bringing up kids is all about a LOT of hard work, love and care. Considering the childhood Shannon is giving Nefarious (the paintings they do together spring to mind) she might possibly be well-adjusted enough to deal with one tattoo??

    She’s like 4 isn’t she? Well then, there’s no way she’ll know what it is, and if explained in an age-appropriate way, it won’t bother her one bit.

    Someone who can’t find simple beauty in sexual scenarios, especially one depicted so well, has some serious issues. I could make a very long list of every sexual/”shock value” painting by the kind of famous artists that fill the museums and galleries.

    So much “great art” is inspired by sex… blood… y’know all those primal urges?

    *bangs head against wall*

  44. Em Avatar
    Em

    The “oh noes think of the childrens” crowd always amuses me. They seem to think that bringing up kids is all about token gestures – no nudie tats on the parent, the sight of a happy person suspending will kill their little minds, etc, etc.

    Actually, bringing up kids is all about a LOT of hard work, love and care. Considering the childhood Shannon is giving Nefarious (the paintings they do together spring to mind) she might possibly be well-adjusted enough to deal with one tattoo??

    She’s like 4 isn’t she? Well then, there’s no way she’ll know what it is, and if explained in an age-appropriate way, it won’t bother her one bit.

    Someone who can’t find simple beauty in sexual scenarios, especially one depicted so well, has some serious issues. I could make a very long list of every sexual/”shock value” painting by the kind of famous artists that fill the museums and galleries.

    So much “great art” is inspired by sex… blood… y’know all those primal urges?

    *bangs head against wall*

  45. Em Avatar
    Em

    oo that was long…

  46. Em Avatar
    Em

    oo that was long…

  47. Jessica Avatar

    “Someone who can’t find simple beauty in sexual scenarios, especially one depicted so well, has some serious issues.”

    You know, this is what kind of bothers me about IAM. Not enough to ever leave it, definitely not, but it’s a little irksome. You’re welcome here, and won’t be mocked, unless you think differently. (How ironic) I don’t necessarily think sexual acts like the ones depicted in Shannon’s tattoo are beautiful. I am a rather vanilla person in the bedroom and have a low sex drive. Does that mean I have some serious issues because I can’t appreciate the tattoo’s scenario?

  48. Jessica Avatar

    “Someone who can’t find simple beauty in sexual scenarios, especially one depicted so well, has some serious issues.”

    You know, this is what kind of bothers me about IAM. Not enough to ever leave it, definitely not, but it’s a little irksome. You’re welcome here, and won’t be mocked, unless you think differently. (How ironic) I don’t necessarily think sexual acts like the ones depicted in Shannon’s tattoo are beautiful. I am a rather vanilla person in the bedroom and have a low sex drive. Does that mean I have some serious issues because I can’t appreciate the tattoo’s scenario?

  49. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Jessica – Of course *you* don’t have to appreciate the acts in the tattoo!!! There’s nothing wrong with being “vanilla” and not *personally* relating to more unusual forms of sexuality (I don’t get the impression you’re saying people shouldn’t do it at all). People should have the sex lives that make them happy, not the sex lives they’re being told are cool/normal/healthy/freaky/whatever.

    I hope that people who don’t like the content can appreciate that the tattoo makes *ME* happy, but I’m very aware that the subject material is a big turn-off to many, and that’s fine, because the tattoo is not for them.

    I know there are people on IAM (and really, everywhere — I don’t think it’s an IAM thing) that would like to see very specific codes of behavior and expression applied (generally the ones they adhere to) on a subcultural level (and really, is this a subculture or a bunch of people not in a subculture with that being their binding characteristic?). Anyway, personally I think people should do what makes them happy, makes the people around them happy, and doesn’t hurt anything in the process … and if that’s what you’re doing, GOOD!

  50. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Jessica – Of course *you* don’t have to appreciate the acts in the tattoo!!! There’s nothing wrong with being “vanilla” and not *personally* relating to more unusual forms of sexuality (I don’t get the impression you’re saying people shouldn’t do it at all). People should have the sex lives that make them happy, not the sex lives they’re being told are cool/normal/healthy/freaky/whatever.

    I hope that people who don’t like the content can appreciate that the tattoo makes *ME* happy, but I’m very aware that the subject material is a big turn-off to many, and that’s fine, because the tattoo is not for them.

    I know there are people on IAM (and really, everywhere — I don’t think it’s an IAM thing) that would like to see very specific codes of behavior and expression applied (generally the ones they adhere to) on a subcultural level (and really, is this a subculture or a bunch of people not in a subculture with that being their binding characteristic?). Anyway, personally I think people should do what makes them happy, makes the people around them happy, and doesn’t hurt anything in the process … and if that’s what you’re doing, GOOD!

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