BME: Body Modification Ezine

A tattooed person suspends from hooks, laying flat, one leg higher than the other. Their head is back, and they seem to be smiling, dark hair dangling like an anime character.

Celebrating body modification culture since 1994.

Author: Rob

  • As the corvid flies…

    Written by

    Rob

    VenomVyxen uploaded this piece entitled “Corvid Cluster” to BME the other day.  At first glance I didn’t think too much of it, but after getting a closer look at the crow’s head, and seeing the detail in it contrasted against the cluster of crows making up the body it really stood out.  Now I know some people may think that this particular style of image may be too “trendy” or “overused”, but does it matter?  It’s a wonderful piece of art that both the artist and recipient are happy with; and to me, that’s what matters most.

    It’s Friday morning, only a few hours left in the week before the weekend gets into full swing.  So try to get through today as the crow flies: as quickly as possible, and in a straight line to the weekend.

    crow

  • And you know your heart, well it’s an idiot heart

    Written by

    Rob

    This scarification piece by Ighlif got me thinking that this is a clever reference to a song, or I’m just reading too much into the imagery.

    In either case, the fresh cutting combined with the text underneath was really eye-catching.  I’m always curious as to how a scar will turn out, but in this case I am doubly so, as the contrast between the two stands out so well.  Given how well the last scar of Ighlif’s we featured turned out, I think the recipient is in for a beautiful looking scar.

    heart

    You can find the full sized image here, as well as other works by Ighlif in the scarification galleries.

  • The Flower of Life

    Written by

    Rob

    Aesthetics can often play a large part in the appreciation of a mod.  Not always mind you, but often enough that it’s fair to say that it is quite commonplace.

    The beauty of an aesthetic judgment is that it is subject to personal interpretation.  For example one person may love the look of multiple facial piercings, while another may not.  There is no right or wrong answer in this situation because human beings, as individuals aren’t locked into a single mindset as to what is pleasing to the eye.  Obviously in the case of animals, mate selection is a primary motivation, and many species have adapted/evolved to the point where mate selection comes down to which potential mate displays the proper requires traits the best.

    Now I realize that a lot of this is pretty common knowledge, and I do have a reason for bringing all this up.  The Flower of Life is a geometric figure that has been linked to almost every culture ever known to man.  For different people, the image means different things, but most recognize the inherent power of the symbol.  One variation of the Flower of Life is that of Metatron’s Cube.  The cube is thought to be a visual representation of the basic building blocks of the universe, right down to a single atom.  So it was no wonder that while I was browsing the BME galleries my eye was drawn to this tattoo uploaded by Atrocity Exhibition.

    metatron's cube

    If you look closely, you can see that not only is the image painstakingly geometric, but the spaces between the lines are filled in not with a solid color, but with very small black dots.  This symbol, combined with the flower atop it, really stood out to me as one of the finest examples of blackwork I’ve seen in a very long time.

    The picture was taken the day after it was done, and I’m really curious as to see how it will look when it’s fully healed.

  • Up, up, down down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start

    Written by

    Rob

    I like to think that when it comes to video games, I was born in the perfect year.  You see, when I turned 8, the Nintendo Entertainment System hit stores in North America.  I was definitely the target audience the marketers had in mind.  Two years prior I had gotten hooked on G.I. JOE and Transformers, this year, Nintendo owned my soul.  As kids my age grew, so did the video games.  8-bit became 16-bit, then 32, 64, and so on.

    Today there is an entire generation of people who were raised on Mario and Link.  They in turn are now raising their children in a world where owning multiple top of the line gaming systems is almost the norm.

    So it should come as no surprise that when we feel nostalgic, we think back to our favorite NES games.  Personally, River City Ransom will always hold a special place in my heart.  Which probably explains why I’m so fired up to see the Scott Pilgrim film.

    For those not familiar with Mr. Pilgrim.  The premise is simple, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy must defeat girl’s seven evil exes to win girl’s heart.  Ok, so maybe a little more complicated.  What really drew me in (aside from the fact that it’s based in Toronto) was the entire series is jam-packed with NES references.

    Now because I’m looking forward to the film, I decided to see what our geek tattoo galleries had in terms of 8 and 16 bit tattoos.  I was not disappointed at all.

    nes4

    nes3

    nes2

    nes5

    nes1

    So fess up.  What was your favorite Nintendo game?  I know you all have played with a Nintendo at least once before.

  • ,

    Did someone say BBQ?

    Written by

    Rob

    “Grilling, broiling, barbecuing – whatever you want to call it – is an art, not just a matter of building a pyre and throwing on a piece of meat as a sacrifice to the gods of the stomach.” James Beard, ‘Beard on Food’ (1974)

    So rumor has it that SoCal BME members have been getting together once a year for the past decade to enjoy an afternoon around the grill.  Another rumor floating around is that this year’s BBQ is happening THIS WEEKEND!

    So whether you’re a long time BME vet, or brand new to the community, you’re more than welcome to stop by Presidio Park in San Diego this saturday and partake in the festivities.

    flier

    If you have any questions, feel free to drop Midian2000 or Shaman a line on IAM, Facebook, or e-mail.

    It’s too bad I won’t be in town.  I would have loved to have the chance to cook up another Bacon Explosion for people.

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