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.

Tag: Body Modification

  • Like the shirt says: Chicks dig scars!

    Written by

    Shannon Larratt

    I think outsiders to body modification probably assume that scarification is a very masculine and “tough” or “brutal” artform, which is ironic given that in a historic context it often serves as a feminine form of expression. In any case, it’s come of age to the point here in the West that we’re able to see it fill that role. I wanted to show two pieces from Shawn Porter‘s ScarWars. The piece on the left is by IAM:vampy on IAM:square, and the piece on the right is a “scar fusion” piece by Brian and Jesse Villemaire on IAM:amnesiac. Both are between two and three months old in these pictures.

    ScarWars II is tentatively scheduled for February 2006 in Los Angeles (but don’t quote me on that). Keep an eye on the SW website for more info.

    Oh, and it seems like Something Aweful’s Fashion SWAT today decided to tackle tattoos. If you’re a fan of their Cliff Yablonski writing, well, this is a whole lot friendlier but in the same vein. Enjoy or don’t. Lucky they don’t know about the tattoo pictured below.

    Sorry about that, I had to correct the gender imbalance in this entry.

  • TSD Show Tonight in Dallas

    Written by

    Shannon Larratt

    Tonight is the TSD Reunion Show in Dallas Texas (August 18th)! Come see their first show in almost five years!

    It’s at The Church (2424 Swiss @ Good Latimer) as part of Odd Fest, and doors open at 9 PM. The show is 18 and up only. There’s a contest for the “Oddest People” with the winners getting both Ozzfest tickets and a contract with HVQ Agency.

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    DivX download link for BME members: Extreme2 or Full members

    Thanks to Ron Garza for this old footage of Allen Falkner and Xeon throwing hooks into Mark Rose for the debut of their 360-suspension at EMOS in Austin, Texas (the piercings were done at True Blue Tattoo). Music in the clip is Los Gatos Locos, Someone’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight.

  • Tattoos = Pop Culture

    Written by

    Shannon Larratt

    I’ll say with some certainty that at this point My Little Pony tattoos are popular enough that they’re well beyond passing trend. Certainly it’s not unusual for tattoos to blur the line between personal reference and clever pop culture reference, and these are a great example of that.

    But, like dead celebrities, it’s not a trend until it comes in threes, so maybe a Vegas bookie wants to take odds on what’s going to be the next big thing in hipster tattoos in the BME tattoo galleries: The Morton Salt Girl or Ghostbusters? Place your bets… Personally my money is on the Salt Girl.

    Send in your picture to settle the bet.

  • Alternate ear pointing methods

    Written by

    Shannon Larratt

    Traditionally, body-modification artists have created pointed, elfin ears by folding and trimming the clients helix in such a way that it can be sutured together to form a defined point. The results produced using this technique are generally fairly impressive, but they are far from subtle, and the results rarely look natural.

    About three weeks ago, Finnish-born and London-based artist Sampaa (IAM:madmax) carried out an ear-pointing procedure at the Kalima Studio on the south cost of England. Using a technique hes been working on in theory for over a year, he has managed to produce pointed ears that look as if the client was born with them. Very simply, the painstakingly slow and incredibly delicate procedure involves elevating the thin skin of the conch, trimming the exposed cartilage using surgical scissors and a scalpel whilst leaving the helix intact, and then removing the excess skin before stitching the skin back together as neatly as possible.


    Before
    Healing
    Healed

    Healing has been pretty problem free. Im going to be conducting a full and detailed interview with Sampaa over the next couple of weeks, but in the meantime, enjoy the photos of the results.

    Shannon adds: “Venezuelan artist Emilio Gonzalez has been doing a similar technique over the last year or two which produces quite similar results, although his procedure is a little different.”

  • Nostrils and Hooks

    Written by

    Shannon Larratt

    Two more videos for you this morning. At the top is a short clip of Alison getting her nostril pierced (and shedding a tear in the process) at Astral Werks in Richmond, VA, and at the bottom are some suspensions from Martin; a suicide, a knee suspension, and a superwoman. Music in the first clip is Introducing Happiness by the Rheostatics, and in the second is I’ll Go Crazy performed by the World Famous Blue Jays (it’s a James Brown cover).

    [Javascript required to view Flash movie, please turn it on and refresh this page]


    DivX download link for BME members: Extreme2 or Full members

    [Javascript required to view Flash movie, please turn it on and refresh this page]


    DivX download link for BME members: Extreme2 or Full members

    Got a video I can post here? Email it or a download link to me [email protected] and be sure to tell me it’s for posting on ModBlog, and any information you’d like included (your name or contact info, who’s doing what in the video, the context, whatever).

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