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: Flesh Removal Scarification

  • The Final Countdown

    Written by

    Rob

    Ok, so maybe it’s not the “final” countdown, but this negative space tattoo cutting Brian Decker did recently does evoke the old movie countdown graphic.

    72

    As for the number 72?  Well, I did some looking into information about the number 72, and I found a lot more than I expected.  The most common interpretation comes from Hebrew, which is that 72 is the number that represents the name of god, or at least the shortened version from the 216 character name.  But this is just the starting point.

    The number 72 appears in the mythos of numerous cultures all over the world.  Islam and Christianity both have occurrences where 72 is a significant number, both to Jesus and Muhammad.  In Tarot, Babylonian-Mesopotamian Numerology, Satanism, and Taoism, 72 pops up again and again as a number of importance.  A lot of the times number refers to a set grouping, either in terms of two groups of 36, or a single unit of 72.  If you’re really curious about the specifics, this wiki article has a good breakdown of the details.

    As for what significance it played for the person in the picture, I honestly don’t know.  Yet it certainly is significant to them.  Of course after I spent some time looking into meanings, someone will come along and point out that it’s probably the year he was born.

    Update:  The owner of the arm is none other than IAM: Nilrem.  In addition to Brian’s scar, the tattoo was done by Corey Ferguson, both of whom Nilrem found through BME.  As for the meaning of the tattoo:  the 72 represents his life expectancy.  Check the comments below for the specifics, as well as his IAM page to see how it’s healing up.

    As for Mr. Decker.  He’s been uploading a lot of new images to his BME gallery, so it’s worth a visit to check out what he’s been up to.

  • Lock and Key

    Written by

    Rob

    “To hide the key to your heart is to risk forgetting where you placed it.”

    –Timothy Childers

    It seems that ModBlog regular IAM: Efix has been pretty busy the past few days.  With the Montreal Tattoo convention, and several guest spots finished, Efix has come home and has uploaded to BME some of the wonderful work he has done recently.

    heart lock

    I’m not sure exactly where this cutting is placed, but what I do know is that he pulled off a beautiful cutting, while maintaining the symmetry of the design.  Hopefully we’ll get to see more images of this design as it heals, as I’d love to use it for one of the Friday Follow-ups.  In the meantime, you can check out more of Efix’s work in his BME gallery.

  • Spiritual Cutting

    Written by

    Rob

    When creating a Buddha image, the artist is expected to be in a spiritual and mental state (samādhi) that will enable him to visualise this ideal reality. There is no requirement that every Buddha image be identical, and in fact there is a wide variety of artistic styles and national traditions in representing the Buddha.

    –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconography_of_the_Buddha

    The process of getting a scar is unique to each person.  Yet in each time, the person receiving the scar is going through a mental state that is unlike any other.  In some of the comment sections recently people have criticized scarification work as “dumb” because you can “get a better result with a tattoo”.  What these people are failing to grasp is that the process, the healing, and the final product are very different from a tattoo.

    Making these cuts into the skin, the artist is enabling the wearer to go through an experience that is both physically taxing, and spiritually moving.  To feel ones flesh being removed from the body, in a controlled manner, is one that requires a person to look inside and really become aware of their self.  When the process is finished, and the healing begins, again there is an element that is unique to scarification.  The resulting scar is not only the product of the work of the artist, but also the product of the body itself.  We all heal differently, and the scars that result are unique to each person.  It truly is an art form that requires both the mind and the body working in harmony to create the finished product.

    Then there is the artist.  These talented men and women who have taken something naturally occurring (the formation of a scar) and have transformed it into an entirely unique form of art.  One such artist is Efix Roy, from Montreal.  This most recent scar was placed on none other than IAM: Caleigh Green.

    buddha

    The scar was created this past Saturday, and it’ll be nice to see it as it heals up.  There is another image of the scar behind the clickthough.  It’s closeups from a side angle so you can get an idea of the depth of the cuts.

    closeup

  • Team BME in the flesh

    Written by

    Rob

    It’s been a while since we’ve seen a BME logo scar up on ModBlog.  This particular logo, if you’re not familiar with it, is the Team BME logo, which you can find pretty much all over the site nowadays.

    IAM:Pineapple sent this one in, and it looks like it’s about as fresh as possible.  Now it could just be the contrast, but the red of the blood really pops out.

    logo

    Hopefully Pineapple will be sending in more photos as it heals up, as it looks like it’ll be a really good scar.  One of the great things about BME logos is that they’re more than just a product branding.  While BME is a company, it is also a community, and it is that community that makes BME the place it is.  All of the various logo designs created over the years have all come from within the community, and the Team BME logo itself represents not only a design from a hockey jersey, but all those members of the community that are part of BME4LIFE.  These are people who believe strongly in this community as it has touched them in some manner in their lives.

    The community itself is such a wide and diverse group of people, and has been there for the highs and lows of life for many people.  How has the BME community affected your life?  Did someone in the community make an impact in your life?  Were you able to learn something about yourself or how you wish to modify yourself through BME?

  • Geared up for a scar

    Written by

    Rob

    Earlier today we saw how the modifications on a young woman’s face really accentuated her beauty.  I thought I should even it up for those who prefer to see modified boys.  Now I’m not sure if the guy in the picture is a steampunk fan, a Gears of War fan, a mechanic, or something else entirely, but what I do know is that he really must like the gear design as that’s a lot of flesh that was removed for the scar.

    gears

    So what do you think?  Does the scar on this guy work as well as the piercings and tattoos from the girl earlier today?

  • Bird of Paradise

    Written by

    Rob

    The myth of the bird of paradise stems from an old Sufi fable about the Huma bird.  It is said that the bird is always in flight, never coming to rest, and is often believed to not even possess legs.  Tales of the Huma bird can be traced throughout various cultures, and in all cases the bird is seen as a good omen, bringing wealth, prosperity, and good health.  Stories go on to describe the bird as having both male and female attributes, while others link it directly to the myth of the phoenix.  The meaning of course can shift depending on the culture, yet themes of eternal life and renewal tend to be the strongest.

    As for the real birds of paradise, these beautiful animals are still alive in the world, although they are considered a threatened species due to hunting and deforestation.

    Given the beauty of the birds, and the link to a myth about rebirth and transformation, it should be no wonder that this scarification piece by John Joyce looks fantastic.

    bird of paradise

    The reasons the person chose to get this piece are their own, yet something can be said to the process of the cutting and the scar that will follow.  In essence the person is becoming reborn with a new sense of being.  The skin that was removed is gone forever, yet something new and beautiful will take its place.  Like the phoenix, the person has undergone a rebirth, coming out on the other side a transformed person.

    John himself is no stranger to creating brilliant pieces of art, as you can easily see in his own gallery on BME.

  • The Friday Follow-up

    Written by

    Rob

    The question that is most often asked when a scarification piece is posted is “What does it look like healed?”  So today we’re going to take a look at a scar that was featured a month ago, and see how the healing is coming along.  I realize this isn’t a fully healed scar, but it is still nice to see how it is coming along.

    Here is the piece when it was still fresh:

    heart-798x10241

    And now, the scar after a few weeks of healing:

    heart2

    This scar, done by IAM: Eroswastika is one of many I’d like to revisit.  Ideally I’d like to make this a weekly column, so if you’ve got some before and after pictures of your scars, upload them to BME, and then drop me a line letting me know that you’ve sent them in.  Also, if you’re interested in seeing other fresh and healed scars, check out the scarification galleries.

  • It’s the little things

    Written by

    Rob

    It seems like it was only yesterday that IAM: Efix had one of his scarification pieces featured here.  Oh wait, it was.  But it seems that Efix Roy wasn’t satisfied with uploading just one amazing piece this week.

    This tiny heart and anchor scarification done on Efix’s friend Genevieve’s fingers recently really stood out, simply because of the challenge of the piece.  While a lot of time we feature big bold scarification pieces, a lot of times the devil is in the details, and in a piece like this, all you have are the details.  With a small design, and a small surface to work with, I can only imagine how tricky it was to perform.

    As with pretty much every scar piece I feature, I really hope we get to see a healed version of this scar, as I would assume that finger scars are difficult to make stick.  I’m also curious as to if these are just the first two scars in what will eventually be a set of full knuckle scars.  Granted I was at a casino yesterday so when I saw the heart and anchor, I instantly thought of crowns, clubs, diamonds, and spades.

    efix heart and anchor

  • The Big 2-0!

    Written by

    Rob

    Ladies and Gentlemen and everyone in between, I’d like to present to you, hailing from Quebec City, in his twentieth appearance on ModBlog, IAM’s own Efix!

    I’d say a round of applause is in order, not only for this being his 20th feature, but also for making such an incredible scar of the Ashtamangala, the 8 Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism.  I could go on about the spiritual meanings of each of the symbols, but I think I’d rather just take a look at the scar, and congratulate Efix on reaching this milestone.  You can see even more of his work over in his own scarification gallery.  As for the owner of the scar, the only thing I know is that according to Efix, he is “one tuff motherfucker”.

    610fd321caa90f352c2e2c8b213750c8_jpg_1024x768_first-0_second-3_watermark_q851

    Disclaimer:  Efix may have been featured more than 20 times, I’m just going by his count on his IAM page.

  • This… is… Scarification!!!

    Written by

    Rob

    There’s just some internet memes that are just too easy to use.  The “This is Sparta!” one, while long dead, still rears its ugly head from time to time, especially when you get a glimpse of something like this scarification piece that IAM: Eroswastika recently cut into one of his clients.

    300

    It’s hard to say if the owner of the scar is a fan of the comic or the film (or perhaps both), but it’s reasonable to assume he is a fan of Miller’s work.

    In case you can’t tell by the photo, the scar is located on his bicep, right above the ditch.  You can get another look at it from a different angle by checking out the skin removal scarification gallery.

Latest Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News