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: IAM Member

  • Noh, this is Kabuki

    Written by

    Rob

    If you’re not familiar with Kabuki, or may have heard the term but never understood it, today is your lucky day.  As a form of traditional Japanese theatre, Kabuki dramas are instantly recognizable by the distinct costumes and make-up the performers wear.  Originally performed by all female casts, the practice was deemed too erotic, and women were banned from performing.  Following the ban, the style continued on with all male casts, until further bans were placed on the actors as the young men playing the female parts were often used as prostitutes.  Eventually both bans were rescinded, and the tradition carried on, and is still being practiced to this day.

    With Kabuki theatre, the make-up the performers wear is called Kumadori, and is extremely important as it can instantly let the audience know what character is being portrayed.  This sleeve that was sent in by IAM: MinusAll features a number of Kumadori make-up styles, including Dannosuke, Yakkodako, Modoibashi, Sukeroku, and Shoomaru.

    kabuki

    The use of the make-up designs on what appears to be parchment, is a nice nod to the practice of having the designs posted backstage as a point of reference when actors are doing their own make-up.

    You can get a better look at it in the oriental-style tattoo gallery.

  • He’s a free man

    Written by

    Rob

    Back in July you may remember seeing the face of ModBlog regular IAM:Jessestar appearing in news all over the world.  Well this past Friday Jesse popped up in the news again, with word that the charges against him have been dismissed.

    Jessestar

    TULSA, OKLAHOMA – A charge of assault with a dangerous weapon against 28-year-old Jesse Thornhill of Tulsa has been dismissed.

    A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Friday. An entry in the court docket says the charge has been dismissed.

    The charge stemmed from an incident on July 13, 2010, when Thornhill allegedly tried to run over his landlord with his car.

    –Source: NewsOn6.com

    As Sean put it so nicely, “Is this the smile of a homicidal maniac?”  Now we know the answer, no, it isn’t the smile of a homicidal maniac, it’s the smile of a man with some fantastic modifications that happens to be part of the BME community.

  • Simplicity in the eyes

    Written by

    Rob

    The traditional view of the third eye is that it is a key point in spirituality.  Cultures all over the world have stories and beliefs all tied to the third or inner eye.  In the western world, the most common interpretation comes from Hinduism and Buddhism, in which the eye is represented by a mark on the center of the forehead.  With the onset of microdermal piercings, many people have been able to move beyond the painted mark, and are now using the jewelry as a more permanent symbol of their spiritual ties.

    IAM: dogs of war had her forehead microdermals put in a while ago by IAM: Six from Toronto.  Below you can see them fully healed up, but more than just that, you can really get a sense of the meaning of the third eye.

    forehead

    So as Dogs of war looks off into the distance, her third eye is open and is viewing everything around her, giving her insight beyond what her eyes can see.

    This image came from the microdermal gallery, where there are other images of the third eye placed into people.

  • Magnets, how do they work?

    Written by

    Rob

    Apologies for the ICP lyric, but it’s been a while since we’ve had a story about magnetic implants I couldn’t help myself.

    Rata, from Rata Body Art Studio in Buenos Aires, recently spent a couple of months working in Florida as a guest artist.  On his last day in Florida, Pinhead and Johnny Vilonius decided to surprise him by giving him some magnetic implants as a parting gift.  Rata has had his work featured on ModBlog before a couple of times, but I believe this marks the first time that he’s been the subject of the photo, not the artist behind the work featured.

    Thanks to Johnny for sending in the photos.  According to him the procedure only took 10 minutes, and he was on a plane back home the very next day.  The first image is of Rata looking at his fingers, and the second is of Pinhead inserting the magnets.

    Rata

    Pinhead

    You can check out the rest of the images in the discreet implants gallery.

  • The Guess What Game (Round 1)

    Written by

    Rob

    I normally post the weekly “Guess What?” image on Tuesdays, but today I thought I would make things a little interesting.  Over the course of the afternoon I’ll be posting 3 separate images, and providing some clues as to what they are.  Make your guesses in the comment section, and later in the day I’ll post the full uncropped images to see how many you got right.  In the interest of fairness, I will say that all three images are of different body parts, it’s up to you to guess the correct ones.

    So, first off we have we have an image that involves a lot of metal.  What I can tell you is that at some point in the creation of this mod, it took two separate individuals working in tandem to get it just right.  Also, the owner is a member of IAM.BMEzine.com.

    guesswhat1

    Think you know what it is?  Make a comment below.  You’ll find out if you’re right later in the day!

    As a side note, IAM is open again for new memberships, so if you’ve been thinking about joining the community, just head on over and sign up.

    Update:  You can see the results from all 3 rounds here.

  • 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?

  • Accentuating Beauty

    Written by

    Rob

    Occasionally I’ll get a message from someone requesting their image be posted about on ModBlog, but every once in a while I’ll get a note from someone requesting someone else’s photos be posted.  Well, thanks to IAM: MoseZ, he was able to point out a couple of pictures in the galleries that I had skipped over.

    IAM: Jay-Z has sent in quite a few images over the past couple of months, and each one is better than the last.  This first image appeared in the galleries back in June, and it gives us a sneak peek at this beautiful woman.

    closeup

    What MoseZ pointed out, and what I agree with completely, is that her mods really accentuate her beauty. Aesthetically the piercings and tattoos seem like a natural extension of herself.  So while she may have been attractive before getting tattooed and pierced, it seems like adding the mods is like putting the rest of the pieces back into place.  An unfinished puzzle that needed completion.  But of course, beauty is subjective.  The things one person may see as attractive, another person may see as ugly.  It all depends on our own personal perspectives in life to determine what we find pleasing to the eye.  You may not agree with MoseZ and I in that her modifications accentuate what she already had, but what I think we can all agree on is that the piercings and tattoos are very well done, and she is comfortable with how she looks.  Which is really the most important factor in all this.  Sure people pass judgments on others all the time based on their appearance, but what matters most is how we feel about ourselves, and doing what we feel is important to our bodies to attain the external vision that we wish to project.

    What do you think?  Do modifications accentuate what is already there, or are they just a natural extension of a person, to be seen as part of the whole?  Or do you think something else?

    I’ve added a couple more images after the break which should give you an idea of how the rest of her looks.

    2

    3

    Just at a glance I can see both stretched lobes and large gauge cartilage, large labret, medusa, septum and notstrils, and of course the facial tattoos.  The man responsible for the medusa is IAM: Bhaileon aka Cheyne Truitt.

  • Checkmate

    Written by

    Rob

    A few months back Jen posted a picture that got more than a few mouths watering.  Well it turns out the young man in that image, IAM: Arseniy Andersson is so much more than a pretty face.  While we all appreciate his modelling pictures, back at home in St. Petersburg, Russia he is also known for being a piercer and performance artist.  I’m not entirely sure of the story behind these images, but from what I can tell Arseniy threw the hooks for what appears to be some form of photo/video shoot.

    checkmate1

    Of course the question is, was the chessboard part of the shoot, or was it just something being used to kill time?  Photos of suspensions always seem to capture such fantastic moments.  I suppose when you know the subject isn’t going to be going anywhere, the photographer can really set themselves up for a beautiful picture.  So while it may be a couple suspended tandem over a stream, or a good looking guy playing chess while in an abandoned warehouse, the opportunity for an interesting image is always present.

    Keep on reading to see a closeup of the man playing black.

    checkmate2

    If you want to check out more great images of people suspending, head on over to the suspension galleries and check them out.

    While you do that, here’s a question to ponder:  If you could do any activity while suspending, what would it be?

  • 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.

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