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.

Category: Features

  • Seriously, WTF? Start doing CORSET PIERCINGS properly. [The Publisher’s Ring]

    Written by

    Shannon Larratt



    Seriously, WTF?


    START DOING CORSET PIERCINGS PROPERLY


    “Take calculated risks.
     That is quite different from being rash.”

    – George S. Patton

    Every time BME is updated I get many pictures of “corset piercings” sent in. At this point they’ve become one of the most popular forms of surface piercings, and for good reason — they’re a very pretty, sexy piercing that can be extremely complimentary visually. But when I get these pictures, I’m far too often struck with a mix of sadness and anger. Sadness for the women who are being tricked into mutilation, and anger at the likely incompetent, irresponsible, and in my opinion, negligent piercers who are doing it to them.



    Looks great, but the beauty is fleeting.

    Surface piercings are never easy to heal, even single piercings with well chosen jewelry and a good site. I believe that it’s usually an acceptable risk though — some people will walk away from surface piercings, even done perfectly, left with an ugly scar rather than jewelry embedded in flesh. But in the case of corset piercings, the big problem is that almost always they’re done not with surface piercing jewelry designed to minimize the problems, but with simple captive bead rings which exacerbate the problems and almost guarantee failure.


    Yes, these piercings will look nice for a little while, but not long afterwards they will start to get irritated, reject, and the women will be left not with a pretty set of rings, but with two rows of scars running up their backs where the piercings once were. Depending on their skin type and how long the piercings were kept, these scars may be highly visible, noticeably uneven, and can stay with them for life — as much as they may come with good memories, they are likely not the result hoped for when the wearer first saw the piercings and thought how pretty they looked.



    Rejection scars from failed body piercings.

    The fact that corset piercings done with rings are not viable piercings should be known to all but the most inexperienced piercers. Certainly doing a single test piercing and following up with the client — which is required if you’re doing something new and experimental — would illustrate this fact. That these piercers appear to be either unaware of this truth, or willing to overlook it, is deeply disturbing to me.

    Why do they do it? In my opinion it’s one simple reason: they want a “cool” photo for their portfolio, and they care more about that than doing what’s right for their customers. As I said, I believe that most piercers doing this know that it’s going to fail. Sometimes they tell the client “it probably won’t work”, but of course the eager young person that’s been fantasizing about the piercing since they first saw it is rarely discouraged by this wishy-washy warning — after all, they’ll take care of their piercing, unlike those other people it failed on. It’s got to work, right? But no miracle will happen. The warning’s not even true — probably won’t? More accurately put, this piercing almost certainly won’t work, will at best fail as anything but a play piercing, and at worst leave the customer with serious and permanent unsightly scars.

    It is true that some people can heal a ring in a surface piercing, or at least keep it for a while. It’s very rare for it to happen without a great deal of visibly obvious irritation, but it can happen, especially in people who are older and have skin that’s lost its elasticity. But I’ve never seen anyone who can hold a dozen surface piercings done with rings in the long term without serious scarring and rejection problems. This is not a viable piercing done this way.


    They look great, but if left in, these will not heal successfully, and will leave scars.
    They may be ideal as play piercings and temporary ritualized beauty, but they can’t be kept.

    Now, I’m almost angrier at people who use the “inexperienced” excuse. Any piercer that says “I didn’t know any better” is being negligent, since they are doing a piercing that they’re not only not qualified to do, but have done little to no follow-up with their customers on to see how surface piercings heal. Even living in a vacuum, all it would take is doing one or two rings as a test and watching them for a month, to show a piercer the obvious problems… but taking precautions voids the cool photo, and I guess that’s more important?

    If you’re just doing the piercings for “dress up” on a special occasion (I know people who’ve had these for both Prom and Halloween outfits), then go for the corset rings if you want to. But then we’re not really talking about body piercing, are we? We’re in the realm of temporary play piercing, which while very valid, isn’t what this article is about (and I got a few angry emails from piercers when I filed their corset photos in that section, and if you read people’s stories in BME’s archives, most want them to be permanent) — this method of doing a corset piercing is not acceptable if the client has any desire for a piercing that lasts.

    Don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying people shouldn’t do corset piercings or difficult to heal piercings in general. The fact that I think anyone who lets their monkey drive at 200 mph on the highway is a fool doesn’t mean I have a basic problem with doing 200 mph on the autobahn — or with monkeys. After all, I’ve published articles on and perhaps even encouraged things as obviously risky and prone to failure as eyelid piercing. People just have to be responsible and do things the best way possible, and doing a corset piercing with rings is about the worst way possible. That said, they very much can be done right.

    There is jewelry designed to deal with these placements — surface bars most obviously, which can be fitted with beads that have rings mounted on them, and while not quite as graphic in appearance, come close to the look of rings alone and actually can be healed. For other people flexible jewelry such as Tygon or PTFE-based bars have been successful, but I believe surface bars are a far better option. Even transdermal implants do better than captive bead rings. It’s still not going to be easy, and the piercings or implants will have to be babied for a long time before they can really be called healed, but at least it moves it into the realm of the possible and worth doing for something other than a photo or a two-day fantasy.



    Done with proper jewelry, this piercing can be kept in the long term.
    There is still a high risk of rejection, but it is hugely minimized.

    By writing this article I may have guaranteed that a group of piercers and piercing fans who send me cool photos — which I enjoy as much as they do — will stop contributing to the site. I apologize if I’ve hurt your feelings, and I hope you’ll keep working with BME, but this has to be called out. Even if you know it’s temporary and are OK with that, too many people go into it with dreams of keeping them. After years of looking at these piercings and wondering how the client is going to feel when they’ve moved from jewelry to scarification, I feel it’s important to make this warning public.

    Please piercers, don’t do something for the sake of a photo. Don’t put your portfolio’s cool-factor ahead of the welfare of your customers. And those of you considering difficult piercings — please understand these are permanent modifications to your body. They may look pretty for the first week, but is that worth a lifetime of scars that you may not enjoy quite as much? By all means, do it, but do it right.


    Shannon Larratt
    BME.com

  • Marked for Life [Guest Column – Stepping Back]

    Written by

    BME


    Marked for Life

    “Jails and prisons are designed to break human beings, to convert the population into specimens in a zoo — obedient to our keepers, but dangerous to each other.”

    – Angela Davis

    Six federal prisons across Canada are planning on implementing a tattoo service for inmates (see last year’s article Go to prison, get a free tattoo) in hopes of decreasing the possibility of spreading infectious diseases like hepatitis C and HIV. Prison tattoo machines are usually built with motors from hair dryers, fans, or radios, along with ink from pens and regular sewing needles or guitar wires. While there are often steps taken to disinfect materials, sterility control is limited and diseases are still being spread. Finally, someone is doing something about it — and it’s caused a lot of controversy.

    This new program, set up by Correctional Service Canada, is a six-year project costing approximately $3.7 million. The program is designed to provide safe tattooing procedures, costing the inmates five dollars for a two-hour tattooing session. Outside of jail, a two-hour tattoo

     


    Tattoo done with a sharpened paper clip and an electric motor by a more-talented-than-most prison tattoo artist.

    session can as much as five hundred dollars depending on the artist. Jails will set up programs to train inmates to be tattoo artists (if they weren’t already tattoo artists outside of prison) — and yes, tax dollars will be paying for it, at a cost of about $611,000 a year to Canadians.

    In reality though, it’s not much compared to the costs of health care for HIV-positive people (about $150,000 in their lifetime), and if this program stops people from contracting HIV or hepatitis C, then it shouldn’t really matter that it costs a measly three million dollars — and saving Canadian taxpayers a great deal of money in the long run, and improving the lives of people after their prison experience, thereby increasing the chances of successful reintegration into society. Canoe.ca reports that, “for years, CSC reports have concluded that a greater percentage of people in the federal prison population have tested positive for AIDS antibodies or other serious blood diseases than in the general Canadian population.”

    “An estimate of the cost to treat a person infected with hepatitis C is not available, but a study of the economic impact of hepatitis C in Canada is currently underway. It is known, however, that treatment with Rebetron, a drug commonly used for hepatitis C, may cost up to $30,000 per course of treatment for an infected individual. A liver transplant may cost up to $250,000.” (Health Canada)

    You’d think with so much public awareness about these diseases, inmates (and most people in general) would be a lot more wary of cross-contamination. Sadly, the methods used in most jails to “sterilize” tattoo equipment are normally just boiling the components (if even that), which may kill a few germs, but certainly won’t fully protect people from disease.


    * * *


    There are members of BME who’ve done time and we were able to talk to a few of them (most asked to remain anonymous) about their prison tattoo experiences. Later we’ll also speak to a tattoo artist, Johann Florendo, who has done a lot of cover-up work on men who’ve gotten tattoos while in prison and regretted it.




    Bill, who at age 24, did 17 months on a seven year sentence at Garden State Correctional Facility in New Jersey. When in prison, he decided not to be tattooed because of health reasons and a strong lack of quality work.



    Jareb has done time at several prisons throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts when he was 17. He’s got one tattoo from that time, and he was also a tattoo artist in jail.



    “Bear” (IAM:Bear151556) served eight years in total, in three different stints when he was in his twenties at the Wisconsin Correctional System. He got his prison number and nickname tattooed on the inside of his wrist during his sentence.



    Cam, a personal friend of mine (who isn’t involved with BME), spent a year and a half in an Alberta jail, and got one tattoo while there.

    * * *
    BME:  You three were tattooed in prison — and you all knew the health risks of getting a tattoo. I know that getting tattooed in prison isn’t just about the artwork — but more for the culture. How long were you in prison before deciding to get a tattoo, and why did you get it done?
    CAM:  I waited about three months to get one done. They are in high demand, and I was low on the totem pole to get one. It was prison rules not to get one, as it was considered self mutilation, and it could get you in the hole for a week, and even longer for the artist. It can take time for the artist and their posse to trust you. Trust is earned in jail so I earned it and kept it. I got mine out of respect for some of the guys that watched my back: it proved my loyalty to them.
    JAREB:  It wasn’t until my fourth bid, and I got it for safety.

    BEAR:     		 I got mine because I wanted something permanent to remind myself of where my idiocy had delivered me. I waited until my third sentence, in the fourth year though.
    BME:  Inmates don’t usually carry around cash, so there are different kinds of currency in prisons. Just from watching movies, I know you can barter cigarettes, drugs, and sex. In your experience, what did you see traded for a tattoo?
    CAM:  A lot of times it would be cigarettes, drugs or favors, like running errands for them or just keeping your alliance and showing your respect.
    JAREB:  Price was never much of an issue. You traded whatever you had. A lot of artists were just bored and needed something to do.
    BME:  I picture tattoo artists in jail being held in high regard and viewed with great awe and admiration, sort of the “leader of the pack.” Is there any truth to that?
    JAREB:  Generally you’re right — we were treated with more respect than anyone else.
    BEAR:  They were looked at very highly, but only if they did good work. They weren’t looked at so well if they fucked someone up.
    BME:  What were their tattoo machines like? What were they made with, and how did those supplies get into the prison?
    CAM:  Proper tattoo ink was brought in either by guards, visitors, or inmates who had work furloughs. The machines on the other hand, were makeshift from blow dryer parts — usually for the motor, and a regular needle in conjunction with empty plastic casing from a Bic pen.
    JAREB:  The machines were really shady — usually made from ballpoint pens and motors from cassette players. The “needles” were straightened paperclips or guitar strings. “Ink” was made from burning plastic chess pieces and collecting the ash soot. Pens and everything else were from the commissary.
    BILL:  Some machines were made with various items, like pens with motorized parts taken from fans, radios, and other devices, but many used the “pluck” method of using ink with a single needle.
    BEAR:  My cellmate had a professional unit. It had been smuggled in and he had kind of inherited it from a guy who got out. In my case, the supplies were smuggled in, but I have seen pen ink used.



    Improvised tattoo machine; electric motor, pen, and guitar wire.
    BME:  None of those supplies seem that sterile, especially if they’re used over and over on different people — so I’m wondering — what steps were taken to keep things clean, if any? Where were the tattoos done?
    CAM:  For me, there was nothing done to sterilize anything. I bled very badly and they used a very dirty needle on me. Tattoos were done in the artist’s cell, and always with a few people keeping watch, as not to get caught in the act.
    BILL:  People would boil the equipment in water, and the tattoos would usually be done in the tattoo artist’s cell.

    BEAR: 

    		 I worked in the kitchen, so I had access to a pressurized steam kettle which had to be cleaned daily using bleach water. I would take the needles to work with me and then while cleaning the kettle, I would just put the needles in. Then I would wrap them in napkins and sneak them back to our cell. Tattoos were either in the bathroom (I know, it’s scary), or our cell.
    BME:  With these very basic supplies, tattoos would be fairly simple designs, right? I mean, how intricate can a tattoo be that’s been done with a guitar string and ink from a pen? What were some common tattoos done in jail?
    CAM:  There was a lot of racial or affiliation tattoos or tough stuff like tear drops and other masculine items. My tattoo was pretty unusual as it’s not too “manly.”



    Cam’s tattoo, complete with
    a heart and rose.
    JAREB:  Because of the supplies available, only black and grey work was done, so there were a lot of skulls, gang symbols, names, and spider webs on the elbows.
    BILL:  It was the same in my case: I saw a lot of chains, names, teardrops, images of clocks, spider webs and gang symbols.
    BEAR:  Actually for some reason, names were popular; you would think that cons would know better. Once in a while, there was some really nice fantasy work done.
    BME:  All of those themes are very similar, more than I thought there would be — especially because all of you went to different jails in different states and provinces, but what do they all mean?
    BILL:  There’s always your common “done time” pieces, like I said: chains, locks, clocks, hourglasses, and so on. Spider webs on the elbow used to signify that you took a life, but it’s now become fashionable and doesn’t necessarily mean that anymore. Teardrops either mean that you took a life, or lost someone close to you.

    Most gangs have there own specific symbols, which can also vary from which branch, hood, or part of the country or world they’re from. Bloods commonly use wolf prints, wolf heads, and other lupine symbols, as well as pentagrams. Crips use the Star of David, as well as a crescent moon, which is also commonly used by Five Percenters. The Latin Kings have a three pointed crown, and Aryans and Bikers use Nazi symbols. Then there’s the obvious symbols used by different Anglo groups, like Shamrocks for the Irish, and national flags for whatever the person’s background is. Memorials, portraits, and banners of loved ones are also very common.
    BME:  So, let’s say that someone goes into jail who’s previously tattooed — all high quality work, and then they get tattooed in jail, and it turns out pretty badly. Are they given a lot of flack from other inmates about their standards?
    BEAR:  That they are. If you have good work, and then get some crap, then people give you shit about it. Most people who have tattoos going in are kind of snobbish about jailhouse work.
    BME:  Bear, you’ve been in several different jails — did you see much diversity in the tattoo culture between those jails?
    BEAR:  In my incarcerations, I did not see a big change from prison to prison unless you are talking about gang related work. With the gang tattoos, if the gang represented was not strong in a particular prison, then the tattoos were downplayed and not on display as much, for obvious reasons. The one other change that I experienced was that as you worked your way down from maximum to medium and then onto minimum security, the quality of the work seemed to go down. I credit this to the fact that when you’re in maximum and someone messes you up in a permanent way, you have less to lose, and are more willing to seek revenge with physical retribution.
    BME:  There are lots of people who come out of jail with swastikas and gang symbols that they eventually regret. They may regret them because the symbols don’t have any meaning outside of jail, because it reminds them of a bad time in their life, because they have changed so much and can’t relate to the person they were inside of jail, or just because the tattoo is of such poor quality. Do you regret getting your tattoo?
    CAM:  No, not at all.

    BEAR:     		 No, I do not. In fact, I am going to have it redone as it has faded somewhat.
    BME:  Some men go into jail and come out without getting a tattoo, and there are other men who come out with lots of tattoos. If you were in jail for any longer, would you have gotten more?
    CAM:  No. I got mine and that was enough. Again, I got it to show my respect to the people who watched my back — I can’t express how much the culture in jail revolves around trust and your word. It’s really all you’ve got. I got one outside of jail as well, but the experience was nothing like it was in jail, not only the procedure, but there were no politics involved with that one.
    JAREB:  Yes, I would have.
    BEAR:  Probably not, as I had already begun to collect cartoon characters and I did not want to ruin the theme. Besides, even with what we were doing for sterilization, it was dangerous.
     
    A tattoo born in prison.
    BME:  Did your tattoo provide any safety against violence?
    JAREB:  Yes and no. It showed the crew that I rolled with, and that comes with both safety and danger — it all depends on the politics of the gangs at the time.
    BEAR:  No, it did not. Being six feet tall and 275 pounds did, I guess. And the old saying holds true: “Convicts do time, an inmate’s time does them.” If you don’t fuck with people, people don’t fuck with you. Usually.
    BME:  Guards have enough to worry about — with violence and keeping everyone in check. Was it a priority for them to try to stop inmates from getting tattooed?
    CAM:  It depended on the guard. If we were caught, we’d get time in the hole, and then time in the infirmary to have the damaged tissue removed.
    JAREB:  The guards generally did nothing. Once in a while there’d be a raid and machines would be taken, but new ones would be made that same day.
       
    These tattoos were created by a single-needle machine in a prison in Michigan.
    BME:  So, it’s been a while since you’ve gotten out of prison, but you still have your tattoo there to remind you of that time in your life. Bear, what do you think of your tattoo now (especially because your personality has changed so much)?
    BEAR:  I used to be a very sick, racist asshole who was completely intolerant of anything or anyone different. It doesn’t make much sense because I am different than other people. One day, I just realized that fact and everything changed. While my tattoos remind me of a really crappy time in my life, they do show me where I was then and how much I’ve changed, and I like them for that.
    BME:  As you may have heard, Canada is planning on implementing a “tattoo service,” which allows inmates to receive cheap and sterile tattoos. What do you think of this program? Do you think more inmates will get tattoos because of it? Have you known anyone to get hepatitis C or other illness from getting a tattoo?
    CAM:  Cheap and sanitary tattoos are a good idea, but it may take away from that culture in jail. Earning a tattoo or being branded is important to inmates. Maybe they should start a program and let the inmates govern it, as the more they take from them, the worse things can get. I don’t know anyone who has gotten sick from it, but I’m sure it happens a lot — most probably wouldn’t discuss it.
    JAREB:  I think more programs like this need to be implemented. Tattooing is never going to stop, and the health risks are too great. Maybe more inmates will get tattooed, maybe not, you can never really tell. I have known a lot of people to get really sick, and yes, get hep. It’s not nice to witness people getting sick from diseases that are not being treated because of where they are.

    I think it is hard for people who have never been in jail to make rules for what should happen in jail. How can you tell someone to live a certain way if you yourself are never going to have to live it?
    BEAR:  I think it is a very good idea. Prison should be about rehabilitation, not retribution. Part of being rehabilitated is improving your self image, and tattoos do that. I do think that more inmates will get tattoos, which is a shame since most will probably do it for the wrong reasons, and they won’t think it through. Plus, I would imagine that the administration will not allow gang tats, so those will remain underground. And while I’ve heard a few horror stories, I do not know anyone personally who has gotten anything from a tattoo.

    Johann Florendo (IAM: Johann) is an extremely talented tattoo artist, and has been in the business for six years. He’s currently working for Mean Street Tattoo Studio in New York City. He’s done a countless number of cover-up tattoos on men who’ve done time. I spoke to Johann about his experience with some of these men.

    BME:  How many people have you worked on who’ve been in jail and are looking for cover-up tattoos?
    JOHANN:  I can’t recount the many times I have seen and worked on tattoos that originated in jail. I have probably documented at least about thirty or so over the years which were worth photographing. I know for a fact I have done many more than that, I just never took a picture of them (probably because it wasn’t that much of a noteworthy tattoo that they wanted me to cover their tattoo with, or they wanted me to rework the jailhouse line work and I had very little input on the tattoo).
    BME:  We’ve heard from these men in this interview that gang related tattoos and other prison-themed work is common. What kinds of tattoos have you seen that people are interested in getting covered up?
    JOHANN:  It differs from individual to individual, but most people usually cover up old gang insignia, racist imagery, vulgar or offensive lettering, or just plain ugly tattoos. Sometimes, they want me to rework some of their tattoos that they received on the “inside” and sometimes it’s possible to make it totally new and “cleaned” up. Sometimes the work is so badly scarred or blown out that I would liken the process to “polishing a turd.”
    BME:  What should people know who are looking for cover-up work? It must a difficult task sometimes because of the colour of the initial ink and poor quality of the tattoo.
    JOHANN:  The general rule of thumb concerning cover-up work is that usually only darker colors mask dark colors; meaning that you can’t put yellow over black line work and expect it to “erase” the black and make it appear yellow. There are factors involved as well, like how old the tattoo that is that’s going to be covered up, for example. You’d have a better chance of success blasting some yellow over some old black line work that has had twenty years to fade, as opposed to black line work from two years ago. Of course, yellow over a grayish faded black ends up being a muddied mix when layered on top of each other, but with the right skill and technique, it can totally be applied in a tattoo correctly without looking like a mistake.

    So, with that in mind, darker imagery usually works best: panthers and eagles, and black tribal have been tried and true examples, although a lot of really talented folk out there can do a cover-up with much more lighter colors in the piece. A perfect example would be cover-ups by either THE GRIME or Guy Aitchison. Not to single those two out, as there are tons of talented artists out there, but those two stick out in my mind as masters of their craft and really do well in the cover up department.
    BME:  Have you spoken to your customers about the specific reason behind wanting to cover up their tattoos?
    JOHANN:  Some do it to rid themselves of a bad tattoo. They probably realized the difference in quality between different artists, as opposed to just having one choice of artist in jail. Others choose to cover it up so that they wont have to be haunted by reminders of their past.
    BME:  Do they seem embarrassed about the work that they’ve gotten in jail?
    JOHANN:  It’s a mixed bag. Some are regretful, and proceed to get a cover-up or get it lasered off, while others get tattooed around the jailhouse piece to remind themselves of their time inside.
       
    Before and after shots: cover-up work by Johann.
    BME:  Has anyone mentioned what kind of feedback they’ve gotten from people in the “real world”?
    JOHANN:  One particular guy I tattooed, I covered a jailhouse swastika on his leg. Once he got out of jail, he went the straight and narrow and successfully found a job and had a family. Years later, other parents saw his swastika on his leg when he took his daughter to school while he was dressed shorts. Whether or not the swastika symbolized anything negative or positive, he felt that he didn’t want to jeopardize his daughter’s upbringing by other’s cultural views placed on him.
    BME:  Did they mention why they got the ink they got (like for protection and so on)?
    JOHANN:  Some said it was to pass the time, others said to show allegiance to their gang, whilst others found spirituality and wanted to show their devotion. For whatever reasons, there is some “intimidation” psychologically when one sees a tattooed inmate. It has been said that old sailors used to tattoo the face of Jesus on their backs to save themselves from lashings. Perhaps this mentality is still shared today?
    BME:  What is the general quality of the tattoos you’ve seen born in prison?
    JOHANN:  Where there is a will, there is a way. I never doubt the power of desire. A lot of talented people exist in all walks of life, including those who are incarcerated. Inasmuch as there are a lot of bad tattoos done in jail, there are also a few artists who are exceptional and do amazing work.

    Given the limitations (tattoos are usually illegal to do inside prisons and materials are scarce) and lack of color, I have seen beautiful work done with just a makeshift rotary machine and a single needle.

    I have to respect that determination.
     
     
    More cover-up work by Johann.

    In addition to the health risks, there is the risk of social stigma after release from prison with the popularity of gang symbols and extremist racial views. While behind bars these are overall accepted and respected, once the person completes their sentence, they’ve got something on their bodies that they may not be so proud of any more. They’re “stuck” with a marking on their body that can really only remind them (and the people who see it) of one thing — doing time — and if they’re not proud of that, then there’s an expensive problem. Laser treatment is an option, but people can expect to pay hundreds of dollars per visit, and most need between six and twelve treatments. That’s a lot of money.

    Lucky for people like Johann, there’s been a consistent flow of people coming into his studio looking for cover-up work. As far as hiding the work you’ve gotten done in prison, it’s probably the most economical method: a palm sized tattoo by Johann would cost about $150.00.

    Overall I agree with the CSC program — I’m a strong believer in avoiding problems rather than attempting to fix them once they happen. Tattooing in jails is unavoidable and I don’t think a lot of the men in prisons necessarily care about the consequences of their actions — I mean, if they did, they likely wouldn’t be in jail in the first place, right? We, the people on the outside, may as well make it as safe for them as we can, if not for their sakes, for ours.

    – Gillian Hyde (IAM:typealice)

    Gillian Hyde (IAM:typealice) is a vagabond, though her roots run deep into Nova Scotian soil. She’s lived and worked on three continents since 2001, and has never lived anywhere for longer than eight months since the age of 16. She loves fonts, puns, being barefoot, and office supplies. Calm to her is the roar of the ocean.

    Online presentation copyright © 2005 BMEzine.com LLC. All cover-up images are © Johann Florendo.Images of tattooed arms are © Patrick Warnement. All other tattoo images are from the BME archives. Requests to republish must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published online April 16, 2005 by BMEzine.com LLC from La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

  • Like A Butterfly (Lukas Zpira in Japan DVD) [The BME Book Review]

    Written by

    BME

      
    DVD available at BMEshop

    Like a Butterfly
    DVD: Lukas Zpira Japan Tour

    On a recent trip to Namibia (in Africa for those that don’t know their geography) our flight routed through London Heathrow in the United Kingdom. Standing a few feet in front of us in line was Lukas Zpira, his daughter Mayliss, and his wife Satomi! It turns out that they were returning from a long tour across Japan and just happened to pass through customs at the same moment as Rachel and I. Before we parted, Lukas gave me a copy of the documentary DVD that Ryoichi Maeda had released about his time in Japan.

    I’ve known Lukas for seven or eight years both personally and professionally and have a great deal of respect for him as an artist — both technically and in terms of the fine art and philosophy aspect — as a performer, and as a friend. Lukas is one of a very small number of scarification artists whose work can be recognized by its design factors (which I feel is one of the marks of a true artist, rather than simply someone who is accomplished at their craft), and in part because of that, and in part because I felt running into him was a “sign” that the time was right (yeah, laugh it up), I asked Lukas to do a cutting on my face a few weeks later (story coming soon).

    Glowing review on both the cutting and the DVD from me.

    I enjoyed this DVD immensely, and although I think he thinks it’s a little rough around the edges, it gives an excellent insight into what motives Lukas Zpira and what makes him tick as an artist. In addition, it contains highly detailed and closeup footage of him performing implants and cuttings, as well as performance footage. It’s not a how-to or anything of the sort, but it shows much more than any other documentary on him ever has. In any case, it’s obvious that I’m a fan — so in order to get a less biased review, I asked BME’s Jordan Ginsberg (who recently reported on Lukas’s Mexico Trip in his article Hola Gringo) to look it over and let us know what he thought.
    Like A Butterfly
     Review by Jordan Ginsberg

    The Like A Butterfly DVD had been sitting on my desk for about two weeks before I finally got around to watching it. I wasn’t avoiding it, but apparently living in Mexico is conducive to lethargy. And alcoholism. But mostly lethargy.

    I’m rather surprised by the lack of film releases devoted to heavier modification work and ritual practices in general; these areas have so much to offer visually — and are, by and large, covered extensively by photographers — but have seldom made the transition to retail video. Like A Butterfly, directed by Eric Bossick and produced by Ryoichi “Keroppy” Maeda (IAM:RYOICHI), is a wonderfully shot, personal account of Lukas Zpira’s exploits while touring through Japan. With the low-end rumble of Deseptagon’s electronic beats providing the soundtrack, the 50 minute movie provides a glimpse into the procedures of one of the world’s most talented and respected body artists.

    The movie begins with one of several interview segments with Lukas that are interspersed throughout the rest of the footage. Providing a short primer about himself, he explains his history as an artist and how traditional visual arts were somewhat unfulfilling — until he realized that he could use the human body as a canvas.

    Divided up into separate chapters for Cutting, Skin-Removal Scarification, Tongue Splitting, Implants, and Suspension — most of which are prefaced by another interview segment with Lukas that pertains to the work at hand — the film offers viewers procedural footage that may be entirely new terrain to them. Seeing pictures of, say, a skin removal scarification piece is one thing, but watching in real-time as Lukas deftly cuts away at the underside of a young man’s chin as blood faucets out is another experience altogether. Which is another thing: This is a graphic film. Lukas makes no bones about his love of blood, and this DVD certainly represents that. Nudity is mostly kept to a minimum (nothing below the belt), though there is one truly surreal scene in a club where a young man — who, mind you, is inexplicably bare naked — is furiously masturbating his pixellated penis while Lukas performs a cutting in the foreground. Other than that, the occasional bare-breasted, slightly bloody Japanese girl is all one has to look forward to in this department.

    (Somewhere in California, Rivers Cuomo’s ears just perked up. I will bet money on this.)

    Lukas’ interview segments, while occasionally difficult to decipher due to the video camera’s microphone being the sole audio source (it seems), are certainly worth watching. He often avoids going into too much detail about the work itself, and instead waxes philosophical; outlining his theories and methodologies about body modification and, in some ways, humanity in general, Lukas certainly presents himself not as a simple cutter or practitioner, but as a very real artist with a clear vision and sense of direction about his life, career and ideas. Lukas, too, is about as charming as they come — eternally at ease on camera and fully content with his status as something of a rock star in the community. Even if there is difficulty understanding him at times, you will be glad to re-watch his segments to catch what you might have missed; his glowing personality and candor are infectious.

    It was, however, the footage of the procedural scenes that scored highest with me. Filmed with only one camera, Lukas’ work is documented extremely clearly and vividly here — and again, this may be some peoples’ first opportunity to see these procedures performed on video, rather than just seeing photographs. Not to marginalize the community’s photographers either, but there are obviously fundamental differences between experiencing these acts through different media.

    The bulk of the footage is shot in typical piercing studios; cutting, peeling, tongue splitting and implant videos have all been filmed in typically sterile rooms. The camerawork is sharp and precise; the multitude of close-up shots (they dominate the footage) showcase Lukas’ steady precision, and give viewers potential insights into one of the modern master’s techniques.

    As I mentioned in my report on my trip to BodyFest in Mexico City, Lukas is one of the most confident people I’ve ever seen work in this field, and easily one of the fastest — he makes this stuff look simple, and in spite of being acutely aware of his own abilities, he remains terribly humble. His young daughter, Mayliss, is even present for much of the filming; during one woman’s cutting, she gently strokes her hair to help soothe and relax her. Having grown up around this sort of thing, she is completely unfazed by the work her father does — she’s even hanging out in the club (the site of the aforementioned pixellated masturbator) that acts as the setting for the remainder of the footage, which is largely suspension performances. Those partaking in the suspensions generally appear to be relative novices though — it almost seems to be more of a SusCon vibe than an actual show. With a crowd of cheering onlookers, Lukas assists each of the participants with his or her rite, every pained wince and blissful moment caught on film.

    In one of the film’s most touching moments, Dita (BMEjapan), after landing back on the ground following her suspension, falls into Lukas’ arms as ecstatic tears stream down her face, thanking him over and over again. Lukas, as usual, is all smiles.

    Like A Butterfly is hardly the definitive procedural film — that film hasn’t been made yet, and I don’t think that’s what is trying to be achieved here. As documentation of Lukas’ expertise, footage the likes of which is rarely seen for sale these days, and a look into methods and philosophy of one of the most talented body modification artists practicing today, however, it succeeds admirably.

    Shameless plug: Buy the DVD at BMEshop

  • Horizontal Tongue Piercings [Guest Column – Stepping Back]

    Written by

    BME

    EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
    HORIZONTAL TONGUE PIERCING

    “Growing up, I always had said that I would NEVER get my tongue pierced. I had always seen those trailer trash people on Jerry Springer, you all know the kind, and almost every single one of them had a tongue piercing. Seeing all of these trashy people on Springer, I associated being trashy with tongue piercings. I was determined not to get my tongue pierced and look trashy like all of those people.”

    I love seeing people push their own personal boundaries. It’s great to see people do things without thinking of the consequences, or if they know about the consequences — they don’t really care. If anything, it usually makes for a good story afterwards. As long as there’s no chance of death, broken bones or paralysis, I’m all for people trying new things. Being in the body modification scene, I am a happy little voyeur and participant. I see all kinds of things that I wouldn’t necessarily try, but thanks to the internet, I learn something new every single day that I normally can’t learn through my daily activities.


     Horizontal tongue piercings — yes, exactly what they sound like.
    Most piercers consider these crippling and dangerous to the point of
    being unviable piercings… But are they really impossible to keep?

    Today’s lesson: people will put up with incredibly annoying piercings in trade for uniqueness. The specific one I’m talking about is the horizontal tongue piercing. It’s not very common, and probably for good reason. I’ve spoken to about a dozen different people who’ve gotten this piercing, and most of them complained about slurred speech (or at least a lisp), problems eating, biting down on the jewelry, a long healing period, and a lot of pain. The payoff? It looks really cool, and it’s a pretty unique piercing.

    I chose to speak to four individuals in depth about their experiences with having a horizontal tongue piercing, and later a piercer that does them as well. If you just want the facts, scroll down to the bottom for a little FAQ on horizontal tongue piercings.

    * * *


    Piers de Burgh     IAM:piersd, was nineteen when he got his done from Skin Graffiti in Swindon, England. He only kept the piercing for one or two weeks.
    Pamela     who no longer has this piercing, got it at Outer Body Experience in Castlegar, BC, Canada. She had the piercing for nine months.
    Gregg Bennett     from England, had a friend of his do it for him when he was nineteen.
    Steve     IAM:Cenobitez, holds the record for this interview, keeping the piercing for nearly eight years. He got pierced at White Dragon in Stockport, Manchester, England.
    BME: What gave you the idea to get a horizontal tongue piercing?
    PIERS: I love to get unique piercings, and I hadn’t seen it anywhere before so it seemed like a good idea at the time. Vertical tongue piercings also are known to be sexual aids, so I thought that a horizontal one might be quite interesting too. The vertical tongue piercing tends to be very standard and is widely accepted now, yet if you simply rotate it, it becomes so much more.
    PAMELA: Well, I’m kind of the odd duck… I’ve always been into body mods. I had my navel done twice but my body rejected it both times before it had even healed, so I wanted something that my body would actually allow. I found BME and started looking around, and was immediately drawn to the horizontal tongue — I had never even heard of it being done that way — but I waited probably a good six or seven months before I actually did it.
    GREGG: To be totally honest I was going through a stage in my life where I had to be better than everyone else. The only problem that’s created when your friend thinks he’s a professional piercer and you can buy needles down at your local Wildcat shop? You end up with some weird and wonderful piercings!

    I’d actually only been into piercing for about three months — before that I vowed I would never get one, and disliked them immensely. But then I saw an eyebrow spiral, got one, and was hooked.

    The vertical tongue piercing looked too boring, and a horizontal one seemed a good idea at the time. I’d been warned that you should never get a horizontal tongue piercing on a whim, so what do I go and do… I’m sure you can guess!

    STEVE: I already had a vertical tongue piercing, which was one of my first piercings, but I wanted something that was different and looked good. Then I saw a horizontal tongue piercing on a girl at Erotica, an adult industry trade show in London. After chatting to her I decided I wanted it done — I wanted something that I could say, “look what I got” because at the time, piercings were just starting to get popular. I have no spiritual or whatever reason… I just wanted it because it looked cool.

    I searched the net and came up with a picture on BME. I took that with me to the piercer and when he eventually did it, he positioned mine as close to that picture as he could. I think mine’s pretty similar to his:

    Steve’s Horizontal Tongue Piercing
    BME: What factors did you think about when considering getting it done?
    STEVE: I thought about how it might affect my job, the potential for damage to nerves in my tongue. What if it were to hit one of those huge veins? I was considering all kinds of things about the possible damage to my taste buds and motor functions in my tongue, as it’s pretty deep into the tissue. I thought about potential speech difficulties, heavy bleeding, and at the time I had heard some rumors about tongue piercing implications with cancer and stuff. There was also possible dental damage, so I had a lot of health issues to consider.

    The final factor it rested on was work. Would I be able to speak properly enough to do my job as a night club promotions manager — where it was key to be able to talk and chat to customers, and deal with businesses.

    PIERS: Tell the truth, I didn’t really think about the consequences. This was during my early days of piercings and I didn’t really listen to the warnings of trained piercers.
    PAMELA: Rejection was a battle with my navel and I didn’t want that going on inside my mouth, and then there was my mother: what she would say when she found out I did it?
    BME: Had your piercer done this piercing before? What did they think about your request?
    PIERS: I found out later, that Venom, my piercer, actually was very talented, but at the time I didn’t really care how experienced she was — as long as she would do the piercing!

    She wasn’t nervous at all — probably more excited than anything. She explained about how it would swell, especially since I was having two in the same session (both vertical and horizontal ones), and talked me through how horizontal tongue piercings have a high chance of hitting something, or not lasting due to discomfort, and so on.
    GREGG: My piercer had never done it before. Having your friends stick holes in you really isn’t the safest option in the world, but at the time he had his own piercing studio and had all the proper sterilized equipment.
    STEVE: I knew my piercer had no experience with this kind of piercing, but he has a portfolio that included a lot of stuff I’d never seen, and he said he was always learning new stuff. However, initially he said “NO!” point blank. I called every piercing studio within a hundred miles and couldn’t find anyone else.

    After a few months and a few piercings later I mangaged to talk him into it and he explained it all to me: the risks, the dangers, the unlikely issues, as well as the remote issues that would probably never happen, but he told me it all.

    BME: Since piercers often yearn to do unusual work, did you have to pay for the piercing, or did they do it for free or at cost?
    PIERS: I had agreed on a special price with her… I think I paid 30 pounds for both piercings I got that day [between $50 and $60 US].
    GREGG: Mine was free.
    STEVE: I paid about ten pounds for mine [$20 US].
    BME: What was the jewelry were you pierced with?
    GREGG: At first I had a 1.6mm — 14ga — PTFE barbell with PTFE balls so I wouldn’t smash my teeth on them. I later changed it to a metal barbell with metal balls, at the same size.
    STEVE: Originally the plan was to use what we had available — a one inch long steel barbell. However, when I worked it out, I figured it wouldn’t be able to rest it in my mouth due to the immense length, so we settled on PTFE and small 4mm beads on the ends so that they wouldn’t be too obtrusive and sit nicely in my mouth.

    They’re now so unobtrusive that they can slide inside my tongue — I should actually put bigger ones on to stop that, but I think if I do, the hole where the current ball goes will stretch and I don’t want that. Now I have a one inch PTFE in it right with 4mm stainless steel balls on the ends.
    BME: How was the piercing itself done, and what did it feel like?
    PAMELA: OH! It was horrible! I was crying and begged her to stop halfway through. She told me she couldn’t, and then shoved the needle the rest of the way through my tongue. That is why if you look at it close enough it is crooked.
    GREGG: We did the piercing in a garden… I know you may consider this dangerous or dirty, but I felt safer being under the bright blue sky than in some room that resembled a doctor’s office. I wouldn’t advise anyone to follow me in this — this is just personal preference, and I’m sure most piercers wouldn’t do it anyway.

    We decided clamping my tongue and going as fast as possible seemed like a good idea at the time, although my view now has changed and I would’ve preferred going slowly freehand, as this would increase the chance of getting a good straight line through my tongue.

    It felt rather unpleasant; the pain didn’t really abate from when the needle went in till the jewelry had taken its place. There’s a good twenty or thrirty seconds of pain in comparison with the mild discomfort of a tenth of a second that the average piercing gives you.
    STEVE: The week before doing the piercing we checked for veins and the likes with a torch (flashlight). The day of the piercing I got there with a few of my friends, waited a few minutes while he set everything up, and then he lead the way to the piercing room. I hopped up on the gurney and waited as he took a pair of large clamps out from the autoclave and dried them off.

    He inspected my tongue again, and placed these clamps, made a few adjustments, and then locked them into place.

    He sprayed Xylocaine on my tongue, and then asked me to take deep breaths — which I was already doing — and placed the needle against my tongue. He slowly started to push the needle through, with the odd stop and change in direction and stuff to make sure it was straight, and then a last push and he was through.

    The pain was more of an intense burning, nothing like my normal tongue piercing. It felt like a small needle prick, then rapidly got hotter until it was stinging, and then felt more like it was burning as it went through. It felt like four or five minutes but I’m assured it was less than thirty seconds.
    PIERS: Mine hurt the most out of any other piercings I’ve had. It was closest to my medusa (top labret), just on sheer scale, rather than actually what it felt like.
    GREGG: Yeah, to say it hurt would be an understatement.

    I looked straight up, watching the clouds roll by, and then a blinding sensation went through my whole face… Not unbearable, but certainly close to intolerable. I remember someone telling me to slow my breathing down or I’d hyperventilate.
    BME: How did you feel afterwards?
    GREGG: It looked great! I was so happy — I hugged everyone, washed my face, and did the best impression of someone with absolutely no use of their tongue… Worst lisp in history!
    STEVE: I washed my mouth out with ice cold water, and got a little relief. Then my piercer looked at it and said it looked damned good… I couldn’t talk or anything — I just mumbled and left his room and he told me to come back in a few days. As I walked out a few of my friends were waiting and they were like, “oh god I can’t believe you did that” and they were like “you’re mad” all the way to the pharmacy.

    Pamela’s piercing not long before removal, and Gregg’s very fresh piercing.
    BME: Did you change the jewelry during the healing process?
    PAMELA: About a month later when I went to a shorter barbell, I think an inch or an inch and a half.
    STEVE: I just clipped a millimeter (or four) off the PTFE bar and rethreaded it as the swelling went “up” not down, so my tongue actually got narrower and I clipped the PTFE to match. Once the swelling was gone I had to get another PTFE bar to replace it as it had returned to being wider.
    BME: What was the healing like?
    STEVE: The healing was very much like my other tongue piercing, only it took maybe six times longer. It’s now healed and I can take the bar out easily and replace it. It can still act up if I catch it or anything like that, but overall, it’s fine.

    The only real issue I had during healing was eating bread or bread-like food, as it got stuck on the balls and hurt like hell, and that’s still a problem sometimes, but I think I have unknowingly adapted to that one.
    PIERS: To be honest, the piercing was very embarrassing, as it gave me a really bad lisp and I found it incredibly hard to eat. I had a constant lisp the whole time I had it in. It restricted my tongue from moving to pronounce the correct sound. It was very frustrating after a while.
    PAMELA: Well, it took about five months until I no longer had an infection or a swollen tongue in the mornings… but I toughed it out, lisp and all.
    BME: You had the lisp the whole time?
    PAMELA: Yes, I had a lisp until I took it out… After I took it out, it was another five months, when the tongue was fully healed, before my speech was perfect.
    STEVE: My lisp stopped as soon as the tenderness and swelling went down. I had a few issues with talking, but it was mainly with shouting. I still have those problems, but it’s a small price to pay.
    BME: Was there a lot of swelling in comparison to a normal tongue piercing?
    PIERS: I had both of them done at the same time so I wouldn’t know, yet when my horizontal piercing was taken out the swelling completely disappeared in a few days, so it kind of lead me to believe that most of the swelling was from the horizontal one.
    PAMELA: Yes, it was hard to talk for the entire time I had it because of the swelling, and I didn’t eat anything solid for over two weeks.
    GREGG: In my case there was hardly any swelling at all.
    BME: What kind of aftercare did you give it? Did your piercer suggest something special?
    PIERS: I’ve always just used salt water — it seems to be the most effective thing for me.
    STEVE: My piercer always suggests one part Listerine to three parts water, mixed into a water bottle, and I am to rinse after each meal and snack, and first and last thing in the day.

    BME: Did your piercer warn you anything you’d have to look out for or be careful about?
    PAMELA: Actually, she didn’t. I only found out a month or so ago that the tongue is two muscles on the left and right side, and that it’s really bad for them to be pierced like that.
    STEVE: My piercer mentioned veins and nerves and other such things… one of the ones he was concerned about was the movement of my tongue — but I had thought about that beforehand and was pretty much determined to go through with it.
    BME: What’s the most annoying thing about having it?
    PIERS: The fact that I couldn’t smoke, eat, or talk properly.
    PAMELA: The lisp. I had a huge speech impediment. People who knew me well would always comment on it, but others that didn’t know me didn’t know if I had it before. I had problems with the healing on the right side of the tongue. I don’t know what happened there, but the barbell sunk into my tongue and in order for me to talk properly, the ball would have to be inside my tongue!
    GREGG: I had problems closing my mouth, eating, talking, chewing gum — pretty much anything orally.
    STEVE: The most annoying thing other than people always asking to see it, asking how long I’ve had it, and did it hurt — the usual things — is that it has a tendency to flare up over the slightest mistreatment.
    BME: On the other hand, what’s the best thing about it?
    PIERS: It looks amazing and it’s so rare. It’s getting very hard nowadays to get a piercing that is truly rare — don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that body modifications have become more widespread, but I just prefer having unique piercings and styles.
    PAMELA: I liked the fact that it showed my individual style, and that I do things for me and not for everyone else. The “Ahh cool”s were pretty sweet too!
    GREGG: It’s pushing your body beyond its normal state to create something you feel happier with — although this could be said for any piercing.
    STEVE: The best thing about this piercing is that it’s a defining piercing — when I attend IAM meets, and I do attend a lot of them, it’s the one piercing people identify me by, and I always get asked about it. Most people are surprised by the amount of time I have had it, and I have never met anyone else who has one or had one. I also love the shock value from the non-pierced folks at work!
    GREGG: You can’t really beat walking down the street with a bar going through the tip of your tongue (and peoples expressions)… Oh boy, did I get some expressions, from sheer horror to total respect and admiration.
    BME: Any problems with chipped teeth or other dental issues?
    PIERS: I only really thought about it after I bit down on one of the balls. Luckily no damage was done. I decided to move onto foods that only involved sucking or swallowing without chewing!
    PAMELA: I now have a big chip on my left front upper tooth that I want to get fixed soon. That is from when I would tighten the balls I would hold it there with my teeth.

    I don’t think I had it long enough for major damage other than that one tooth chip to occur. For a while I used plastic balls, but they were internally threaded and would always break off. I got tired of that so I just went back to metal ones.
    GREGG: Not really. I am of that stupid breed of people who deem the piercing more important than the complications of the pierced party — however, my mind has since changed on the subject, and I would take a lot more into consideration over these sorts of factors so I didn’t do something I might later regret.
    STEVE: The only damage I got was when my bead came off while I was eating a hamburger, and I bit onto the bead and chipped one of my bicuspids. It’s a bit of a nuisance, but as it’s only a small chip, I don’t mind.

    BME: When you took it out, what were the factors in making the decision?
    PIERS:
    Piers’ piercing forces him
    to consider a trip to the hospital.

    I didn’t have a chance to rest the piercing. With my job I was constantly talking and shouting over the music in the club. One night I was working and I tasted a little blood in my mouth so I decided to go to the toilets and check it out. There was a slight bit of blood but I didn’t want to take any chances, so I went upstairs to the night club to pack up my camera and say goodbye to a mate on the bar. As I was trying to get out more and more people kept asking me to take their photos and dragging me further back into the club. By the time I got out it had started bleeding a bit heavier. I managed to stop it with pressure but a few days later while I was treating myself to a packet of smoky bacon crisps it started bleeding again, and quickly got worse and worse until I was spitting blood and some rather unpleasant blood clots.

    Even though I was reluctant, I knew it was time to take it out. When I finally did, I was really bleeding, and I made a phone call to a mate for a round trip to the local Accident & Emergency ward, as I felt like I was going to pass out. Doctors don’t really appreciate self-inflicted wounds so I ended up stopping the bleeding myself in the toilets.
    PAMELA: My lisp was probably the biggest factor. Biting on the balls, and one side didn’t heal properly. It just wasn’t worth it.
    GREGG: I removed mine because it wasn’t straight enough, and because of discomfort and annoyance at not being to talk properly. I only kept it for three days.
    BME: Steve, why do you think you’ve had so much success with keeping this piercing?
    STEVE: The key for me has been give and take. If I take the time to look after my piercing, it’s fine, but if I get careless, it’s problematic. If I mistreat the piercing it will swell. The secret is: make some changes and learn to deal with it, or you’re going to have problems.
    BME: What advice would you have for others thinking about this piercing?
    PIERS: Go for it! But if it was anything like mine, be prepared to change what you eat, how you eat, and how you talk. Hardcore body modification!
    GREGG: Do what you think is best — don’t rush something like this though, as it’s not something you should dive into without careful consideration of the consequences.
    STEVE: Give it serious thought because there is the risk of dental damage, muscle damage, nerve and vein damage.
    BME: Do you consider this a viable piercing?
    PIERS: I know one girl with it in the area I live in, and she’s got pictures of it healed so why not? Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t for you.
    GREGG: Perhaps in the future, but why take the risk of harming the way you speak? Your speech is the way other people can recognize the being that is you, and if you have nice teeth and can’t afford corrective dentistry, then why take the risk?
    STEVE: For me, absolutely. If for some reason this has to come out or starts to migrate I will remove it, heal it, and get it done again.
    BME: Was it all worth it?
    PIERS: It was definitely worth it. I still consider this to be a very beautiful tongue project. The only reason I took it out was because of the bleeding. To tell the truth, I don’t regret any of my piercings, but this is definitely a piercing that I would like to have again.
    PAMELA: Honestly, no, it’s not. The five months healing time alone was crazy on my part. Every morning I wanted to take it out, but I always wondered, “what if it’s so cool when it’s healed?”

    Well, it was cool when it was healed, but then the lisp and all the other problems made it suck… but if the one side didn’t pull through I probably would have kept it!
    GREGG: If you’d have asked me this question two years ago I’d have told you it was all worth it and I was getting ready to have it repierced, but in hindsight, I don’t think it was worth it, but it depends on your mindset. Too many young people get a piercing to be different, and too many piercers do piercings like this to show they’re on the edge of their science. In the big scheme of things it isn’t worth it to damage other parts of you for the sake of being unique, although it just depends where you draw the line.
    STEVE: I have worked my way into two managerial jobs with two mainstream companies with my piercings and all. One of them is my main job in a night club called “Heaven and Hell” in Stockport. I am the first line of contact with the public and even with my piercings, I have the job, and I have worked my way up the ladder.

    I would sacrifice my livelihood over it though, and I almost did when I went to claim unemployment — I refused to take it out and they could have refused my benefits but I showed them my resumé and proved I can and will get work.

    It’s definitely worth it, purely because after nearly a decade of having it, it’s still a rare piercing, and not many people can say they have that these days!

    * * *
    Giving us the story from the other side of the needle is Matt Bruce (IAM: modsbymatt), an active piercer at Body Jewellery and Piercing in Victoria, British Columbia. He’s performed several horizontal tongue piercings, and turned away even more customers asking for it. He’s here to tell us, from a piercer’s point of view, some of the most important things to know about the piercing.

    Matt, and a horizontal tongue piercing done on one of his customers.
    BME: What kind of cautions do you need to take that are different than a normal, vertical tongue piercing?
    MATT: I researched this one for a while, thinking I was missing something, but it seems that as long as the blood vessels taper off before the area you are piercing in, it tends to be hassle-free.
    BME: What kind of jewelry do you use, and why?
    MATT: I use PTFE barbells because they bend with the movements of the tongue itself. A stainless or titanium barbell will only get in the way while trying to talk and eat and such, and Tygon has to be changed too often. I prefer to use PTFE beads as well but if they want stainless, I just make sure the jewelry is short enough that the beads sit inside of the teeth.
    BME: Can you explain the process of making sure the customer is suitable for the piercing and of doing it?
    MATT: Like I said, as long as there are no obvious blood vessels in the area, that’s a good start. I find that if they fold up the tip of the tongue and at the fold there is an indent on either side than they have good anatomy for it, but that doesn’t mean they are good for the piercing.

    Good oral hygiene and previous experience with piercing and oral piercing is a must, and then, based on all those variables, I decide from that point if I will do the procedure. If everything is a go, I make my entrance and exit marks and then brace the tongue with a piece of gauze in-between my thumb and first fingers. After everything is lined up, I push the needle through to the other mark and then follow through with the jewellery.
    BME: Do you warn the people about possible dental damage or other potential problems?
    MATT: Of course. As a professional piercer it is my obligation to inform people of any possible negative effect that any procedure could have on the client.
    BME: How much should customers expect eating, drinking, talking, and so on to be affected?
    MATT: They will find it awkward at first, the same as any other tongue piercing, but with PTFE it makes it very easy to adjust. Usually at the two week point they tend to be talking well and the distension is almost completely gone.
    BME: What advice would you have for others thinking about this piercing?
    MATT: Make sure you see examples of the piercing in the artist’s portfolio that you approach and I would say that if they recommend a metal barbell, then I would look somewhere else. Also, just because this or any piercing has been done does not mean it can be done on you. If someone turns you away because you do not suit the work you want don’t just keep looking till you find someone that will!
    BME: Do you consider this a generally viable piercing?
    MATT: That is a hard question to answer. For some, a navel piercing isn’t viable, for others a standard tongue piercing isn’t. I try and just go person-to-person with every procedure I do. If it is viable for that individual then I do it.

    With a little bit of pain and persistence this piercing is possible. You’ll need an experienced piercer that understands not just the right to do the procedure, but understands why the piercing has to be this way. Otherwise you risk permanent humilation from not just a lisp but the diet of a level six vegan — nothing that hasn’t been put in a blender. It’s very rare for good reason, but still might be the right piercing to get if you understand the risks and want something unique. Try it if you dare, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

    Horizontal Tongue Piercing Mini-FAQ
    BY SHANNON LARRATT

    How is the piercing done? It’s a standard piercing, done with a needle and jewelry follow-through. Some piercers will clamp it but most will do it freehand.

    How much does it hurt to get done? It hurts more and takes longer to perform than a normal tongue piercing but is bearable. Depending on your region, spray anestheia may be available.

    What kind of jewelry should be used? PTFE (Teflon) or other flexible jewelry such as Tygon is ideal (although Tygon needs to be changed regularly). Metal barbells are not generally recommended, although they may in rare cases be possible in some placements. If possible, plastic beads should be used, and flattened beads can make the piercing additionally comfortable. Once the piercing has healed the jewelry should be shortened to sit snugly on the tongue.

    How should the piercing be placed? The placement that puts the least restriction on the movement of the tongue should be used. Try and watch and feel how the tongue moves during speech and eating. Intersecting the points where the tongue bends is going to do the most damage to mobility (and thus speech and other actions). The area should be checked for blood vessels as well. Not everyone has anatomy which is suitable for this piercing.

    Who can do this piercing for me? Any experienced piercer should be able to do this piercing.

    How long does it take to heal? If the placement is good and proper jewelry is used, healing should take one to two months, with the swelling going down inside two weeks. However, if the placement is not good or the jewelry is inappropriate, the jewelry and motion of the tongue can cause continual damage to the wound (especially if you yell or otherwise stress your tongue) and extend healing time greatly.

    What aftercare should I follow? Aftercare is basically the same as a normal tongue piercing. Take it easy for the first few weeks and rinse regularly with a saltwater solution. The most important thing is to do everything slowly for the first week or two and pay attention to your tongue when you’re eating and talking. If you pay attention and do things carefully and slowly you will greatly speed up the “relearning” process and aid the healing as well because you’ll put less stress on the piercing.

    How much will talking, eating, and so on, be affected? How much these things are affected varies greatly from person to person and can be minimized by using recommended jewelry and placement. If you just put a bar through a “bend-point” of your tongue, let alone a metal one, you will have an intense lisp. However, if you use recommended jewelry and take care with the placement, the effects will be minimal and should not be much worse than a normal tongue piercing. Proper jewelry sizing is important and will reduce risk to teeth while eating, as will using plastic beads.

    THE BIGGEST REASON THAT THIS PIERCING HAS A BAD REPUTATION IS BECAUSE FEW PIERCERS DO IT PROPERLY!

    – Gillian Hyde
    typealice

    Gillian

    Hyde (iam:typealice) is a vagabond, though her roots run deep into Nova Scotian soil. She’s lived and worked on three continents since 2001, and has never lived anywhere for longer than eight months since the age of 16. She loves fonts, puns, being barefoot, and office supplies. “Calm” to her is the roar of the ocean.

    Online presentation copyright © 2005 BMEzine.com LLC. Requests to republish must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published online April 4th, 2005 by BMEzine.com LLC from La Paz, Mexico.

  • Love at First Bite [The Publisher’s Ring]

    Written by

    Shannon Larratt

    Love at First Bite


    “Behold I do not give lectures or a little charity.
     When I give, I give myself.”

    – Walt Whitman

  • Spreading the Word and Remembering Sailor Sid [Running The Gauntlet – By Jim Ward]

    Written by

    BME


    IX. Spreading the Word and Remembering Sailor Sid

    A huge part of Gauntlet’s success was probably the result of the tireless effort I put into promoting, not just the business, but body piercing itself. Over the years I traveled regularly giving presentations to everything from S/M organizations to university human sexuality classes.

    A lot of people take it for granted that they can go into almost any tattoo shop and get a body piercing. Believe it or not, that has not always been the case. To some of us it seemed self evident that tattooing and piercing go together like salt and pepper. But there was a time when many tattooists were outraged at such a suggestion. Having a personal interest in both and knowing many others who shared it, it seemed logical to me that the tattoo community was just waiting to embrace my efforts. It didn’t take long for me to find out otherwise.

    Early in 1977 the International Tattoo Artist’s Association (ITAA) was having a convention in Reno. In an effort to reach out and spread the word amongst the tattooed, Doug suggested that I get a vendor booth there. I submitted the necessary forms and was accepted. This would be one of our first appearances in public.

    Cliff Raven
    Tattoo legend Cliff Raven (right) with an adoring admirer.
    		 Tattoo Samy and his wife Ella
    Tattoo Samy from Frankfort and his wife Ella.
    		 Tattoo Samy's piercings and tattoos
    Some of Samy’s tattoos and piercings.
    		 A young Ed Hardy
    A young Ed Hardy.

    I made up an assortment of jewelry and gathered a selection of piercing equipment and set off with Eric and Doug for Reno. We were greeted by a number of familiar faces. Cliff Raven and his lover were in attendance as was our friend Tattoo Samy from Frankfort and his wife Ella. We also met Ed Hardy who was doing very extensive tattoo projects on a couple of members of the T&P group. Fakir was present and had been asked to provide entertainment at the banquet.

    Jim White
    Jim, one of the people I pierced at the convention.
    		 Karen after her nipple piercings
    Karen after her nipple piercings.
    		 Steve Richards
    Steve Richards, a young tattooist, volunteered to have his nipples pierced at a public demonstration.

    Outwardly everyone was courteous and curious. During the course of the convention a number of people made arrangements to come to our room for private piercing appointments. Among them was the girlfriend of Dale Grande who had done tattooing with Cliff Raven when he had his shop in Chicago. I was even asked to do a nipple piercing demonstration on the floor of the vendor area. A good looking young tattooist named Steve Richards volunteered to be my subject.

    The demonstration went well, and many people stopped by the Gauntlet table to ask questions. On the surface it appeared we were well received. But unknown to us there was trouble brewing. A number of the big name tattooists, among them Ed Hardy, were not pleased.

    “Since Ed Hardy had brought the subject of piercings up at the I.T.A.A. Reno Convention in 1977 (he felt, as did the overwhelming majority of Artists there that piercing did not belong at a Tattoo convention and should not be linked to tattooing. I.T.A.A. Members voted there and then not to have piercing at future conventions) it was decided on (by the suggestion of Bob Shaw) not to allow facial tattoos or piercings at the National Tattoo Conventions. This was to be a Convention to promote Tattooing and only Tattooing.”
      (source)

    Fortunately not all tattoo organizations were as hostile as ITAA and NTA, but the Reno convention was the first and last tattoo event that I recall Gauntlet ever vending at. For years to come the applications for at least some conventions carried a statement reading in effect that, “we will not rent vendor space for piercing or anything else that might give tattooing a bad name.” This is pretty much a direct quote. What I would love to have pointed out, but never did, was that bad tattooists were far more likely than we to give tattooing a bad name.

    This attitude toward piercing persisted with some tattooists for a decade or so. Then in the late 1980s when the popularity of body piercing exploded, some savvy tattoo artists realized there was money to be made doing piercing. Almost overnight there was a huge shift in attitude, and tattooists around the world began setting up shop as piercers whether they were qualified or not.

    The following April another tattoo convention was to take place in Texas. Although vending was no longer an option, Doug and I planned on going to hand out business cards and meet people and promote our favorite form of body adornment.

    Plans were progressing well until shortly before we were to leaving for Texas. Doug approached me and said that after giving it some thought he felt it wasn’t worthwhile and that instead we should take a vacation to Key West and then go up to Fort Lauderdale and spend a few days with an outrageous piercing and tattooing enthusiast, Sailor Sid. I took him at his word and didn’t think anything further about the change of plans. Later it came out that the real reason for the diversion was that Doug had learned his youngest son Robert would be attending the Texas convention and that he wanted to avoid running into him.

    We flew into Miami, rented a car and took to the road 160 miles south to Key West. I particularly remember the series of bridges that link the chain of small gulf islands with the mainland. We passed through Key Largo, an easily forgettable place whose name at least we’ll always remember thanks to Bogart and Bacall.

    It’s funny how memory plays tricks on us. When I first started writing this article it seemed like Doug and I had made only one trip to Key West. But when I began looking through photos and examining the dates stamped on slide borders, I realized that we had actually made two trips to that sunny destination.

    Jim Ward and Doug Malloy on the Gulf of Mexico Jim Ward and Doug Malloy on the Gulf of Mexico
    Doug and I enjoying a boat excursion on the Gulf of Mexico.

    In truth much of the memory of this trip is pretty sketchy. I’ve no recollection whatsoever of the hotel where we stayed. I do recall doing many of the usual tourist things. We explored all the usual tourist traps on main street. I still have a hand made silver belt buckle we bought on this trip. We visited the home of Ernest Hemingway and lunched at some roadside shack on the beach where we ate stone crab — the first I’d ever tasted — simply prepared, fresh, and delicious. Doug also hired a boat for us to have an afternoon and sunset Gulf excursion. I still have the slides we took.

    Doug had a personal connection to this Southeastern tip of the United States. He told me that the island might well have belonged to Cuba, but in 1821 an ancestor of his had purchased it thus making it part of the US.


    “In 1815, Spain deeded the island to a loyal subject and St. Augustine native, Juan Pablo Salas. In 1819, all of Florida was ceded to the United States. Salas had made no improvements to the island of Key West and sold it to John Simonton, an American businessman, for $2,000. Simonton understood the potential of Cayo Hueso’s natural deep-water harbor and divided the island into four parts, selling three of them to fellow businessmen Whitehead, Fleming and Greene, and keeping one for himself. By this time, the island had been renamed Key West, probably as a result of an English language distortion of the original Spanish name.”
      (source)


    Doug’s ancestor John Simonton.

    One of the sites we took in was an old fort that had been turned into a museum. In one of its many rooms we came across a portrait of John Simonton.

    After our Key West venture came to an end we loaded up the rental car and headed north to Fort Lauderdale to spend a few days with the self proclaimed “freak nut” who went by the name Sailor Sid Diller.

    Sailor Sid Diller, 1980
    Sailor Sid in a photo I took of him in 1980.

    To say that Sid was a character is putting it mildly. Generally speaking I think he was a kindly and good hearted person. He could be a source of endless humor although he had a tendency to repeat the same joke or bit of business often to the point of painful irritation. I found him to be genial for the most part, but after spending some extended periods of time with him, discovered he could be quick-tempered, irritable, and occasionally petty especially where money was concerned. From my perspective he was a difficult man to get to know and warm up to. The freakish side of his persona was always on display. It was a façade that was firmly in place, and he rarely allowed anyone to see the real person behind the mask.

    Sid was in his late sixties when I first met him. He had been fascinated with tattoos from the time he was preadolescent. Sid had been a member of the Coast Guard which, during World War II, was a part of the Navy. It was in those war years, the early 1940s, that he got his first piercings — ear and frenum — and tattoos. If memory serves me correctly he became an electrician after leaving the service and settled down in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he retired.

    Sid’s passions were tattooing, piercing, and very heavy S/M. He had managed to connect with a large number of other enthusiasts throughout the world and was a voracious correspondent, writing at length — on a typewriter, no less — about his experiences. Photos of his exploits and those of others were often included. No doubt BME enthusiasts would hardly find them shocking, but for their time these included some of the most extreme S/M I had ever seen documented, including extensive play piercing scenes and some involving opening the scrotum and exposing the testicles.


    Doug Malloy piercing Sailor Sid Diller's ear
    Doug piercing Sid’s ear.

    Doug’s and my visit did not include any of these particular activities. Sid took us to a gay bar or two — pretty tame ones by LA standards. He also arranged a big piercing party at his home for various gay friends and fellow motorcycle club members so they could drop in and get pierced.

    Piercing Party
    The piercing party in full swing.
    		 Sailor Sid Clowning
    Sid clowning.

    At this point in history the Jim Ward name didn’t mean very much in piercing circles. Sid didn’t really know me, and his assumption seemed to be that Doug would be doing a lot of the piercing. Aside from acquiescing to Sid’s desire for a piercing or two from the hands of the “Master,” Doug very graciously sang my praises as his protégé and made it clear that I would be doing whatever piercing services were required.

    Doug Malloy gets pierced
    Doug got his ear pierced as part of the festivities.
    		 Doug Malloy giving Sailor Sid an apadravya
    Doug giving Sid an apadravya.
    		 Does it hurt?
    The answer to the perennial question.

    I pierced at least eight people that night, some having multiple piercings. Doug got into the spirit of the evening by letting me pierce his ear. Being as closeted as he was, it came as no surprise that he removed the jewelry by the time we returned to LA. Sid got his wish when Doug added another piercing to his ear and gave him an apadravya. The atmosphere was congenial and supportive, and everyone seemed to leave on an endorphin high.


    Nipple Piercing Surprise

    During our visit Doug and I also met a kinky straight friend of Sid’s named John. My impression was that John enjoyed cross-dressing or at least expressing the feminine side of his nature. Both legs were tattooed with lace stockings made up of hundreds of tiny spiders. His toenails were painted. In many of his piercings he wore jewelry of a decidedly feminine character. John was probably the first man I ever encountered who had split the head of his penis. It wasn’t difficult to understand why he and Sid were friends.


    John K.
    Sid’s kinky straight friend John,
    perhaps the first man I ever met with a split penis head.

    Our stay in Ft. Lauderdale was pleasant, and we returned to LA having made many new piercing friends.


    Sailor Sid's genital piercings
    A closeup of Sid’s genital piercings taken during my 1980 visit.

    I visited Sid again in 1980 to interview and photograph him for PFIQ. That interview appeared in issue #10. I’ve never considered my skills as a photographer to be particularly outstanding, but I have to say the pictures I took of Sid are among the best I’ve ever done. He was relaxed and open and never camera shy. The photos I took that day always remind me of one of the most unforgettable characters it’s been my privilege to know.

    Sid kept two collections of personal papers that I know of: the correspondence and photographs he’d accumulated over the years relating to tattooing and piercing. When he died May 24, 1990 — age 80 if my calculations are correct — he had already made provisions for his collections to go to people he trusted. I believe he left the tattoo papers to his good friend Jack Yount. I’ve no idea what happened to these after Jack’s death. The piercing collection Sid left to me. A few months after his death a couple of large, heavy boxes arrived for me at Gauntlet’s corporate office. In them were a number of three-ring binders filled with photos in plastic protectors, not to mention a large stack of correspondence. Not only were there many letters from his various and sundry friends, but oddly there were photocopies on thermal paper of many letters Sid had written to them.

    For some time I pondered how best to preserve this unique collection and also make it accessible to interested individuals. I considered using some of the material in PFIQ, but since there were no photo releases, and I didn’t know most of the individuals pictured or how to contact them, I abandoned that idea.

    As time went by my health became somewhat uncertain, and I was forced to face the fact that I might not have that many years to live. I was concerned about the future of the unique collection Sid had left in my care and felt the best thing I could do was to find a better home for it. Eventually I made the decision to donate it to the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago. It’s clear from their web site that the collection is still there. I’m assuming anyone interested in exploring this resource can make arrangements to view and study it.

    Sid was one of a kind: a man who marched to a different drum and made no apologies for it. Despite any differences we might have had, I consider myself fortunate to have known him.

    Jim Ward
    http://www.gauntletenterprises.com/

    IAM members click here to discuss this article.

    Jim Ward is is one of the cofounders of body piercing as a public phenomena in his role both as owner of the original piercing studio Gauntlet and the original body modification magazine PFIQ, both long before BME staff had even entered highschool. He currently works as a designer in Calfornia where he lives with his partner.

    Copyright © 2005 BMEzine.com LLC. Requests to publish full, edited, or shortened versions must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published March 29th, 2005 by BMEzine.com LLC in La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

  • Hola Gringo!

    Written by

    Jordan Ginsberg

    BME Visits BodyFest 2005 in Mexico City

    “When you bring an act into this town, you want to bring it heavy. Don’t waste any time with cheap shucks and misdemeanors. Go straight for the jugular. Get right into felonies.”
    – Hunter S. Thompson (RIP), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    BodyFest 2005

    It was 8:15 a.m. when my flight reached cruising altitude, and then there was certainly no turning back. The trip that had been the bane of my existence for a week’s time — the weekend that the thoughts of which had caused my nerves more damage than leaving my home in Toronto to actually live across the continent — it was underway.

    All things considered though, I was taking the event in a more heroic fashion than I had imagined I would be.

    Traveling is a new beast to me. Until the third of March this year, my minor voyages had been limited to the American northeast — never west of Detroit, and never south of Camden, New Jersey. And certainly never on a plane. By the time I was en route to Mexico City on the morning of March 12th, my flight experience had propelled me past the stage of gripping the armrests to the point of muscle tears, and turbulence was no longer a source of intestinal unrest. It was the trip itself, a weekend as a tourist in a metropolis known for devouring tourists, leaving them penniless and beaten by the city limits, that gripped my psyche, throttled my sanity and sent my neuroses to the front lines.

    I may have been blowing things out of proportion.

    The city is absolutely immense, and there’s no mistaking that. The airport was quick to calm my nerves though; it was practically a merry-go-round compared to, say, the blazing re-entry wreckage that is LAX — a newfound mortal enemy of mine. Within minutes I was in a taxi, where it quickly became evident that the statistic of one being safer in the air than on the ground on the way to the airport was founded in Mexico City. After forty-five minutes of the most diabolically terrifying driving I’d ever been involved with, my heart riding shotgun at the roof of my mouth and my bowels lagging behind, somewhere around the rear axle of the cab, I arrived at my destination of the Rockotitlan club, site of the purpose of my trip: Modificaciones Corporales Tatuajes’ BodyFest, featuring Lukas Zpira.

    I was struck immediately by the amount of heavy work — very large-gauge piercings, visible and facial tattoos, implants, etc. — and that it was by and large quite well done, and worn largely by surprisingly young people (eighteen to twenty-five, roughly). While the volume of this manner of work is certainly present in any convention-type setting, seldom have I seen it in this predominantly younger age bracket. Following closely behind as far as immediate impressions went was the fact that I was quite obviously the only person who spoke English as a first language in several city blocks, and certainly the only one in the building. Thankfully, both Rafael and Beto were more than willing to help this desperate gringo translate his way through the weekend with the multitude of tongues at their relative disposals.

    The day began with a seminar on cutting by Lukas in a tent set up on the terrace outside the club. While no actual work was done on the spot (though a piece was drawn onto a client to be cut later on in the day), he spoke to and fielded questions from the audience for a little over an hour, and it was really quite interesting to watch the information transcend several language barriers. The seminar was conducted in English and was then translated into Spanish by a volunteer from the audience, but on the occasions that Lukas would get tripped up on the proper English terminology (from his native French tongue) his wife Satomi — also bilingual — would then provide him with a French-to-English translation. The crowd, though, was very giving and professional — exercising patience not often seen in Canadian or American events. It would seem that while people in those markets generally like to think they’ve already got the facts and the know-how, the BodyFest contingent was extremely receptive and devoured the information — they needed it. The same was true for the following day’s seminar, which was split up into two sections, one for branding and the other for implant procedures; the same format as the previous day was in effect, with most of the time being spent on Lukas fielding the eager audience’s questions.


    Lukas Conducting the Cutting Seminar
    Designing a Cutting

    It was suggested to me that perhaps it was dangerous for Lukas to be divulging this information to the people there, that it might give them the impetus to jump into performing procedures that they weren’t ready to do yet, or at least not do cleanly and safely. However, it was relayed to me that, before I arrived in the city, some people had ventured to the downtown core and witnessed implant procedures being done right on the sidewalk.

    One more time, with feeling: People were doing implants on the sidewalk.

    And not well, by the sounds of it. Mexico City is not known for its particular cleanliness to begin with and, as Lukas would explain, the care you must take when performing implants is much higher than when cutting or even branding. There is no city block in the world that would be the appropriate location for that procedure, especially when the facilitators are haphazardly dropping instruments on the ground and, after what essentially equates to a spit-shine, continuing to use them. But the popularity is there. People are going to be doing these things whether they’re safe or not. The fact that Lukas was providing an outlet for these people to at least learn proper techniques is commendable, though unfortunately, it didn’t seem like the street-team contingent was in attendance.

     

    By nightfall I was delirious with hunger, but not wanting to miss any of the event combined with a mostly-irrational fear of the local food kept me from taking a break for dinner. My pangs faded with time though, and I was right to keep a close eye on the proceedings — a suspension performance not listed on the program kicked off the evening portion of the event. The duo — a larger fellow in a spiked and studded leather bondage mask and his scrawny partner in a gasmask — hit the stage, the bigger member hanging suicide-style while his diminutive friend began with hooks in his upper back as well as his knees, swinging around above the ground in a crouched position. While not groundbreaking techniques, the show delighted the crowd. The atmosphere was much more that of a festival than a traditional convention — industrial dance music blaring through the PA at all times, and large projection video screens set up to broadcast in real-time what was occurring on stage, as well as to show Lukas performing procedures in a smaller tent-studio — enclosed in clear plastic — set up on the upper level of the club. Once the smoke (machine) cleared and the performance came to a close, I headed upstairs to check out a cutting piece in progress.

    Lukas works extremely fast.

    The piece being worked on was in fact the one he had designed following his cutting seminar earlier in the day — an odd jagged vision with sinister witch-like faces worked into it — that, in spite of covering much of the client’s thigh, was nearly complete within roughly ten minutes of being started. Luckily I caught the tail end of the process and was able to see for myself the speed with which he conducts himself. Lukas has a wide range of experience under his belt — he is more often than not on the road working in countries all over the world — that surely contributes to the speed at which he is able to work, but it’s his confidence in the work itself and his own abilities that seems to be the deciding factor. This was even more evident the following day when he, with the aid of Satomi, completed a large implant in someone’s forearm in literally less than four minutes — a procedure that easily could have taken other artists over an hour. His uncanny precision, custom-made PTFE instruments, and the symbiotic relationship he and Satomi display when performing this kind of work truly set him apart from other practitioners in the field.

    With a criminally cheap, oversized beer in hand, I settled in for the next performance, not prepared for the spectacle that was to follow. Another troupe — again, not listed on the program — marched onto the stage, adorned in what appeared to be some variation of Nordic warrior garb, some brandishing weapons, others playing drums, horns and flutes — there was even a guy with bagpipes.

    Seriously. Bagpipes.

    As the percussion-heavy yet highly listenable music began, two men were suspended vertically from their chests in the center of the stage. As well, a semi-circle had formed around another member of the group who had stationed himself on the floor of the club rather than on the stage. Wearing various pieces of armor and a grotesque hog of hell mask, he unleashed guttural death-metal throes that would not have been out of place in front of a crowd of 30,000 screaming Norwegians, all the while stomping around the perimeter of his area and clanging his sword and shield together.

    (Let me note that by this point in the evening, I was really cursing myself for not knowing any Spanish, or at least bringing a Babel fish along with me. The Mexicans (some from Mexico City, others from Guadalajara), as well as the Guatemalans present, were all terribly gracious and accommodating, often apologizing for their poor English when speaking to me, when really, I’m the nitwit who moved to their country without speaking a word of the language!)

    Just when I thought the theatrics had reached a climax, a few fellow warriors joined the pig-man on the ground, and then the unthinkable: A firefight broke out. One of the newcomers began blowing flames at the orc-ish character who blocked them with his shield, when another of the new arrivals began tossing a flaming sphere up into the air and catching it with relative ease.

    For those keeping score at home: Drummers and percussionists, flutists, horn-players, bagpipes, chest suspensions, death metal vocals, swords, fire, and pig-men. Merely calling this a spectacle would be on par with calling syphilis an inconvenience.

    After a break in the action, a mélange of people outfitted in bondage and S&M gear took to the stage in procession — to enormous applause — and a simulated sex show ensued. While the men occasionally took the upper hand, the show saw the women generally dominate their male counterparts with a variety of whips, chains, and riding crops. Here, the audience impressed me; maybe I’m just cynical, but I still expect most people I meet to have some sort of homophobic tendencies about them — especially in developing nations where religion and history are more pervasive to modern day society. So imagine my shock when one of the women whipped out a massive dildo, began toying with the ass of her scantily clad slave, and the male-heavy crowd — after a brief “Is that what I think it is?” moment — cheered even louder than they already were! Nary a disgusted grunt could be heard in the place; these people paid good money to be there, and damned if they weren’t going to see some simulated anal violation live on stage. Very pleasantly surprised.

    The cavalcade of smut — and I use the term lovingly — exited stage left, which meant it was nearly time for the evening’s main event, if you will, featuring Lukas and Satomi. With a crowd gathered close to the foot of the stage, the industrial music segued into gentler, poppier techno-beats, smoke filled the venue, and a comely young lady wearing only bikini bottoms emerged through the haze. Planting herself on her knees, hands folded in her lap and head down, another figure made its way into the light: It was that of Satomi, dressed in head-to-toe black, and rope in hand. Thunderous applause roared from the audience as they took her in in all of her dominatrix glory, now towering over the petite, seemingly demure girl at her feet — on which she wore platforms giving her at least another six inches of height. After sizing up her victim briefly, with a swift gracefulness, she began to bind the girl’s hands behind her back.

    The act continued as Satomi brought the girl to her feet and, with skillful precision that would have left a Boy Scout shaken and traumatized, tied a series of complex knots around her arms, torso, and through her legs; escape, she showed, was impossible. She then whisked the girl to the side of the stage, and out came Lukas with a harness around his chest and hooks already in his back, ready to be suspended. Once he was in the air, the bound girl was reintroduced into the equation — Satomi was going to tie her to him. Flawlessly fastening more devious knots, this time around attaching the girl’s legs to the web of rope in her back, she then ran the rope through a ring in the middle of Lukas’ harness and lifted the girl off the ground through it and tied it off, leaving Lukas to support her weight as she hung off of him. With a malevolent smile, Satomi then dug a knee into the young girl’s back and proceeded to climb atop her horizontally-suspended body, putting immense pressure both on her and Lukas, and judging by the approving cheers from the audience, they certainly appreciated the difficulty of the act. The crowd left quite satisfied it seemed, some of them certainly having had their eyes opened to something entirely foreign, but exciting nonetheless.

    The second day’s festivities closed out with another suspension performance, yet one in a much different vein; with the stage encircled in soft red candles and gentle sounds of nature pulsing from the speakers, Beto sat patiently in a trance-like state while Lukas pierced his back and knees, and was slowly lifted off the ground. With unremitting concentration and purpose, he hung nearly dead still for several minutes before beginning a soft swaying. Certainly a change of pace from the high-action theatrics of the previous day’s performances, but it served its purpose as a smooth comedown and finale to the weekend. In the midst of the serenity though, the rope handler slipped and Beto came crashing down from at least ten feet above, the handler catching the rope at literally the last second with Beto only inches from the ground. He opened his eyes for the first time since being onstage, shot a humored glance to the man who had dropped him, and was raised once again.

    In no way do I mean to invalidate any of the other performances, but this one moment got more applause than any amount of seven foot tall mistresses or dildo-on-man-ass action could have hoped for.

    The segment came to a close with Beto hanging vertically and his lovely wife coming onstage to latch onto him as they kissed in a mid-air embrace. An art fusion performance followed, but I was quite literally running on fumes by this point and headed back to my temporary place of residence with Marciano of Kaustika, a local piercing and tattoo shop, an incredibly gracious if somewhat intoxicated young man.

    Sadly, I’ve omitted the details of a number of other portions of the event, but these were seminars and speeches conducted solely in Spanish without any translation. Unfortunate, too, as many of them sounded quite interesting, covering such broad topics as the History and Methodology of Suspension (by members of Kukulcan, featuring Beto), Ethics in Professional Body Piercing (by APP member Danny Yerna of Wakantanka), Tattoos as a Means of Identification (by Dr. Julieta Gutiérrez López), and the Discrimination of Tattooed People in Guatemala (by staff from the Guatemalan piercing studio Shogun). God knows I’d better be more competent in the language by September’s convention in Guadalajara.

    These people definitely got it. In spite of the relative unease I felt from much of the city, those present at BodyFest were some of the most genuine, friendly people I’ve met in the community, regardless of language barriers. I imagine it must have been a similar atmosphere to last year’s Buenos Aires convention, in the sense that holding large-scale events is a relatively new thing to the area and, as a result, the excitement level and the potential for novitiates to gain insight into some of the more advanced procedures and processes are greatly increased (though sadly, according to some of the organizers, the turnout was not nearly as high as anticipated). Also interesting to note is that Internet access in Mexico (Mexico City in particular) is largely very limited — most of the people I spoke to said that they had spent almost no time online whatsoever. I think a case could be made that in America and Canada, the Internet plays a large role in the proliferation of heavy modifications; the fact that in Mexico these ideas seem to truly spread through osmosis rather than through sites like BME — which, again, very few of the people had even heard of — really spoke to me of a very organic desire to get this kind of work done. There’s going to be some really fantastic stuff coming from the Central and South American contingent of practitioners very soon I think (really though, there already is).

    And as it turned out, Mexico City was not the den of crime and iniquity that I had been expecting. It’s certainly a place to exercise more caution in some respects than one normally would, but as with anything, a little savvy and some common sense can go a long way. That said, I opted for a subway ride to the airport the next morning rather than taking another taxi. Holding onto my backpack like grim death on public transit sounded far more appealing to me at 6:00 a.m. than ruining the only pair of pants I had while weeping gently in the fetal position in the back of a little green Volkswagen Beetle, whipping through the streets — supersonic — at dawn.

    Savvy indeed.

  • Taking it to the Next Level [Guest Column – Stepping Back]

    Written by

    BME

    Taking it to the Next Level

    “What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.”
    –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince

    Not only accepting the fact that she’s severely scarred for the rest of her life, Montreal-based professional linguist, performer, and model Ella (IAM:ella) is celebrating it. And by celebrating it, I mean showing it off. And who can complain about a hot girl who shows off her body?

    Up until several years ago though, Ella didn’t show off: She did everything to avoid people seeing the scars left by a pot of boiling water falling on top of her at age four. She wore long sleeved shirts the majority of the time until age eighteen, hoping that the questions and ridicule would stop if people couldn’t see that she was any different than them.

    It worked the majority of time, and that made her happy until, during her teenage rebellion stage, she decided she was going to show the world what she really looked like, and the long sleeves disappeared.

      Ella

    Amina

    Expecting an “OH MY GOD” reaction from everyone who came into contact with her, she was disappointed to find that very few people seemed to care. Her attempt at a “‘fuck you’ rebellion thing” seemed to go totally unnoticed.

    There are events in our lives that can change our perception of ourselves, our lives, and the world. Ella’s paradigm shift was caused by someone — her then boyfriend — who not only accepted her physical differences, but found beauty in them. The point of view seemed contagious, and Ella’s attitude towards her scars changed. She too began to see them as beautiful; she started to see them as a good thing. Shortly after that, she began modelling.

    Her ex-boyfriend was good friends with Jerome Abramovitch of Chapter9Photography, and they did several photo shoots together. Modelling proved to help her become even more comfortable with the way she looked, and soon she moved onto doing burlesque shows at a fetish club run by a friend of hers. She later progressed into television, where she was featured in seven out of thirteen episodes of Kink III, on the Showcase channel. Talk about celebrating your differences.

    Amina Munster (IAM:Amina Munster), who I interviewed in February 2005, is planning on coming out with her secret to her SuicideGirls public within the next couple of months. As a child she nearly drowned, resulting in the loss of the fingertips on her right hand, a quarter of her right leg, and half of her right lung. Amina has done a fantastic job of hiding the fact that she is missing parts of her body in real life and online where she’s an active and popular SuicideGirl.

    She’s soon ready to join Ella and celebrate the fact that her body is different than anyone else’s. In preparation for an A&E show called “Inked,” who decided to feature Amina on an episode, she had her prosthetic leg airbrushed to look tattooed. In the near future, Amina will show her online fans that she’s not who they thought she was by doing photo shoots that don’t hide her missing leg. She’s hoping for the best, of course, and expects even more positive feedback, much like the comments she got from the people of BME after the article featuring her was published.

    The main difference between these two girls is that Ella considers what happened to her as a child as “body modification” whereas Amina does not. Another outcome of Ella’s paradigm shift was that she decided to highlight her scars with scarification: a testament to the fact that she loves how her body has been changed.

      

    Ella
    BME: 
    		 Although you’ve already written a full experience, would you like to tell the story of what happened to you one more time?
    ELLA: 
    		 Sure. The March after I turned four years old, I was in the kitchen while my parents and grandmother were preparing supper. I wanted to help, and they foolishly allowed me to stir a pot on the stove. Through some sequence of events I’m a bit fuzzy on (I think I accidentally dipped my elbow in the pot and overbalanced when I jumped in reaction) I fell down, pulling the pot over on top of me. I ended up with third degree burns on one third of my skin surface and a couple of tiny patches of fourth degree. I spent about a month in the burn ward at the Hamilton General [in Ontario, Canada] during my initial healing, and then another several months at home wearing a pressure garment and undergoing physiotherapy.
    BME: 
    		 Do you ever see the nurses or doctors who helped you with the rehabilitation process? If you were to see them now, what would you say to them?

    ELLA: 

    		 I haven’t seen any of the medical staff who treated me in years, mostly because I live far away from where I was in the hospital. I’m not sure what I’d say to them; thank them of course, and perhaps ask them some questions about what my treatment actually entailed and why, as I was a bit too young to ask those questions at the time.

     

    Ella several days after the accident, and the day she got out of the hospital.
    BME: 
    		 What would you ask now, if you had the chance?
    ELLA: 
    		 I’d probably ask them if my treatment was typical, and if there was anything that they would have done that they were unable to due to my size and age. Off the top of my head, I’d be interested to know how much was my life actually in danger, what drugs was I given, why did some of the skin grafts work and not others…stuff like that.
    BME: 
    		 How did your parents deal with what happened to you?
    ELLA: 
    		 It was difficult for them — they blamed themselves, and they were far more keenly aware of how much danger I was in than I was. They did their best, and tried to make sure they stayed positive for my sake.
    BME: 
    		 Pretend that there’s a new magical medical breakthrough where they can instantly take away all your scars by zapping you with their new invention. Would you do it?
    ELLA: 
    		 I doubt it. There are certain small areas I’d like to get repaired, that affect my mobility and the comfort level of clothes, but other than that I don’t think so. I wouldn’t be me.
    BME: 
    		 If you did do it, how do you think you’d feel walking out of the hospital?
    ELLA: 
    		 I’d feel like I wasn’t myself. At one time, something like that would have made me very happy, but not now.
      

    Ella is now very happy with her transformed body.
    BME: 
    		 Do you feel that being scarred makes you a stronger person? What parts of yourself do you feel would be missing if you didn’t have your scars anymore?
    ELLA: 
    		 Yes, I think that living with the scars has probably made me something of a stronger person. Our culture is very beauty-obsessed, and doesn’t hold imperfections in very high esteem, and I indirectly get messages all the time that my scars are ‘bad’ in some way. They certainly mark me as having survived a very difficult, life-threatening experience, which is something to be proud of. My ex used to say that I was automatically the ‘biggest badass in the room’, and that has a bit of truth to it. As to what would be missing, I’m not really sure, but I’ve been scarred for the vast majority of my life — I definitely wouldn’t recognize myself at first if the scars disappeared one day. Just the idea feels very strange.
    BME: 
    		 Are your scars really erogenous zones? That must be nice.
    ELLA: 
    		 Ha ha, yes, they definitely can be. They are very sensitive, and process stimulation very differently from my regular skin. It’s still a bit of a novelty to have someone want to touch my scars in a sexual context, so that has something to do with it. On the flip side, any trauma (cut, piercing, brand) that intersects with a scar is far more painful for me, and many styles of suspension would be extremely difficult to attempt.
    BME: 
    		 Are you planning on doing suspensions?
    ELLA: 
    		 Definitely, though I’ll probably ease into it with a couple of pullings first. I was hoping to at least do a pulling last summer, but my immune system seemed a bit weak at the time so I decided to hold off until I was in better health.
    BME: 
    		 Do you have a lot of people telling you that your scars aren’t body modification?
    ELLA: 
    		 I have had some people tell me that, yes. When I first submitted an experience to BME, my first draft was rejected because I only talked about my accident and I was told that it ‘didn’t count.’
    BME: 
    		 How’d you feel about that?
    ELLA: 
    		 I was pissed off. I felt that the very people who I was counting on to understand my point of view had completely missed the point. If I hadn’t had other reasons for wanting a membership I probably would have given up on BME in disgust. Fortunately people seem to have come around somewhat in the intervening years.

    Are her burns alone considered “body modification”?

    BME: 
    		 What were the reasons behind your additional cuts and scars?
    ELLA: 
    		 I started to see my scars as artistic, and as a kind of body modification, and I think that the scarifications around my old scars are a good way of visually communicating that feeling to others.
    BME: 
    		 Was it a hard decision to make?
    ELLA: 
    		 No, once I decided what I wanted it was very easy. I was a little afraid of the procedure, but I had no doubts about whether or not it was something I wanted.
    BME: 
    		 Were you mostly just afraid of the pain involved?
    ELLA: 
    		 I guess so. I didn’t have any real idea of what to expect, or how much it would hurt. The way that the procedure was described to me it sounded a lot more traumatic than it actually was. It was the first modification I’d had other than a couple of piercings, so I didn’t have much basis for comparison.
    BME: 
    		 Your first modification to your scars was done by a friend of yours who used a Dremel tool to highlight some patterns within your scars. How was that experience? What did the Dremel feel like?
    ELLA: 
    		 It was very easy, it felt like someone was drawing on my arm with a ballpoint pen. The actual scarification process was virtually painless, and it went quickly. My only regret is that it didn’t scar up very well, so it’s very difficult to see.
    BME: 
    		 I’ve heard that Dremel scarifications can be a messy (bloody) procedure. Was yours?
    ELLA: 
    		 Not particularly — I was expecting it to be but it wasn’t. The blood particles are very small, so it’s pretty messy in terms of being biohazardous, but in my case it was not messy at all in terms of visible residue. 
    BME: 
    		 Eventually, the Dremel scar faded… what made you decide to try other methods to enhance your scars?
    ELLA: 
    		 I still wanted the scarification but nobody could see it. I didn’t think that more Dremelling would result in a much darker scar, so I thought I’d give a branding a shot and see if it resulted in a more clearly visible image.
     

    Cutting by Lukas Zpira.
    BME: 
    		 Are you happy with the results?
    ELLA: 
    		 It’s a beautiful scar, but even the branding faded a lot — he didn’t really do it deep enough. A couple of years later I had a cutting done on my back which is much more visible. I might stick with cutting in the future.
    BME: 
    		 Are the circles on your lower back just a design feature, or do those highlight some of your scars as well?
    ELLA: 
    		 The circles are just decorative, as far as I know. Lukas felt that they made the image more balanced.
    BME: 
    		 Do you ever go through stages of disliking your scars, or are you really just in love with them?
    ELLA: 
    		 I like my scars a lot, these days: I’m generally ‘in love’ with them. I get annoyed by them occasionally when they restrict my movements or behavior in some way (I have to be extremely conscientious about sun protection, for example, and bras are utter torture).
    BME: 
    		 What kinds of modelling have you done? Where have the photos been shown?

     

    Ella the model.
    ELLA: 
    		 I’ve done mostly artistic nude stuff, some fetish modelling, and a tiny bit of fashion work. Pictures of me have been shown in a few galleries, mostly in Montreal, a couple of small magazines, and of course on the Kink III TV series. There’s also a picture of me that will appear in Hans Neleman’s Body Transform book that he is producing in collaboration with Lukas Zpira. Oh, and on the internet. There are lots and lots and lots of pictures of me on the internet.
    BME: 
    		 What kind of cabaret shows have you been in? What made you decide to do that?
    ELLA: 
    		 I really, really enjoy performing, and cabaret is something I can do pretty well. I’ve done fetish shows, traditional burlesque shows, and lots of stuff in between.
    BME: 
    Were you nervous for your first show? What was the audience like?
    ELLA: 
    Oh, I was shitting myself. I’d done shows before, but this was the first time I’d ever produced something and performed it completely by myself. The audience was much bigger than I was expecting, which didn’t help matters! The response was pretty lukewarm, but it got the ball rolling.
    BME: 
    What kinds of an act do you have? How long is it?
    ELLA: 
    My show generally lasts between three and five minutes, depending on the music I use. I try and change it up every once in a while. I generally dance and do fireplay and fire retention using rubbing alcohol and special effects fire to make it look like I’m ‘setting myself on fire’. I once did a show where I sang, which was very scary. It went fairly well, though I was a bit off key!
    BME: 
    What is Kink III, and how were you involved in it?
    ELLA: 
    Kink III is a Canadian documentary television series, which was made for the cable channel Showcase. I was one of several subjects that was filmed in Montreal a couple of summers ago. Their researcher saw my website and approached me to be on the show.
    BME: 
    What kinds of things were shown about you?
    ELLA: 
    Whatever I could think up that they had permission to film. They showed me doing my laundry, doing a photo shoot, having a barbecue with my friends, going to a vernissage where pictures of me were exhibited, going to a tattoo convention, and doing a show. There were probably other things but I can’t think of them off hand.
    BME: 
    Do you have any funny or amusing stories from your involvement?
    ELLA: 
    They filmed me at the Montreal pride parade, and they did a little interview after the parade. This woman was sitting watching us, and after they had stopped the tape she lit into me, telling me how disgusting I was and how I ‘cut myself because I didn’t like myself’. I just flipped her off and walked away, because I don’t believe in fighting with morons, but the crew stayed behind and vociferously defended my honour, which I thought was very sweet.
    BME: 
    If you could ask yourself one question, what would it be?
    ELLA: 
    “What’s the most fucked up thing anyone’s ever said about your scars?”

    On two separate occasions, evangelical Christians have approached me and tried to tell me that if I had ‘enough faith in Jesus’ that my scars would miraculously disappear. Hilariously enough, the second time this happened the bloke was on crutches.
    BME: 
    Have you had any feedback from people telling them that you changed their point of view on their own scars?
    ELLA: 
    Yes, I’ve had a couple of people tell me stuff like that. It’s very flattering, and definitely makes it all worthwhile.

    Ella today.

    Kudos to Ella. Not only has she accepted what has happened to her, she’s dealing with it in the most positive light. It’s admirable to see someone whose strong body matches a strong mind. She’s a role model for other people who have gone through similar traumatic experiences, she shows people that there’s nothing to be ashamed of, regardless of the level of scarring or deformation that someone has. There’s a strong difference between simply accepting what your body looks like and actually falling in love with its changes. Intentional modifications or not, Ella’s body is beautiful.

    Visit Ella at cicatrix.net or on BME’s community site as IAM:ella.

    – Gillian Hyde

    typealice
    Gillian Hyde (iam:typealice) is a vagabond, though her roots run deep into Nova Scotian soil. She’s lived and worked on three continents since 2001, and has never lived anywhere for longer than eight months since the age of 16. She loves fonts, puns, being barefoot, and office supplies. “Calm” to her is the roar of the ocean.

    Online presentation copyright © 2005 BMEzine.com LLC. Picture of Ella by Warren Baird. Front page picture of Amina taken by Steve Prue. Requests to republish must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published online March 25th, 2005 by BMEzine.com LLC from La Paz, Mexico.

  • Waivers and Releases for Tattoo and Piercing Studios [Legal Link]

    Written by

    BME


    Waivers and Releases
    for Tattoo and Piercing Studios


    Dear Marisa,

    This is a great column.

    I personally am curious about waivers. I have heard that a lot of waivers used in daily practice in studios wouldn’t stand up in court in the slightest. What would a waiver need to be considered binding?

    Issues such as contraction of disease, reaction to pigment, the tattoo not looking ‘exactly’ like the client had expected are all things which I know I worry about being liable for….

    Twwly

    Good question, Twwly!

    Waivers can be a great tool for tattoo and piercing shops to protect themselves from customer’s with “buyer’s remorse” and even law suits, or at least limit their potential liability. Whether they’re worth the paper they’re on, however, basically comes down to five things:

    1. The state, county and city where the shop is
      located.
    2. The capacity of the person signing the release,
      i.e., whether he/she is drunk or a minor.
    3. The proper drafting of the release.
    4. Whether the claim against the shop or artist is
      based on negligence or gross negligence.
    5. Whether the procedure covered by the waiver is legal. (Tattooing is still outlawed in Oklahoma.)

    But first, what is a waiver or release in the context of tattoo and piercing studios?

    A waiver or release is a contract that the client, or parent of the minor client, signs promising to release from liability (i.e., not to sue) the studio for harm that may arise from the tattoo or piercing. The terms waiver and release are often used interchangeably, but there is a distinction: a waiver is an agreement signed before any harm occurs and a release is signed after the harm that could result in a claim has occurred. In non-legal terms, it’s all about CYA — covering your ass.


    Tattoo Release
    Piercing Release

    Above are sample release forms for tattoo and piercing studios. If you use them, get them reviewed by local counsel first. You may want to edit them to include more (or less — but CYA) risks and medical conditions, or make other changes to suit your studio’s needs.

    Waivers can protect studios from suit for all different kinds of potential harm, such as infections, scarring and keloiding, allergic reactions to ink or green soap, a kanji placed upside down and, my favorite, misspelled tattoos The simple fact of having signed a waiver and release can discourage many clients from seeking to sue you in the event of a problem. Similarly, a client who goes as far as to talk to a lawyer will find that most lawyers will turn them down as a client if there exists a well-written waiver and release — unless the circumstances are particularly nasty, the lawyer won’t view the case as worth their time and effort. And in the event you do end up in court (or even small claims court), the client’s executed waiver and release will be a strong defense.

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: In the case of spelling a tattoo, it is always a good idea to have the client print out themselves the names or words to be spelled — a good location for this is the back of the waiver or release and have the client initial the spelling.

    For clients of piercing and tattoo shops, this means you must be well educated in the risks of the trade and accept those risks before signing your rights away. You always have the option of going to another studio with no waiver to sign or to one that is less restrictive on limiting liability. Or simply don’t get the mod.

    KNOW YOUR LOCAL LAW

    Laws differ from state to state, city to
    city, county to county. Thus, writing any kind of overview of US law is like
    hitting that fifth hour of a non-stop tattooing session — it’s outright painful.
    (I speak from experience on both counts.) But unlike getting a backpiece, where
    the only thing to do is just deal with the pain, here I can lessen the legal
    load by providing my own CYA clause:


    Get a local lawyer to draft or at least review the free sample waivers provided in this article (Perhaps get other shops nearby to share this cost with you). Do not rely solely on this article as legal advice. A waiver and release that does not take into account the specific laws applicable to where your shop is located may not be any protection for you at all. Instead, feel free to think of this as just learning something new to sound smarter at dinner parties.

    With that off my shoulders, let’s
    get under the skin of tattoo waivers and releases.

    Most US states will enforce a waiver or release, although some hold them to a more rigorous standard than others. And at least three states — Louisiana, Montana, and Virginia — have deemed waivers against public policy unenforceable, according to “Liability Waivers” an article on waivers for the health and fitness industry by Dr. Doyice Cotten, co-author of Waivers & Releases for the Health & Fitness Club Industry. The eight states that are most lenient in upholding waivers are Idaho, North Dakota, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Maryland. While Cotten based his research on sports-related waiver cases, the findings could be analogized and extended to tattoo and piercing waivers.

    Other states have their own peculiarities. In California, for example, an express waiver of the provisions of Section 1542 of the Civil Code may be necessary to obtain a waiver and release that is effective against future claims. It is standard practice in California for a waiver and release to contain a provision such as the following:

    (If you are a resident of the State of California) I agree to waive the provisions of Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California, which provides as follows:

    A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.

    I understand that section 1542 gives
    me the right not to release existing claims of which I am not now aware,
    unless I voluntarily chose to waive this right. Having been so apprised, I
    nevertheless hereby voluntarily elect to, and do waive the rights described in
    section 1542, and elect to assume all risks for claims that now exist in my
    favor, known or unknown, from the subject of this Waiver and Release. I
    acknowledge that I have had the opportunity to consult with legal counsel of
    my own choosing and to have the terms of this Waiver and Release fully
    explained to me; that I am not executing this Waiver and Release in reliance
    on any promises, representations or inducements other than those contained
    herein; and that I am executing this Waiver and Release voluntarily, free of
    any duress or coercion.

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: Know the laws that apply to you. Many states, cities, counties and local munincipalities now regulate tattooing and piercing in some way. You should get a copy of these statutes for your reference and keep them in your shop as well as provide them to any artist working in your shop. And don’t rely on these laws as to not change. Tattooing and piercing, as it has become more mainstream, has attracted greater attention-and motivated some people to seek greater regulations and restrictions on it from restricting who, what and where a person may be tattooed to zoning laws on where you shop may be located. It’s your responsibility to stay up on changing laws that may affect you. It’s much easier and effective to counter an attempt at increased regulation of your profession before such laws are enacted [But that’s for another article.]

    NO DRUNKS AND MINORS

    Whether your state court will enforce the waiver or release is going to depend on who is signing it. “Capacity” of the person getting the tattoo or piercing is key, according to attorney Ronald D. Coleman of the Coleman Law Firm and general counsel of the Media Bloggers Association. He says:

    “At least as important as any issue having to do with the text of the release form is that the tattoo shop owner must be confident that the person getting that tattoo is not impaired and is an adult. [This is “capacity.”] It is not enough for the release form merely to recite the fact that the person signing it contends he is not impaired; if the tattoo shop owner’s own non-expert observation suggests an impairment, this term of the contract likely will ‘not be worth the paper it’s printed on.’ As a general rule, the law will uphold substance, not form.”

    What this means is, if a person staggers into your shop drunk, reeking of whiskey, and asks for a Britney Spears portrait tattoo on his chest — even if he’s willing to sign away all liability — he just may come back and sue you when he sobers up and possibly win. “Oops, I did it again” is not a valid legal defense.

    Less obvious, a client who speaks fractured English may not be bound by a waiver or release that is written in English. So, if you have a clientele that speaks Spanish, for example, it would be a good idea to have on hand a form of release that is written in Spanish.

    It also means that an attractive young woman who could easily pass for 18 years of age and wants to pierce her navel must still provide ID showing she’s the age of consent for this type of piercing in your state. The R. Kelly “she looked 18” excuse just wont cut it unless there’s proof or a parent around.

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: Photocopy the ID’s supplied by the client and parent (if applicable) and attach to the copy of the waiver and release you keep on file. Educate yourself to be able to spot a fake ID or driver’s license as well — and if you are in doubt as to its validity, turn the client away!

    Which raises the question: Can parents, signing a tattoo or piercing release form on behalf of their child, thereby, sign away their child’s rights to any damages arising from the procedure?

    The answer is yes and no. Again, it all depends on the state, city and county in which your shop is located.

    Looking at cases where parents have signed releases for horse riding or ski lessons, cheerleading practices, and a variety of sporting and extracurricular activities, the courts are divided across the US on whether to enforce waivers signed on behalf of minors. For example, a Washington court refused to uphold a ski school’s release even after the mother of a child who was injured during ski lessons signed the agreement releasing the school from any liability for negligence. That court held that parents generally do not have the right to waive their child’s own future action for present injuries sustained from a third party’s negligence. Yet, in a similar case in Colorado, that state’s high court upheld a waiver signed by a parent of an child injured while skiing and found for the defense.

    This Colorado case and many other cases that have upheld waivers and releases signed by parents for their minor children cite the 2000 Supreme Court decision of Troxel v. Granville for the principle that “the interest of parents in the care, custody, and control of their children is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by [the US Supreme] Court.”

    Therefore, having a child’s belly button pierced is a right that many parents have — as noted, for example, in Connecticut, under General Statutes sec. 19a-92g, explicitly permitting a parent to consent to body piercing of an unemancipated minor child. Just keep in mind that not all state legislatures are as evolved as Connecticut’s.

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: As a general rule, it is probably not a good idea to tattoo a minor — even with a parent’s consent, unless you know the parties very, very well. Whereas a piercing is “temporary”, a tattoo is more permanent and difficult to remove if the wearer or parent later regrets the decision. So, why risk it?

    GET THE LANGUAGE RIGHT

    Even those state courts that uphold releases
    are still going to check to see if the waiver or release is properly drafted.
    [While I attempted to make the sample agreements as detailed as possible, they
    cannot be considered properly drafted until signed off by an attorney
    knowledgeable of your local law.]

    The problem with many releases is that they are overly broad. Tons of Internet sites offer free legal forms, but I have yet to find one that fully covers the specifics of tattoo and piercing studios.

    I did find one that made me laugh on Overlawyered.com that was created by tattooist Pat Fish. In Pat’s release, she also includes the line “I am not a lawyer, nor do I work for one.” For those lawyers that want ink from Pat, she makes them circle the provision and next to it write “But I am ashamed.”

    Clauses for professional self-loathing aside, waivers should be specific as to what is involved and what can go wrong. If you own a studio that provides both tattoo and piercing services, have a separate release for each, and have each list their specific risks. For example, the samples provided in the article include risks such as scarring and infection. You could modify the samples so as not to scare away your clients, but like I said, it’s all about CYA.

    Another CYA clause, is one that requires the client to properly care for the tattoo or piercing while it’s healing. But Robert Coleman points out that this provision is “fairly worthless if [the client] has not been properly instructed in that care.” He adds, “It is a good idea to give the customer written instructions on care and for him to sign a separate receipt proving that he received them.”

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: Aftercare instructions should be clearly posted on the wall in the studio in a visible and conspicuous place. Each client should receive a printed copy of aftercare instructions BEFORE commencing the tattoo. Upon completion of the tattoo or piercing, the artist should review the aftercare instructions with the client and ask if there are any questions. Keep a pile of aftercare instructions available in the studio’s lobby/waiting area for clients to take with them.

    Coleman also favors considering an attorneys’ fees provision in waivers, requiring the loser of any litigation to pay the other side’s attorneys’ fees and costs. “This will certainly discourage meritless litigation. On the other hand, the risks here are fairly obvious.”

    An artfully drafted release or waiver with a host of specific provisions on tattooing or piercing is a great line of defense against potential law suits, but the courts will also look to make sure that the client actually read the agreement and understood what they were signing. In my sample waivers, there are lines next to each provision for the client to initial. They are also drafted in clear language, and in readable font, so that you don’t need a law degree or a magnifying glass to read them.

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: Reproduce your waiver and consent form in easily readable type and preferably on a single sheet of paper (printing it on the front and back if necessary) so that the signature is never separated from the waiver itself.

    NEGLIGENCE OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE

    You’ll also find a provision in my sample
    specifically releasing the studio from liability for their own negligence. Some
    states, including New York and Delaware, among others, require such language
    waiving claims arising from “fault” or “neglect.” Other states don’t require it,
    but it may not hurt to have it.

    Negligence is failure to exercise due care — care that a reasonable, prudent person would exercise under the same circumstances. On the other hand, gross negligence is the failure to use even the slightest amount of care in a way that shows recklessness or willful disregard for the safety of others. While in some cases ordinary negligence can be waived, gross negligence or intentional misconduct cannot. So what does that mean for tattoo and piercing shops? Where is the line drawn between negligence and gross negligence? No US cases were found where the courts look at this line in the context of tattoo and piercing shops, but we can make a guess for the following scenarios:

    • Answering the phone and not changing your gloves before touching the client again?
      Could be ordinary negligence

    • Dropping your needles on a dirty floor and then using them on a client?
      Sounds like gross negligence.

    • Tattooing or piercing too deep so as to cause scarring?

      Maybe ordinary negligence.

    • Tattooing or piercing while drunk or high no matter the outcome?
      Probably gross negligence.

    Whether a court agrees with these guesses is the real issue — it depends upon an examination of the facts in each circumstance, and a court’s ruling may vary from state to state, county to county. The important point to keep in mind, however, is that no waiver or release can protect you from claims of gross negligence.

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: Do not assume use of a form of waiver or release to absolutely protect you from any claims. It is your responsibility in your shop to institute procedures for all artists and employees to follow to assure that the laws you are subject to are complied with and that procedures to assure the sterility and safety of the application of all tattoos and to prevent the cross-contamination of instruments, surfaces and materials (pigments) is scrupulously followed.

    WAIVERS DO NOT COVER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY

    According to the basic principles of contract
    law, you cannot enforce a contract for illegal activity. Then again, the client
    who also engages in the illegality may have little right to sue as well.

    With the exception of Oklahoma (which is currently reconsidering its state-wide tattoo ban), tattooing and piercings are legal in the US. However, waivers for heavier modifications, such as tongue-splitting, explicitly outlawed in some states, and other mods that fall under laws prohibiting their practice, including practicing medicine without a license, cannot be protected. Performing these modifications may open you up to criminal charges of assault and battery or worse. Some lawyers may also tell you to ask yourself whether you want to have a document attesting to a potentially illegal activity anyway. But you didn’t hear that from me.

    For legal waivers, however, hold on to those documents. The safest bet is to keep them filed away until the statute of limitations for any potential law suit has expired in your state. A statute of limitations is a law that prevents a person from bringing a claim after a fixed period of time has passed — irrespective of the validity or worthiness of the claim. With respect to personal injury, most states require a claim be brought within two years — but that time period may not start to run until the person is aware of the injury giving rise to the claim.

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: Retain copies of releases in a safe place for a minimum of three years, and if practicable, even longer. While statutes of limitations may be only two or three years for most claims likely to be brought, in some instances, the statute preventing a claim may not even begin to run until the person knows that they have a claim against you. For example, if the claim results from your publication of a client’s photo without consent, the statute will run only from the date of publication — which could occur years after the initial tattoo was completed.

    Finally, the best advice on waivers or releases: don’t rely on them alone to protect you. As Coleman emphasizes, “Insurance, insurance, insurance!”

    GOOD PRACTICE TIP: Understand insurance! If the shop you work at has insurance it may cover the shop-but not you individually as an artist!

    And with that comes some sound CYA advice.

    Marisa Kakoulas

    This article was not intended as legal advice. It is intended for only general information purposes. This article does not create any attorney-client relationship.
    Special thanks to Rebekah Harris for her invaluable help in legal research and editing.


    Marisa Kakoulas
    Marisa Kakoulas is a New York lawyer, writer, and muse of Daniel DiMattia of Calypso Tattoo, living in Liege, Belgium. She works undercover — or just covered up — as a corporate consultant: proof that tattoos and suits are not mutually exclusive. Her book “Tattoo Law”, an overview of US laws affecting the body modification community, is under way. IAM members can visit Marisa at iam:FREE.

    Copyright © 2005 Marisa Kakoulas. Online presentation copyright © 2005 BMEzine.com LLC. Requests to republish must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published online February 27th, 2005 by BMEzine.com LLC in Johannesburg, South Africa.

  • SPIRIT+FLESH: THE ENERGY PULL (PART 1) – Fakir Rants & Raves

    Written by

    BME

    Spirit+Flesh: The Energy Pull:
    Part I

       
    Special Announcements

    NEW WEB SITE AT FAKIR.ORG
    Now up after several years of construction, Fakir is very proud of his brand new web site with lots more information and many color pictures of Fakir schools and Spirit+Flesh workshops. For Body Piercing, Branding and Rituals CLICK HERE.

    DANCES DVD AVAILABLE AFTER 20 YEARS IN THE DARK
    For many years bodymod and piercing fans have asked for copies of this classic film first released in 1986. Now Dances Sacred & Profane is back in circulation as a fantastic DVD REDUX with bonus material. See Fakir and Jim Ward doing the Sun Dance and O-Kee-Pa suspension ritual in Wyoming. For more information, video clips and orders CLICK HERE.

    MODIFY: A NEW MOVIE WITH FAKIR & LOTS OF BME FAVORITES

    Just off the editing machine, an official selection for screening at the TRIBECA Film Festival in NYC in April 2005, this new full length documentary walks a twisted path. Produced over the last two years by Committed Films LLC, this movie is destined for the mainstream. It’s a “must see” for BME fans. For more information, video clips and national showings CLICK HERE.



    Fakir’s Spirit+Flesh group energy pull and ritual
    in Minneapolis, June 2004.

    So What’s an Energy Pull?

    I first experienced the “energy pull” when I was only about twelve years old (way back in 1942). Being the weird kid that I was, I had already discovered I could pierce needles and pins through my body with impunity — that I could get into a head space where I was a mere witness to cold steel passing through my flesh. In this state of mind I was removed from physical sensation, what the rest of the world called “pain”. But after I had pierced myself, there was no further sensation. Only a static needle stuck through me. It did not hurt. I couldn’t feel it. It was just there.

    So wanting to expand my emotional experience, I soon learned to tie a small string around the needle and pull on it. I could pull gently and gradually increase the tension. I was in control of how fast and how much sensation I was receiving. Soon I learned to tie the string to a hook in the wall and pull back against it. I loved doing this and it became a regular practice for me. Every time I did this, I experienced a sweet rush of energy. At this time in my early life, I didn’t analyze what I was doing or try to rationalize it. I just enjoyed it.

    In my teens, I lived in libraries (there was no internet for another forty years) and I devoured books. I was very curious to know more about the practice of piercing and pulling. I didn’t take long before I found out that what I was experiencing in my secret basement hideaway was not unique. Piercing and pulling was, in fact, a very ancient and honored practice in several cultures. I learned that in Savite Hindu Culture, they had been doing this kind of body ritual for at least 3,000 years. For them it was a technique for trancing, going beyond the body, leaving the body and allowing the body to be temporarily possessed by higher spirits and archetypes (like Murugan, Lord of Piercing). It was not a display of strength or macho or stoicism or an entertainment. It was the seeking of “a state of grace”.

    Even closer to home for me (because I grew up on Indian lands in South Dakota only a few miles from Indian ritual grounds) was the Native American pierce-and-pull ritual called the “Sun Dance”. I didn’t need to study books to learn more about that practice! I had some first hand access to the stories and tales of Native American elders in my own community. I listened to them in the flicker of kerosene lamps as they talked in hushed tones about the glories of the “old days” when Sun Dance was the way to the Great White Spirit. Of course when I was a boy, the ritual had long been made illegal for Native Americans and they could be put in prison if caught secretly doing a Sun Dance. My heart ached for them to be denied the practice of one of their most sacred rites! I guess so far we Modern Primitives are very lucky that what we do has not been made, in most cases, a prisionable offense!

    “It’s not how hard you pull, but how long…”

    That phrase was a mantra used by Ogallala Sioux medicine men when they were instructing young men before doing a Sun Dance. What most contemporary hook pullers do not seem to understand about this practice is the complex interaction between body and spirit. When one does an “energy pull”, one is manipulating and rearranging the connections between body and spirit. Sure there are physical and chemical changes like the release of the body’s natural opiates, the endorphins. But there is more to it than that. At first there is the sweet rush, euphoria. Some of you know how that feels. But if the pull is prolonged, in concert with strong shamanic intent, there can also be intense visions, healing, travels to unseen worlds, going to core and touching the void. A few of you may have even gotten there. It is not about “trucking” or “tugs of war”.

    Since the revival of the Sun Dance in modern times (starting in the 1970s), many of the Native American elders who direct the energy pull called the Sun Dance have noticed and bitterly commented on the conflict they see in some young dancers between traditional Native and Western European values. Western culture, with its focus on competition and individuality, clashes with traditional values of surrender, patience, group energy and letting go of ego. In some recent Sun Dances, young dancers were seen to compete with each other about how hard they could pull, how fast they could break free, how quickly they could be done with the dance. In the old days, a Sun Dance was frequently arranged so whatever the dancer was tethered to could only bend and resist the pulling. Breaking free of the piercing(s) was made impossible. The length of time one could pull against piercings was the truest measure of worth and devotion — and a great way to reach unseen worlds.




    Left: 1830’s George Catlin drawing: prolonged energy pull by Ogalala Sioux against a springy sapling. Right: Fakir does three-hour energy pull during 1982 Wyoming Sun Dance and O-Kee-Pa ceremonies seen in the Dances DVD.

    Any meaningful energy pull is not about pain, macho, testosterone or stoicism. It is rather a way of slowly increasing and prolonging the tension until one enters an altered state. In traditional Native American Sun Dances, pulling on piercings was not minutes or even hours, but often days. I personally know several recent Sun Dance pledgers who were pierced and pulled for four days! In Penang Malaysia I saw devotees who pulled on their multiple back hooks from five in the morning till eight at night — 15 hours! In my own experience (see the Dances Sacred & Profane DVD) Jim Ward and I pulled for some three hours before opting to break free. As the Ogalala medicine man said, “It’s not how hard you pull, but how long”. That is what makes the difference between a momentary thrill and a truly memorable and life transforming experience.




    Tamil Hindus do day-long energy pulls from multiple hooks. Photos taken by Fakir during the 1995 Thaipusam Festival in Penang, Malaysia.

    Opening Fourth Chakras

    This brings me to the chapter in my life that began about 1987. Until that time, it was inconceivable to me that anyone else, except Jim Ward, might want to try what I was doing. My first volunteer was my life partner, Cleo. She had lost many friends and lovers in the AIDS epidemic that had begun in the early 1980s. She was filled with grief and heart-centered pain. So at her request, I made a ritual out of piercing her upper chest and back — then attaching balls to tug and pull with every movement. She danced for hours up and down a dusty path on a hillside in Northern California. On each side of the path we had placed stakes with photos of sick fiends, dying friends and those who had passed beyond the veil. She cried. I cried. And we both felt a release of heart-centered pain and grief at the end of the afternoon. I called that ritual a “Ball Dance”. It was then I began to realize the therapeutic effect of tugging and pulling on piercings, especially in the fourth (heart) chakra.

    Over the following years, we repeated our piercing rituals and introduced them to many others in the subculture. In 1990, a group of us “ball dancers” got ridiculed and laughed at during the first gathering of Black Leather Wings. Some of the Leather Daddies present dismissed our ritual as a silly and trivial event. A few years later, we met with greater acceptance in Dallas, Texas where Allen Falkner hosted a large “Ball Dance” event that even got mentioned in the newspapers.

    During the 1990s, I started experimenting with hooks in the chest (fourth chakra) instead of lighter piercings with attached balls or limes. I found them far more effective in opening the fourth chakra and releasing “stuck” energy. So beginning in 1996, I introduced the “hook pull” to various groups of seekers in the subculture.




    Group energy pulls during day-long BLW rituals in Northern California, 2003/2004

    Over the next nine years, the practice of pulling on flesh hooks spread from my first groups of only five or six people to the large number of hook pullers you can now see in the photos posted on BME. However, there is a difference between the hook pullers you see in photos on my Spirit + Flesh web site, and I suspect, most of those in the BME photos. In our shamanically-directed hook pulls we are very conscious of chakras — those important energy centers related to the body that open, close, and change energy flow in both our psychic and physical world. Of all the chakras, the fourth one, the heart chakra, is the most screwed up in our culture. It is the gateway from lower consciousness (survival, self, base emotions) to higher consciousness (love, clear mental activity, inclusiveness, selflessness). If it is blocked and full of crap, we live in world of confusion and misery. We live primarily as victims and make bad decisions. Read some writings of Caroline Myss for more on this. Actually, I wish we could compel our U.S. politicians (especially you-know-who) to participate in a shamanic hook pull and then send them to Caroline Myss.

    With this insight, and what I feel was a strong nudge from my Patron Saint Lord Murugan (Hindu Lord of piercing and opening up), we have been doing public Sprit + Flesh Workshops & Rituals for about five years now — with repeat rituals in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Phoenix and Minneapolis. My partner and I consider these workshops and rituals a humane and needed service more than a vocation. Obviously, we still focus on opening the fourth chakra, and sometimes chakras above number four. But I don’t see much point in doing knee or elbow pulls because there are no chakras there to open, close or manipulate.





    Trance states and the opening of heart chakras was the intent and purpose of group energy pulls in this 2004 Minneapolis Spirit+Flesh ritual. See my web site at fakir.org for participant feedback.

    Cleo, My Partner in Spirit + Flesh Rituals Says:

    “I have been doing this ritual many times now. Every time it has been a different journey. The whole exploration for me is about altered states, a heightened state, energy, fire (yes it can be really hot), and visions. Most especially if I am pulling alone against a stationary object with my eyes closed. Any awareness of others or spectators quickly disappears. It is a personal dance of ecstatic fire, bright or soft. I went several times to a place that is not a place. Beautiful!”

    “My last hook pull ritual was like wringing my heart from its grief. During the second stage it was a very sexy, a big energy exchange with my puller/lover. The third phase was fun and releasing as I pulled in a big circle with other dancers. You connect intimately with friends, lovers and even strangers pulling on your cords, tuning in to each other, experiencing group energy in a ceremonial tribal ring. At the end I was laughing and very high in this pool of energy and fantastic live drumming.

    ”

    In the second part of SPIRIT+FLESH: THE ENERGY PULL, I would like to take you on a guided tour of some of the more memorable experiences we’ve have had, even in our next ritual which is only one week away in San Francisco. I’ll include some more photos and also feedback comments from energy pull participants. And if hook pulls must be entertainment, at least they can be “art” as my friends Vaughn and Joey Wyman of Body Manipulations did a few years ago. We’ll get into that and more in my next column.

    Yours for safe and enlightened journeys,


    Fakir Musafar
    fakir at bodyplay dot com


    Fakir Musafar is the undisputed father of the Modern Primitives movement and through his work over the past 50 years with PFIQ, Gauntlet, Body Play, and more, he has been one of the key figures in bringing body modification out of the closet in an enlightened and aware fashion.

    For much more information on Fakir and the subjects discussed in this column, be sure to check out his website at www.bodyplay.com. While you’re there you should consider whipping out your PayPal account and getting yourself a signed copy of his amazing book, SPIRIT AND FLESH (now).

    Copyright © 2005 BMEzine.com LLC Requests to republish must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published February 25th, 2005 by BMEzine.com LLC from Los Angeles, CA, USA.

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