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: ModBlog

  • Basket weaving is so 10,000 years ago

    Written by

    Rob

    It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a surface weaving project of this scope, and seeing as how it is by Arawak from Saintes, France, the man responsible for the Marilyn Munroe portrait, it’s nice to see a follow up to the piece.

    chaplin1

    I really like how the Charlie Chaplin image is able to take a simple play piercing design, and connect the dots to form a distinct image.  The surface weaving gallery is pretty small so if this is something you’re capable of doing, please send in the images, as the potential for some incredible designs is huge with this technique.

    If you want to see the before and after images, just keep on reading.

    chaplin2

    chaplin3

    Now I know that right away you can see that the original image has been slightly photoshopped.  Normally I wouldn’t post an image that is obviously photoshopped, but given that it is only to remove the tattoo, and the galleries show that Arawak has done this type of project before, I don’t believe anything dealing with the surface weaving specifically has been altered in any way.

  • What are girls made of?

    Written by

    Rob

    Sugar and spice and everything nice?  That might apply to some girls, but definitely not every girl.

    These hand tattoos show that while these girls may be made of sugar skulls, and they certainly have a bit of spice in them, I doubt they’d be up for having a tea party with the other nice girls.

    sugar skulls

    Jason Chappel sent in these sugar skull hand tattoos over the weekend, and with the Day of the Dead a little over a month away, it’s always good to plan ahead.  There are a few closeup images of each hand individually over in the hand tattoo gallery, if you feel like getting a closer look.

    Of course not everyone celebrates the Day of the Dead, but a large portion of people in North America do celebrate Halloween which comes a couple days beforehand.  Which begs the question, do you have any plans made for either day yet?  Got your costume picked out?

  • Spiritual Cutting

    Written by

    Rob

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

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

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

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

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

    buddha

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

    closeup

  • ,

    BMXnet conference, 1 week away

    Written by

    Rob

    If you’re in Europe next week, and can make it over to Berlin, you’ll have the opportunity to check out the BMXnet conference that’s happening from the 16th to the 19th.  You can get the details about the conference at the BMXnet website.  There you’ll find out the times and locations of all the lectures and workshops taking place over the course of the weekend.

    bmxnet 2010

    BMXnet Conference 2010

    Open for up to 500 Attendees / 6 Classrooms / huge Expo space!!!

    Thu. 16th Sep. 2010 : Half- / Full-Day Classes and Workshops
    Fri. 17th Sep. 2010 : 10:00am start Conference 2010
    Sat. 18th Sep. 2010 : full day Conference 2010
    Sun. 19th Sep. 2010 : 08:00pm end Conference 2010

    Location:  Congress Hotel Holiday Inn – Berlin Schoenefeld

  • Wind blows, fire burns, rain falls…

    Written by

    Rob

    There are times when a film comes about that can have a profound effect on the viewers.  Sometimes it could simply be a single scene, for others the story itself carries the most weight.  Whatever the reasons, when a person has fallen in love with a film, they’ll often do something to recognize these feelings.  For the vast majority of people, simply buying a copy of a film, or viewing it multiple times is enough.  Yet for others, simply owning a film isn’t enough.  Which is why we see so many film inspired modifications.  From tattoos to scars, film symbolism is fairly prevalent within the modified community.  So it should come as no surprise that someone went out to get a small branding that reminds them of their favorite film.

    5th element

    If you don’t recognize the symbols, they’re from the film The 5th Element.  Each square represents one of the four classical elements: earth, water, fire, and air (wind).  When combined with the 5th Element, they summon Captain Planet.  Or is it save the world from destruction?  I get the two confused.

    If you want to see who the arm belongs to, as well as some pictures of the branding taking place, just keep on reading, or head on over to the branding galleries.

    branding

    So do you have a favorite movie?  Are your feelings strong enough towards that film that you would get a modification that would remind you of the film?

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