Undercard Productions

Tattoos: Sailor's Engraving

Tattoos have been around since man figured out how to do. Basically since before we were a twinkle in the eye of a great-great-great-great, men and woman were permanently marking themselves.

I got my first tattoo a long time ago, a decade or so. I have since gone about covering a large percentage of my body. Most of the tattoos I have do come with alot of copy. My arms read like a book, and my wife is constantly busting my chops about it (despite the fact she did a few of them, including the one above).

I’ve seen a lot of blogs and books talking about typography in tattoos. I believe there are even several flickr sites devoted exclusively to the topic. These are not new ideas people. They are completely different things. There is as much typography in tattoos as there is in a hand-drawn punk fliers. Zilch. Just cause it has letters it is not typography. It is beautiful design, it is amazing art. It is not typography.

To quote a smarter man than myself, “Typographers set copy 8 hours a day and are in a union.” That is about how much typography there is in tattoos. Now if people are passionate about letters, and want to get certain ones because they have an emotional connection to them, then yes. Please, get it done, the more tattoos the merrier. I even have a want for a some certain characters myself, but I will maintain it is not typography. Letters have been used in tattooing long before there was fontographer.

designer dress cool

I'm in a bad mood today cause I got on the subway and two separate trains had sick passengers so I was quite late work. Read through a few good blogs and then I came across this one. I know designer take themselves very seriously, and we take our craft very seriously, but this seems to be teetering on the edge of absurd. It seems to appear about color inspirations found in shoes. Which I am totally with, my wife has some of the craziest shoes I've seen, and they are beautiful and very inspiring. There is very little inspirations to be found in my motorcycle boots or my skate shoes. That being said, this post seemed to turn into "designers are cool" and "look how cool my shoes are".

"because they’re comfortable, colorful and pimp shit. these are the nike sb “old spice” edition. i like them because of the colors (red soles, white, blue, and gold swooshes) not to mention they’re fresh like old spice and myself."

Does that sound like inspiration? It sounds high school clique stuff to me. It's bizarre that people need to feel their place amongst others that they group themselves by their professions. Designers shoes, it's not like they shop in secret stores only designer know? 

Another thing that I've recently come across where designers are being a bit exclusive was a discussion on tattoos. I have quite a few here and there, and have never done it for any reason other than my own desire. Tattoos remind you of the time you got them and the reason you got them. I am looking forward to the day I age, when my tattoos wear and tear and I look like an old salt. I have a book by Herbert Hoffmann entitled "Living Picture Books."

It's a beautiful book that is pretty hard to find that my wife tracked down for me. There is nothing more romantic than those two cute old people on the cover. That is what tattooing is for me. Thats what I get out of it. Some kind of Hemingwayish obsession with the romantic ideal that is tattoos. Sadly it is gone. Owing much to tattoo TV shows, tattoo clothing, et cetera. So the other day I came across a blog about "Designer's Tattoos." Which really seemed to consist of type tattoos. Type has existed in tattoos long before computers, long before stat cameras, it is not a new idea. Yet, once again, a blog featuring designers positioning themselves together. Design tattoos.

When has design and the idea of design become exclusive? Pride and respect is formed out of a mutual love for an art. Being inspired by one another and what inspires us and helps us create together? I don't really get that feeling often. I feel like there are some designer creating some really beautiful work and beautiful ideas. Eric Karjaluoto over at smashLab and the culture he has created with makefive and design can change. Tina Roth Eisenberg over at swissmiss with her creative mornings. Chances for designers and artist to meet and discuss relative topic and create unity through friendship and inspiration, not through exclusive club membership. When did we lose ourselves on the journey of us?