Coney Island USA's Tattoo and Motorcycle Festival

Coney Island has a long history as one of the greatest tattoo centers in New York City and the world.

Coney Island USA's Tattoo and Motorcycle Festival celebrates the great blue-collar arts of tattooing and of motorcycle customization. Started in the bad old days of 1986 when tattooing was still illegal in NYC, the Coney Island Tattoo and Motorcycle Festival is both the oldest gathering in New York City and brings together cutting edge New York City artistic innovation and attitude in the traditional home of the tattoo.

Every year, entrants compete for trophies as they show their tats in the Sideshow by the Seashore Theater or parade their motorcycles on West 12th Street before our panel of judges. Tattoos are judged in the categories of Black and White, Color, Tribal, Back and Butt, while Motorcycles compete in the categories of Custom, Stock, Oldest and Ugliest.

This year the Coney Island Tattoo and Motorcycle Festival will be honoring Crazy Philadelphia Eddie (a.k.a. Coney Island Eddie). Crazy Philadelphia Eddie tattooed in the very home of Coney Island USA's Sideshow by the Seashore Theater and once tattooed the face of world-famous sideshow performer Jack Dracula. Noted Tattoo Artist and Historian Mike McCabe, who literally wrote the book on New York City tattooing, will introduce Crazy Philadelphia Eddie.

Carlo from Studio Enigma will reminisce about tattoo pioneer One-Eyed Max Peltz and Coney Island USA founder and the Permanently UnelecTed Mayor of Coney Island Dick Zigun will be getting a personal tattoo of the Cyclone Rollercoaster in flames.

The event will include over 100 customized motorcycles, live music, and New York's finest Sideshow performances.

Motorcycle Free Parking/Display Noon - 10 PM (Free)
Contest/Rally - 7 PM (Free)
West 12th Street @ Surf Avenue

Bands on West 12th Street (Free)
1 PM - 6 PM
Spanking Charlene
Mystical Children

Last Freakshow of 2011
6 PM $10

TATTOO FESTIVAL 8 PM
$10 (Half Price If You Show Ink)
MC's: Little Jimmie & Dick Zigun

Coney Island USA
1208 Surf Ave. (between Stillwell Ave. and West 12th Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-372-5159
D,N,Q,F Trains to Stillwell Ave.
www.coneyisland.com

Hawaiian Tattoo Meanings And Pictures

Hawaiian tattoos are an old custom that has existed for centuries among those native to Hawaii. They often covered the entire body of the native islander, and even to this day many natives practice the old tradition of praying to the tattoo god each time a member of the village receives a tattoo design.



Hawaiian tattoos have a meaning; they are not just gotten for the sake of getting one. They are usually in memory of a family member who has passed, for distinguishing a particular group, or for keeping evil spirits at bay.



Hawaiian Tattoos - More Than Just A Fad

This is a time-honored tradition in Hawaii and the subject of the tattoos plays an important role as well. They range from an ordinary stick figure to extensive scenes of beaches. Hawaiian flowers, ocean life or full body tattoos that take a great amount of time to complete. The meaning of the tattoos vary greatly and in the past was different even among the other various islands.



Hawaiian tattoo designs are normally larger and more colorful than others. When Hawaii was home to tribes, tattoos were used to show the different statuses as well as to commemorate important stages of life.



Painful Traditional Tattoo Method

The way of getting tattoos using the traditional Hawaiian method is not a pleasant experience. The use of a bone chisel that has been sharpened is required. It is used to tap a sharp stick into the skin until it begins to bleed. Then the ink is rubbed into the affected area. Often the design of the tattoo that was tapped into the skin was a voyage which was considered courageous.



Members of Hawaiian royalty in days gone by showed their importance by the number of tattoos they had. The higher you were ranked in the village, the greater the number of tattoos. Today Hawaiian body artwork still has great meaning. They are based on the tribe from which the Hawaiian descended and they often use aspects of the islands to add beauty.



Popular Hawaiian Tattoo Design Ideas For Women And Men

Hawaiian flowers are popular with women and men. A wave, a waterfall or anything that relates to the beauty of the tropical surroundings can be used. The tattoos are usually seen around the ankle on women or perhaps on the hip or wrist area. They may start on the back and circle around to the stomach or down the leg.



Men often have the tattoos on their chest, and birds are a popular design choice. Lizards are another as Hawaiians respect these creatures. Dolphins, sea turtles and other water related tattoos are often chosen. Hawaiians would also have tattoos on their face, typically on the cheekbones or the forehead. The meanings of these tattoos are typically more personal.



When flowers are chosen for a Hawaiian design, they have a unique meaning for each one. Since native Hawaiian orchids are becoming extinct and are on the endangered list, choosing this flower is often associated with love that is at risk or a beauty that is not often seen. Hawaiian tattoos can be based on a number of beautiful features, but the ones most often chosen are usually flowers or a combination of flowers and other aspects of the island habitat.

Artwork on Skateboards Made by Tattoo Artists

Art is a universal medium of expression. It can range from an intricately designed tattoo to artwork on the bottom of skateboards, which was the type of artwork showcased at the Chrome Lotus Tattoo and Art Gallery event Sunday, Aug. 28, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., called "No Grip Allowed!"

The art show was put together by Tara Renee, the Colonial Drive shop owner. Renee started out as a piercer in her hometown in Orange County, Calif. and has been tattooing for about six years.

Traditional Tattoo (American)

Tattooing in America has evolved from a long, rich history which began in the early nineteenth century with sailors. Proof of this was discovered in a seaman's log which, at the time, was referred to as ""pricking."" Shops were frequently situated near ship ports so that sailors had easy access and many of the first tattoos were inspired by life at sea. These tattoos included anchors and mermaids, along with many other tattoo designs such as hearts, women, crosses, and more.

The traditional American tattoo is beautiful because of its simplistic appearance. Traditional tattoo designs are distinct in that there is no varied line weight and they are fairly simple using basic colors without a lot of blending and fading which today's tattooists tend to use. The art of the true traditional tattoo is not seen very often these days, although there are a handful of tattooists who have mastered this skill.

Sailor Jerry Collins, one of the pioneers of traditional American tattooing, is a great example of a tattoo artist who tattooed in this style. Today, Sailor Jerry tattoo art can be found on T-Shirts, wall prints, sneakers, and even on replicas of his old tattoo flash.

American Tattoos Evolve

As America's tattoo history evolved, the practice became more popular in America with the invention of electric tattoo machines in the late 1800's. This made the process of getting a tattoo much faster and enabled tattoo artists to create designs with more detail. Between the 1940's and 1950's, tattooing in America became much more popular among young men who went to war. It was common to see soldiers with tattoos representative of their patriotism such as American flags, eagles, or the names of their division and military units. At that time, it was considered taboo for a woman to have a tattoo.

As time passed, American society adapted and began to embrace the idea of tattoos on people other than sailors, army men, and criminals. During the 1960's and 1970's when ""free love"" and ""freedom of expression"" were beliefs which were held very dear, both men and women demonstrated their anti-war beliefs by getting tattoos of peace signs and various tattoo designs to express themselves.

At present, anyone can have a tattoo and it is hardly considered taboo. Moms have them, dads have them, teachers have them, doctors have them-tattoos are for anyone who wants to have them. In American culture, people who have tattoos typically still use them to express personal beliefs but also for other reasons. Some people get a tattoo to remember a loved one who has passed away and others get them ""just because"" they like the way they look. As this country's tattoo history continues to be written, it is worth noting that the great thing about American tattoos is the variety and the freedom to get whatever you want, wherever you want.

Guitar Tattoo Meanings And Pictures

Musical instruments are usually chosen as tattoos for the special meaning they have for the person playing the instrument. The two most popular are the drums and the guitar. Many of the designs are made to resemble an etching of the musical instrument chosen. The majority of people who choose this symbol are either songwriters, professional players, in a band or are particularly lovers of guitar music.



Meanings of Guitar Tattoos Are Often The Love of Music

In the world of rock music, a guitar in flames is one that is chosen by many. When girls choose this particular tattoo, it is often drawn with symbols depicting a certain person who plays this instrument. The additional designs that are added often have as much meaning as the guitar itself. Guitar tattoos chosen by girls are often more unique than the ones chosen by men.



There are two general types of guitars, thus tattoos depict one or the other, but the electric guitar is the most popular. As you may know, the acoustic guitar and the electric guitar sound entirely different. The electric guitar is used most often by rock bands and the acoustic guitar is used by country and western, folk and even some classical musicians.



As a symbol of the love of music, guitar tattoos are also commonly chosen by those who do not play the instrument, but simply love to listen to guitar music. They can also be chosen in memory of a musician who played the guitar but has passed away. There are many people that still mourn the death of Elvis Presley and a tattoo depicting him and his famous guitar is a sign of a true fan.



The history of the guitar spans nearly three thousand years. Before the presence of books, this was often a way of telling stories. The storytellers would travel from place to place with their guitar to sing the songs that told of history, traditions, customs and a way of life that was different from those who were being entertained.



The style of the guitar tattoo will often vary as much as the actual meaning to the recipient. This is a type of design that has various meanings and the decision to get a guitar tattoo is often thought about for a long time before acting upon it.



There are a variety of subjects that are often chosen to embellish the guitar tattoo. They are often designed to feature skulls, flames, dice, hearts, classic American cars and many other items that are part of the meaning for the person who is getting the tattoo.



What Are Some of The Most Popular Guitar Tattoos?

They will vary by the sex of the person choosing them. Girls typically like guitars with the following: Roses, musical notes, hearts, colored guitars, cartoon animals playing the instrument.



The tattoo is much more varied when it is chosen by males. They often choose: Skeletons, skull and crossbones, girls alongside or riding guitars, sometimes entwined with snakes or other beastly creatures. Other popular choices for both men and women include singing birds, cherries, and four-leaf clovers.

Tattoo Art In the Philipines - Dutdutan

Dutdutan: (doot-doot-ahn) - a Tagalog word meaning to continually insert or jab.

Now on it’s 11th year, Dutdutan is now synonymous with tattoo art in the Philippines. At least that’s how a lot of tattoo enthusiasts in the country would like to view it.

For the 15,000 or so who congregated at the World Trade Center in Manila on August 26 and 27, the biggest tattoo show this side of the earth is also a definition of the alternative lifestyle that they have chosen.

But according to the organizers, tattoo art was not always part of the alternative scene. Native Filipinos have a rich history of tattoo art dating back to pre-colonial dates. In fact, when the Spaniards first got here, they were greeted with a heavily tattooed Visayan tribe and they called the islands “La Isla De Los Pintados” meaning the “Island of the Painted Ones.”



Christianity and western culture eventually supplanted that practice and not until we fast forward to the 90s do we see the rebirth of skin art.

The man and talent behind that is Ricky Sta. Ana, who started the yearly gathering with a small group of tattoo artists and customers. Eleven years later and supported by a major alternative lifestyle brand, Tribal Gear, the show has now taken on a bigger vision.

It is now a convention, known in the skin art circle around the world and they are even able to bring in the best tattoo artists from around the world to prove that. Underlying this achievement is the organizers’ cause to eliminate the stigma of skin art as taboo, since it has always appealed to the rebel crowd and the unconventional.

Tattoo Artist & Painter Cris Cleen (Short Documentary/Bio)

Cris Cleen is an American tattoo artist who specializes in custom tattoos and paintings.

A short documentary on tattoo artist and painter Cris Cleen.

Cris Cleen Works from Cris Cleen on Vimeo.

View more of Cris’s work at criscleen.com