Chris Garver Tattoo

Being considered as one of the best tattoo artists in the world is enough to inflate the ego of even the most humble tattooist. With a two year long waiting list and a host of A-list celebrity clients, many would expect some sort of diva-like behavior from world famous artist, and star of Miami Ink, Chris Garver.

However, Chris’ down to earth persona and friendly disposition are one of the reasons he is so highly regarded among the tattoo community. Having studied in Japan under the Irezumi artists he is a master of the Japanese style of tattooing and has extensive knowledge of their symbols and meanings. He came to the public’s attention after appearing on reality show Miami Ink and soon became one of the show’s most popular cast members. He is currently engaged in his online children’s clothing business that he created with fellow Miami Ink cast members.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Chris received his first accidental tattoo at the age of 6 after being stabbed in the finger with a lead pencil. The youngest of 3 brothers, he attended the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and it was during this time he got his first professional tattoo at the age of 15. He began performing his first tattoos at 17 after he sold his bass guitar in order to purchase equipment. He completed a one year art course at The School of Visual Arts in New York but attributes much of his artistic ability to his mother who taught him how to paint and draw.

Chris began his professional career with a 6 month apprenticeship filling in client’s old tattoos that needed repair. For many years he was part owner of renowned studio ‘True Tattoo’ in Hollywood, California, alongside artist Clay Decker until he left in 2007 to work in ‘Love Hate Tattoo Studio’ in Miami. Owned by artists Ami James and Chris Nunez, the shop became the set for Miami Ink and continues to operate to this day.

Chris has travelled all over the world tattooing clients including South America, Europe and Japan. During his stay in Japan he was tattooed by Japanese Irezumi artists Horiyoshi III, Horitomo and Horitoshi who he says are a huge influence on his work. Chris’ portfolio consists mainly of Japanese themed designs that display an incredible authenticity owing to his many years of study overseas. One design that appears on the upper left arm (below left) shows a dramatic battle between a Japanese dragon and tiger. In Japan, dragons and tigers are said to be arch enemies and the design symbolizes a war between equal rivals. The design is beautifully shaded in black and gray with bright red and yellow tones added in for an eye-catching effect. A blue lotus flower sits at the bottom of the design symbolizing growth and spiritual awakening.

This theme of black and gray with just a hint of color is repeated in another arm piece (above right), depicting a koi carp swimming upwards in water, symbolizing courage and advancement. This stunning piece is highlighted with a few red flower petals scattered throughout the design. The use of light and contrast in the design sets it apart from the millions of other koi designs regularly seen in tattoos, and shows the benefits of his extensive studies.

While Japanese designs are obviously one of Chris’s favorites, he is not limited to this style alone. His gallery shows an assortment of styles including many black and gray portraiture designs. One which stands out is the image of a woman holding a smoking gun with small skulls nestled throughout her hair. The piece has a striking realism whilst still displaying the slightly cartoonish qualities of the Japanese designs. The use of graduated shading around the face results in beautiful feminine facial contours and realistic flowing hair.

Chris is currently working on his children’s clothing line Ruthless and Toothless with fellow Miami Ink cast members Darren Brass, Yoji Harada, and James Hamilton. The business was created after the artists discovered they were unable to purchase clothing for their own children that reflected their own style as parents. This led to the creation of a whole range of baby clothes, skateboards, accessories, and prints that feature original designs by the artists.

As well as his online empire, and designing and building tattoo machines, Chris still finds time to tattoo out of his current studio ‘Love Hate Tattoos’. There is a form available on his website, www.chrisgarvertattoo.com, to request an appointment but waiting lists are long due to his busy schedule and extensive client base. Whilst it is refreshing to see a famous artist that does not allow his talent to go to his head, it is even more so to see one that is prepared to devote so much of his life to improving his craft. Chris’s designs are so spectacular due to his years of research and learning, and it is this dedication that has earned him a reputation as one of the best artists in the world.

Artist Tattoo Feature: Guy Aitchison

Many new school tattoo artists have begun to blur the line between tattooing and fine art. By bringing their creative genius and artistic flair into the studio, they have helped to elevate the world of tattooing into an art form in its own right. World renowned artist Guy Aitchison has dedicated most of his career to educating and expanding the minds of up and coming artists, and demonstrates the need to continually push the boundaries of artistic expression. Inspired by visionary artists such as Alex Grey and HR Giger, Guy is renowned for his striking biomechanical tattoo designs and stunning fractal landscapes. He is the author of a number of tattoo books which are collectively known as the ‘tattooist’s bible’ and showcase incredible tattoo designs alongside fine art paintings.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Guy exhibited artistic talents from a very young age. An absence of a television set in the family home resulted in him and his siblings spending most of their free time creating art. Although his parents were not artists themselves they actively encouraged artistic expression and filled their home with art supplies and books. His sister, Hannah Aitchison, is also an accomplished tattoo artist and appeared on reality series LA Ink. After finishing high school a semester early in 1985 Guy worked as an apprentice in the art department of the Jacklich Corporation for one year until he began a full time job painting album covers for Shrapnel Records. Providing the artwork for artists such as Hexx, Vinnie Moore, and David Chastain, Guy continued this work for four years until finally venturing into tattoos. After completing a two year apprenticeship at ‘Bob Oslon’s Custom Tattooing’ in Chicago, he opened his own studio ‘Guilty and Innocent Productions’ which remained successful until Guy decided to close in 1998 to pursue his painting and publishing goals.

Guy is currently involved in publishing a series of tattoo manuals called ‘Reinventing the Tattoo’ which are a must read for any aspiring tattoo artist and have sold thousands of copies. His seminars at tattoo conventions draw hundreds of admirers and he is regarded as one of the most important artists in the business. He maintains an online studio called ‘Hyperspace Studios’ alongside his wife and fellow artist Michele Wortman, which showcases his artwork, books, merchandise, and flash designs. Together with his wife Guy is breaking new ground in the tattoo industry. Travelling to numerous conventions and publishing manuals catered to artists, he is constantly developing new techniques and concepts in regard to tattooing.

Guy is known as the biomechanical wizard of tattooing. His designs are heavily influenced by Salvador Dali, Alex Grey, and Giger, and are infused with his own addition of a few organic colors to add extra layers to each piece. His 3D work is mind-blowingly realistic and is evident in a full back piece which appears to be a gateway into another dimension. The use of light and shading in the piece gives the impression that you could reach into the design and the piece fits the contours of the body beautifully. Guy is known for his ability to intricately shade each design to give different textures and levels which create the impossibly realistic designs that have become his trademark. While most artists prefer to work in gray scale to preserve the realism of their work, Guy is able to create some of the most realistic tattoos in the most vibrant colors.

His itinerary is available at his online studio along with his tattoo manuals and a gallery of his work. As a firm believer in tattooing as an art form, Guy uses his artistic vision to push the physical limitations of tattooing and seeks to recreate on flesh the intricate designs he creates on canvas. A heavy weight in the tattoo industry he is first and foremost an artist and his paintings are exhibited in galleries around the world. Together with his wife, he is taking the tattoo world by storm and will no doubt continue to inspire thousands of artists from all over the world.

Guy is unfortunately not performing tattoos at conventions at the moment but does attend them in order to give live painting performances, seminars, and promote his books. His itinerary is available at his online studio along with his tattoo manuals and a gallery of his work. His next big project is the Paradise Artist Retreat which he is promoting along with his wife and TattooNow’s Gabe Ripley. The retreat is held at Jiminy Peak Ski Resort in Western Massachusetts and focuses primarily on fine art mediums. A heavy weight in the tattoo industry he is first and foremost an artist and his paintings are exhibited in galleries around the world. Together with his wife he is taking the tattoo world by storm and will no doubt continue to inspire thousands of artists from all over the world.

Artist Feature: Paul Booth Tattoo

There has been much debate over the years regarding whether or not tattooing can be considered as a true art form. Although the practice has been around for centuries many art snobs believe it to be the reserve of the criminally minded and anarchistic. As body art gains more recognition and becomes more socially acceptable, many artists have begun to push the boundaries of tattooing and integrate it into the world of fine art. No artist has worked harder on this goal than the ‘Master of Macabre’ Paul Booth.

Hailing from Boonton, New Jersey, Booth is credited with helping to bring the world of tattooing into the medium of fine art. Through his many artistic projects and organizations he has managed to unite tattoo artists from all over the world and showcase some of their most spectacular works of art. Known and revered for his incredibly dark and aggressive designs, Booth is regularly sought out by heavy metal bands who give him the freedom to create some of the most horrifying designs ever seen on human flesh.

Paul Booth displayed entrepreneurial skills from a very young age. At just 15 years old he opened his own shop designing and making signs. He worked a variety of different jobs including airbrushing and rope-man until he finally found his calling in 1988 and began an apprenticeship at a studio. His very first tattoo was the name of his daughter ‘Tabitha’ and was the start of his now impressive collection of personal body art.

His career really took off after he completed his first full back piece in 1991 which received a huge amount of attention and praise. He decided to take the tattoo to the largest convention at the time in Pittsburgh and walked away with the prize for ‘Best Up and Coming Artist’, ‘Best Black and Gray Large Female’, and ‘Best Tattoo at Convention’. This thrust him into the spotlight almost overnight and he appeared on a number of magazine covers and gained the attention of a number of professional artists. This spawned a number of years on the road at conventions and festivals until he finally opened his own studio in New Jersey followed by another in New York.

Nowadays Booth can be found at the aesthetically stunning ‘Last Rites Tattoo Theater’ in New York. The creepy Gothic atmosphere of the theatre is evidence of his belief in the importance of atmosphere during the creative process, a theory which he has given many seminars on to try and teach the concept. As well as the theater he owns his own record label, media production company, and art gallery. As an active member of the National Arts Club he has constantly strives to bridge the gap between fine art and tattooing. His gallery in New York ‘Last Rites Gallery’ regularly features exhibitions from tattoo artists around the world and some of the biggest names in dark art.

He founded the Art Fusion Experiment, a movement that brought together tattooists from around the world with the goal of creating one of a kind works of art. The project was born at the ‘Tattoo the Earth’ festival in 2000 after he and artist Filip Leu took turns in tattooing the chest of musician Ryan Martinie of Muvayne. Each artist took turns in working on the design in short bursts so that neither had the opportunity to dominate the piece. This resulted in an artwork that could only be created by the combined minds of two prolific tattooists, and the technique has been repeated at various gatherings.

Paul Booth is known for his dark and warped images usually rendered in black and gray shading. His talent is so impressive that his waiting list is approximately 3 years long with many more clients added each day. His depiction of the 7 deadly sins (above) as part of a black and gray sleeve is beautifully detailed and the different tones and hues used throughout the piece create depth and texture. The 7 faces convey the different emotions of their personal sin and display Booth’s incredible talent for realism.

One of his designs that has the power to render anyone speechless is the full chest piece that spreads over the arms and stomach. This incredible design has so many details and layers that it is impossible to consider it anything less than a masterpiece. The zombie woman peering out from behind the spinal column with her hand wrapped around the front of the spine is one of the best examples that can be seen of the power of a 3 dimensional design. The hours of work that must have gone into this are truly mind blowing and every small detail has been carefully shaded including a small design inside the pendant around the neck.

Well aware of the disturbing nature of some of his designs, Booth spends many hours in consultation with his clients determining whether or not they can handle the implications of living with such a dark image. A design that has no doubt shocked many passers-by is the stitches around the throat of a man which give the impression of a severed head. The client, who lived in the bible belt of America, had to wait many months before Booth agreed to ink such a dramatic design in an extremely conspicuous area of the body.

Beneath Booth’s fearsome exterior lies the delicate soul of an artist. His art is infused with a macabre beauty which stimulates emotion in anyone who views it, whether or not they appreciate the subject matter. His talent has made him a household name and he has used this fame to push the tattoo culture to the limit and has directed two documentaries that aim to educate the world about the world of tattooing. His creative genius has taken the form of music, sculpture, painting, tattooing, and film and he has become an inspiration to thousands of up and coming artists. Anyone lucky enough to land an appointment with Booth in his specially designed theatre will have not only the experience of a lifetime, but a personal piece of stunning artwork to call their own.