Star of Texas Tattoo Art Revival

Luv Doc Writings, The Luv Doc Recommends

MON., JAN. 8, 2007

If you could put anything on your body, what would it be? Whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and the Budweiser Bikini Team? Almond oil and the Wilson brothers? A gimp suit and a ball gag? Or maybe you’re looking for something more permanent, something that says something about who you are and what you believe in. If you can condense all that into a two dimensional piece of art that fits nicely on your bicep, abs, or the space just above your asscrack, you’re probably a good candidate for a tattoo. Here’s the deal: Tattoos are cool – at least for the first 30 years or so, and after that, who wants to look at your body with the lights on anyway, right? But now, while you’re relatively young and smooth and open to suggestion, a colorful, inspirational message at the base of your spine seems like just the ticket to lure a hesitant lover to take a trip down the Hershey highway. Something like, “Bottoms up!” or “Next” or “Serenity now” could surely be incorporated into a breathtaking floral/Asian animé design. Don’t let your tabula rasa friends give you grief. Just because you have a tramp stamp above your whale tail doesn’t mean you’re a hoochie mama. It might just mean that you like to stand naked with your back to the mirror and your neck twisted around like Linda Blair in the Exorcist right before she cuts loose with the pea soup. Some people do yoga, right? Besides, tattoos can be pretty even if you’re a front loader. Who hasn’t dallied with the idea of a pretty red rose growing out of their treasure trail or turning their tallywhacker into a ferocious, fire breathing dragon? Really, the possibilities are as endless as the consequences are permanent, but if you need to see to believe, you’re going to want to make a trip down to the Palmer Auditorium for the Star of Texas Tattoo Art Revival, a three day extravaganza honoring the illustrators and the illustrated. In addition to an art gallery of tattoo designs, a tattoo contest, Suicide Girls, and Feature Car exhibits, expect to see lots of skin and ink: the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. Here’s the happy news however: If you’re looking for someone who’s not afraid of commitment, people with tattoos are right up your alley, even though your alley might be a little scary.

Star of Texas Tattoo Art Revival

Luv Doc Writings, The Luv Doc Recommends

THU., JAN. 12, 2006

Just about everybody at some point in life gets wasted and does something stupid. What else explains the population explosion? The Macarena? Low rise jeans? Gerbiling? George W? All of these things seemed like a perfectly good idea at the time…well, except for the gerbiling and George W. The wonderful thing about life though, is that the painful memories of the thrashing and the clawing and the muffled squeaks and the bleeding eventually fade away. Ideally we learn from our mistakes, evolve and achieve a higher state of consciousness. This is not to say we don’t slip up on occasion. Bush is a prime example: an unfettered rodent still thrashing around in the collective rectum causing ugly and irreparable damage. Of course a stupid metaphor doesn’t last nearly as long as a stupid president and it isn’t nearly as dangerous. Some people believe that stupidity makes a great argument for sobriety, but that’s a bankrupt premise. The world is full of stone sober simpletons that make even the most reckless inebriate look like a genius in comparison. Point is, you don’t have to be wasted to do something stupid, but it certainly helps. A lot of people get wasted before they get a tattoo, but that doesn’t necessarily mean tattoos are stupid. Like Bush, they may be hard to get rid of, but a lot of people would say they are an art form. This weekend, those people will be staying at the Red Lion Inn, the site for the Star of Texas Tattoo Art Revival. Tattoo artists from all over the world will be on hand to show their work and maybe make a lasting impression or two. Go wasted if you dare.