Tattoo enthusiasts recently spilled into New York City’s Roseland Ballroom for the 12th Annual New York Tattoo Convention. The place was filled wall-to-wall with people from all walks of life, races and nationalities. Leather clad bikers were a common sight, along with entire families, toddlers and all. There was even a live fox being totted around, though it really didn’t look too happy to be there. There was a plethora of tattoo shops from around the world, from Portugal to Taiwan, and world-famous tattoo artists working their magic, such as New York native Paul Booth.
There were also a great deal of vendors selling tattoo paraphernalia, clothing and artwork. One notable vendor was Rockabilly Hoodlum. Owned by Amber and Blake Carr, the traveling company sells vintage and retro hot rod, pin-up and Kustom Kulture stuff. But what really stood out was there original pin-up and fetish artwork by Amber. They had prints for sale, but what really caught my eye were the hand-painted paddles. She also does custom work for hot rods.
Amber Carr of Rockabilly Hoodlum
A given with any tattoo convention, numerous guys milled about topless, showing off their ink. And then there was the occasional guy covered head to toe in tats, face and all. One was even charging people to take his pic. But the women at this show seemed to be more covered in ink than the men. There were a slew of women in backless tops showing off beautiful full back pieces.
While many people were there to get inked up, others went simply as spectators, taking pictures and checking out the vendors, or standing by grimacing in pain as they watched various people go under the gun. The con held contests for several categories, like Best Black and White, Best Color, and Best Tribal, Tattoo of the Day, and of course Best Overall. Contestants got onstage and wowed the judges and crowd with awe-inspiring artwork. And stripping down to their bare essentials in order to give the entire piece the justice it deserves was never a problem. One contestant even strutted on stage buck naked, holding up a t-shirt to cover his junk.
One artist that really stood out among all the talent was Dan Henk. Newly located to Austin, Texas, his portfolio of horror images immediately caught my eye, with scarily realistic pieces of Michael Myers, Jack Torrance of The Shining, Pin Head, the Crypt Keeper, numerous zombies and more. (And he got bonus points because he subscribes to FANGORIA). He also had some really amazing portraits that looked like straight-up photographs.
Artist (and FANGORIA subscriber) Dan Henk
Downstairs, Toilet Ink, a company that sells custom painted toilets among other things, had live performances all day, like a beat boxer, hardcore bands, and a chick on roller skates dressed like a toilet. Whether you’re a tattoo fanatic, or fear the needle but love the art, the NY Tattoo Convention is definitely a spectacle to be seen. And of course, there’s plenty of alcohol available to numb away those fears. Just don’t go too crazy on the drinks, or you’ll be back trying to cover up that “I Love Suzy” tattoo the following year.
PAUL BOOTH
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