Planet Ink: The Art and Studios of the World's Top Tattoo Artists
by Dale Rio
Voyageur Press | October 2012 | ISBN-10: 0760342296 | True PDF | 160 pages | 30.2 mb
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Ink-Studios-Worlds-Artists/dp/0760342296

For thousands of years, people have engaged in ritualistic marking of the skin to identify themselves as a member of a tribe, of a lineage, of a mindset, or of a subculture. The ancient art of tattooing is a tradition we carry on to this day. While the past 10 years have seen no shortage of books about tattoos and tattooing, most are best described as “idea books.” Until now, none have profiled the world’s most renowned artists across a variety of styles. This book explores this most basic form of self-expression by showcasing the studios and work of 18 of the world’s top tattoo artists, including Sulu’ape Angela (San Diego), Aaron Bell (Seattle), Bugs (Los Angeles), Mo Cappoletta (London), Madame Chan (Brussels), Daniel DiMattia (Liege), Durga (Jakarta), Gakkin (Kyoto), Horiryu (Costa Mesa), Henning Jorgensen (Copenhagen), Rory Keating (San Diego), Brent McCowan (Carinthia), Maneko (Brasilia), Keone Nunes (Oahu), Noon (New York/London/Berlin), Sua Sulu’ape Petelo (Sydney), Te Rangitu (Waipapa), and Simon & Eddie (Hartama). Each chapter profiles the artist in the context of where he or she fits into the overall tradition of tattooing, while the photos showcase not only the art but also the artists and their workspaces.

About the Author
Dale Rio is an artist, photographer, and writer currently living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has written and contributed to eight books, including Tattoo (Running Press, 2005), and her writing has appeared in several books on tattooing, burlesque, and roller derby, as well as in periodicals Skin Deep, Total Tattoo, and Kerrang!. She is also the co-founder and editor of Blood & Thunder roller derby magazine and Shimmy burlesque magazine.

CONTENTS
Introduction 6
1 Aaron Bell, Seattle, USA . . . . 8
2 Bugs, Los Angeles, USA . . 16
3 Madame Chan, Berlin, Germany, and Brussels, Belgium . . . 24
4 Mo Coppoletta, London, England . . . 30
5 Eddie David, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . . . 38
6 Daniel DiMattia, Liege, Belgium. . . . 44
Indigenous Tattooing: Three Views of Samoa ...52
7 Su’a Sulu’ape Alaiva’a Petelo, Apia, Samoa . . 54
8 Sulu’ape Angela, San Diego, USA . . . 62
9 Brent McCown, Carinthia, Austria. . . . 68
10 Durga, Jakarta, Indonesia.. . . 76
11 Gakkin, Kyoto, Japan . . . 84
12 Henning Jørgensen, Helsingør, Denmark.. . . 92
13 Rory Keating, San Diego, USA . . . . 100
14 Jime Litwalk, Las Vegas, USA. . . . 108
15 Maneko, Brasilia, Brazil.. . . . 114
16 Noon, Troyes, France .. . . 120
17 Keone Nunes, Oahu, USA . . . . 128
18 Te Rangitu, Waipapa, New Zealand . . . . 136
19 Hori Ryu, Vancouver, Canada . . . . 142
20 Zoé Thorne, Berlin, Germany . . . . 150
Artist Information . . . .158
Index ....