Customer Reviews

Tattoo Nation: Portraits of Celebrity Body Art

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was totally psyched about this book when I first heard about it months ago,so I was keenly disappointed to find out that it's not at all what I thought it would be-see,since it's from the publishers of Rolling Stone I assumed it would feature photographs that have appeared in RS,by photographers like Mark Seliger and David LaChapelle...NOPE,the portaits you'll find in this book are ones you've seen a million times,in countless publications.The WORST thing about this book,the thing that really annoyed me,was how pathetically underrepresented WOMEN are.There are only a few women in the entire book,and the pictures aren't even good.A few of the portraits of male musicians are okay,which is why I gave this 2 stars rather than 1.But on the whole I wouldn't recommend buying this book.

I was disappointed when I received this book. The title is very deceitful. What the book really showed was posed photographs of rock stars and actors. What was not shown were detailed photographs of tattoos, nor was there really any explanation or narrative about the individual photograph itself. The book is weak and definately not for someone interested in tattoos. However, if your interested in photographs of a few famous people, you should buy the book.

Look around and likely your eyes will fall upon many a tattooed person. The fad is at its height and even youngsters are getting inked. This book concentrates on the body art as selected and displayed by some celebrities, mostly form the world of pop music culture. The tattoos vary greatly, from subtle tiny statements to total boy inking. Many of the tattoos illustrated are accompanied by statements by or interviews with the 'living canvas' on which they are painted. There are about a hundred images of musicians and pop-culture heroes gathered by the magazine Rolling Stone, and the images vary form black and white photographs to full color reproductions. Of note, there is a page devoted to actor/producer Mark Wahlberg in his early days as a rapper; his tattoos include a 'neck chain' with the phrase 'In God I Trust' also with some arm art - little of which is extant - unless makeup artists have their way with these inkings....

Whether the tattoo urge will grow or fade is not known, but this book will interest those who participate in inking as well as those who desire a closer look at celebrity 'art'. Grady Harp, April 11

Be a rebel - look like everyone else! Another lame book from Rolling Stone.

If you don't like tatoos, get this book for the wonderful photography. It portrays celebrities in their best light. It also features quotes about how each person feels about their tatoo and the reasoning and personal memories behind it. Tatoos are a growing part of American Culture, and it seems now that the peolple that are unique, are the ones that are un-inked. This a great and fun coffee-table book, and also makes an amazing gift.