Tattoo Nation: Portraits of Celebrity Body Art (Rolling Stone Magazine) (Paperback)

~ Rolling Stone Press (Author), David Ritz (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Popularized by sailors and bikers, tattoos have become indispensable fashion accessories for rockers and rappers, whose professional responsibility it is to embody exotic, outlaw primitivism to the public. Hence this coffee-table collection of photographs of tattooed celebrities culled from the pages of Rolling Stone. The portraits here, by famous celebrity and fashion photographers, are heavily weighted toward sleeveless, scowling male musicians, whose remarkably consistent tattoo tastes run to a comic book aesthetic of gothic lettering, deaths heads, dragons and babes (until they age and begin inscribing wives' and childrens' names into their flesh). Accompanying interviews and captions allow the subjects to pontificate on the personal significance of their tattoos ("Weed was the biggest part of my life at that point," muses Crazytown's Shifty Shellshock of his marijuana-leaf tattoo). While fans of the celebrities pictured here will swoon over the lush photos, the book fails to make the case for tattoos as real works of art capable of signifying something to onlookers as well as to their owners.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

For the first time in paperback, 100 striking images of musicians and pop-culture heroes and their tattoos, from the editors at Rolling Stone.Tattoos, rock +n+ roll, and Rolling Stone-the ideal combination for the ultimate book on celebrities and their tattoos. Tattoo Nation features candid photographs and equally revealing interviews that chronicle the gradual emergence of this dynamic art form into mainstream society via pop-culture icons. These edgy color and black-and-white photographic spreads present rock icons, ranging from counter-cultural pioneers Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix to today+s trendsetters Bjšrk and Lenny Kravitz, showing off their body artwork. Complementing the aesthetic portraiture are provocative interviews with, and quotes by, the subjects, photographers, and tattoo artists, talking openly about body art. Stories from the inkslingers, like LA based Rick Spellman and Roby Boy of Gary, Indiana, contain intriguing tidbits about some of their more recognizable celebrity customers.¥ By mixing the elements of famous subjects, upfront interviews, and potent photography-all in an affordable and handsome paperback edition-Tattoo Nation will reach tattoo enthusiasts, photography aficionados, and music fans alike.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (November 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082122817X
• ISBN-13: 978-0821228173
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,306,010 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars very disappointing, October 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tattoo Nation: Portraits of Celebrity Body Art (Hardcover)

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Photographs of the famous..Oh yes and some tattoos., December 25, 2002

By	Todd l Slezak (Truckee, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tattoo Nation: Portraits of Celebrity Body Art (Hardcover)

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.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Photography of American Culture, January 6, 2003

By	Kelsey (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tattoo Nation: Portraits of Celebrity Body Art (Hardcover)

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.