InkGeeks

InkGeeks LLC, was established in 2013 for the purpose of creating a network that facilitates the connection of artists and clients.The inspiration comes from personal experiences. We’ve found it can be difficult to locate a quality artist without having any information to rely on besides word of mouth. It was this problem that spawned the idea for the website. This site should be used as a guide and an essential tool for finding and contacting the right artist for each client.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The government is ramping up the effort to use tattoos to identify people!

By: Caddie Thompson

The government is ramping up its efforts to improve the technology it uses to identify people by their tattoos.

Earlier this week the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), which is a part of the US Department of Commerce, hosted a challenge to explore how recognition technology could be used to identify people based on their tattoos.

The event, which was the first of its kind, was called the Tattoo Recognition Technology — Challenge (Tatt-C) and was sponsored by the FBI’s Biometric Center for Excellence.

The participants, which included six groups from both academia and the commercial sector, were given a large data set and asked to create algorithms that scan the information and make identifying people easier based on their body art.

Some of the tasks in the challenge included developing algorithms that can do things like identify an image that contains a tattoo, or matching an image of body art with an image of person who has the same tattoo.

So why is the government trying to improve its tattoo-based recognition technology?

Well, for starters its current process for using body art data is incredibly outdated, said Mai Ngan, a computer scientist for NIST who helped organize the event.

“Right now, law enforcement collects tattoos and labels them using a text-based approach. But that method is not working for a number of reasons,” Ngan told Business Insider.

Currently, law enforcement has been assigning keyword labels to tattoos in a database to help identify people. But that system isn’t really effective because examiners describe tattoos differently or they simply aren’t filling out information about the tattoo at all, Ngan said.

Because the current system is so flawed, there’s a need for automated image-based tattoo matching technology to be adopted.

But the government also wants to improve the system because tattoos can prove helpful in identifying criminals or victims when there isn’t much other biometric data available.

“Tattoos have been used for a long, long time to help with the identification of people and also for investigative research,” Ngan said.

“Tattoos aren’t what we call a primary biometric, so they aren’t a fingerprint or an iris. They can’t uniquely identify a person. But in the cases where you don’t have a face or a fingerprint, tattoos are helping cold cases to progress the investigation,” Ngan said.

While one in five in the U.S. currently have some sort of body ink, the rate of tattoos among criminals is much higher, which is a big reason why law enforcement has taken such an interest in the technology, she said.

However, improving the current system doesn’t mean that the government wants to keep tabs on everyone who has a tattoo. Most of the tattoo data is collected when someone is arrested and booked, Ngan said.

“The government doesn’t have plans to collect everyone who has a tattoo,” Ngan said. “We don't want to judge, just because you have a tattoo doesn’t mean you are a criminal.”

Wiz Khalifa Has Interesting Opinions About His Son And Tattoos

By HHH Editors

Wiz Khalifa Sebastian Tattoos

When you think Wiz Khalifa, you think tattoos.
Which is why we were surprised to hear Wiz say this to People Magazine about the prospects of his infant son Sebastian getting inked up like dad:

“I look at him and how handsome he is, and I would just die if he got tattoos like me,” Wiz admitted with a laugh. “Please do not — just listen to me — do not touch your skin!”

The ‘We Them Boyz’ emcee also praised his son’s vocabulary: “He’s a good boy, though,” he told the magazine. “He uses big words and explains everything!”

Sounds like the little fellow is already verbally prepared for the day when he has to explain to his heartbroken dad why he got some ink.

Source: http://news.hiphopearly.com/wiz-khalifa-interesting-opinions-son-tattoos/

Two Brothers Have Invented Tattoos Which Last For Only Two Weeks

Tattoos are the marker of our generation. They make girls look more sexy, guys look more macho and are an excellent way to show your individuality. They’re also a great talking point, but only if you like your tattoos – not so if they went wrong or you’ve begun to regret them.
That’s why these brothers have created a tattoo which lasts for two weeks, providing you with a sharp and authentic tat which will only last a for a fortnight. The tattoo then fades, allowing you to move on to new designs. The company, named Inkbox, is currently seeking investment via Kickstarter. In the pipeline is a website which would have the functionality to design your own tattoo, even allowing designers to make money from it.

Inkbox tattoos were dreamt up by brothers Tyler and Braden Handley

The tattoos use an organic fruit-based “ink”

   They then take between 12 and 24 hours to develop



Part of the sales go towards tribes in Panama, who have been using the same Genipa americana fruit for years

Read more: http://www.viralthread.com/two-brothers-have-invented-tattoos-which-last-for-only-two-weeks/

Leaving a mark: How ash tattoos help the living remember the dead

By: Jake Edmiston

Tattoo artist Kystal Borsa tattoo's the paw print of Trish Rodgers' cat "Thunder" into Rodgers' leg with the ashes of the late cat mixed with the tattoo ink, at Toronto's Body of Art tattoo shop, Tuesday October 22, 2013.

Trish Rodgers filled a small bottle cap with her dead aunt’s ashes and emptied it into a vial of black ink. In her apartment, the tattoo artist used the combination of human remains and tattoo pigment to draw the outline of a rose into her cousin’s shoulder.

At that point, this was a practice that only tattoo artists used amongst themselves, Ms. Rodgers says. But since that evening in 2008, it has garnered attention of sociologists across the world and Canadian tattoo parlours are seeing requests for the procedure grow. But it remains largely underground, says Ms. Rodgers, and many artists refuse to offer it to the public, citing the “unknown risks.”

“Ashes are essentially carbon and carbon is the main ingredient in black ink,” said Ms. Rodgers, an artist and manager at the Body of Art tattoo parlour in Toronto. After five years, her cousin has seen no adverse effects from the procedure — dubbed “Morbid Ink” by one American academic — but the tattoo artist says she would still turn away any customers who came into her tattoo shop with an urn.

“It was something intimate and private between family members that were willing to take the risk, if there were any,” she said of her cousin’s tattoo, a rose in remembrance of her mother, Rose.
On Tuesday, Ms. Rodgers had her cat’s cremated ashes used to create the tattoo of a paw print on her leg.

“To me, it’s not weird,” she said. “It’s something that’s been around the tattoo industry for a long time.”
But Health Canada warns that the “introduction of an unknown or unsterile material into the ink may cause injury to the user.”

“As a result of the composition of the ashes being unknown and the potential for adverse reactions, Health Canada does not recommend this type of tattooing practice,” a spokesperson from the regulator’s cosmetics wing said in an e-mailed statement.
York University sociologist Deborah Davidson says the practice is an extreme example of a trend among bereaved Canadians. The professor is currently amassing a database of hundreds of memorial tattoos commemorating the dead — though without the ones with actual remains in the ink. It’s a tradition that dates back to Polynesians, according to Professor John Troyer, with the Centre for Death and Society at the U.K’s Bath University.

Ms. Davidson has marked a spike in public mourning as of late, with online posts about the dead and roadside memorials for crash victims growing in popularity. But studies on the trends, particularly memorial tattoos, are sparse — a void Ms. Davidson is looking to fill with a digital archive to include 500 photos and stories of commemorative tattoos.

We know that tattooing is on the rise and we know that various types of memorializing is on the rise,” she said.

In one of the archived cases in the York database, a respondent reported that she chose to place a cherry blossom tattoo on her forearm, wrist and hand because her brother’s hands were the last part of his body she saw before the casket closed.

“We live in a culture now where death is sanitized,” Ms. Davidson said, adding that “sanitization” began when death became the province of hospitals and funeral homes in the early 20th century.
“[Death] is in the closet and we kind of take it out of the closet for the funeral and that’s it … But tattoos reopen that dialogue.”

While memorial tattoos are a familiar request among tattoo-parlour clientele, requests for tattoos with cremated ashes are only just starting to become commonplace, according to a 20-year veteran artist in Vancouver who has performed over a dozen “Morbid Ink” tattoos.

“I probably get 10 requests a year,” said Mike Nassar of the Fall Tattoo parlour, who says he has no issues with the practice.

Peter J. Thompson/National PostTattoo artist Trish Rodgers looks down to a freshly made tattoo of her late cat "Thunder's" paw which was made with the cats ashes mixed with tattoo ink, at Toronto's Body of Art tattoo shop, Tuesday October 22, 2013. Some years ago "Thunder" woke Rodgers one evening as she slept by uncharacteristically biting her leg and then running and jumping into her infant baby boys crib to draw Rodgers to the choking baby. The baby was saved.

Professor Troyer, has been monitoring the trend for at least six years, and says he has since seen cremated remains pressed into diamonds or vinyl records of the mourners’ choosing.

“The air we’re breathing right now has the particles of dead people in it,” he said. “When a person talks about putting some cremated remains in tattoo ink, it’s a pinch. You’re not dumping the urn in the ink.” But most artists who spoke with this reporter said the practice was just “too weird.”

“That’s something that’s going to take the tattoo business back underground after so many years trying to make it acceptable,” said Darin Comley, an artist at Universal Tattoo in Ottawa. “We’re not doctors, we shouldn’t be doing something like that. I couldn’t fathom having someone else under my skin.”

Source:http://news.nationalpost.com/news/leaving-a-mark-how-ash-tattoos-help-the-living-remember-the-dead

Banksy meets Run The Jewels: ‘The bravest artists have always been graf artists’

Run the Jewels: Killer Mike (left) and El-P.

BANKSY: Thanks for agreeing to play my theme park. Have you ever played in a theme park before?
EL-P I have not yet had the pleasure of playing in a theme park, or enjoying one for that matter.
KILLER MIKE I have not played a theme park. My dream is to play [US theme park] Six Flags Over Georgia before I check out of life. Mostly because they used to have a teen nightclub called Graffiti’s; I was there when I was a kid and that’s where I heard dope music and danced with girls from the suburbs after we snuck in.
The clip of your speech at Ferguson after the verdict [when the jury decided not to charge officer Darren Wilson for the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown] made me cry. When did you last cry watching YouTube?
KM The last time YouTube made me cry was watching Dr John Henrik Clarke speak about Marcus Garvey. I was overwhelmed with pain for a great man that was abused and mistreated because he wanted to better the state of blacks globally. It is scary to think a system exists that wishes not to see all people live with human dignity and respect. I did, however, finish feeling encouraged that day will come.
EL-P When the two guys raised the lion and then set the lion free but they missed the lion and they visited it in Africa and the lion was now king of his tribe and had a wife and children but he recognised the two guys and ran up and hugged them and licked their faces. I wept like a baby.
When Kanye came to the UK recently, he played on a dairy farm and declared himself the greatest rock star in the world. Does he have any competition for that?
EL-P Absolutely not.
KM Kanye is amazing and may be the greatest rock star in the world but Rihanna is the new Tupac (in feminist form), and as much as I love rock, ain’t nobody do it like Pac! Ri-Ri rules in my book.

Run The Jewels.

The magazine publishing this interview suggested the following conversation topics: pressure to conform, creative expression and corporate sponsorship, who are the bravest artists you know, what’s the future going to look like in your respective art forms? So yeah… what they said.
KM I’m a Banksy fan. I’m also a fan of Chris Hobe, Mister Totem, Drew Wootten, Mad Clout, Hense and Sever, in visual and street art. And Jonathan Mannion and Shane Nash in photography.
EL-P The bravest artists I’ve ever known have always been graf artists. Risking your life and your freedom is no joke. Whoever made Mount Rushmore was probably brave as well, assuming that rock-climbing equipment was not at its zenith at the time.

I like to ask artists this question: if you could choose only one, would you rather be thought of as a great artist or a nice person?
EL-P Interesting question. We all want recognition and validation to an extent for our art, but greatness as a trade for decency is a risky proposition. In my life I try to leave the people I encounter with the feeling that they have been respected and treated with warmth and appreciation. Being known as honorable is way more important to me. But being that my career is in the public and my personal relationships are ultimately private, I suppose, for the sake of the question, being considered a great artist publicly means a bit more than being considered a nice guy publicly. Although I like to think I am thought of in that way. Point being, I don’t get paid to be a nice guy, I just try to be one.
KM I don’t know what the hell the future brings. If I did, I would play the lotto and win the mega millions and buy toy cars, real muscle cars, sneakers and art. I cannot lie: as good as it feels to get my deserved props, the best part of reading social media after I meet folks is reading: “Mike was a nice guy”. I believe being honourable lasts longer than rapping good.

Run The Jewels appear at Dismaland, Weston-super-Mare, on 4 September

OTHER AMUSEMENTS AT DISMALAND

28 August DJ night with DJ Yoda, Peanut Butter Wolf and Breakbeat Lou
11 September Comedy night with MC Roger Monkhouse, Simon Munnery, Mick Ferry, Adam Bloom, Katherine Ryan, Michael Fabbri and Jarred Christmas
18 September Sleaford Mods, Savages and a local band
25 September Kate Tempest, Pussy Riot and Massive Attack

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/aug/22/banksy-interviews-run-the-jewels-dismaland

Good girls, not gangsters? Tattoos no longer taboo in China!

By Lu-Hai Liang, for CNN

Beijing (CNN)Tattoos have a long history in China. But for most of that history they were stigmatized, associated with prisoners, vagrants and the criminal underworld.

Thanks in part to the influence of celebrities and sports stars, tattoos have become much more socially accepted in the past decade.

It's a trend driven by a younger generation that isn't afraid of standing out but also by the sophisticated skills of China's tattoo artists.

"Ten years ago we still associated tattoos with bad people or gangsters. People who wanted to get one were afraid of discrimination from society," says Liao Lijia, 28 a tattoo artist at Creation Tattoo in Beijing.

"But tattoo culture is well accepted by Chinese people these days, especially in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou."

Scores of parlors are opening up in cities across China, and many are taking up the tattoo gun hoping to get in on the increasingly lucrative trade.

"Over the past three years, the number of customers has doubled each year," says Yu Haiyang, Liao's boss. His studio takes on average around $10,500 a month.

"My income is 10 times more than six years ago," he adds.

Identity

Wang Zi, 28, fashion designer, chose a hot air balloon tattoo.

Getting inked is one way for young people to forge their own identity and mark life experiences -- bad or good.

"I think a tattoo is a sign of myself, like your name. It's the most special part of your body, it makes you different. Shows your mind, your world," says Wang Zi, 28, a fashion designer.

She has a tattoo of a hot air balloon on her shoulder blade, a design she drew herself to cherish a childhood dream of flying in one.

Du Wei, 28, works in IT in Beijing. She has a tattoo of a butterfly on her chest -- representing the memory of a baby she lost.

Just as Chinese characters are a popular choice in the West -- David Beckham famously has a Chinese proverb tattooed on his torso -- in China some people like tattoos of English words and phrases.

British football player David Beckham shows his tattoo to fans during his visit to Peking University on March 24, 2013 in Beijing.

Popular words include "love,"and "forever." Others choose song lyrics such as lines from the John Lennon's song "Imagine," or quotes from the Bible.

Tattoo artist Da Hua shows off a quote scrawled over the forearm of one client that reads, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." He also takes inspiration from Chinese legend, creating art that melds time and cultures.

An example of Da Hua's work. The design is based on a famous Chinese legend

Chinese flair

Asia has long had its own tattoo culture. Japan is famed for its bold and highly developed style.

Hong Kong is also a bastion -- the port city catering to British sailors of old, giving rise to a mixture of traditional western tattoos -- the rose, the anchor -- with oriental motifs such as the dragon and the tiger.

China is starting to develop its own unique styles, drawing on both ancient and modern inspiration.

Qiao Zhengfei is a 20-year-old tattoo artist who opened up her own studio in her native Xiamen
before moving her business to Beijing.

She specializes in "blackwork," an intricate form based on a style of embroidery. The former art theory student likes the fact that tattoos are a living embodiment of her work.

"It's an aesthetic choice," she says. "I couldn't see myself doing traditionally Chinese tattoos like dragons and fish. They don't resonate with me."

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/23/asia/china-tattoos/

Our (#TCT) TattedcutieTuesday is the talented @juliacarlsontattoo of inkmaster! (Last week)

You might seen her on the very popular TV show @spikeinkmaster! Our (#TCT) TattedcutieTuesday is the talented and hot @juliacarlsontattoo! You can view her work on Inkgeekstattoos.com! #inkmaster #tattoo #ink #tattooartist #model #tattoomodel #beauty #inked #art #tattedcutie #inkgeeks