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Scott Sylvia

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  4. Scott Sylvia
    Bryan Burk is not your average tattooer by any stretch of the word. He has been blessed by having one of tattooing greats as a teacher. Bryan has a very impressive and relaxed style. His sense of layout is unmatched, I truly love and respect his sort of Japanese/American style. Not to mention his great fashion sense, the man has his own hatter, custom hand made for his head only.
    I have thought for a long time that Bryan Burk was the greatest kept secret in tattooing in LA, a town full of not very talented people clambering for both fame and famous friends. None of this has ever struck me about Bryan, he takes the job very serious and has a deep respect for the roots and responsibility of it. The secret is now out, he's got quite a faithful following of local and international collectors.
    The first time I met him, I was working at Spotlight and he was quietly working in the side room. I still remember the tattoo he was doing, it was an amazing raven. I thought to myself, "how long has this dick been tattooing? He just did a better raven then I ever have." I still remember it to this day, and I don't remember much. We next traveled a bit together because of our mutual friend, Juan Puente. This is when I got to know him a bit, traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, and then on to London. Two weeks of hanging out with Bryan every day lead to the discovery that he was more than just another idiot with a tattoo machine. His knowledge of Japanese tattooing and art was impressive, I personally consider myself seriously lacking in this department. Bryan later asked me to do his back, which I was, and still am, flattered to have done it. In the process of his finishing his back, he scored me some of the best reference books in my library. My book shelves are now way cooler thanks to knowing him. (It seems I have more books on cars and motorcycles that tattooing.) In this interview, you kinda get a glimpse at his strange old man type of relaxed character that I find hilarious. If you are planning on being in LA, arrange your trip around an appointment with this man and you will not regret it. Bryan's shop, Dark Horse, is at 4630 Hollywood Blvd., call them at 323-401-9950.
    I hope you all enjoy the interview, it took place in the back of our shop, Blackheart, quite a while ago. Due to some technical difficulty it was delayed until now, but Bryan Burk was actually one of the first tattooers I set out to interview right from the gate.
    Sincere thanks to all of you for reading this, and many thanks to Bryan for doing this and being a part of LST. And a special thanks to you, Bryan, for all the amazing drawings of me you have done,
    Scott
    Part 1 of 4

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THWzaI2qycI
    For the other parts of the Bryan Burk Interview:
    Bryan Burk Interview: Part 2 of 4
    Bryan Burk Interview: Part 3 of 4
  5. Scott Sylvia
    So i'm going to the philly convention this week . I am super stoked to be on the east coast and to see some friends from out there and do some tattoos. I am gonna bring my new set of flash, and some machines to sell, and my two hands to make some tattoos. i will be working at olde city tattoo for a couple of days after. if anyone wants to get tattooed let me know i would be super stoked to do it. as long as it's not a celtic thing on your neck, thats where i draw the line. neck tattoos and celtic just not together.
    Well, that said i'm hoping to get a couple of interviews done while i'm there, I am going to interview Tim Hendricks when i get back. I have the Brian Burk one that my wife has to edit for me and that will be up soon. I have a few book reviews i'm working on one is the Danish tattoo book the other is the Ben Corday one that Hardy put out. Both are awesome and very useful tools.
    We all know about the Jef Whitehead thing i just want to say that i have been friends with this man for twenty years he is one of my favorite tattooers and all around one of the most talented fuck ups i have ever seen. So i will ask that you hope for the best and keep the bullshit aside, We don't need to perpetuate gossip and drama, if you don't know him, don't talk about him. Please.
  8. Scott Sylvia
    You know how when you were a kid there was always that guy a few years older who was just beginning to grow a mustache and had the sweetest feathered hair? He always had a cute girl hanging around, and had the ten speed with the handle bars flipped up? Remember how he could ride wheelies forever on that thing, up and down the block, never missing a beat, looking so cool with his feathered hair blowing in the wind? Remember how you just hoped when you were older that you could maybe be half as cool as that guy? That's how I have always felt about Freddy Corbin.
    I just celebrated 21 years in tattooing, and I have known Freddy for about 19 of them. I met him early on in tattooing, and have looked up to and respected him ever since. Freddy was an untouchable persona at an early age. Being a few years older than I was, and tattooing a few years ahead of me, he was the bridge in the gap between the older generation of tattooers and the younger ones like me and my fellow upstarts.
    Freddy was working at Tattoo City when I got to know him, and he was part of that unstoppable force. The shop consisted of Freddy, Eddy Deutche, Dan Higgs, Igor Mortis, and of course Ed Hardy. Those were the days that changed tattooing forever. You can't do much in modern tattooing that cant be traced, directly or indirectly, to this team.
    Freddy started doing these amazingly dynamic religious tattoos that he is so known for today, and I also loved his new take on tribal. Eddy Deutche pioneered the American-styled Japanese and was a front runner in the biomechanic style which now covers the bodies of so many great tattooers. I don't think what Dan Higgs needs to be discussed, although we have a great thread on him here on LST, and the same goes for Ed Hardy.
    I had the pleasure of working for Fred for four years. He treated me with the love and respect that is not easily found in this world, let alone in this job, where everyone is trying to run each other over for notoriety and fame. Freddy just came to work, laughed, smiled, and did the job right, while treating everyone righteously at the same time. I have learned so much from this man in so many ways, but the most important thing that I learned from him is that a friend is hard to find and should never be taken for granted, and most of all, that I'm livin' the dream. I really am, what would my life be without this? Every once in a while I remember to let out a scream of thanks to the universe for putting me right where I am,exactly where I belong, because anywhere else would not be home. And thank you Freddy for being that truly spectacular person that you are. Anyone who has ever met you, or had the honor of being your friend, knows what a gift you are to this profession.
    We did this interview in his back yard, and his son, Sonny, was kind enough to join us. It's pretty cool to see this bit of him and his life. I think it's a great interview, I hope that maybe you'll get to take away some great stuff from the heart of it.
    Thanks again to Freddy, and Sonny too, for letting me upset their routine, and thank you, fellow LST'ers, for having a look-see.
    part 1 of 3:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1m7BrDrEA
    Here are the other parts of the interview:
    Freddy Corbin Interview Part 2 of 3
    Freddy Corbin Interview Part 3 of 3
  10. Scott Sylvia
    I met Nick Colella in Salt Lake City at a convention. He is childhood friends with Maya, who was our shop helper at that time. Meeting him was like meeting an old friend. We have spent time in each others towns, we have traveled to Sweden together, his wife even wrecked my car (gotta rub it in when I can.) Nick's tattooing style is traditional, dynamic, solid and distinct. I appreciate that he does not show boat in his work, it gets straight to the point. He works at Chicago tattoo, which was Cliff Ravens shop, and those are some big shoes to fill. The crew there is top notch, you can't go wrong with any of them.
    From a good friend, to a good tattooer, to a good gent, and most importantly a great dad, he is just about the most well rounded tattooer I have ever met. I look up to him in many ways, and I'm glad to have made his acquaintance. I feel as though our association could possibly have helped me become a better person, as I respect both his personal take on tattooing and life in general.
    This interview is great, even with my now patented train sound, as it takes place at my machine shop/warehouse space near the train tracks.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRZXG_TNTeY
  12. Scott Sylvia
    I am not really sure when I first actually met Josh Arment, but we went on a very memorable journey right before my daughter was born. He had arranged for us to go shark diving with great white sharks off the Mexico coast at Guadeloupe Islands. There were seven or eight tattooers on a boat for five days with some really, really big sharks. One of the highlights for me was when I got to high-five a 16 foot great white shark, it was pretty awesome. Unfortunately for Josh, he shared a room with a sea sick Oliver Peck. Oliver seemed to think that puking in the garbage can in a room the size of an airplane bathroom was acceptable shipmate behavior. I got to know Josh well, and our friendship solidified on that voyage. I mean how could it not? What with the combination of sharks, food, a small boat, and little tattoos being done on sketchy and rough seas, what's not to bond over?
    Before moving onto the world of tattooing, I need to mention that Josh is a truly amazing person. His dedication to this profession is remarkable, and he is both humble and gracious. I have never guest spotted at his shop, but would love to, as I've heard nothing but great shit about it. And the fact that the Aloha Monkey has deep roots to the late Mike Malone, aka Rollo Banks, does nothing but add a sense of dignity to the shop's name. Josh has no problem keeping it up with his well-schooled style that lies somewhere between Malone and Roberts, as he's been heavily influenced by both. Josh has one of the most amazing bodies of tattooing I have ever seen, including a Bob Roberts back piece and an amazing Ed Hardy panther on his chest. Ridiculous.
    Family keeps me on the home front now, so I was not able to fly to Minnesota to do this interview, as I can't hop on a flight anytime I want. Luckily, my co-worker Cody Miller was going on a trip to Florida and then to Minnesota, so I asked him if he would interview a couple of people I thought should be up on here, and I'm grateful that he somewhat nervously agreed. I would like to thank Josh for agreeing to do this, and Cody for making it happen. Enjoy it, and make sure you check out Josh Arments work on his website http://www.alohamonkeytattoo.com/, and definitely add him to your list of artists that you must be tattooed by.
    Thanks again,
    Scott
    Part 1 of 2:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlHRxoEgcTg
  13. Scott Sylvia
    ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR THE ART AND HISTORY OF TATTOOING
    BY HENK SCHIFFMACHER, AKA HANKY PANKY

    I believe my first true encounter with Henk was at the last Amsterdam convention in 96. I had met him before, but never got the full experience.
    I had flown to Europe with Jeff Rassier, it was my first trip there and I was stoked. We got to our hotel, threw our shit in the room and headed straight to Henk's shop. The red light district was full of dirt bag tattooers roaming about, lurking on the hookers and being amazed by all the the weed, pussy and down right foreignness of the place. When we got to the shop we found Freddy Corbin and Mike Wilson working. When Freddy introduced me to Henk, I was greeted with a great big smile and a hand shake that made me feel as if I was child shaking a grown ups hand. He was as welcoming as you could ever want. With a hundred people there to kiss his ass, Henk still had the ability to be genuinely hospitable. The trip was extraordinary, and by the end of it I think my life was different. I have never looked at tattooing the same way since. It was then that I realized that this was a sacred family, and I was welcomed to it in Amsterdam, with Henk sitting at the head of the table. There are so many stories from that week and those experiences make it all worthwhile.
    I was there for the unveiling of the museum, and had the good fortune of helping Henk and ten other people get the last bits of it together immediately preceding the opening. I believe that Henk has the most extensive collection of tattooing machines in existence, he even owns the Samuel O'Riley machine. In addition, he has everything from a hippo skull to tattooed skin, chopped off fingers, and mannequins in full samurai dress. I'm pretty sure he even has a dick in a jar. Hank has a library that can't be beat, hundreds of books that I had never before encountered. Hanky Panky is ostensibly the worlds best historian in the field of tattooing. He has the most extensive collection I have ever had the pleasure of investigating, and the walls of his home are stacked with more museum artifacts. I have heard that he is to open another museum soon, I hope to God that this is true.
    So Hanky Panky has made another book, and man, it's a doozy. This hefty family bible size book could just about change your life. With all of the information that he has, combined with a tattooer's background, he’s put out an amazing book full of everything anyone could think of to include in a book on tattooing. It's all in there, the full spectrum, from bands who are tattooed, as he does know a lot of them, to the rarest of tattooed tribes. Ritual, spiritual, and clinical forms are well covered. As for tattooers, this is where Henks sense of humor and shear lack of giving a fuck comes into play. There are so many tattooers in it that I know are historically significant, and there are some that I have never heard of before. This Encyclopedia has a wealth of flash, machines, stencils, photos of tattooed tribes, I can look at this thing for hours then come back to it and start over again. This is a must for any tattooer's book collection. Just the brief history and hilarious shit said about people is great, even syphilis gets showcased.
    This man has kept the spirit that is tattooing alive. If anyone had the pleasure to see his original shop or the museum you know what I mean. So I say thanks to Henk for adding this gem to the tattoo world. It seems tattoo books are never ending, whether people are putting them out about them selves or regurgitating flash into new books, but this one actually has a purpose and is separate from the rest. All hail Henk.
    Thanks,
    Scott
    The Tattoo Encyclopedia is available here, and can be found at Temple Tattoo in Oakland, CA this winter.
  14. Scott Sylvia

    what i want

    By Scott Sylvia,

    ok, what i want
    you to be a part.
    your pictures
    your ideas
    your input
    your intentions to be pure and not driven from jealousy
    to vioce your opinion
    to be righteous
    to be positive and constructive the world is full of haters, leave them there.
    draw something new today with no intention of ever using it
    mail someone a hand written letter. they are awsome.
    i want your story
    tell someone.
  18. Scott Sylvia
    I first met Juan Puente in 19-something-or-other at the San Diego convention at the Bahia. The convention was righteous, I believe that it was the one Zeke Owens rode his bike cross country to attend. It was the first time Juan and I ever hung out, and we have been comrades ever since. We have worked together at two shops and have traveled the world together, including Japan, Italy, France, England, Holland, Bali, Mexico, even the cultural mecca of Long Beach. Juan and I have a brotherly bond and have been a part of each others' families. I am honored to have witnessed his daughter grow up to be an amazing young women, it is both cool and strange at the same time. We have worked at possibly a hundred conventions together, me bringing the littlest amount of crap possible and Juan carrying enough foolishness for three families to first tattoo and then film a movie afterwards. Jesus, this man does not understand the concept of traveling light. However, if you happen to need a clip cord, he probably has two extras. No joke. That's what makes Juan, well, Juan.
    So when I wanted to do my first interview for the site, I immediately thought of Juan, knowing how easy it would be. I always thought I could just ask people questions while we ate dinner or had coffee, but that's not how this one would go down. This one conversation? Takes place at our shared space where we build machines. As you will see I didn't have to say too much, Juan makes it easy, and interesting.
    I hope that you'll enjoy this dialogue and all the future ones that will be coming. We have an amazing list of people to interrogate, and it won't always be by me. I have devious plans to hoodwink all my best friends into picking other tattooer's brains for your viewing amusement. So please have fun watching Juan Puente talk about Juan Puente, trains and all.
    Many thanks and much respect to Juan,
    Scott Sylvia
    Here is part 1 of 4 of this 52 minute interview:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a8J5Hz0fmE&rel=0
    Juan Puente Interview: Part 2 of 4
  19. Scott Sylvia
    Published by State of Grace

    My first experience with Bob Roberts was in 1989. I had just moved from Monterey, a nice quiet place, to this mega asphalt hell called southern California. I was 17 and working as a union apprentice butcher. I had been tattooed a few times by my high school friend Aaron Cain. He had told me where to find Bob Roberts, who was know to me as the guy in the "tattoo times" who tattooed all the punk rock folks, so away I went. I drove from West Covina to Hollywood, which coming from Monterey was a long haul, to see Spotlight Tattoo. I walked in the door and no one was there. "What the fuck?" I thought. "Mecca and no worshipers?" so I went about my gazing. Bob was tattooing, greeted me with a squint, and I stared and stared at everything for what seemed like an eternity. It made such an impact on me that I can remember it to this day, and I have a terrible memory. The flash, stickers, little signs... man, it was cool. Where I came from, the tattoo shop look like a trailer or something, like you could pick it up and run with it. This was probably for good reason, the owner was no good.



    So I'm there for maybe 1/2 an hour maybe 45 minutes and bob stands up with this sort of bull grunt, walks over and says, "Well you gonna get tattooed or what?" I could feel my self get hot and start to sweat when the words came out, "Ppbff, no man, I don't have any money." This, apparently, was the exact thing that needed to be said to receive this gift - "What the fuck you think this is, the god damn library?" He glared at me and I think he may have also gotten a little taller. I decided that my stay was over, thinking that I'd better go before this before this dude popped me in my mouth. That is what tattooing was to me, and at times, it still is. I can't possibly thank Bob Roberts enough for teaching me that I was standing in his church, and I had brought no offering. Nothing but stares of amazement at all the reapers and tribal designs, which ruled long before the Chili Peppers made them popular.
    So here's his book, and at first the price hurt my ass, dispite the fact that this printing was part of a limited run of 1000. Sometimes I think that book prices are being driven way up for no real reason these days. At first glance I thought this was confirmed, but then I started to get into the book. I mean not just the pictures, I started really reading it. First the forward, then the intro from Ed Hardy, which is pretty cool. Ed gives a nice time line, and there's a ton of respect praised upon Bob without too much self celebration. Then I read the Bob interview, which is really more of a manifesto, 'cause he's sort of staking his flag in the back of tattooing. As I thumb through the pages, I'm reading this awesome history of tattooing and life. There are some real moments in this book that really inspired me, like his relationship with his kids, and how much he adores charlie is incredible. Also his friendship with Horiyoshi, and how he speaks of the connection they have. I am especially grateful to hear him talk about how that we aren't shit without the customers. It's an awesome point of view and well worth the read. Bob Roberts' life is amazing, with all his ties to Ed, Greg Irons, Zeke Owens, Jack Rudy, and on and on. How could this book this go wrong? It can't. I don't want to go into every detail of the book, but it's refreshing to see a man that's been tattooing that long and is still inspired and can be honest about himself. Bob Roberts is man is full of integrity and opinions, and he shares them all without apologizing.
    The book is probably 7/8 photos which is good, 'cause man, his paintings are incredible. There's big sections of tattoos, then line drawings, then tattoo paintings and non tattoo paintings, some of the photos are a little pixelated but makes no difference. The only thing I find strange is that he has his current crew in the back of the book. I understand why, but it dates the book, so in three years when people have moved on they'll still be there, in the back of Bob's book. I was told that was one of his requests, so God bless this man, for never giving in to what everybody else wants him to do, and still reminding me that it's his church and I'm just standing in it, looking at pictures.
    You can buy it here: Horitaka's State of Grace.

  20. Scott Sylvia

    the juan

    By Scott Sylvia,

    so
    tonight i did the juan puente interview. i think it went very well for my first one, now i just have to figure out how to down load the damn thing to the computer..totally retarded..supose to do freddy corbin tomorrow if it all works out, that will be awsome he has been a huge influence in my life as a friend and a tattooer i hope i can get this stuff up soon so you can all see it. cody is in florida and is going to interview mike wilson, jeremy swed, and josh arment for me. lots going on here. hope you are well and the scabs fall off.
    scott
  21. Scott Sylvia
    So here it is, my first blog entry. Check me out, I'm in the 90"s now....
    I will be writing a couple of book reviews on three amazing books. The first one is the Bob Roberts book, which has a pricey back bone and is well worth it. The second will be the Tattoo Encyclopedia by Hanky Panky, a true pirate. Hanky Panky takes no shit, none whatsoever. He is the greatest tattoo historian and he lives the life, as opposed to all the degree holding turds who are just hoping someone will take them serious. I cannot remember the name of the Danish tattoo book I'll be reviewing, I just know that I've have spent hours looking at it wishing i could be that cool... sweet beards and stashes all over it... oh, and lots of boats.
    Hope these words find you well and true,
    most respectfully,
    scott
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