Do You Tattoo? Do You Collect/Curate Ink? See How History & Art Inspires This Talented Tattoo Artist & Author
There is nothing else quite like Body Art ~ whether you call it Ink, Tat, Skin Art, or Tattoo. I rather sheepishly admit I couldn’t get a tattoo. I’ve long been too ~ what, timid? Scared? A combination of those conditions? Or maybe it’s the commitment? After all, for all intents and purposes, Tattoos are meant to last.
And boy, have tattoos persisted as an art form. Body Art is an ancient practice ~ one whose history commemorates times and cultures reflecting wealth, beauty, honor, fertility, rejuvenation, self-expression, rebellion, freedom, and personal storytelling ~ among other attributes. That history is an enduring, inspiring passion for Michelle Myles, an exceptional tattoo artist and author.
Michelle Myles, Tattoo Artist, Curator Daredevil Tattoo Museum, co-owner, Daredevil Tattoo, Author
Michelle was my recent Ladies Who Lunch Conversations guest. She is a very well respected and recognized tattooer, curator of the Tattoo Museum, co-owner of the Daredevil Tattoo shop, and author of the award-winning book: “Liberty the Tattooed Lady.”
Michelle’s story is a fascinating, intriguing journey into the history of tattoo art, its resilience as a unique form of self-expression, and her personal career choices; all of which have propelled her to the heights of the alluring world of Tattoo Artists and their special art.
Michelle has worked her magical tattoo art for such illustrious clients as Boy George, Whoopi Goldberg, and Joan Jett, starting with Jett’s first ink, and has continued to add to the singer’s ever-expanding tattoo collection over the years.
Michelle started tattooing in 1991 when women were not nearly as prevalent in the tattoo industry as today. That is a nice way of writing that there was pretty much none. zilch… Moreover it was against the law in Gotham, so it kinda’ goes without putting too fine a point on it, that this was not a top-tier career choice at that time!
But then, things started to change. Perhaps glacially but change was in the air.
She and her partner Brad Fink, waited to open their Daredevil Tattoo shop till 1997, when tattooing was finally (re) legalized in NYC (whew!) after being banned in 1961.
Seems crazy that the city that never sleeps, and a place that many out-of-towners consider almost unholy, would forbid the art of tattooing!
But at long last, surprisingly during the Giuliani administration, the law changed and tattooing was again legalized.
Today, they boast not only the Shop but the Tattoo Museum which is, in their words, “...Dedicated to promoting an understanding of the growth and development of tattoo art and culture from its earliest roots in NYC and the Bowery through collecting, preservation and research. Daredevil is just down the street from the Bowery and Chatham Square, recognized as the birthplace of modern tattooing making the Lower East Side (LES) the perfect place for a Museum of Tattoo History.”
I’ll say.
Bill and I had the good fortune to meet Michelle personally ~ just a whisper away from when the world was about to shut down because of Covid. We were blissfully unaware of the impending fissure.
Rather, we happily hopped on a subway downtown to what was to be a fun, cocktail adventure.
As I note in our Conversation, I’d been invited to cover the spiced rum brand, Sailor Jerry, for my food and drink column at Examiner. The two of us had just returned from our place in Aruba and with Bill recently retired, he accompanied me to Daredevil’s Division Street tattoo shop.
As it turned out, the event was nothing like I expected.
First off, the tattoo offerings that the PR pro kept urging me to choose from during the time heading into the event, turned out to be real ~ not the fun, washable ones/temporaries that I provide for my guests at our annual Independence Day fireworks and Mother’s Birthday party!
Oh, my. That was a swag I had to seriously think about!
(I guess I’d been too busy/over-scheduled to really check out the event dynamics…)
But from the moment I set foot inside the very cool shop, I was genuinely fascinated with the Tattoo Museum, the art, and the tools displayed there.
My overwhelming curiosity gauge was on “full tilt.”
Michelle offered us a very informative and fascinating tour. I was hooked.
I heartily recommend that you visit the Tattoo Museum in person and ~ as a teaser ~ you can visit online. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. I was spellbound. Still am.
*Please tap on images to view the carousel of Musuem objects.
From Toques to Tats
What was once considered rogue and or rebel ~ more on that later ~ Tattoo art has increasingly risen from a niche, more or less rebellious cohort ~ to become fashionable. Yet it still retains these outsider, dangerous, and adventurous traits. Maybe that’s part of the appeal for some… But that outsider characterization remains rather unshakeable. To whit; not that long ago, a friend actually wept when she learned her daughter had gotten an arm tattoo!
Increasingly, body art has become much more widely accepted as a form of self-expression; as a way to give us agency over our bodies.
And looking back to a niece’s wedding party, it was ahem, “overflowing” with ink, now that I think about it!
If you haven’t personally experienced the tattoo trend, it may come as a surprise to learn that Tattoos became very, or let’s say more, mainstream fashionable starting in the 1970’s.
More recently, many consider tattoos’ increased visibility as a result of social media.
In my world, you can’t discount the prevalence of superstar chefs, along with entertainment celebrities and influencer personalities that boast “a” tattoo ~ or many. Displaying one’s ink collection is considered du monde just as a Gilded Age art aficionado’s walls once were.
*Please tap on the carousel’s images to view: Marlo Gamora, bartender/mixologist & contributor to my Art of the Garnish book; Jeff Leatham, floral artist designer & his orchid; Oyster Shucker, Barneget Oyster Collective at family party; celebrity chefs:
The History of Tattoo Art
Tattoos are considered to be one of the oldest forms of art dating back to 3370 BC. in Egypt and Nubia.
The term tattoo derives from the Samoan word “tatau,” which mimics the tapping sound of the tools used during traditional tattooing. I love that musicality of the tattoo art pedigree. 🥰🎶
It was following James Cook’s British expedition to Tahiti in 1769, the islanders’ term “tatatau” or “tattau,” meaning to hit or strike, gave the west our modern term “tattoo.”
The marks then became fashionable among Europeans, particularly in the case of “men such as sailors and coal miners, professions which carried serious risks and presumably explaining the almost amulet-like use of anchors or miner’s lamp tattoos on the men’s forearms” that were popular.
Cooke had brought a Tahitian man with him back to Europe, which eventually “revolutionized the art of tattooing, making it a worldwide phenomenon. According to Vogue (Philippines) Next of Skin, Beauty Issue, “The late 19th century marked the modern history of tattooing... This was the time when sailors returned home and showcased their tattoos gathered on their journey. This mentality among sailors getting tattoos to mark their achievements eventually reached the United States. Common tattoos among sailors included swallows, nautical stars, and even anchors, to name a few.”
As such, Tattoo Shops were often located near a city’s docks or points of entry, noted Michelle.
So it becomes clearer how body art became associated so closely with sailors. And the Sailor Jerry tie-in. (! 😉)
Michelle told us that those nautical tattoos are not so popular these days.
Except when it came to Bill.
But I’m getting ahead of things again.
As for the bad-boy/outsider image, I believe it stemmed from the time when Christianity deemed that tattoos “disfigure that made in God’s image” and banned tattoos in the Western world; regrettably they also “erased” and banned the practice as it colonized other cultures.
So while those negative connotations no longer pervade the custom, tattoos can mark or identify someone, even erroneously. I read the other day that some immigrants are being deported because they have a crown tattoo ~ merely a mark of their favorite soccer/football team… 😞
Overall, happily, having a tattoo hasn’t been considered a stigma for awhile.
Rather, Body Art has truly risen to phenomenal heights of appreciation.
In fact, one-third of people in the United States have at least one tattoo, and many of those Americans share common motivations, according to the Pew Research Center.
Sixty-nine percent of tattooed adults in the U.S. say they got inked to “honor or remember someone or something,” while 47 percent say they wanted to make a statement about their beliefs, and 32 percent say they got tattooed to improve their personal appearance.
All this helped drive acceptance and embrace a mainstream tattoo culture.
I believe the art of the tattoo has elevated a true benchmark for the genre; more of us have become discerning about good tattoo art just like learning to engage with fine art at an art gallery or museum helps us better appreciate their finer details. Now, more of us engage with tattoo art both visually and emotionally.
If Bill and I see great tattoos say, while out dining, we ask the Inked owner what the tattoo means, why on that part of their body, where they got the tattoo, and more. We also find that the tattooed love talking about their body art.
We all know that the best way to appreciate fine art is to understand the context surrounding the piece. When considering a tattoo, we’ve learned to reflect on the materials, time period, world events, and an artist’s biography, as elements that are very important to an understanding of the cultural impact of the piece.
Tattoos offer us a way to relate to life in a very personal and profound way.
How It Got Personal
For us, it was after more than a few of those delicious Sailor Jerry cocktails at the “dive bar” across the street when I gamely suggested that Bill get a tattoo! Why not? He was retired. He was a sailor in the US Navy; we even had a sailboat for many years. He’d never had a tattoo.
It was time.
We headed back across the street to Daredevil Tattoo.
Lucky for us, Michelle accommodated. Bill chose a modest anchor and she rendered it with precision and good humor.
*Please tap on images to see carousel of our tattoo rendering…
Bill's beloved tattoo has many admirers. And we have a great story!
Tattoo Art
Just as with learning to appreciate any fine art, you will better value the art of the tattoo when you approach the “body of work” (pun intended!) with curiosity and an open mind.
Here is where visiting the Daredevil Tattoo Museum and Shop is a wonder of an experience. It’s a destination. People visit from all over the world.
You can take in so many of the legends of tattoo art. There, you’ll view never-before-seen machines, and ephemera from the early days of tattooing on the Bowery, along with Tattoo Flash ( for those of us who aren’t yet well-versed in tattoo nomenclature, Flash are the ready-made designs).
The images of the body art renders you speechless while you ogle and admire. You marvel at how the body canvas is truly one that makes this art form very different and extraordinarily special.
There is a mysterious, magical and, I daresay, sense of sincere discovery when viewing the archival and vintage tattoo art ~ and at some point, choosing a tattoo for yourself.
In turn, their Daredevil Tattoo Collections have been part of other cultural institution’s exhibits, including the Natural History Museum and various Historical Societies.
In our Conversation, Michelle reveals the tremendous scholarship she possesses about the Art of the Tattoo and its history.
She tells us that modern tattooing originated in New York City, on the Bowery. Furthermore, the first electric tattoo machine was patented on the Bowery in 1891 ~ just a few blocks from Daredevil Tattoo’s location.
Martin Hilderbrandt, First Professional Tattooer in Gotham
Yet another homage to the Modern Tattoo is the recognition of Martin Hilderbrandt, the pioneer tattoo artist considered to be the first Professional Tattooer in NYC. Hildabrandt was a German immigrant, a seaman, (not surprisingly,) who opened NYC’s first tattoo shop on the Bowery in 1858. You can learn all about “Old Martin;” his "Tattooed Ladies” and their spotlight in the era’s dime museums, along with his sad passing in the New York City Asylum for the Insane on Wards Island at the Daredevil Tattoo Museum ~ and many other heretofore “secrets” and undiscovered gems about the history of tattoo art.
As a licensed tour guide, Michelle also offers guided walking history tattoo tours of the Bowery.
A Tattooer’s Journey
Michelle came to New York City from the midwest to study fine art at Parsons School of Design. She’d had her own body tattoos since high school and was drawn to body art and creating it. Yet, pursuing a career in tattoo art at a school was impossible at that time ~ it was illegal, after all. She practised as an underground, freelance tattoo artist. She says she “bumbled along” and later, learned as a kind of apprentice at a successful shop in New Jersey.
Today, with her staff of around eight, Michelle helps clients choose their tattoos ~ from their vintage tattoo Flash and gallery, or oftentimes, clients bring a treasured image that they want to use to celebrate an occasion or to add to their tattoo collection because they like a particular art totem.
Once you start, it’s hard to stop adding to one’s collection, according to Michelle!
While most everyone believes there is an element of mysticism or reverence to tattoo art wherever you locate it, I learned that in the Samoa or Pacific tradition, the upper body is associated with the spiritual world, while the lower body is associated with the world or Earth.
Top or bottom, I wondered if different skin makes for a different body canvas: young or old; black or white... Michelle tells us about that in our Conversation.
Tattoo Lady
While one might be tempted to refer to Michelle as the Tattoo Lady, 😆there would be a Lady Liberty with a torch to contend with!
Seriously, If you’re trying to decide what to get the tattoo lover in your life, “Liberty the Tattooed Lady” is the perfect book for anyone who loves tattoos – and New York City.
Michelle came to author this unique book because she curated the art exhibit at the The City Reliquary Museum ~ a small museum owned by her friend Dave, featuring NYC ephemera. When Dave said he wanted to create a tattoo exhibit, Michelle suggested Liberty the Tattoo Lady ~ like the Groucho Marx song!
The Statue of Liberty, the Reliquary’s “mascot” or brand image, is depicted in tattooing through vintage tattoo flash, drawings, photos, stencils and other related objects with work from some of the most famous names of traditional American tattooing, including: Bert Grimm, Charlie Wagner, Owen Jensen, Dainty Dotty, Ralph Johnson.
This was a great opportunity to see original traditional tattoo Flash, some of which has never been on public display before. There was a lot to be inspired by in this show and many visitors went on to get their own Lady Liberty tattoos after visiting the exhibit, according to Michelle.
Copies of the exhibition catalog written by Michelle remain available for sale.
The book is 72 pages, with beautiful full-color layouts; it’s cloth bound, boasts a foil-stamped cover and is available on sale for $40 at Daredevil Tattoo for pick up (save on shipping and view the Museum!) or it can be sent via the USPS, purchasing online via the Daredevil Tattoo store.
“Liberty the Tattooed Lady” is also available at the Statue of Liberty gift shop on Liberty Island. Gift cards and tattoo history maps of the Bowery are also available.
More Applause was in order during our Conversation as we got to toast the book as an award winner.
Liberty the Tattooed Lady earned an American Graphic Design Award!
This is the 61st annual contest and there were over 8,000 entries in all the different categories. Cheers to the honor, Michelle. And Liberty ~ the Tattooed Lady.
In our Conversation, Michelle went on to say that this award-winning book is a kind of prequel. Or her “practice book.”
She explained that she’s been working on a complete compendium of NYC and its unique tattoo history. Understandably, it’s very research intensive. The book will be the first of its kind and a welcome addition to the art world.
Stay tuned for this passion project… Michelle said she is looking forward to sharing the history and highlighting the art of the tattoo.
Who inspires Michelle?
Beside the iconic, legendary tattoo artists, she names the award-winning author Erik Larson.
Michelle is so very ardent about the history of tattoo art and New York City that I daresay that is what inspires her most ~ and drives her enthusiastic vision for the future.
In the meantime, you can follow Michelle and her inspired journey on Instagram @daredevilmichelle and her shop: @daredeviletattoo
Please enjoy the videocast featuring my Conversation with Michelle on Facebook (link above or below) or on my YouTube. (And please do Follow!)
Daredevil Tattoo is open every day from noon until 8pm. Walk-ins are always welcome. Online booking is also available.
The Daredevil Tattoo Shop specializes in custom tattooing, temporary tattoos for film and commercials; and is available for commercial film and photography shoots.
☎️ 212-533-8303
The City Reliquary, staffed by volunteers, is open weekends only, noon until 6 pm.
Thank you for being such an inspired Ladies Who Lunch Conversations guest, Michelle. I learned so much about your glamorous art of the tattoo.
