You’re flicking through the late-night television options in the haze of half sleep when you pause on the Cooking Channel because of the incongruity of what you’re hearing and what you’re seeing. From behind a kitchen counter on a cooking-show set that’s art-directed within a half inch of its life, a woman with the stage presence of Rachael Ray and the barely-legal beauty of Avril Lavigne circa 2002 gesticulates as if to say, “You talkin’ to me?”
“I have a weird thing with voyeurism,” says artist Natalia Fabia, whose paintings depict “rad, talented chicks” in private, doing things like hugging a stuffed bunny or eating an ice-cream cone, often while wearing little more than their undies. Fabia’s colorful paintings, which have made her one of the Los Angeles art scene’s fastest-rising stars, reflect a constellation of influences: fashion, pinup girls, burlesque, glitter, and rock ‘n’ roll. If the hyperfeminine world she portrays is sexy but not exactly sexual, that’s because Fabia is more interested in celebrating female camaraderie. Her girls are BFFs with awesome tattoos, killer bodies, and a taste for skin-baring fashion. They’re the Sisterhood of ...
Soccer players blur together on the pitch. Forget trying to read their numbers; they are reduced to a trail of their kit’s color. Maybe this is why soccer stars of renown (at least in the American consciousness) have had distinctive haircuts: Cobi Jones had dreadlocks; Alexi Lalas has a plume of red hair. Natasha Kai doesn’t go wild at the salon—it’s her time spent in tattoo parlors...
Nate Appleman, executive chef at San Francisco’s acclaimed A16 and SPQR restaurants, didn’t inherit his culinary chops from his parents. “They don’t cook,” says the chef. However, Appleman’s father did pass on another lifelong passion. When Mr. Appleman, a physician, returned from a business trip with a small spider inked on his leg, the future chef, then only 4, was in awe. “It made such a huge impression on me. I wantedone right away,” says Appleman. He had to wait 13 years, though, until he had a tribal mask the size of a basketball inked across his back at 17. “Of course, it’s the only one I don’t like,” he ...
Believe it: The Bible is better fodder for tattoo inspiration than it might seem. In fact, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert probably wouldn't have gotten his first tattoo if it weren't for the good book. "When I was really little, my mom gave me this Bible. On the spine, there was a shield with a cross in it," he explains. "At 15, I decided to get that shield tattooed on my left calf. I went to a shop called Bruce Bart's in Florida, and the guy told me if I got permission from my mom, he'd do it. I got permission, and he tattooed that shield on me. Now, ...
Hip-hop? Punk? R&B? No one can categorize this group of outcasts from upstate New York - and that's just the way they like it.
On location: Imagine hitting the best rock clubs, checking out lowbrow artists on display at up-and-coming galleries, and browsing a history museum—all in one night. That’s the idea behind a stay at New York City’s Ace Hotel, where these photos were shot. For the museum fix, Ace’s historic rooms (the building dates to 1904) are scattered with vintage furnishings, custom pieces, and antiques curated by design firm Roman & Williams. The art comes from artists such as Brooklyn-based graphic guru Mike Perry and duo Doug Cunningham and Jason Noto, who got their start designing skateboards. There’s even a Michael Anderson mural composed of hundreds of graffiti stickers in the lobby (check out page 61 for a glimpse). So where does the rock ‘n’ roll come in? Take your pick: the lobby bar that looks like a stage set, the turntables parked next to stacks of vintage records, or your own iPod (all the rooms have stereo docks). With all that going on, plus the Breslin Bar and Dining Room—a carnivore’s delight from the crew at The Spotted Pig—there’s really no reason to take to the streets.
digital edition
Visit the Inked Art Gallery if you're interested in buying or selling your tattoo art or go to our Tattoo Gallery and upload photos of your tattoos or browse 1000's of other tattoo designs. Check out the Inked Girls to see sexy women with tattoos and beautiful Inked Girls.
Copyright © 2007-2010 Quadra Media L.L.C. All Rights Reserved
