In Ryan Hope’s debut film, Skin, he attempts to find high art in a low brow culture. Video on the other side.

Norm (AWR/MSK/TSL) opens his “ALWAYS” exhibition at Known Gallery on Saturday, July 16, 2011. The Hundreds caught up with the artist as he prepared.

Full details of the exhibition are found after the jump.

Limited to just 50 copies, Explorations is a monograph of tattoos from London’s blackwork master TomasTomas. The book includes an introduction by the artist, along with words by his colleague Mr. X.   With 117 photographs over 44 pages, the publication captures the full scope of TomasTomas’ work and each is signed and numbered individually by the author.

Available on August 1, 2011 from Into-You.

Page views follow after the jump.

The brainchild of Miya Bailey, this film is the first to explore the world of black tattoo artists.

Learn more (and support) at the film’s Kickstarter page.

French-born Bugs rose to fame through his unique tattoos – a blend of art deco, classical, and cubist styles. His tattoo aesthetic is represented in his paintings, nudes that explore different techniques and formal composition. Bugs latest collection, entitled Purity in Motion, opened last night at Sacred Gallery in New York City. The work will remain on view through May 29, 2011.

Sacred Gallery NYC
424 Broadway 2nd Floor Rear (Between Canal and Howard)
New York, NY 10013

A full look at the show follows. Photography by Jacob Breinholt for Curated.

Considering that the Bowery is essentially the cradle of NYC tattooing – consider that legends Samuel O’Reilly and Charlie Wagner occupied 11 Chatham Square for near on 70 years – it is a great delight to see top quality tattooing resume in the area. Kings Avenue has opened a new location in the thick of gentrification. A slice of old New York in the midst of new.

Full press release and examples of work by the super talented Mr. Mike Rubendall after the jump.

A video by Ryan Scafuro.

On view through May 13, 2011 Icon Tattoo proposes to raise the stature of tattooing in art and push away from stereotypes. Frankly, that is the aim of all tattoo related exhibitions, but here the focus is firmly on fashion making for a unique assemblage of photographs and objects. No surprise, Nicola Formichetti’s recent Mugler campaign is highlighted, and there are also sections devoted to tattoo photography and preparatory drawings.

The Reflex Gallery
62 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
75001 Paris

Photography by Mathieu Vilasco.

Tattoo enthusiasts, and frankly anyone interested in American folk art, take note – Skin and Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor opens this weekend at Mystic Seaport. Being that I worked on the show, which originated at Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, my opinion is a little biased, however I think you’ll find reviews from parties unrelated to myself also pretty strong.

The exhibition is rich in objects and hosts a wealth of terrific tattoo stories.

Learn more here.

Scott Campbell’s West Coast debut, Nobalesse Oblige, will inaugurate OHWOW’s Los Angeles gallery space. Campbell will present new work furthering his experimentation with tattoo needle engraving and drawings on egg shell. The exhibition will open March 19 and run to April 22, 2011.

OHWOW Los Angeles
937 N. La Cienega
Los Angeles, CA 90069