1991: glow-in-the-dark dustmite
In keeping with my interests in science & with expanded perception & techniques of representation, I got excited about this collection of photographs that shows "sights beyond the limits of the naked eye": microscope & high-speed photography, etc:
Dustmites, in particular seemed like a good choice for a new tattoo because they feed off of dead human skin & getting a tattoo is bound to generate some food for them. I wasn't satisfied with just getting an interesting image though. I wanted one that glowed in the dark.
My friend Daniel Higgs had probably told me that he had a small glow-in-the-dark tattoo - in his case a small spiral on his forehead like a 3rd eye. At that point, glow-in-the-dark tattoos were extremely rare. I still haven't met anyone with one other than Daniel. I told Daniel what I wanted to do & he had to go across country from BalTimOre to California to get the pigment from Ed Hardy, if I remember correctly, who had a secret formula.
Of course, there was the concern that whatever would glow in the dark on my body would be toxic. When people would ask me about that I explained that it was conceptually pleasing to me that an image of something on my body should generate food for the thing that the image is of. Furthermore, I joked that if I got cancer from the tattoo maybe I could make it to the front cover of "Cancer Magazine" (if there is such a thing). Now, 25 years later, I haven't noticed any ill effects yet.
The ink was clear so in order to do the tattoo properly Daniel 1st tattooed a "blood gutter" on my leg by just 'tattoing' me with water. That made sure that there was an open area in my skin where the pigment could be inserted. THEN he tattooed the area a 2nd time with the glow-in-the-dark ink. I don't exactly recommend this technique because it was quite painful. Given that there are nerve connections in my leg, where the tattoo was placed, that went straight to my cock & balls, it was a 'bit much' at times but I survived.
One of the interesting things about the tattoo is that it's basically invisible under ordinary lighting except as a fine scar. It's only after it's been exposed to light for a while & the light is then turned off that it becomes temporarily visible. This 'invisibility' makes a strong conceptual tie to the book that the image came from. I find it easiest to expose with a black light. I often forget it's there & sit reading naked under a light for a while in bed & then turn the light off only to be mildly surprised as it pops into view.
idioideo at verizon dot net
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE Anti-Neoism page
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE Audiography page
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE Bibliography page
to my "Blaster" Al Ackerman index
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE BYOC page
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE Censored or Rejected page
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE (d) compositions page
to Amir-ul Kafirs' Facebook page
to the "FLICKER" home-page for the alternative cinematic experience
to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's GoodReads profile
to Graffiti index
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE Haircuts page
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE Home Tapers page
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE index page
to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE'S minimal International Union of Mail Artists page
to a listing of tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's manifestations on the Internet Archive
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE as Interviewee index
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE as Interviewer index
to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE'S Linked-In profile
to the mm index
to see an underdeveloped site re the N.A.A.M.C.P. (National Association for the Advancement of Multi-Colored Peoples)
to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's Neoism page
to the DEFINITIVE Neoism/Anti-Neoism website
to the Philosopher's Union website
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE movie-making "Press: Criticism, Interviews, Reviews" home-page
to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's Score Movies
to SMILE
to find out more about why the S.P.C.S.M.E.F. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Sea Monkeys by Experimental Filmmakers) is so important
to the "tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - Sprocket Scientist" home-page
to the Tattoos index
to Psychic Weed's Twitter page
to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's Vimeo index
to Vine movies relevant to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE made by Ryan Broughman
to tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's presence in the Visual Music Village
for info on tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's tape/CD publishing label: WIdémoUTH
to a very small selection of tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's Writing