Death Proof

Ah, the ole neck tattoo, doesn't that always highlight one's superior intelligence!

Andy brown said:

Ah, the ole neck tattoo, doesn't that always highlight one's superior intelligence!

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Andy

Intelligence is a complex topic and people have a variety of different intelligences. A person may be good at learning languages and terrible at learning music--or vice versa. A single number (a score on an IQ test) cannot adequately represent the complex and diverse capabilities of a human being.

James

I know James.
All the people I meet with neck tattooes blow me away with sharp minds and myriad skills and abilities.

Andy brown said:

I know James.
All the people I meet with neck tattooes blow me away with sharp minds and myriad skills and abilities.

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The lad I saw on a late night train from Brisbane to Ipswich must have been a genius. He had a dotted line tattooed on his throat accompanied by the words "CUT HERE".

But I guess we're posting this stuff because the James Lemon portrait is so powerful and evocative.

James Lemon said:

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Hi James,

What an individual. He seems to be a three-way cross between a person in the Gothic fringes of society and "The Fonze" of the 60's and some African society. The latter because of a particular commitment to pierce one's earlobes, (and then, it appears possible in this photograph, to progressively enlarge the hole to accommodate 1" rings).

This person didn't decide to dress like this this year. This mode of dress and persona has been cultivated, likely over a decade or more.

The metal in his ears are matched by dual rings in his nostrils and a bead above his right mustache. He is neatly dressed, barely covering a minor tattoo on his left neck. It is not of paramount importance to his persona has he does not flaunt it, but allows his high collar to mostly hide it.

Now what else do we know? He is well groomed, wears not inexpensive clothes and so likely has a regular source of income. He could be a tattoo artist, a poet, lawyer or union organiser. However, he's unlikely to be a contract killer as he would be remembered by anyone for years and that would be bad for business.

As usual, we can tend to classify folk by how they look. However, this habit of assigning character to a person we've only just met, is likely a basic survival instinct. Nevertheless, the true odds of being accurate are probably no better than chance.

There have to be behavioral or conversational cues to know whether or not this fellow is a good actor or poses a risk to society.

Asher

Andy brown said:

I know James.
All the people I meet with neck tattooes blow me away with sharp minds and myriad skills and abilities.

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You must have been studying at the University of Berkley in California. There' likely as not, you guys with tattooed necks will be mathematicians, sociologists or Professors of music!

In my experience, the tattooed individuals simply reflect the cultural variations of particular sections of our multi-varied societies. The only major difference is that academics hardly ever have gang tattooes or orgasmic nudes on their neck.

Asher

Lords of Gastown appears to be a line of motorcycling clothes originating in Vancouver (that is the brand on the "Death Proof" label and also on the left hand side label). I therefore think that this person probably drives a motorcycle and that the piercing and tattoo are related to that motorcycling activity and not to mathematics or sociology.

Maybe James Lemon could tell us how he met the guy and got him to pose for his camera?

You can find out a bit more here about the event http://www.worldtattooevents.com/vancouver-tattoo-show/.

Morgan was a doorman at the event when I arrived to check out what drives this industry. I asked him if I could take his picture but the location was rather dark so I took him to another location that offered more light against a grey panel. He was apprehensive about leaving his post but I assured him that it would take only a couple of minutes and that his assistant should be able to look after things while he was gone.

Best, regards
James

James Lemon said:

Morgan was a doorman at the event when I arrived to check out what drives this industry.

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So did you find out what drives the tattoo industry? And were Morgan's tattoos noticeably bigger than the little bit we see out of his collar?

Jerome Marot said:

So did you find out what drives the tattoo industry? And were Morgan's tattoos noticeably bigger than the little bit we see out of his collar?

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Hello Jerome

Its a hot trend that is in the growth stages! Mainly because it is less taboo, more socially acceptable, many celebrities have tattoos, also the growth of reality television programs and people can have custom tattoos made, are some of the reasons for its popularity.

I don't pay much attention to the tattoos because they all look the same to me. I don't really notice the intricate details of them. So I can't comment on your question I didn't pay any attention to the tattoo when I processed the picture or when I made the picture.

Best, regards

James

James Lemon said:

Hello Jerome


........... I don't pay much attention to the tattoos because they all look the same to me. I don't really notice the intricate details of them. So I can't comment on your question I didn't pay any attention to the tattoo when I processed the picture or when I made the picture.

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Well, James, here it's quite different, especially for local folk in East Los Angeles, where failure to pay attention to the nature of the tattoes on the 'hood can be quite dangerous as here these are like military uniforms. Gang tattoos engender immediate respect and brotherhood or else fear and hostility. They are not at all trivial.

However, if the same tattoos appeared in Beverly Hills they would arouse major police response.

In their "home turf", no one will bother them, unless, several times a year, perhaps, someone needs his "wings" in an opposing gang or someone is trying to make some point in. "Turf War".

Asher Kelman said:

Well, James, here it's quite different, especially for local folk in East Los Angeles, where failure to pay attention to the nature of the tattoes on the 'hood can be quite dangerous as here these are like military uniforms. Gang tattoos engender immediate respect and brotherhood or else fear and hostility. They are not at all trivial.

However, if the same tattoos appeared in Beverly Hills they would arouse major police response.

In their "home turf", no one will bother them, unless, several times a year, perhaps, someone needs his "wings" in an opposing gang or someone is trying to make some point in. "Turf War".

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Yes I am more than aware of the implied singnifance of so called branding. I am sure the FBI have a large data bank of tattoos. We are not amune to gangs here. I did photograph a gang member some time ago and his tattoos specifically along with bullet wounds.

We have many sophisticated gangs that are not generally as noticeable as the gangs you have mentioned but deadly in any environment. Tattoos all look green to me and I do not pay any attention to the them, some may be more intimidating visually than others but I don't think that the average Joe or Mary public need to differentiate between them.

Best, regards
James

James Lemon said:

I did photograph a gang member some time ago and his tattoos specifically along with bullet wounds.

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Now, that sounds like an interesting proposal.