Posts by Caitlin McDiarmid — APP Administrator

Point 80: Meet Some of our Al D. Scholars

Marina Pecorino with Scholars: Saku Pentilla, Alicia Lowe, and Michelle (Mitch) Rose

ERICA MARTIN – AL D. SCHOLAR

As I watch Las Vegas disappear from my plane window, I have so many emotions flying through me. Holding back tears, the only certainty I feel is that I could never have a year without Conference ever again. Being a mother and wife takes so much effort from my small amount of “work free” time that having friends, especially those outside of the industry, isn’t a possibility and the few friends I  do have are mostly coworkers. I was and still am baffled that in one week’s time a group of complete strangers can not only work together seamlessly, but bond in such a way that now I couldn’t imagine not knowing these beautiful souls. Everyone was so incredibly welcoming and supportive, constantly looking out for one another and ensuring their fellow volunteers/attendees were eating or getting enough water. I kept hearing everyone throw around the word family before attending, but it’s true. It’s a thousand best friends leaning on one another, swapping tips, asking questions, or just sharing a cup of coffee. It’s a week full of love and support from people with the same struggles as you, coming together for the same common good.

The classes were absolutely life changing. Even just knowing that you’re doing things correctly and affirming you’re doing right by your clients is a wonderful feeling. Those small AH-HA! moments where a simple thing clicks or that conversation about a new or different technique really is just so invigorating. As sad and hard as it is already being away from those kindred spirits, it’s fantastic having that blood flowing again and being recharged and better prepared for my clients. It’s great to take back what you have learned to improve your studio and be able to think critically and make smart changes to your environment for the better- ment of you and your clients.

I also have to give a special thanks to the Al D. Scholarship Committee and Punkmedics (so much love for Badur and my Punkmedics PALS) for giving me and my other Scholars this opportunity. I will never accurately portray the love and gratitude I have for all of you (thankfully I can at least write my feelings down instead of inaudibly blubbering, tears streaming, snot and all). These people work so incredibly hard behind the scenes and then on top of that, try and give other Scholars like me this life altering adventure (for me 11 years in the making). I hope so very much to be able to have the opportunity to volunteer again next year, but no matter what, from this year forward, I’m a new permanent face you’ll see at Conference. A year’s time in between seeing your family is hard, but I wouldn’t miss it for anything! See you all next year!

Erica Martin & Nina Rennie
Al D. Scholars
Photo by Matte Erickson

JESS FARRAR – AL D. SCHOLAR

I can see how Conference and the entire Vegas experience is considered overwhelming to an Al D. Scholar, being that a lot of us are from different  cultures and countries but I have honestly never felt more at home than I did that week with all of you at Bally’s. I had no idea what to expect going into this and even now I’m struggling to put it into words, the best way I can describe it is, for me, a formative experience. I am not the same version of myself coming away from APP as I was in the run up to it, and that is thanks to each and every person I met and interacted with that week. Kind words, encouragement, so many high fives, and being fed occasional snacks does a lot of good! It was due to the confidence instilled by my volunteer family that I was able to fully enjoy this life-changing week, meet people in the real world who I’d only previously spoken with in passing online, and take away new friendships and relationships as well as a bundle of knowledge from the incredible selection of classes I took. Simultaneously learning and working was more manageable than anticipated, which left me with more energy to make new friends and get outside (my two weaknesses!). I feel like I attended Conference at the right time for me, and it’s definitely a cornerstone in my piercing career.

Jess Farrar
Al D. Scholar
Photo by Matte Erickson

NINA RENNIE – AL D. SCHOLAR

It’s  June  20th,  several  days  after  Conference; the slowest and quickest nine days of my  life. As an Al D. Scholar this year, we have been asked to write about our experience working with the APP for the 2017 Conference. I say with and not at because I had the pleasure of working alongside the greatest friends I will ever meet. I won’t lie, it was a struggle and difficult to work the long hours and still find the energy to push on, but it stretches beyond that for me. I woke up with a strong sense of purpose and felt that I was needed. Without the help of the Al D. Scholars, volunteers, Caitlin and many others, would there be a Conference for us to enjoy? Many of my peers and fellow piercers had come to us personally and publicly to thank us for our solid work. To have these people, who I have barely spoken to over the internet or merely admired from afar (being afraid they wouldn’t give someone like me the time of day), personally thanking us for putting the show together? I could feel the appreciation sink into my heart.

Eleven days ago I jumped on a plane to another country to learn and to give my best, not knowing what was in store for me in Las Vegas. What I received in turn, however, was everyone else’s best, as well as their love and support. I spent a lot of my time during Conference feeling overwhelmed, forgetting to take care of myself and making sure other people’s needs were met before my own. I did not mind, though. As long as my friends, teachers, and other volunteers were happy, I was happy. To be apart of this professional organization is a gift in itself. I learned many things about myself and those around me while I was working. Growing up, I did not have lasting friendships because I was that “weird” kid. Floating around, from friend to friend, trying to find  a sense of acceptance or even just to belong somewhere. Coming to Conference this year has changed my long and painful life of being alone and unaccepted by those around me.    I was in an area filled with a thousand nerds and weirdos just like me, and professionals at that! I was unafraid to push on and unafraid to show these people who I am and what I’m capable of, just by being in the same room. We all came together, from all over this beautiful globe, to learn from each other and to teach; even if it wasn’t in a classroom.

The sense of friendship and acceptance was the thing I have been searching for. The APP brought this to me, and I have eternal gratitude for showing me I am no longer alone. I have learned great things from my teachers and from my friends. I learned that it’s important to keep tissues on hand because if you met me this year, you know all I did was cry during Conference. I learned a true sense of community and that no one that I came into contact with thought they were better than me. My educators are regular people, and my friends and volunteers are regular people too. People who are living with crippling anxieties, insecurities, and doubts much like myself. We all come together once a year for the betterment of one another and hopefully put those other things aside. To ask for help, to learn, to make everlasting friendships and family. We leave our comfort zones and push on to grow as individuals and develop as human beings. If there is one thing I have truly learned working with the Conference this year, it is that I will never be alone again. Thank you to everyone at this year’s Conference, from the tippy top of my heart, to the bottom of my boots. Without any of my friends I have made on this journey, I would not be here typing out this essay. I worked hard to be here in this moment, but not without any of you.

Hugs and sloppy kisses!

ALICIA LOWE – AL D. SCHOLAR

Sometimes you have to lose before you can win. Last year I applied for, and didn’t receive, the Al D. Scholarship. Looking back, it was one of the best things that could have happened for my career. At the time of my first application, I was at the height of depression. Working in an environment that had no desire to change and no room for growth, I felt trapped. I saw the scholarship as a way to better myself and improve my situation. Every day, I checked my email hoping to be told I made it to the next round. That message never came.

Initially, the letter informing me that I did not make the second cut felt like a crushing weight. I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried. The tears did eventually dry, and I found clarity; the scholarship wouldn’t change my situation. It wouldn’t bring better quality jewellery into the business, nor the support from my employer  to make necessary changes. I had to make the changes myself. I had heard about a job opportunity from a friend, and decided to try.

Once again, I checked my email frequently with hope. Once more, my email revealed disappointment. Over the course of a few weeks I went to work thinking I was able to hide how I was feeling. I was wrong. My employer had heard about my application and had chosen to let me go. My world around me spun out of control. Having been a piercer since an early age, I didn’t know what else to do. The next move escaped me. I decided to reach out to my network about the situation I found myself in. A piercer I knew allowed me to come in to shadow him, as well as talk.

After shadowing with him, it allowed us to open a dialogue regarding employment. He could only offer me a few days a week, but I was willing to try. I was happy to finally be in an environment that cared about their clients, and offered good quality jewellery. Around this time, I became aware of another shop in a different city that was also looking for a piercer. I nervously reached out once more to be sur- prised by another opportunity. Over the next several months, I travelled weekly back and forth between both businesses. This experience lead me to wanting to apply a second time for the Al D. Scholarship. Both of my employers were in my corner every step of the way this time. Their outpouring of support gave me renewed confidence that allowed me to discuss and submit my experiences over the past year.

Having previously applied, I had a better sense of what I really wanted to say this time around. Submitting was the easy part. Waiting for the phone call with the decision had me on pins and needles for days. When I answered Kendra’s phone call, my heart was in my throat. Every moment we talked I felt like my chest would explode until I heard the that would forever change my life, “Pack your bags! You’re going to Vegas!” I almost dropped the phone in disbelief!

The next few months were a blur as Conference rapidly crept up on us. Packing kept the nerves at bay, at least until arrival. The thought of being under the same roof as so many talented piercers from all over the world was enough to make my head spin. As each of the Scholars arrived one by one, seeing faces just as shy and nervous as my own helped to remind me that I wasn’t alone. I was not the only one feeling this way.

The first meeting with the volunteers helped to set the tone for us. They were warm, kind, and eager to help at every turn. No question was too silly, no moment overlooked, and some even did daily check-ins to make sure we were still doing ok and enjoying our classes. Every moment spent with them was full of smiles and care. It was an instant family I never knew I needed until the moment I met them. A family I am so grateful to be a part of. I really can’t thank them enough for everything they did, and continue to do.

The classes were incredible in so many ways. From Revisiting Basics: Tongue Piercing with Ryan Ouellette to Navel Piercings: Advanced Fundamentals with Jef Saunders and Luis Garcia; all were great classes. They helped to not only change how you approach a piercing, but to hear piercers you respect and look up to suggest similar techniques you’re using helped to reaffirm you’re doing something right. All of the speakers were very easy to approach with questions both during and outside of classes.

Conference has also helped me to gain the confidence I needed to continue reaching out to others and have less fear asking to shadow others or ask questions. A week after returning home, I reached out to Rob Hill and was able to spend several days shadowing with him at Prysm Body Piercing. Seeing things that were discussed in the Strategic Marking class applied first hand was incredibly eye-opening and I don’t believe I would have ever reached out to Rob had I not attended Conference.

I cannot say enough how unbelievably grateful I am to have had the opportunity to attend, as well as for everything else the experience has given me. My drive to continue to better myself has risen far higher than I thought possible, and I’ll be coming back every year that  I can. A piercer I know once asked me, “How far are you willing to go?” The answer may not be Vegas, but it’s a great start.

Alicia Lowe
Al D. Scholar
Photo by Matte Erickson

SAKU PENTILLӒ – AL D. SCHOLAR

It really was an honor to be selected as one of the Al D. Scholars this year. The process of applying came to me in the summer of 2016 when I was talking to a friend at a small suspension meeting and he asked if I would be interested in going to the Conference, and of course I was! He told me to contact Andre Nalin when I go to Germany for BMXnet. While there, I had a conversation with him, Nicole Holmes and Marita Wikström (previous Al D. Scholars) and they all told me that I should apply for the scholarship. Coming alone from Finland was the biggest cause of anxiety for me, but after three flights I met Caitlin at the airport and I knew I had made it.

When we had the first meeting with all the other volunteers, I knew that we would rock this year with all those motivated people getting together to make the Conference awesome for all the attendees! Getting used to the climate was impossible though, so I tried to stay indoors as much as possible. I arrived on Thursday, so I got to see what the casino was like before all the attendees started arriving. When the casino started filling with our group, I saw many faces super excited to see their other family and learn from the best of our industry. It made me feel butterflies in my stomach.

Work days were long, but with the volunteers taking care of each other like a little family they were surprisingly easy and FAST! You woke up in the morning and in the blink of an eye it was time to go to bed again. The classes were awesome and informative, and I returned home with my head buzzing from all the new techniques and ways to improve myself as a piercer. The Expo was everything I imagined and more! All the pretty people and jewelry! I bought lots of pretties and my first pair of new hooks, which I can’t wait to try out.

It really was a great opportunity to make friends and network with people from all around the globe. Meeting your idols face to face is something you never forget. If it would be possible, I would like to live in a Conference all day everyday! Thank you to all the attendees for making the Conference unforgettable, and to all the other volunteers for treating me as a part of the family. Love you all!

Saku Pentilla
Al D. Scholar
Photo by Matt Erickson

Point 80: Update from the Secretary

Aaron Pollack
APP Secretary

One more great Conference is in the books. This was another record breaking year with over 1,100 registered attendees!

Every year at Conference we hold our annual Members’ Meeting. This annual meeting is a chance for our Members and Corporate Sponsors to hear updates about the future of Conference and the Association, and to get a review of the APP’s finances.

This year’s Members’ Meeting was particularly eventful with announcements regarding new Member perks and a new Conference venue for 2019!

MEMBER PERK

Our Member perk this year was a new window cling for your studios. These double-sided clings can be displayed at any studio with an APP Member on staff. If you were not in atten- dance at the meeting, you will receive a cling by mail with your 2018 membership certificate.

CONFERENCE 2018 AND 2019

Conference 2018 will be held July 15-20, 2018 at Bally’s. This is our final year at Bally’s! Be prepared for a great send off and another big year.

Conference 2019 will be our first year at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Planet Hollywood is a big upgrade for our Conference and we are really excited about our future there.

MEMBERLEAP AND MEMBER’S AREA

Our new website and Member’s Area are now live. Our website has had a major facelift and is better than ever,  with ongoing improvements and added features. Included on our website is a Member’s Only area where you can instantly update your Member profile, Required Documents (environmental and personal criteria) and keep updated on APP Events. Be sure to check  it out. If you have questions about the Member’s Area or need help with the system, you can reach Marina Pecorino, Membership Administrator, at mpecorino@safepiercing.org.

Point 80: Conference Statistics

Marina Pecorino
The Point Editor

We’ve once again broken all of our previous records; this year, our attendance climbed to 1,123!

As you can tell from  our fancy pie chart (everyone loves pie!), as always, Piercers who are not APP Members made up the largest group of conference attendees, with APP Member Piercers coming in second. This probably comes as no surprise, since the main focus of our Conference is piercing related education and outreach. That be- ing said, with over 200 non-piercing attendees, it’s obvious that our conference still has plenty to offer industry professionals working outside of the piercing room.

Our third largest group of attendees this year was comprised of Expo Exhibitors and their Vendor Workers. The Expo is one of the main attractions of Conference. This year, the Expo housed 59 different Exhibitors with a wide range of piercing related offerings; literature, merchandise, advertising services, aftercare products, and of course body jewelry.-

Attendance by Health Inspectors stayed the same as in 2016, with a total of five each year. The APP is working hard to encourage health department officials to attend Conference, but we can always use your help to bring this number up in coming years. Next time your local officials drop by for a visit, please encourage them to attend. Let them know that their conference pass will be free of charge if they book in the APP Room Block and there will be class sessions and meetings specifically designed for them.

Turning our attention to the bar graph, we can see a comparison of Full and Partial registrations for our Piercer and Non-Piercer categories. As you can see, most opt for the Full Registration option, allowing for full access to the class schedule (they still need to claim their seat in advance, of course) and a few other Full Registration perks. The Non-Member/Non-Piercer category seems to be the exception to this trend. When looking through these registrations from an administrative perspective, it’s clear that this category is mainly used by owners, counter staff, managers, and jewelry buyers who are primarily interested in marketing classes and Expo access.

We look forward to seeing plenty of returning attendees and even more new faces next year, Mark you calendars now, July 15-20, 2018. It will be our last year at Bally’s before our much anticipated move to Planet Hollywood in 2019. As our Conference continues to grow in attendance, we plan to expand our class offerings and work toward providing the most unforgettable week ever.

Point 80: APP Happily Announces 3rd Annual Members Retreat

Camp APP is a great alternative for people who can’t attend Conference or for anyone who wants to add to their educational experience. It is a week filled with great food, new friends, hands-on educational opportunities and summer camp style fun. To find out about registration first join the Facebook event page. (Make sure you are logged into Facebook before you click the link)

Location: Hard Labor Creek State Park 5 Hard Labor Creek Rd.

Rutledge, GA 30663, USA

Contact: Bethrah Szumski

curriculum@safepiercing.org

(phone: 404-315-6925)

Point 80: The President’s Corner

Jef Saunders
APP President

Again and again I heard the same sentiments echoed throughout this year’s APP Conference. “This year  has  a  great vibe.” “There are so many new people, and they are all about the classes.” “Everyone being so focused is making this my favorite Conference ever.” It really was remarkable.

I have to say, as President of an organization, going into something like our annual Conference comes with no small amount of nervous energy. You want it to be successful, but what I really want is for the attendees heading home to have that infectious energy that makes them want to improve their piercing techniques and health and safety. I want our attendees to be overjoyed about the goodies they are bringing home to their shops from our incredible Expo, and most of all I want them to leave excited to come back again.

In my humble opinion, this year’s APP Conference truly delivered. This was a top to bottom group effort, and really speaks to how well our community works together when focused on a common goal. I was blown away by the size of the Expo and the continued ingenuity of our Vendors. In addition to our vendors’ commitment to improving and innovating their products, the APP receives awe-inspiring support from sponsorships of our Conference activities and our raffle prizes. My deepest thanks goes out to our Vendors for all of their support. The Mentor Program continues to grow and continues to support our new attendees. This year I was able to see Mentors meet their Mentees, and watch how that system works. I was very impressed to see how it was managed, but I was also stunned by the size of the undertaking! It is a genuine pleasure to see so many new faces in classrooms and in the halls. The volunteers, no doubt, have established themselves as the glue that holds Conference together. I tried to say it as much as I could in person, but my gratitude to them for all their hard work knows no bounds.

There were several times that I ran into Caitlin’s office, panicked, asking if something was done. On every single occasion, not  only was everything handled, it was handled months previous and I left her office thinking “how does she do it?” Thank you Caitlin, and thanks for making me look prepared even when I wasn’t!

A lot of this year’s success can also be credited to Kendra Jane, our new Vice President. It is a pleasure to serve with her on the Board, and I’m sure she is as thrilled as anyone at how well this Conference went.

Of course, when we look back at each Conference we also do so with a critical eye, imagining what we can do better. It has been this constructive criticism, from within the organization and from our attendees and vendors, that have made each Conference work a bit better than the one that preceded it. We will continue to develop, innovate, improve, and experiment, and I’m excited for what we have to come.

Which brings me to Camp APP 2017! As a camper in 2016, I can’t heap enough praise upon Bethrah Szumski and the Camp APP volunteers and instructors for the quality of experience they are able to deliver. It is absolutely one of my most treasured moments in my piercing career. I strongly recommend it to all of our Members.

There is a lot of wonderful activity happening within the organization, and I am very much looking forward to discussing it in the next President’s Corner. Enjoy Issue 80 and thank you for supporting safe piercing!

Point 80: From the Editor: Marina Pecorino

Marina Pecorino
Point Editor

As with any APP Conference I’ve attended, this year was a rollercoaster of a week. There were times where I was busy beyond words and others where I felt relaxed and totally at peace. There were moments when I was surrounded by people, activity, flashing lights, and a cacophony of sound. And then there were those solitary moments in my hotel room or the volunteer office, where I enjoyed total silence and introspection.

This year also had its fair share of firsts, including the first annual Alternatives To The Bar activities. Most of my work responsibilities occur late into the evening, which usually brings me great joy; I revel in the contrary nature of the Conference space during the quiet times. Unfortunately, it means that I missed out on ATTB: BYOF on Tuesday night. This Bring Your Own Fun evening drew a sizable group to the Grand Salon with board, tabletop, and card games galore. I stopped by several times and everyone seemed to be having a blast. This activity is definitely in my wheelhouse, so I’m planning to bring along a few games of my own and definitely make the time to attend next year. Thankfully, on Wednesday night, I finished up with my work a bit early and had a chance to watch some historic piercing films presented by Paul King during the ATTB: Movie Night. It was incredibly moving to sit in the Silver Room filled with piercing industry colleagues watching videos from the Gauntlet era. The Members Meeting on Wednesday brought a personal first. As part of my administrative duties to the APP, I had the opportunity to stand in front of my peers, assisting during several presentations from the Officers and Board of Directors. We announced the new and upcoming features of our MemberLeap software, which was (and continues to be) a very fulfilling project for me. One of my primary responsibilities for the APP is the maintenance of Member records, and this software makes it easier than ever before. It’s a work in progress; there’s always room for improvement, especially in the world of technology. Watch for future updates and system additions, and if you have questions about how the system works, don’t hesitate to let me know: mpecorino@safepiercing.org / 785.856.4540.

Thursday brings the Banquet Dinner, a time for all of us that work to relax just a bit. The grand prize raffle awards were drawn and marked yet another first. For possibly the first time in APP history, the same person won three of the top prizes, and it was an astonishing event to behold. Paul Rainer’s personal account of the events leading up to his improbable win, as well as video of the drawing and Paul’s reactions, are available later in this issue. It just goes to show that sometimes taking a gamble can be life changing, especially when you have the best odds in Vegas.

Now that the dust has settled from Conference, I am looking toward the future and the changes to come. As my responsibilities with the APP continue to broaden and change, so do the dynamics of my family. A few months before the 2018 APP Conference, I will become a first time parent. The thought is incredibly exciting, but also frightening. It may mean that I miss our last year at Bally’s, but I am still desperately hopeful to attend. Despite all the hard work, that week in Vegas serves to revitalize me. Being surrounded by my industry family has a way of recharging my batteries and refocusing my energy; it truly is remarkable.

Point 80: From the Editor: Kendra Jane B.

Kendra Jane B.
Point Editor

It’s no secret how much I love donuts (or doughnuts), but to me these tasty little morsels have become so much more than some- thing delicious to stuff down my gullet. They have become a tradition, an expression of devotion and love, and a symbol of family.

Our volunteer team shares a special bond, one that is often hard to describe in words. We have held each other’s hands, each other’s babies, been there for each other through wed- dings and funerals, and of course at Conference. Conference is sometimes the only time we get to see each other, people that come from all around the world to sacrifice their time in order to help put on the best event they possibly can, for all our attendees and industry as a whole. They are the only people I don’t mind sharing my donuts with, and I tend to guard my sugary treats with vigor. So from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to each and every person that gives part of themselves to Conference. I raise a donut in your honour and salute you.

Donuts are (usually) a circle, no beginning and no end, at least until I take the first bite. Our week in the desert is fleeting and before we know it, it’s over for another year. I hope you are ready to dive into this issue, re-living the ah-ha moments, the times filled with heartwarming laughter, the late nights, the smiles, and the hugs. I get to harness all that goodness year round now, so I feel like there really is no end to Conference for me anymore. I have already begun work for next year and the year after that. No beginning, no end; just goodness all around like my donut.

Point 79: BPA: Charles Gatewood

Paul King
APP Treasurer

The 2017 Body Piercing Archive exhibit at the Association of Professional Piercers annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas will feature the life’s work of the photographer and videographer Charles Gatewood. With over 250,000 images spanning more than 50 years, almost all of you are aware of his prolific work, whether you realize it or not.

Like most people, I was aware of his work long before I met him. It was in a bookstore in Long Beach, California in 1989, I first saw his photographs of Fakir Musafar’s O-kee-pa suspension and Jim Ward’s Sundance pull in Modern Primitives. Most are unaware that the book’s direction was largely influenced by Charles Gatewood’s contacts provided to V. Vale and Andrea Juno of ReSearch. Although I never personally identified as a “modern primitive,” the book formalized my desire for complete tattoo body coverage with coherent and graphic themes. This book’s influence cannot be overstated; it took fringe individuals and small communities and cohered them into a global movement with a far-reaching cultural impact.

Erl circa early 1990s
(original name of bridge piercing was Erl)
Photo from Paul King’s private collection

Despite the inseparable association with Modern Primitives, these powerful ritual images of Fakir and Jim Ward were not created for the book. These were documentation from an earlier important film collaboration. The film Dances Sacred and Profane (a.k.a. Bizarre Rituals) was released in 1985. Originally, the documentary was to be focused on Charles Gatewood. However, in the process of making Dances Sacred and Profane, the film became much more a documentation of and promotion for Fakir Musafar. The 2003 film Forbidden Photographs is much more representative of Gatewood’s work and story.

Tattoo Mike of NYC, 1994.
Photo from the Paul King private collection

Arguably, the photograph Charles took of Bob Dylan on tour in Sweden in 1966 was his most important. This photo showed Charles he could make money off of his photography. In fact, he continued to make many thousands of dollars in licensing from that single Dylan image over the next fifty years! The photo also opened doors. From this single image, Charles eventually became a staff photographer for Rolling Stone Magazine and made many contributions from 1972 through 1975. He photographed numerous celebrities including: Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Sly and the Family Stone, Carlos Santana, Alice Cooper, Liza Minnelli, Slade, Joan Baez, Stiv Bators and the Dead Boys, Al Green, Ella Fitzgerald, The Hermits, Helen Wheels, Quentin Crisp, Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Jimmy Page, Robert Palmer, Brian Gysin, Nelson Rockefeller, etc. and he even landed a cover with Rod Stewart. Many of his photos reached iconic status, however, they usually did so without his name being associated with the image. In the late 1970s, Gatewood’s friendships with the tattooist Spider Webb and porn star Annie Sprinkle propelled him into the world of fetish and body art. Both of these wild personalities opened Gatewood’s eyes, further fueling his passion for sexual kink, that at that place and time very much included tattooing and body piercing. Spider and Charles had several tattoo book collaborations and even created a book proposal in the 1980s for the next big trend – “body piercing” – that was rejected by all the publishing houses as ridiculous. Of course, they were ahead of the times. It was through Annie Sprinkle that Charles met Fakir Musafar and Jim Ward.

Michaela Grey, San Francisco, 1991 (before she became APP president).
Photo from the Paul King private collection.

In 1984, Charles Gatewood published Wall Street, a book very uncharacteristic of his salacious and shocking subjects. This political photographic essay juxtaposes architecture against humans circulating the economic heart center of capitalism located in lower Manhattan. For Charles, the decade spent wandering the streets in the daytime capturing images of pedestrians and concrete angles was meditative, even therapeutic. These lone journeys offered some balance to the characters and experiences found in seedy bars, dark dungeons, and shooting galleries of the night. The wild success of the book gained Gatewood greater critical acclaim and prestigious awards as well as future book deals, exhibitions, and lecture opportunities.

In 1990, I was hanging out with Gauntlet piercers Dan Kopka and Elayne Angel at their condo in West Hollywood. One of them popped in an underground video. I still remember the grainy interview of a punk guy with a lip ring. At that time, such images were extremely rare and exciting stuff! Charles Gatewood’s videos will never be remembered for their crude production  value,  but rather for the rarity of the footage. Charles’ first piercing video, in 1986, Erotic Tattooing and Body Piercing, included a Jim Ward lecture in NYC. Upon release, Charles found there was a lucrative home video market.

Full disclosure, although I had met Charles several times in the 1990s, I was not friendly towards him. At best I was indifferent, but often I was dismissive. In my twenties, I had a very low opinion of fetish photographers. I would see my friends poorly compensated for their modeling and then their images would unknowingly get turned into greeting cards or plastered on buses as advertisement for STD treatment! I viewed fetish and body art photographers as sexual predators and economic exploiters of my community and friends.

However, during one of my countless used bookstore searches for piercing history in the early 2000s, I stumbled upon Charles Gatewood’s fine art photography book Sidetripping from 1975. My mind was blown! All my preconceptions of who Charles Gatewood was as a person and an artist were challenged. This astonishing work rivaled that of my favorite photographer Diane Arbus, except Gatewood’s book was also in collaboration with William Burroughs, a tremendous writer that greatly influenced me in my younger life! A life lesson learned, I reached out to Charles.

He invited me into his home. We had a casual friendship, I would see him maybe four to six times a year and always one on one. He’d make us tea, show me his latest art projects, we’d catch up on news. I’d dig for history lessons and he’d usually sell me something, or at least try to!

We shared the experience of having degrees in anthropology. Something that became apparent to me was at a public level his degree in anthropology was often toted as a strategy to contextualize and legitimize his work, however, his motivations and methods would be viewed as highly problematic by today’s rigorous academic standards. Charles was an experience junkie. He craved  thrills and excitement. In his own words, he was a “gonzo-journalist.” He wanted his pictures to go “POW!”

He was a passionate man, whose art and pursuits were driven by his thirst for excitement found in the new, the unusual, and the sexual. The camera lens allowed him access, power and privilege. Photography seduces many subjects and as a recognized photographer the aphrodisiac of the camera grew stronger. Rather than granting permission, models would actively seek him out!

Jack Yount, San Francisco, 1993.
Photo from the Paul King private collection

Like an old-time wheelin’ and dealin’ carnival barker, Charles drew in individuals and groups with his fantastic life stories and whispered back door offers of his photographic works at “below gallery prices.” He was a self- made and self-employed artist for 50  years! He prided himself on getting by without ever having to have a real job.

Fakir Musafar during the filming of Sundance Ceremony for Dances Sacred and Profane, Wyoming, 1982.
Photo from the Paul King private collection

Charles hoarded and thank God for that. His inability to let things go meant he had crates of magazine and newspaper clippings with jokes, photos, pop culture reviews, etc. referencing body piercing and tattooing. Although far from properly preserved, still, he had them while most of us were throwing these ephemera away. Much of the later  dated material, he simply donated to the APP/BPA.

Charles grew more familiar with my work and involvement with the APP. We agreed it would be amazing if we could put something together for the 20th anniversary of Modern Primitives. In 2009, Charles and V. Vale of Re- Search gave a well-received presentation  at  the APP Conference in Las Vegas. The breadth and quantity of his late 1980s and early 1990s video work is staggering and unique to the body piercing community. He has hundreds of hours of footage that includes Sailor Sid, Jack Yount, Ron Athey, Elayne Angel, Hanky Panky, Allen Falkner, Erl, Annie Sprinkle, Mr. Sebastian, the founders of Body Manipulations, Al D. (yes, the same guy as the APP Scholarship), Raelyn Gallina, and many  early  Gauntlet piercers, some even before they were piercers. While Charles managed to sell his entire photography archive, including personal journals, to the U.C. Berkeley Bancroft Library, their archivists turned down his video catalog. They could not mentally offset the poor production value and the cost of digitization against the historical importance of these recorded histories. Had the APP Board of Directors not stepped in, much of our shared history would have been lost to the dump!

On December 8, 2015, Charles Gatewood donated the Flash Video  collection to the APP and Body Piercing Archive (BPA). After he passed away, his estate turned over the remaining personal video archive, including interviews, recorded lectures, b-roll, unedited footage, etc. to the APP and BPA.  To date, the APP and BPA have digitized nearly 250 consumer and professional grade tapes! Charles and I discovered early on that we both had a history with alcohol and had sworn off the bottle decades before.  However, Charles suffered from chronic back pain. He turned to prescrip- tion opioids and cannabinoids for relief. He started cancelling our rendezvous. Eventually, the opioids took over contributing to a growing depression and organic dementia. I expressed my concerns to him, perhaps too little and too late.

Jim Ward doing the Sundance Ritual at Devil’s Tower, Wyoming during the filming of Dances Sacred and Profane, 1982.
Photo from the Paul King private collection

On April 8, 2016, he attempted to take his own life by jumping off his third story apartment balcony. The result was catastrophic injuries putting him in a coma and leading to his death on April 28. He did finally pass in peace, surrounded by folks that loved him. If the details of his death may seem too gruesome, please remember, this is a man that spent his entire career embracing the brutality of life. He would expect no less.

For further exploration of Charles’ career check out these retrospectives: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/arts/charles-gatewood-photographer-of-extremes-dies-at-73.html?_r=0 https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/04/29/charles-gatewood-groundbreaking-photographer-dead-at-73/ Informative article, despite the author’s naiveté of body modification practices and communities: https://alum- ni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/spring-2017-virtue-and-vice/finding-his-tribe-charles-gatewood-bancroft