You’ve heard of Miley Cyrus right?  Originally famous for her Disney Channel show Hannah Montana she is now a “much loved” actress and pop singer in the US.  Well apparently she’s gone and got herself into a bit of controversy due to a tattoo she’s had inked on her middle finger.  Although the tat is said to have been completed back in August last year it is only recently that the 19 year old Disney star has really commented on her tattoo and received a bit of backlash. Gay Rights Miley’s tattoo is said to be in support of gay marriage which she is strongly for.  In fact in a recent interview she told Glamour Magazine that it makes her feel “sick to her stomach” that same sex couples can be completely in love but yet are not allowed to show that love to their friends and family in the same way that heterosexual couples are – via marriage.  Although Miley herself hasn’t actually “come out” as a lesbian, many people have questioned her sexuality in the past. Controversy The criticism for Miley’s tattoo has mainly come from Christian groups who strongly oppose gay marriage.  Miley herself has said that she has received much hate mail and comments in recent weeks asking her what happened as she used to be “such a good Christian girl”.  Miley proudly stood up to her haters, telling them that she IS a Christian and that Christianity is about love.  She dismissed the threats saying that although she has received them she finds them out of order.  Miley has publically said that she does not understand why things need to get so heated “Can’t I have a debate about a sensitive topic without it growing into a threat”? Miley also asked other groups to consider their way of thinking towards gay marriage.  She said that her dad “who is a true man’s man and is as straight as they come” is all for gay marriage and loves her gay friends.  She claims that there is no difference between racism and sexism and says that every United States citizen should be allowed to have the same liberties and civil rights. Is it Personal? Miley’s tattoo has received a lot of criticism as well as a lot of praise, but did she have the tattoo done for personal reasons?  Whilst Miley hasn’t shed any light on the subject herself she has been linked with a few girls in recent years including back in 2008 when photos of her and a friend “almost kissing” were leaked from her private MySpace account.  Miley’s comment at the time was that it was “no big deal” but it does make us wonder whether her recent tattoo is more personal than she is letting on. Either way we think she’s been a great role model and we totally respect her confident stance on such a controversial topic.  She has stuck firmly to her values and been brave enough to share them with the world.  Go Miley!

She is a wealthy superstar with millions and a following too large to count.  With 20 million albums and 60 million singles, four Grammy awards, five American Music awards and eighteen Billboard Music Awards under her belt, she is one of the best selling artists of all time.  She is Barbados’s native, Rihanna. Even with all this, it appears as if there is one thing that this young superstar did not have, at least until recently.  A tattoo of the words “Thug Life” etched on her oh so feminine knuckles.  We saw it, along with millions of others in her tweet.  Sporting a John Lennon T-shirt, and looking proud, Ri displayed her knuckles for us all to see. Is it Authentic or a Fake? The jury is still out as to whether or not the rock superstar Rihanna’s new tattoo is real or an exceptionally keen imposter.  The tattoo, created by tattoo artist BangBang is apparently in honor of the late slain rapper Tupac Shakur, who had the same words imprinted on his stomach.  Bold and bright, this tattoo or tattoo look-a-like, is a truly strong pink statement.  Some say that this cannot possibly be real but who knows for sure. Eye Witness There may be an eyewitness who could speak to the authenticity of Rihanna’s latest work of art.  Apparently, Machetestar Danny Trejo happened to be in the tattoo parlor when Ri was getting her new tattoo.  He noted: “[She] didn’t stop saying thug life the whole time she was getting it done. [She is] one of the downest female thugs in the world. If I was 40 years younger she would be in a lot of trouble.” Tattoos Here, There, Everywhere Rihanna is no beginner when it comes to body ink.  With fifteen other inked designs on her body, we would not put it past this tattoo loving diva to do such a thing.  After all, she rocked her followers in when she proudly displayed her ribcage inked with a gun in 2009.  This followed shortly on the heels of her public fiasco with her ex Chris Brown.  The superstar’s hip also bears a Sanatana Dharma Sanskrit prayer, a musical note charms her ankle, and the word “love” is on her middle finger.  She has a tribal tattoo on her hand and a Pisces symbol hiding behind her right ear.  Tattoo master designer BangBang gets the credit for star tattoos on her back, and the word “Shhh” on her finger.  She even pays tribute to her line or perfume with her neck tattoo “rebelle fleu,” meaning rebellious flower.  As if this were not enough, Ri also sports star tats in her ear, an Arabic phrase on her ribcage and an anklebone inking of a skull and cross bones. Time Will Tell But who knows for sure about the authenticity of her latest design, more pictures and time are needed to confirm.  Anyway, it has people talking, people watching and people guessing.  Maybe that is what this is all about.  Sometimes it just gets too quiet!

Many tattoo artists have a reputation for being slightly more creative than most people, and being able to visualise things that others would have difficulty with.  It could be called thinking out of the box, though in some cases the box doesn’t even picture, the thought process is that creative!  But it is this kind of inspired genius that can lead to some incredible artwork being produced on let’s face it, what is not the easiest canvas to work with. Many of the world’s iconic art masterpieces were created by inspired genius’ that also suffered from a touch of madness, whether that was in the form of depression or other mental illness, but however they managed to produce their works they left behind an artistic legacy that is inspiring a new genre of artists, tattoo artists.  Their life’s work will now live on in new and interesting ways through body art. Artistic Praise They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.  No matter what the original artistic masters were thinking when they created their master pieces, they could never have believed that it would be replicated as body art on generations of colourful individuals, hundreds of years down the line.  Artist works by Alfred Gockel (View Through A Window), Salvador Dali’s ‘Melting Clocks’ and ‘Elephants’ and Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ have all been successfully replicated on skin. Van Gogh’s style of painting lends itself well to tattooing as it is not about fluid lines and picture perfection.  Dali’s work is popular more because of its quirkiness and obscure subject matter than the style of painting.  Other artists whose work has made the transition include Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Rene Magritte and the old masters, Rafael and Michelangelo.  Pablo Picassos ‘Peace Dove’ is incredibly popular by people looking for a small yet poignant statement piece to wear. Statement Piece Though an ancient and long standing masterpiece represented in a tattoo may be seen by some as pretentious, in reality is there anything more suitable as a choice than such fabulous artwork as a statement piece?  Everyone looks for originality in the search for their own individuality, but the replication of an old master on your body shows a deeper appreciation of art in all its forms.  By choosing a piece that moves the heart, stimulates the mind or raises a smile you are giving yourself something more meaningful than a design selected from a chart on the wall in a tattoo parlour. Some tattoo artists may consider it an honour to replicate a classic piece of art work for you; others may ask if they can give it their own distinctive and artistic twist.  You may find that your new masterpiece tattoo attracts a lot of public attention; after all it shows people just how truly talented tattoo artists are in being able to recreate something so beautiful, distinctive and easily recognisable, regarded by many as one of the finest masterpieces in the world.