2nd out of 42 books
—
7 voters
Modern Primitives: An Investigation of Contemporary Adornment and Ritual
by
V. Vale,
Andrea Juno
Modern Primitives is the Bible of Body Modification, including tattoo, piercing, and scarification. An amazing 30-page interview with Fakir Musafar, as well as in-depth interviews with Ed Hardy, Lyle Tuttle, Leo Zulueta, Bill Salmon, Vyvyn Lazonga and other tattoo giants is featured. This book describes non-tribal people who felt and responded to strong "primitive" urges....more
Paperback, 212 pages
Published
May 1st 1989
by Re/Search Publications
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
487)
The RE/Search Journals were my late teen year's version of pop-up books of alternative culture. Each and every one of them were the supreme arbiters of what was cool and imminently subversive. They served as field manual and survival guide to the pre-Net world of unique subcultures that were both dangerous and strangely delicate.
Modern Primitives was the first of the journals I had picked up shortly after reading Gibson's Neuromancer for the first time. The synthesis was a profound one which ev...more
Modern Primitives was the first of the journals I had picked up shortly after reading Gibson's Neuromancer for the first time. The synthesis was a profound one which ev...more
Should be three and a half stars. I enjoyed the fascinating profiles looking into the pierced, tattooed, and overall modified and came away with a new appreciation for the ritual and psychological aspects of being a tattooed person (and one who tattoos others).
I do wish that there had been a little more anthropological narration looking into history and world culture and a bit less interviewing (most of the book seemed composed of interviews).
I do wish that there had been a little more anthropological narration looking into history and world culture and a bit less interviewing (most of the book seemed composed of interviews).
In an alternative history of modern culture, this would be like the Book of Mormon, or the Fountainhead, or Dianetics, or something; something that is completely absurd, contradictory to every bit of evidence, immediately dismissed as a bizarre novelty by almost everyone, but so boldly asserted, and so seductive to a certain sensibility, that it becomes central to an ongoing parallel subculture, which slowly, ignored by most, ridiculed by the mainstream, becomes powerful and self-perpetuating ov...more
First time I opened this book it actually revolted me and I had to put it down. I'm still not sure why I bought it a few weeks later. Loved it and inspired me to finally get a temporary tattoo. (The picture and accompanying story of the dude that surgically split his wee wee down the middle is still a little tough to stomach. But it's a great picture to photocopy and include in your Christmas cards to aunts and uncles.)
Nov 07, 2007
Chandra Shukla
added it
This book blew me away when it came out...now it seems trite.
May 11, 2013
Angelia Herrin
marked it as to-read
Apr 15, 2013
Alex
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Japanese-American writer and publisher. He also played keyboards for the later famous power trio Blue Cheer.
In 1977 he started to publish the punk fanzine "Search and destroy" In 1980, he began publication of RE/Search, a tabloid format zine focusing on various counterculture and underground topics.
RE/Search later became always a format for books, of which Vale is a regular contributor.
More about V. Vale...
In 1977 he started to publish the punk fanzine "Search and destroy" In 1980, he began publication of RE/Search, a tabloid format zine focusing on various counterculture and underground topics.
RE/Search later became always a format for books, of which Vale is a regular contributor.
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. As a tattoo is grounded on living skin, so its essence emotes a poignancy unique to the mortal human condition.”
—
119 people liked it
More quotes…

Loading...















































Jul 21, 2008 07:52am