Mario Barth: Under The Skin
| By Contributing Writer Shorty Brown
If you follow tattoo trends and artists, chances are you have heard of Mario Barth. World renowned, celebrity tattoo artist Mario Barth is the owner and chief tattoo artist at Starlight Tattoo, the premier international tattoo organization with five high-end studios. Barth currently has a 1 ½ year wait list for a tattoo. His celebrity clientele includes: Lenny Kravitz, Ja Rule, Tommy Lee, Jason Kidd, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue, members of My Chemical Romance, members of Ill Nino, radio host Wendy Williams, comedian Rich Vos and NFL Giants’ players Jermaine Taylor, Kendrick Allen and David Diehl.
Executing his first tattoo when he was twelve, Barth has been in the business for 30 years now .
Born in Austria, he made his home in the United States. This man has moved mountains for his craft and will do what he has to do to preserve the tradition of tattooing while keeping the history alive. Mario Barth’s film Under the Skin, directed by Billy Burke, won Best Documentary in the NYIIFVF. The documentary guides us into the inside world of the Horitoshi family and the traditional Japanese technique of tattooing: tebori style.
Barth, the first westerner in the Horitoshi family, was the only westerner to carry the shrine at the EDO festival, which represents God. In the Asian culture, they train all of their lives just to touch this shrine; touching the shrine is like touching God. Barth had the honor of carrying the shrine for a short time. Mario Barth reveals the story behind the Horitoshi family, traditional Japanese technique of tattooing and Under the Skin. Mario Barth: There is nothing out there to tell the story. The “Tebori Style” is the traditional technique of tattooing in Japan; it is so rich and raw. This technique dates back for centuries; if we don’t keep it alive, it will be gone. There are only two real traditional masters left and they’re getting old; they’re not really healthy. We need to document this tradition and preserve the small and secret society of the Horitoshi family. It’s about the dedication, the rich culture and the history of Japanese tattooing. I am here to represent the Japanese style in the right way. I’m here to expose tebori style to the people who want to learn about the traditional way of tattooing. This film is a historical documentation on the importance of the Japanese style. Japanese tattooing plays a huge role in the tattoo world. People all over the world use the Japanese style yet have no idea what it means. So I want to bridge the path for people to be able to go back and forth and explore the truth of the traditional Japanese style and the modern way. MB: Tebori style tattooing is the traditional way of tattooing in Japan. Tebori means tattooing. It means there is no machine; it’s the traditional way. The Japanese master uses a wooden stick with needles attached to its front end and with individual pushes he penetrates and breaks the skin. It’s a very very difficult and rare skill to learn.
IFQ: Is tebori style tattooing a real ritual? MB: Absolutely. It’s very quiet and the lights are dim. It’s done in a laying down position. I mean, it’s the ultimate form of tattooing—it has a huge history. It’s a very spiritual experience for me. You really have to mentally get ready and get zoned out as the Japanese master penetrates and is breaking away the skin. For me, it’s so rich and raw in how these people do it, yet ‘so simple’ in the technique and the outcome is ‘so complex’. IFQ: How did you gain access to the Horitoshi family, which is such a secret and heavily guarded community? MB: I learned, as much as I could, about their culture; there was a lot of trust involved. It took along time. I have a special connection with them because I believe in what they do. I was so passionate and fascinated by their life. They knew that I would never portray them in any wrong way. I gained much respect from the Horitoshi family. I mean my son’s name is Tebori, after the traditional style of tattooing. Over the years as the trust built, they started to give me insight, little bit by little bit, into their world. I was very fortunate to be the only westerner welcomed into this highly guarded world.
IFQ: Why is tattooing so taboo? MB: In the past two to four decades, there was a stigma placed on tattooing as it was a really heavy subculture. During the holocaust, the concentration camp prisoners were tattooed with their serial numbers. It became a popular method of branding criminals. For people who had tattoos, there was certain isolation and those people were pushed down. I mean, nobody heard about tattooing and if you did, it was through an old wives’ tale. Still in Japan, if you show your tebori tattoo in public you can be arrested. Due to the underworld ties, tebori tattoo is still outlawed by the Japanese Government.
Here in our western culture, tattoos are much more mainstream with all the media exposure and the Internet. Did you know if you google “tattoo,” it is one of the top ten things searched besides porn and Pamela Anderson. Tattooing has been one huge kept secret. Now as tattoos continue to rise in popularity, we can focus on the art and self-expression instead of the taboo of tattoos.
For more information about Barth and his work, go to www.starlighttattoo.com |
