| Paul Booth - Last Rites Tattoo Theatre |
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His waiting list is currently about two to three years long. For comparative purposes, most tattoo artists feel like they’ve made it once there wait list has hit the three to six months’ mark… Paul is based in New York where his tattoo ‘theatre’ (not parlour!) Last Rites, is also home to a number of other fantastic purveyors of the tattoo craft and features a regular rotation of quality tattooers / artists from around the world. It goes without saying he’s covered in ink, and his head tattoo (a Filip Lou piece) so uniquely recognisable that it's almost synonymous with a brand. His own site gives an adequate portrayal of the darkly mischievous character behind the art, photographed raising a blunt weapon up over a nun, and naming his general interest as “the dark side of the human condition.” Beyond his profession as a tattooer / artist and running his own studio, Paul is a member of the ArtFusion Experiment, and has his own media production company, record label and art gallery. This is a man who has made a real difference in many fields – and thoroughly deserves his reputation, too! He’s a lynchpin, a huge reason why tattoo artists and tattoos are now emerging in the conscience of mainstream artistic circles.
Now he has a reputation for his musical clientele – having worked on members of Slayer, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Pantera, Sepultura and Superjoint Ritual. The harder, darker music that these bands stand out for are clear close relations to Mr Booth’s ‘Dark Style’ art. You won’t find an artist living who can rival him for his perfection in this area, and just to generate even more envy yet, he’s just as amazing when he steps outside his primary genre. Flick through his (humbly small) portfolio on MySpace and you will find some of the most stunning examples of tattooed portraiture you’ve ever seen – in case you didn’t already know, recreation of realistic facial features in tattoo art is one of, if not the most painfully difficult efforts extant for a tattooist, and to have a proficiency in it is enough to earn respect. To be absolutely incredible at it, as Booth is, you’re probably semi-divine! His sleeve for one client, capturing the seven deadly sins is one piece of evidence, the back piece for another of zombies, the Pope, Jesus and Satan an even better example. The devil of the detail is in his ability to create excruciatingly minute gradations of shade, tone and hue that perfectly mimic three dimensionality, shadow and light; work that takes hours upon hours to complete, the finished effect so accurate his characters almost spring off their owner’s skin.
So, what do you need to know about Paul Booth in a nutshell? He’s become a household name through his efforts to elevate tattooing to the level of fine art. He’s one of the biggest driving forces propelling the tattoo industry towards the increasing success, recognition and profitability it is now gaining today. He’s a veritable icon and half-god of the scene. Oh – and he smokes Marlboros. Just so you know. Check out Paul's Dark Images website: www.darkimages.com
Credits: Author - Rachel Kennedy - Photos - Paul Booth Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites            |
The hugely renowned master of black and grey Dark Style, Paul Booth recently celebrated twenty years in the business; he’s a commanding figure on the tattoo scene, heralding almost frightening amounts of adoration, respect and fanaticism from the inked up crowd. As Wikipedia puts it so tersely, he’s got one hell of a “Global cult following” going on. Anecdotes abound about that friend of a friend who managed to get a rare-as-diamonds appointment with the man himself and nearly died of shivery excitement upon stepping into Pauls creative space.
He has been in possession of an entrepreneurial streak from a young age, commencing at the age of fifteen with a sign making business, picking up odd jobs wherever it was possible. Tattoos entered into his interest when he got his own first piece of ink done – his daughters’ name. 
Nymphs, Giger-style aliens, dragons, ash-faced eyeless little girls and skulls swimming amidst bio-mech designs: Paul Booth can turn his hand to a delightfully broad range of the creepy, gothic and horror-inspired. He’s almost apologetic when he ventures beyond these limits, captioning one photograph of a tattoo on a girl’s leg he’d done – a gun neatly tucked into a garter band – with the words “I know it isn’t evil, but I had fun!” Further, he’s done beautiful examples of coloured work – a phoenix in bright red, and green leaves on a client’s feet.
