NEWS & REVIEWS..
SOMETHING FISHYMOVE TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
PRO CHOICE TATTOOS
In response to the recent news about
draconian new abortion legislation in the
American state of Alabama – which he
describes as “like something from a dystopian
novel” – Brighton tattooist Patrick Bates
decided to offer free 'Pro Choice' tattoos in
return for donations to charity.
Patrick, who is known for his edgy stick-and-
poke tattoos of meaningful words and phrases,
has been tattooing for three years and has
acquired a very substantial online following.
He wanted to use that popularity to reach out
to people all over the world. As he himself
says, “I'm never going to be Prime Minister, but
I can at least use the platform I have to make a
positive change.” He came up with the idea of
offering free Pro Choice tattoos – and it was
the fans themselves who then suggested
making donations to charity in return for their
ink. Patrick's chosen charities are Women
Help Women (womenhelp.org)and
NARAL (prochoiceamerica.org).
June 2nd saw a dedicated charity day at
Heartbreaker Tattoo in Brighton, with people
donating whatever amount they wished in
return for one of Patrick's specially designed
Pro Choice tattoos. Patrick is also sending out
a photo of his lettering – free of charge – to
anyone who couldn't make it to Brighton and
who wishes to get the design tattooed by
someone else. He also plans to release a Pro
Choice t-shirt, with all profits going to charity.
You can contact Patrick by email at
[email protected]
Every now and then we come across a news item that seems
almost too bizarre to be credible. Here's one such story. It's also
a tale of what many people will see as extreme cruelty, and it's
gone viral on social media. It's all about a pet shop in South Africa
that recently came under fire for selling a tattooed fish. Yes, you
read that right, a tattooed fish.Responding to a barrage of
complaints (from animal rights organisations and others), the pet
shop's owner explained that the fish had not been tattooed on
the premises; it had arrived in a consignment from their
wholesaler, already adorned with the coloured design. This is
apparently a new trend in the pet trade; B-grade 'reject' fish that
would otherwise be destroyed are tattooed to make them more
attractive for sale. The actual tattooing process is unclear, but
experts have commented that whether or not it is done with
needles, it's likely the fish will suffer considerable distress,
together with potentially fatal damage to their scales. (Losing their
protective outer layer renders fish susceptible to infection and
disease.) We understand that the sale of tattooed fish is perfectly
legal in South Africa and in many other countries too. In a
subsequent interview, the pet shop owner said he returned the
tattooed fish to the wholesaler.David Barry and Tacho
Franch have been in touch
to let us know that Follow
Your Dreams Tattoo has
moved from the Forum to
160 Devonshire Street,
Sheffield, S3 7SG (tel
07851 800848). Keep an
eye out for even brighter
and better things from this
excellent studio!