Skin (surface) Deep.

I'm a lover of tattoos. They are hot. Hot. Hot. Did I say hot? Well, only if they are good. I mean there are so many baaaadddddd tattoos out there. But, when they are good, they are glorious. And hot. I am a commitmentphobe so I don't have any, but if I did get one? It would be hot, and by hot I mean gorgeous, meaningful, well executed, and flatteringly located. Years and years ago I saw a television spot on tattoo genius Anil Gupta. His work is insane. Every genre of tattoo, from the portrait to the sci-fi scene, becomes serious skin art under Gupta's skilled needle. The most incredible examples of his work are tiny little miniature inked versions of artistic masterpieces. His stamp-sized recreations of Renaissance masterworks and Van Gogh canvases are truly pinned-in re-works of art.

My art history dork meter goes way past the red line looking at these. Imagine the possibilities. I'd perhaps have a Hopper on my shoulder, a Monet on the back of the neck? Imagine the amazing things Gupta could do with some of art's best photographs. Now, if I could only wrap my brain around the concept of forever. Until then, I've found a great subsititute.

Dover Publications produces a series of temporary fine art tattoos. For $1.50 you can get a collection of four tiny, commitmentphobic-friendly, press-on tattoo versions of renowned works of art by your favorite artists. I am the proud owner of the Kahlo set, and I tell you they are super-gorgeous.

They are perfect in their impermanence, and they are remarkably well drawn. Now I just need to decide where I want little Frida. How funny would it be to have a Kahlo tramp stamp? See, this is why they shouldn't let me near the real ones...

Click any of the images above for more information. Visit AnilGupta.com; DoverPublications.com

Vogue, Everlasting

There's been a lot of wondering in type these days about "What's Wrong With Vogue?" Notions of the magazine's staleness and need for reinvention are swirling around it's editrix, and inciting rumors of Anna Wintour's replacement. Though publisher Conde Nast has gone to great lengths to deny the replacement rumblings, I think all of this hullabaloo is simply a reaction to the glaring reality that the magazine is completely out-of-touch with the mainstream, modern woman. I think this is true in the best of times, but when women are pinching pennies, all of the glamorous escape editorials seem a little less glamorous and a little more chiding. The pages start to taunt instead of tantalize when wallets are on lockdown. But, the truth is that Vogue is the everlasting gobstopper of fashion magazines. It has been around for ages, since 1892 in fact, and has survived every shift, change, and cultural revolution that modern times have seen. Basically, it ain't goin' nowhere. Vogue will remain. Of course, it is inevitable that Wintour will not last forever, she will retire or be replaced at some point. Whether that point is near or far remains uncertain. What is certain is that Vogue has done some amazing work in its tenure as fashion's go-to guide. Here are some gorgeous cover shots from the magazine's archives:

See, this fashion magazine has been around longer than photo covers. That's impressive. You can get details of all of the covers posted above by clicking an image, and you can also see the Vogue cover archive by clicking here.