Karl Marc
Born in 1976 in the United States, Karl Marc practices tattooing in his studio HandMade Fine Tattoo in Paris and creates unique tattoo machines. The invention of the first electric tattoo machine coincides with the industrial revolution of the mid-eighteenth century.
In 1876, Thomas Edison perfected an instrument with a needle and two electromagnets whose goal is to punch the paper to get the ink through and make copies. A remarkable invention that tattoo artists will quickly divert for their own benefit in order to gain speed. Indeed, before the invention of the electric tattoo machine, artists had to settle for hand instruments that significantly made the duration of the tattoo longer.
With a rate of two or three bites per second, we were far from the current rate of up to one hundred and forty times per second. But if the machine is appreciated for its technical advantages, it also becomes a fetish object for the tattoo artist. This devotion can lead up to transforming the machine into a piece of art without sacrificing its performance. Karl Mark is one of them.
His passion for tattoo machines led him to make his own unique pieces and he holds one of the largest collections in Europe with works by Aaron Cain, Terry Stafford, Marc Alter or Sailor Kea – his collection was presented, in particular, in the exhibition HEY! modern art & pop culture – Part I (September 2011 – March 2012) at Halle Saint Pierre Museum (Paris) of which Anne & Julien were the curators. Also the author of reference books on the subject, his handmade machines are today much sought after.
