Steve Haworth, Extreme Body Modification Artist: 3D subdermals, magnetic implants & metal Mohawks.
Split snake tongues, star-shaped subdermal implants… welcome to the visionary world of extreme body modifications. I had the honor of chatting with revered body mod artist, Steve Haworth, at his home in Phoneix AZ. The interview’s up on Huffington Post; please check it out! I’d love to hear what you think of my writing.
“Let me show you something,” says Steve Haworth. Grinning like a kid, he places a small magnetic ball on the tip of his right ring finger. He lets go and rotates his wrist. The ball sticks.
The force is with Steve, thanks to a neodymium magnet in his fingertip that attracts objects and detects fields — a feeling he describes as a sixth sense. When he turns on an electric can opener, the metal dances.
Intrigued? Please read the rest of the article on Huff Post. Your comments and social shares are always appreciated, and help me continue my subculture coverage. (Support with a Like below…)
Steve showed me his collection of animal skulls and oddities. (Speaking of, I’ll be appearing on Discovery’s Oddities TV show this year; will let you know the air date soon.)
His colleague/girlfriend Mandi and client/model Michelle joined our chat.
Mandi displays a technology Steve is working on, which lights up her chest subdermal. His goal is to have it pulse to the beat of music — can you imagine the effect on a club dance floor?
Steve has a small magnet under the skin of his fingertip, and it can pick up metal objects.
The implant lets him feel electromagnetic forces, a phenomenon he describes a “sixth sense.” When Steve holds his finger to an electric can opener, the embedded magnet vibrates.
Special thanks to my dear Wes for joining this adventure!
Steve manufactures his own silicone subdermal implants. Inserted under the skin, they come in a variety of shapes.
The extreme body mod community’s close-knit; Steve has been to Japan twice, teaming up with Keroppy and Asami of bagelheads fame. Here’s a photo I took during my French TV shoot, which featured forehead inflation. If you’re interested in Japanese bagel heads, contact La Carmina & The Pirates; we worked on multiple programs about this mod.
What’s your reaction to extreme body mods, like branding, scarification and forehead horns? To learn more, here’s my article about Steve Haworth. Thanks for keeping an open and understanding perspective.
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Cute kawaii characters in Hong Kong: Kuromi cake, Rilakkuma bear toys. Miami, Florida for Art Deco Weekend!
This is a cute and happy post. First, I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be in Miami Florida… for Art Deco Weekend (Jan 18-20)!
As you can tell from this site’s design, I’m obsessed with Art Nouveau and Deco design. The Miami Tourism Board is generously flying me in and hosting my trip, so that I can report on the annual celebration of all things Deco.
Get ready for flapper dresses, Bettie Page fashion show, 1920s VIP gala, and South Beach architecture. Videos and photos to come, on La Carmina blog and Huffington Post. (Above photos by Shannon Cottrell, from my LA batcave shoot with Seby.)
Since we’re talking art, let me share some of the kawaii designs I spotted in Hong Kong.
Adorably-decorated food is still big in Asia (remember my book, Cute Yummy Time?). This bakery was selling a $20 US cake in the shape of Kuromi, the rival of My Melody.
On “Women’s Street,” you can buy cute accessories for ridiculously low prices. However, you can tell these are knock-offs… Doraemon and Hello Kitty are a tad deformed.
My beloved New Town Mall in Mongkok has entire stores dedicated to Rilakkuma bear and friends.
Sogo, the Japanese department store that carries the Hello Kitty fashion collection, also has a brand for dog-lovers.
Cute-faces are as popular here as in Japan. A giant smiley is not an uncommon sight.
Panda bears are a Chinese national treasure.
You can purchase the very same Japanese brands in Hong Kong for lower prices. That’s my justification for going shopping-crazy here…
Hong Kong’s a great place to pick up gifts for friends. The quality and design are outstanding for the price (these items are probably $10-20 US each).
Don’t forget home decor. In K-11 art mall (Tsim Tsa Tsui), you can get an elephant stool…
Or a wah-faced cat lantern.
Bookstores carry adorable DIY craft guides. Since there are step-by-step photo instructions, it’s ok if you can’t read Chinese.
Um. Sad robot pandas. Cutest recycling bin ever?
If the makeup packaging isn’t cute enough, the store added happy Post-It notes. (My favorite cosmetics chain is SaSa; their pink signs are everywhere.)
I bought Basil Farrow a rubber ducky from this Causeway Bay shop.
Basically, if you’re into kawaii characters, you’ll go bankrupt in Hong Kong… they’re everywhere you go.
I leave you with a peek inside the Bros Products boutique.
For more cuteness, check out my Hong Kong, China and Macau posts.
Are you a fan of kawaii character design? Who’s your favorite cute character? I’d love to hear your Florida tips in the comments and on my Facebook — it’ll be my first time in Miami!
LA CARMINA
