- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Trolley Books; illustrated edition edition (1 Jan 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0954264800
- ISBN-13: 978-0954264802
- Product Dimensions: 32.4 x 27 x 2.4 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,006,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Synopsis
In 1976 Felix Leu, a Swiss-born traveller, was accosted by a passer-by in Yugoslavia as the artist responsible for the tattoos of a travelling companion. He was not, but somehow then determined to learn the skills of the tattooist. With advice, he found and served his apprenticeship at Jock's Tattoo Shop, in King's Cross, and set off on a world-wide mission to become a master of the art. For almost 30 years Felix and his family travelled the world, learning their crafts and art. There are now three generations of the Leu family practising at their famous studios in Lausanne. In addition to Japanese and Indian styles, they are also linguists of the African traditions, having worked alongside Berber tribesmen, along with Indonesian, Polynesian and North American Indian masters. But perhaps what they are most known for is their own personalized style, described by afficionados as "soft and psychedelic". Filip, Felix's son, became specialized in large pieces, bodysuits even. Clients, over several years, offer up their bodies, their hands, their faces and even genitals for decoration.The photographer Fabio Paleari has documented the studio and the designs of the Leu's work in Lausanne and beyond.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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7 reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Documenting life fully lived.
7 Jun 2004
Format:Hardcover
The family photo on the cover attracted me immediately, and then with each page I felt like I became part of the family. This is a "family album" of wonderful, hippie artists, living a life of art and travel. Their love for one another, and for their art, jumps off the pages. This is especially the case in the images near the end of the book of the family patriarch, Felix, living and working with cancer. Incrediblely powerful.
One previous review mentions the quality of the images; more important is the quality of the life, a life lived fully.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
an ode to bodies of wonder and worlds of curiosities
28 Oct 2003
Format:Hardcover
How can one best describe this book? Its subject matter is the famous Leu family of Switzerland and their tattooing. However, "The Leu Family's Family Iron" is above all a book of art photographs produced by Fabio Paleari during a period of ten years' association with the family. And, perhaps even more important, it is a journey to wondrous worlds, worlds defined by Eastern and Western cultures as refracted through the unique lens that is the lifestyle of the Leus. The prose in this coffee-table sized book totals no more than a dozen or so pages and provides few intellectual distractions. In some books this might be seen as a shortcoming, but here we are freed to react emotionally and intuitively to the imaginative work shown.
Of course, one should not close a review of this book without reference to the tattooing style of the Leus. Some full-body designs are drawn from the traditional lexicon of Japan, but it is where the Leus depart from the this model (either in style or coloration) that the results are most interesting. A number of years spent in India are reflected in the use of both Sanskrit characters and the style of popular Indian decoration. Other images bring to mind the artwork of the Fauvists, of Peter Max, and of that large body of artists currently illustrating fantasy texts. Finally, it is worth noting that the living quarters of the Leus are fascinating in and of themselves, reminding us of the Baroque Age's cabinets of curiosities.
More than fashion
14 May 2009
Format:Hardcover
The Leu Familys Family Iron is more than just another book about tattoos. For everyone who is into tattoos it is no doubt that the Leus are excellent tattoo artists. Some of the pictures in the book give a glimpse of what they can do. But more than that this book creates an atmosphere. It shows people who live a certain kind of lifestyle. Tattoos are just a part of it. By watching the book you can take part. Its kind of a journey through life and death but always expressing a very strong confidence. I can recommend this book to everyone who sees more in tattoos than just fashion- its kind of a lifestyle...
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