Since 2003, Adam Callen has been the editor and publisher of BodyMod.org, not the largest or oldest full-spectrum body modification publication on the planet, but pretty damn awesome =). Copyright © 2023 Adam Callen. Permission is granted to reprint this article in its entirety as long as credit is retained and usage is non-commercial. Requests to publish edited or shortened versions must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published June 17, 2009 in New York City, US.
I hope someone sees the humor in this =)
Official Response From Rouslan (aka TattooBox)
I'm pretty sure that most of the mod world has read about the story
where a girl has gotten her face tattooed with a bunch of stars and is
claiming that the artist did it while she was asleep (that should reek
of BS right there...). Needless to say though, no one's first tattoo should be on their face. Especially that young.
Anyway, now there's all this hoopla going around, I figure it's only fair to hear the other side of the story.
Here is Rouslan's Official Statement (in both English and French)
.: Adam
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Pictures of Kimberley Vlaminck taken just after the tattoo session (I take quite often pictures of my work) as they were seized by police shortly after, showing clearly that she’s no way surprised by the result of the work, and definitely not looking like a girl waking up after a nap and discovering that she’s had 56 stars tattooed on her face instead of three.
Photographies de Kimberley Vlaminck juste après la séance de tatouage (je prends souvent des photos de mon travail) comme elles ont été saisies par la police peu de temps après, montrant clairement qu’en aucune façon elle n’est surprise du résultat du travail, ni qu’elle ne ressemble à une jeune fille qui se réveillerait en découvrant qu’elle a 56 étoiles tatouées sur le visage au lieu de trois.
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Having been accused by Kimberley Vlaminck to have tattooed her against her will and while she was sleeping, I want to react here to those calumnious allegations and to say exactly how things went.
First of all I’d like to say that the girl is complaining to have asked for only three stars and to end up with around fifty on her face. But as a matter of fact, she now asks to have a part of them lasered off and still wants to keep something like 20 or 25 stars on the forehead (as it can be seen on various TVs and in police reports), which means that this part of her accusation is totally irrelevant.
Then, the girl said she felt asleep during the tattoo session. But :
1) Tattoo hurts,
2) Tattoo hurts more on face than on most other places,
3) Tattoo hurts even more on the nose than on the face,
4) Apart from the pain factor, the emotional impact of a first tattoo is huge, which makes it even less likely to sleep during such a session,
5) During this tattoo I had to ask Kimberley to change quite often her position, because the face isn’t flat and you need to always adjust the persons position and yours to be able to tattoo,
6) Kimberley did stand up many times during the session and did check up the work in a mirror,
7) We spoke during a part of the session,
8) The call log of her mobile phone and SMS activity could easily show that from the start of the session to its end she wasn’t sleeping,
9) And most importantly, a witness, being totally independent from both sides saw all the session from its start to the end, and confirms every word above. Kortrijk police made an inquiry, and both of us (me and the witness) were conducted shortly after Kimberley tattoo was finished to the police station, and both of us said exactly what did happen, and therefore gave exactly the same version of the events. Copies of minutes (in Flemish) we can provide.
So Kimberly was absolutely aware of what was happening during all the tattoo session and got what she asked, no more no less.
Moreover, I’d like to insist on the fact that the media buzz that’s making this whole affair so popular at the moment is based on the reaction of most people to the view of the tattoo. Still, you have to understand clearly that she doesn’t ask<
Anyway, now there's all this hoopla going around, I figure it's only fair to hear the other side of the story.
Here is Rouslan's Official Statement (in both English and French)
.: Adam
-----------------
Pictures of Kimberley Vlaminck taken just after the tattoo session (I take quite often pictures of my work) as they were seized by police shortly after, showing clearly that she’s no way surprised by the result of the work, and definitely not looking like a girl waking up after a nap and discovering that she’s had 56 stars tattooed on her face instead of three.
Photos
Photographies de Kimberley Vlaminck juste après la séance de tatouage (je prends souvent des photos de mon travail) comme elles ont été saisies par la police peu de temps après, montrant clairement qu’en aucune façon elle n’est surprise du résultat du travail, ni qu’elle ne ressemble à une jeune fille qui se réveillerait en découvrant qu’elle a 56 étoiles tatouées sur le visage au lieu de trois.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Having been accused by Kimberley Vlaminck to have tattooed her against her will and while she was sleeping, I want to react here to those calumnious allegations and to say exactly how things went.
First of all I’d like to say that the girl is complaining to have asked for only three stars and to end up with around fifty on her face. But as a matter of fact, she now asks to have a part of them lasered off and still wants to keep something like 20 or 25 stars on the forehead (as it can be seen on various TVs and in police reports), which means that this part of her accusation is totally irrelevant.
Then, the girl said she felt asleep during the tattoo session. But :
1) Tattoo hurts,
2) Tattoo hurts more on face than on most other places,
3) Tattoo hurts even more on the nose than on the face,
4) Apart from the pain factor, the emotional impact of a first tattoo is huge, which makes it even less likely to sleep during such a session,
5) During this tattoo I had to ask Kimberley to change quite often her position, because the face isn’t flat and you need to always adjust the persons position and yours to be able to tattoo,
6) Kimberley did stand up many times during the session and did check up the work in a mirror,
7) We spoke during a part of the session,
8) The call log of her mobile phone and SMS activity could easily show that from the start of the session to its end she wasn’t sleeping,
9) And most importantly, a witness, being totally independent from both sides saw all the session from its start to the end, and confirms every word above. Kortrijk police made an inquiry, and both of us (me and the witness) were conducted shortly after Kimberley tattoo was finished to the police station, and both of us said exactly what did happen, and therefore gave exactly the same version of the events. Copies of minutes (in Flemish) we can provide.
So Kimberly was absolutely aware of what was happening during all the tattoo session and got what she asked, no more no less.
Moreover, I’d like to insist on the fact that the media buzz that’s making this whole affair so popular at the moment is based on the reaction of most people to the view of the tattoo. Still, you have to understand clearly that she doesn’t ask<
Idiots.
x
as pointed out above, the process of tattooing 3 stars would have taken under 5 minutes, hardly time to take a nap even if you are narcoleptic. i see no reason why she'd look in the mirror after the stencils were placed (all 56) and say "ok, lets do this" when she only wanted three.
shouldn't have even got to be big news at all.
falling asleep?
during being tattooed on the face?
what a stupid lie.
Rouslans official response was fantastic.
Well done for him.
Her story of "falling asleep" is completely ridiculous. The closest I came to falling asleep during a tattoo was my hip- - and at that, there were moments where my eyes would pop open because of a certain spot she was going over. The fact that she doesn't want all of the stars removed should scream BS.
I'm sorry, but if someone who is mentally unstable come in begging for a facial tattoo - - which this girl CLEARLY was (and apparently her whole family seems unstable) by the very nature of her request - - the tattoo artist does have a culpability in the outcome, quite likely a legal one. And that's totally independent from her and her family's scum-bag lies. It is very difficult for me to have sympathy for ANYONE in this case. The girl is a complete moron that's done something incredibly stupid and reckless, and the tattoo artist has done the same. They are both at fault, and they both share responsibility. When we're talking about facial tattoos the artist and client have an exception responsibility to take the matter seriously, and they both spat in the face of common sense, and they both reflect very poorly on the tattoo community.
I'm just so incredibly tired of tattoos being viewed so negatively. I know its gotten a lot better and there are a lot more accepting people... but still, I am held back from a couple tattoos I really want to get for fear of not being able to get the job I want or being denied something else I want just because I have visible tattoos.
On the other side as tattoo artist i think you should know thats just a normal girl of 18 with no other tats or piercings having a burst.If i was a tattoo artist i would maybe draw 3 but never 56,i would say no,or come back in 2 years or something(Now the girls face is ruined for some ways in life but she should have known herself)But anyway it looks nice :)
While yes, she is stupid for deciding to get such a large, obvious facial tattoo, the tattooist should have explained to her the repercussions of having a tattoo like that. I mean, freshly 18, no obvious mods otherwise, I'd be skeptical of someone wanting such a tattoo.
Although some clients can be very very adamant about getting a certain tattoo, no matter how bad of an idea it is. I mean, if he didn't end up doing it, I bet she would have gone elsewhere and tried to get it done.
This story isn't really a huge deal, lots of 18 year olds get stupid first tattoos and regret it; hers just happened to take up half her face!
This 'girl' is recognized as a legal adult, is she not? I wouldn't believe that she was coerced into the shop with her father to get ink done, and if her request was made and honored, then it is what it is. But something I could see coming out of this, is a more explicit waiver being signed that specifies "I am willingly accepting X" or something that is at the very least initialed as a stronger form of proof that the work was in fact, requested and agreed upon.
It's unfortunate though, all the stress that this has created for all involved.
the sleeping thing is super BS, but still rouslan should of thought about doing it to be fair. but i was never there so i cannot commit to judging the situation he was in.
good luck R.
Can you defend yourself in court in your country (so that it doesn't cost you a lawyer)? I'd take all your evidence to court and fight like Hell. Then, I'd take the results to every newspaper on this planet.
Don't let her slander you!
I'm on your side.
She was 18. You're not irresponsible for her retardation.
She is just a childish little bitch who didnt think this completely trough and now she has regrets. This whole story is just stupid.. Rouslan seems to be a great tattoo-artist and I would be ashamed to her right now. May she burn.. ;P
As for the arcticles and such, i hope everything will be sorted out soon for you. That must suck having to deal with all those things. :)
The reality is that this girl was/is mentally unstable, and you should have known this. An extraordinary request requires extraordinary consideration, and it seems to me there was NO consideration from anyone involved. Her mental state and inability to make a reasonable decision was ignored, and you have effectively destroyed her life. I do not think it's fair to hide behind "but she requested it" in a case like this. I hope that in the future if a CHILD (because she's obviously that immature) with no tattoo experience comes in and asks you for a major facial tattoo, you reconsider your actions. And saying "next time I'll get it in writing" doesn't cut it.
Saying "but she can smoke a cigarette" is a cop out anyway. First of all, she'd have been informed about the risks of these things her whole life and should thoroughly understand them. Are there constant ads on TV warning people about facial tattoos? No, if anything the media does the opposite. Do you have warnings on your tattoo machine telling people? No. Did you even have her sign off on a consent form outlining the risks like almost all responsible tattoo shops do? Nope, you didn't do that either. Also, a cigarette or a beer may make her ill in the future, but tattooing her face like you did will seriously impact every moment of her life and every relationship she will have from now on, and I have to say I find it more than a little disturbing that this happened. It reflects very poorly on everyone involved.
The additional big problem with your reckless behavior is that when you create situations like this, the media and the government get involved, and you potentially end up with laws forbidding certain kinds of tattoos. It just looks bad on everyone and ALL the reprocussions, which were easily predictable, are negative other than the small cash payment you received to perform this act.
And yes, you DO have some responsibility as a "guide".
What I also think, is that this girl acted like a twat, full of herself wanting a facial tattoo, and Rouslan saw it as a game.
"You want a facial tattoo? I'll give you a facial tattoo."
Should the girl have had a different attitude (and I am simply speculating here) I would think Rous would have had a good chat with her about her design.
Instead, she's come across as a bit of a twat, Rouslan's decided to have a bit of fun at her expense.
I suppose it's a bit like if a chav came in to a tattoo studio and wanted something absolutely awful and ridiculous.. would you say no? Or would you tattoo them so you could laugh at their misfortune afterwards?
I think this just screams 'typical Rouslan' to me - everyone knows he likes his drama, and this is just drama on a massive scale.
I hope he can prove she wasn't asleep through the phone logs, and I hope the police can see by the expression on her face in the pictures that she wasn't shocked.
I would say 'good luck' Rous, but I'm pretty sure you don't need it.
Sure the girl is a total idiot for wanting a facial tattoo of that magnitude at the age of 18, and is even more stupid for deciding after that it wasn't what she wanted. I also don't buy the "I fell asleep" argument. I'm guessing that she couldn't come up with anything better to justify her total lack of common sense. It says in the news article that she asked for 3 stars in French and limited English, and that language barriers were the reason for the misunderstanding. Well, we all know that Rouslan speaks both French and English fluently, so that is also a fabrication.
I also agree that there is a certain limited responsibility on the part of the artist here. Every artist is in a position to fully inform their clients of the possible ramifications of their decisions, both positive and negative. No one wants to be treated like a child, but a tattoo that has the potential to affect every aspect of a person's life needs to have a lot more consideration before following through. If someone came to me wanting a life-altering modification, I would ensure that the person was well aware of any potential negative consequences. If the person felt like a child because I did so, that's too bad. It's not like we're talking about a rose on the ankle.
This is not the same as buying cigarettes or alcohol. Every artist has an ethical obligation to help guide clients in making the right choices for themselves. Everyone in any professional trade has that responsibility as well. Doctors, carpenters, physical fitness trainers, computer technicians, beauticians, lawyers, they all have the responsibility of informing their clients of all risks associated with the service they are performing. It goes far beyond "That's what you want? OK, that's what I'll give you." It is the professional's position to say, "Hey that's not a good idea because...." If the client chooses to take their business elsewhere, then so be it. Some other guy can be the one to get sued. In no way is this the same as the clerks behind the counter selling alcohol and cigarettes, or even the bartender serving up drinks. Those clerks and bartenders make little more than minimum wage, and their training only goes as far as is required to perform their job. They are not trained to know the negative effects of tobacco or alcohol. They are not trained to know how lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver are caused. That is the job of the tobacco companies and the manufacturers of the alcohol. They are the ones that put the warnings on the cigarettes and bottles. That's kind of like saying the girl behind the counter in the tattoo studio should be held responsible for all tattoos that are done in the shop, even though she's never been trained in any form of body modification. No, it's the artists' responsibility.
And in response to Jeeennnniiiii's comment about it being a game, I sure hope not. A tattoo (or any other form of modification) is no game. If someone came to my studio wanting something ridiculous, would I say no? Or would I do it and have a good laugh at their expense later? Easy question for me. I would say no. I don't care how much of an ass the person is. Being an ass is enough of a reason for me to say no, regardless of what modification the person is seeking. If a person acts like an ass, that shows me a level of immaturity, and I would not feel comfortable giving a person a modification if I was not sure he/she was mature enough to deal with the consequences.
rouslan, if you thought this was a game, or that you'd show this stupid girl who was boss, then you deserve the trouble you're in.
She is only doing back to you what you did to her. You didn't care how her life would be affected; now she doesn't care about how your life will be affected. Except she's an 18 year old kid, unstable, who wants go look like a character on tv, with a father who is probably beating the crap out of her, and may very well have been intimidated by you. You are older, more experienced, and you are supposed to be a professional and a representative of your craft.
And your thing about not warning people before selling them cigarettes - stom, stom, stom. You should have protected YOURSELF by not doing work on someone who didn't understand what they were asking for. Now you have yourself to blame.
No matter. Now you are famous and will make more money. So you win in the end.
Also, why did you place a facial tattoo on an 18 year old girl with obviously a less than average IQ and that hardly understood you because you don't speak her native language?
Or did you think she asked for a tattoo of stars that form the number 3?
Kimberley Vlaminck, the girl who claimed her face was tattooed with 56 stars while she slept, has admitted she made up the story. Ms Vlaminck, 18, had initially insisted she went into the tattoo parlour requesting three stars, but dozed off during the procedure and awoke in horror to find a veritable galaxy on her face. She then vowed to sue the tattoo artist, Rouslan Toumaniantz, for $20,000 for failing to understand her instructions.
“It is terrible for me,” she said last week… I cannot go out on to the street. I look like a freak.” But under a wave of cynicism from the public Ms Vlaminck has finally admitted she wanted all the stars and was “fully aware” of what Mr Toumaniantz was doing… “I asked for 56 stars and initially adored them,” she said. “But when my father saw them, he was furious. So I said I fell asleep and the that the tattooist mad made a mistake.”
Mr Toumaniantz had previously agreed to help pay for the tattoo removal saying: “Kimberley is unhappy and it is not my wish to have an unsatisfied client.” But according to the UK’s Daily Telegraph this offer has now been withdrawn, although Mr Toumaniantz concedes he will now get written consent from his clients.
I knew she was a liar
What really sucks is that some conservative and generally ignorant judge is going to act just like the media and blame the artist. For as far as we've come, we're still the denizens of society's underbelly. Good luck, Rouslan...there's a hundred thousand of us in your corner, love!
you've come a long way, and this girly seems pleased with the ink in the pics posted above. she just wants the fame and glory, i'm sure.