SHOTSIE GORMAN
Born December 11, 1951, Paterson, New Jersey
Former martial arts instructor - Nidan in Kobyashi Shorin-Ryu, Sculptor, Arts educator.
Professional Tattoo Artist, Co-founder/ Former Vice President
of, Alliance of Professional Tattooists, Journalist, Poet,
Author, Former Publisher OF Tattoo Advocate Journal READ ABOUT TATTOO ADVOCATE JOURNAL
Former owner of Shotsie's
Tattoo? Studio's in Wayne and West Milford NJ ,and Part time monk.
Shotsie Exhibits Tattoo related art, Painted furniture, Hand tufted carpets, Hand made boxes, Original art ceramic tiles, GO TO TATTOO RELATED ARTMixed media Two dimensional and 3 dimensional art works GO TO FINE ART PORTFOLIO in museums and galleries around the world. He is a lecturer on the art and history of tattooing. Lecturing at Universities and Art Institutions around the US and Europe giving tattoo related lectures and Poetry workshops watch a live poetry performance!. Gorman recently held a retrospective of visual and literary work at the Jersey City University Museum Gallery, Jersey City NJ and Paterson Museum, Paterson NJ.
Recent shows and Speaking engagements were in diverse settings from universities to Tattoo Exhibitions in 1997-98-99 –01- 02-03 Bologna Italy, Moscow Russia, Orlando, Florida, Philadelphia, PA, Houston, Texas, Stockholm, Sweden, Poetry workshops in Inner City high Schools and County prisons.
Shotsie is a self educated. A world traveler, tattoo researcher,Publisher "TATTOO ADVOCATE MAGAZINE" See more on TATTOO ADVOCATE MAGAZINE Artist, life student, Poet. Shotsie has appeared many times in print media both as journalist and feature subject including: Newsweek, New York Times, Village Voice; Bergen County NJ-At Your Leisure Magazine cover Review of the New Jersey Poetry scene, innumerable contemporary books and periodicals on tattooing. Shotsie has appeared on: Sally Jessie Raphael, Geraldo,Good Morning NY, Good Morning America, Am NY, AM Philadelphia, Eye On New Jersey, CBS Nightwatch Many national and regional News programs.
THE BLACK MARKS HE MADE GO TO BLACK MARKS HE MADE book for sale
Shotsie Gorman Tattoo Artist/Poet crosses the line between home and the world. Between pop culture and fine art. Between poetry and transcendent experience. His first major book of poetry, "The Black Marks He Made," published by Proteus Press Albany NY, is 128 page, Illustrated, French flapped soft cover. Also available in Embossed, Red Leather Bound, limited edition, containing a live spoken word CD - In addition a live performance CD of 33 poems from The Black Marks He Made
Like Allen Ginsberg Shotsie was fired in the crucible of Paterson, NJ. Both expose 20th Century American culture with a furious energy that never hesitates to show soul behind the words. But Gorman's path converges as he takes on the onus of defining the macho side of the male persona, with its antithetical brutality and compassion.
"The Black Marks He Made," has a dual meaning. it refers to the damage done by a generation of men unable to communicate their emotions to their sons, the black marks
left on body and soul by the confusion of the fathers. It also refers to Gorman’s twenty five year career as a professional tattoo artist of world renown, a process that helped him deal with his own issues of intimacy and connected him with the ancient traditions of the shaman healer rituals and meaning.
Like the Tattoo Art Shotsie has perfected as manifestations of the inner life, his poems mark deep veins of experience. "Grandpa's Kitchen Tricks," watch a live performance of this award winning poem for which Gorman was the second place winner of the 1998 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Competition, speaks the simple language of death. The imagery evokes the sights and smells of a life of, garlic and hard bread recalled by a child pulling on a wishbone with the beloved old man who never got the small end, until the last.Shotsie has won an honorary mention in 1997 and again in the last 2001 Ginsberg Awards. He was the winner of last years AOL Summer poetry online prize. Shotsie has been published in many literary journals and numerous magazine. As a featured performing poet in readings through out the US and Canada.
Literary journals:
VOTING BOOTH QUICKIE watch a live performance of this poemPublished in-Fertile Ground.
(Hudson Valley Literary journal-Kristen Georgi editor)
HIGHWAY Published in Paterson Literary review) ( Formally Footworks)
MIND IF I SAY I? Published in Footworks Paterson Poetry center PCCC.
PATERSON 1958 Finalist Award in the Allen
Ginsberg Competition
Sponsored by PCCC and the New Jersey Council on the Arts
GRANDPA'S KITCHEN TRICKS SECOND PLACE WINNER 1998
Allen Ginsberg Competition
Sponsored by PCCC and the New Jersey
Council on the Arts
GRAPES#1 see a live performance of this poem! LIPS JOURNAL - LAURA BOSS
NAMING HEAVEN BONE PRESS
YOU DON'T NEED REFERENCES TO BORROW TROUBLE published in OUTLET POETRY JOURNAL MIDDLETOWN NY
Featured Poet at:
School of Visual Arts spoken word artist series.
The Back Fence Cafe Bleeker Street in NYC.
November 19th at Knitting Factory reading series
Featured poet along with Bret Axel, Donna Spector, Lyn Lifshin, in Middletown NY at the Thrall Library
Greens Cafe 90 North Street Middletown November
Greenwood lake Library
GoPoetry Online TV featured with Orange County Poets GoPoetry.com
JCC Metro West West Orange, NJ
School Of Visual Arts NYC
Woodstock Poetry society Festival
Poetry on the Loose- Sponsored by Orange county Arts council
with Bill Seaton director Middletown NY
Alice's Tuscan Cafe, Warwick NY
Goshen Village book Store, Goshen NY
Goshen Village library, spring writers series
Mug and the Bean poetry Series, Rutherford,
Soda Pop Shop Montclair NJ reading series
Allen Ginsberg Award Ceremony, Paterson Museum, Paterson NJ
Greens Cafe Middletown NY
Barnes and Noble reading series West Paterson NJ
Jersey City University A POETRY READING SHOTSIE GORMAN RETROSPECTIVE PAINTING AND TATTOO EXHIBITION "Word art GREENWOOD LAKE WINTER VOICES SERIES
JOSHUA TREE - WOODSTOCK NY 10 FEATURED poets
Poetry Workshops:
Paterson,NJ Kennedy High School
Warwick NY Middle School 6th Grade
Orange County Correctional Facility
Pine Island Elementary 3/4 grade PIE program
Greenwood Lake Public library
Goshen Village Bookstore Goshen,NY Words and Art series
Shotsie is 54 years old Currently living in Warwick, NY with his three children Lucas Orion Gorman 16, Emma Fairchild Gorman age 18, his wife Kristine and their newest daughter Cleo Avalon Rose Gorman 2. Former owner and operator of Shotsie's Tattoo? Studios in Wayne, NJ, and Shotsie's Tattoo? West Studios in Newfoundland section of West Milford NJ.