Dan Henk
Encyclopedia
Daniel Jonathan Henk is an American artist and writer, noted for his work in tattooing and painting
. He has produced record-album covers, political cartoons, controversial articles, and a variety of other media.
Growing up a disaffected army brat, his early life revolved around a punk rock
subculture that included bouts of homelessness and societal rejection.
, Indecision
, Coalesce, Locked in a Vacancy, Beyond Reason, Zombie Apocalypse and various local record labels and venues.
influenced outlets such as Aphrodesia, and The Tarot Project. Tattoo related books such as No Regrets: The Best, Worst, & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever and Inside the Tattoo Circus: A Journey Through the Modern World of Tattoos also took notice and included features on the young artist. Tragedy struck again in 2007, as his wife of 6 years, Monica Henk, was killed in a motorcycle accident by a hit and run driver. Despite extensive coverage in the local media and vigorous campaigns by both the tattoo
and motorcycle community, the culprit was never found.
, he currently paints, writes and tattoos. His long in the making first novel The Black Seas of Infinity is finally out courtesy of Anarchy Books, soon to be followed by a book of short stories.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He has produced record-album covers, political cartoons, controversial articles, and a variety of other media.
Growing up a disaffected army brat, his early life revolved around a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
subculture that included bouts of homelessness and societal rejection.
Early life
His beginning career included a year and a half stint drawing political cartoons for Madcap Magazine and illustrating underground projects and fanzines such as Maximum Rock and Roll. In 1997, after struggling through a violent car crash and a knife fight with a crackhead that severed the tendon on his left thumb, he finally managed to attend art school. Receiving some commercial and local gallery acclaim for his artwork, he moved to New York City in an attempt to kick start an art career. Heavily immersing himself in the local hardcore scene, he produced artwork for the bands Shai HuludShai Hulud (band)
Shai Hulud is an American hardcore punk band with progressive metal influences, originally formed in Pompano Beach, Florida, the band later moved up to Poughkeepsie, New York....
, Indecision
Indecision
Indecision was a hardcore band which was started in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn in 1993 and officially disbanded in the summer of 2000 though they still play shows occasionally.- History :From the band:...
, Coalesce, Locked in a Vacancy, Beyond Reason, Zombie Apocalypse and various local record labels and venues.
Commercial success and tragedy
In 2000, he started tattooing, initially working on many musician friends. A year later, in September 2001, he contracted brain cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Three months later, he married fellow tattoo artist Monica Castillo. Refusing to give up, he bounced back. After a brief venture down south that included owning a short lived tattoo shop that ended in disaster, he returned to Manhattan and applied himself to art with a renewed fervor. A productive period followed, with his work appearing in both a growing number of tattoo magazines and more fine artFine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
influenced outlets such as Aphrodesia, and The Tarot Project. Tattoo related books such as No Regrets: The Best, Worst, & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever and Inside the Tattoo Circus: A Journey Through the Modern World of Tattoos also took notice and included features on the young artist. Tragedy struck again in 2007, as his wife of 6 years, Monica Henk, was killed in a motorcycle accident by a hit and run driver. Despite extensive coverage in the local media and vigorous campaigns by both the tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
and motorcycle community, the culprit was never found.
A New Start
Recently relocated to Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, he currently paints, writes and tattoos. His long in the making first novel The Black Seas of Infinity is finally out courtesy of Anarchy Books, soon to be followed by a book of short stories.
External links
- Official site
- Dan Henk on Myspace