Manfred Kohrs

Manfred Kohrs
Born	1957 Hanover, Germany
Occupation	Tattooist; Art-Painter; Master of Economics (USUE)

Manfred Kohrs (born January 24, 1957) is a German tattooist and conceptual artist, who has been tattooing since 1974. He was a student of Horst Heinrich Streckenbach ("Tattoo Samy") (August 5, 1926 - June 27, 2001). Together they developed a rotary tattoo machine^[1] from 1974 - 1978^[2][3] and the barbell piercing in 1975.^[4] In 1977 Kohrs founded the first German Tattoo Artist Association.^[5] He gave up tattoing in 1990 and began studying economics.

Biographical and career information

Kohrs was born in 1957 and grew up in Hanover, Germany. At the age of twelve he purchased his first tattoo and in 1975 he was tattoed by Herbert Hoffmann. The integrated nationally recognized tattoo artist Horst Heinrich Streckenbach took Kohrs in 1975 as a master student.^[6] In 1976, he began tattooing professionally. In 1977 he opened his own studio in Hanover. Kohrs tattooed several notable musicians, artists and celebrities of the time.^[7]

In 1977 Kohrs was an early member of The National Tattoo Club of the World^[8] which was renamed 1984 to the National Tattoo Association, (N.T.A.) In the same year Kohrs was the founder-member No. 25 of the European Tattoo Artists Association.

Tattoo of an eagle tattooed by Herbert Hoffmann on Kohrs' arm in 1975

In 1977, Kohrs invited all commercially registered tattooists in Germany to an information meeting in Hanover. "At that time there were throughout the country, only 14 self-employed tattoo artist."^[9][10]

The purpose of this meeting were the establishment of a national association, and to introduce technical and hygienic standards. At that time, Kohrs and Streckenbach were the only German tattoo artists who used an autoclave for the sterilisation of equipment.^[11]

Kohrs attended the first National Convention at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver, Colorado from 23–25 March 1979. He made a slide presentation of tattooed people with Tattoo Samy.^[8] The speakers on the convention were Terry Wrigley, Peter Tat 2 Poulos, Diane Poulos, Don Ed Hardy, Bob Shaw (who spoke about the importance of using autoclaves and hygiene), Big Walt Kilkucki, Painless Jeff Baker, Dave Yurkew, Arnold Rubin and Jan Stussy.^[8] Kohrs, Streckenbach and Terry Wrigley (president of E.T.A.A),^[12] were present in October 1980 at the first German Tattoo Convention at Frankfurt. Kohrs gave up tattooing in 1990 and began studying economics. Since completing his economics degree in 1996, he has served as tax consultant and lecturer in economics at a private academy.

Documents

• 

  National Tattoo Club of the World, issued from „Philadelphia“ Eddie Funk,^[13] 1977.

• 

  European Tattoo Artist Association, issued from Terry Wrigley 1976.

• 

  European Tattoo Artist Association, issued from Terry Wrigley 1977

• 

  first Tattoo-Meeting Frankfurt 1980.

• 

  membercard "Kunstverein" Hannover 1981, signed by Kohrs

Art and design

In 1975, on the German ZDF television show aspekte, Kohrs met the well-known German artist Prof. Timm Ulrichs.^[14] In 1976, Ulrich was approached about Streckenbach to Manfred Kohrs in Hanover to be tattooed as part of an art project, the word "end" refers to an eyelid. In 1979 Kohrs created that conceptual art-project with Ulrichs.^[15]
"Once the moment has finally come when the curtain falls for good, when my eyesight disappears and my eyes are closed for eternal rest, the pulled-down eyelid will reveal as a last, surprising theatrical coup the final punch line, in my view quite memorable: the “Last Picture Show”, presented with a weeping and a laughing eye, with a wink, the final performance of a life and a life performance intended to be spectacular and dramatic." Timm Ulrichs ^[16][17] For his work portfolio standard international designs from samples and reference books of the tattoo artist, 1974, Timm Ulrichs also took images of Kohrs. A selection of them were in 1975 by the Kestnergesellschaft — art galery Hannover as screen printing, (1-100/100 limited, signed, dated and numbered 60 x 60 cm.) released.^[18] In the years 1977 to 1981 created Kohrs -at the Kunstverein Hannover- some individual projects with the topic of tattoos.^[19]From 1978 Kohrs drew cartoons for various magazines.^[20]

See also

• List of tattoo artists
• QWiki

References

1. ^ reinMein die überlokale Zeitschrift: Das Tattoo-Kunsthandwerk – eine Technik, die unter die Haut geht (German)
2. ^ Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, Ausg. Ost, S.2, 23. April 1981, Tätowieren – eine besondere Kunst / Manfred Kohrs (German)
3. ^ tattoo-manufacturer
4. ^ Marcel Feige: Das Tattoo-und Piercing Lexikon, ISBN 3-89602-209-1, S. 283
5. ^ Offenbach-Post, Nr. 180, 1984 (German)
6. ^ Cellesche Zeitung, 5. Mai 1984, S. 23 (German)
7. ^ National Tattoo Magazine, june-july 1978, S. 9 work by Manfred Kohrs of Hannover West germany
8. ^ ^{a b c} National Tattoo Association, N.T.A.
9. ^ Frank-Peter Finke-Oltmanns, Tattoos in Modern Societies, dissertation 1996.
10. ^ German Federal Social Court (Bundessozialgericht), Case No.: B 3 KS 2 / 07 R Case of 28 February 2007
11. ^ Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, Ausg. Süd, S.3, 24. April 1986, Manfred Kohrs - "Hautbilder" (German)
12. ^ tattoo archive Terry Wrigley
13. ^ About Crazy Philadelphia Eddie
14. ^ NaNa Hannover, Nr.36/37, -Portrait eines Künstlers- Manfreds Bilder fahren Straßenbahn, December 23. 1982.
15. ^ Timm Ulrichs: Tattoos
16. ^ "The End" Tattoo on the artist's eyelid publ. by Kestnergesellschaft
17. ^ [1] Video "the End"
18. ^ Bleibtreu Gallery
19. ^ body-modification - Tattoo Art l
20. ^ National Tattoo Magazine, june-july 1978, S. 13 cartoon by Kohrs

Persondata
Name	Kohrs, Manfred
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 24, 1957
Place of birth	Hanover, Germany
Date of death
Place of death