Piercing and Body Modification Media List

If you know me, you know piercing and body modification is my great love in life, and I’m all about everything related to it. On that end, from a young age I have ravenously consumed media about piercings, tattoos, and body modification. I regularly see folks asking for suggestions on content related to this to watch, read, and consume, so I decided to collect it all into a blog post for ease! If you have any further suggestions that aren’t on this list, message me so I can add it!

Books

Modern Primitives– This essential primer from ReSearch takes a look at the modern primitive movement across the 70s-90’s. They sat down and did a series of interviews with body piercing and tattooing pioneers such as Fakir Musafar, Jim Ward, and Lyle Tuttle. This collection of interviews is directly responsible for many peoples first taste of the industry, and an inspiration for hundreds of piercers and enthusiasts on their Journey.

Running the Gauntlet– This book tells the story of the gauntlet, americas first body piercing studio. It tracks how Jim Ward got his start in this industry, what inspired him to pursue piercing, and what shaped the first piercing studios in the country. It will also teach you how many tools and techniques we used today came to be.

Spirit and Flesh- this photo book tracks the work of Fakir Musafar, the grandfather of modern body modification. It showcases many of his self portraits documenting his early interest in modification and piercing, and his personal journey through it.

A Brief History of the Evolution of Body Adornment in Western Culture- Written by Blake from Nomad, about his and his mothers personal experiences in anthropology and body modification, and tracking the spread of tribal modification through to modern times.

Africa Adorned- this gorgeous hardcover examines the traditional adornment and body art of multiple African cultures. It looks as different forms of scarification, tattoo, and piercing among other adornment.

Bodies Under Siege- this psychological piece examines self harm in modern culture and psychiatry, and touches on the intersection of body modification and body piercing and self harm.

The Piercing Bible- this primer on piercing from Elayne Angel is a good historical reference, and you will find it on anyones list, including the reprinted version. While many of the techniques and suggestions are outdated, it paints a picture of what piercing looked like in the early 90’s. It’s worth noting Elayne made some incredibly transphobic comments in a court of law during her divorce. While I want to acknowledge divorce is a difficult time, it also does not justify transphobia and setting a legal precedent against trans marriage rights. She has refused to applogize despite many trans and nonbinary voices requesting accountability for the harm she has caused.

This letter, written by a trans man directly effected by her transphobia is worth a read, and I encourage folks to donate to the trans legal defense fund rather than support her book.

Better Safe then Ari– This series of books follows Ari Pimsler as he interviews various important members of body piercing history. Each interview is succinct, and filled with gems of wisdom and advice, and entertaining stories about the formation of the modern piercing industry.

Nodal Points– These collect different articles and interviews from Sacred Debris cataloguing different aspects and elements of body modification history. They paint a beautiful portrait of the people who made this industry the way it is today.

Modcon- this book is a rarity to find these days, but it follows the events of mod con and the BME days, and gives a rare inside look at the early days of the growth of the heavy modification scene.

Wings of Desire: Learning to Fly- this book tracks the evolution of the Oslo Norway based suspension team wings of desire, and how they came to be the icons of the suspension industry they are today. Follow Haave as he explores this gorgeous art form.

Return of the Tribal- a photographic exploration of the modern revival of tribal practice. Piercing, tattooing, scarification, and body paint, and tracing their origins in tribal cultures to modern times.

In the Flesh: The Cultural Politics of body Modification- an interview based study on the subculture of body modification, looking at gender, sexuality, and ethnicity are reconfigured through body modification.

Pagan Fleshworks: The Alchemy of Body Modification- an examination of the cultural trends ofd tattooing, implanting, branding, and piercing as a quest for the transformative psychic experience.

Penis Inserts of Southeast Asia- this piece reviews various forms of penile piercing and implantation across south east asia, with a focus on pearling

Marks of Civilization: Artistic Transformations of the Human Body- a look at how body piercing, scarring, and tattooing have for years been invested with profound cultural ands social meaning.

Hidden Exposure and Private Portraits– These two photobooks document the work of Stefan Richter and showcase some of the best genital piercing documentation and collection of modified portraits to come from the 80’s and 90’s. These books have been a major inspiration for generations of genital modification work.

PFIQ and Body Play- these print magazines were a fundamental way to bring modified people together in the time before the internet. They inspired generations of young piercers and enthusiasts and have become highly collectable if you can get your hands on them.