Slash and Burn Cutting- Ron Garza 1998

Artist Ron Garza is one of the most influential artists in the Scarification community, having  received the ‘Keith Alexander Award for the advancement of the art and culture of Scarification’ from the Scarwars Art Project ¹ for his contributions to the scene. In the late 1990s Ron started experimenting with  illustrative, graphic art cuttings; more detailed and elaborate than the standard imagery of the time which included geometric shapes, tribal designs, fraternity symbols and runes. 

Ron has also been passionate about documenting both his own art and the communities he’s active in (which also includes suspension and body piercing) and has agreed to share his archives with Sacred Debris.  In this video, filmed in 1998, Ron performs a ‘slash n’ burn’ style cutting; alcohol is sprayed on the fresh cutting and lit; a technique that ultimately didn’t last. Ron’s technique has evolved in the sixteen years since this video was made, but it’s still a fascinating look back at the evolution of modern scarification.

Ron can be contacted via: Rongarza.com for travel schedule and appointment information.

Ron Garza is a body modification artist currently living in California with his tattoo artist wife, Nakota. He is primarily known for his graphic art scarification art, but Ron is also proficient in other types of body modification procedures. 

 Ron started out as a piercer before moving on to other forms of body modification including suspension, scarification and tattooing. He is a respected member of the Body Modification community and provides instruction as well through classes and lectures. In 2013 Ron organized and hosted SCARCon in London England. 

Shawn Porter

Shawn Porter has spent the majority of his life in the modification world. As a body modification archivist and documentarian, he has one of the most extensive collections of documents relating to the early American body modification community in existence. He edited the SPC website from 1995 to 2005, co-founded ModCon, was the host of ModCons 3.5 and 4, and created and hosted The Scarwars Project from 2004-2007. In 2011 Shawn launched Occult Vibrations, a blog devoted to traditional American tattoos with a focus on the occult and esoteric. He currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife Julia and their creepy pets Mr. Bailey Papers and L. RonBenet Ramsey.