...Tattoos: Art, History and the Changing Complexion The pain. The beauty. Sitting in the tattoo artist’s chair I wonder what am I doing? This is a lifelong commitment. People have been getting tattoos throughout history for many reasons: social, religious and cultural. Nowadays more people have tattoos and the percentage of people with tattoos is continuing to rise. Even though some people view it as the "devil's art", the changing culture and acceptance of tattoos is becoming more mainstream and viewed as an expression of individuality. Some people claim that tattoos have been around since 12000 B.C. Generally the earliest known tattoos are from the Iceman, a mummy found on what is now the Italian-Austrian border. The Iceman has been carbon dated as over 5000 years old. Prior to this discovery, Egyptian mummies were thought to show the earliest signs of tattoos. These tattoos usually were found on female mummies. The markings on the female represented their status and relation to the ruler or pharaohs of the time. As the Egyptian empire spread so did the influence of tattooing on other cultures and societies. Egyptians spread the art of tattoos throughout the world and different cultures adapted tattooing. Greeks used tattooing to mark rankings of spies, slaves and criminals. These markings were usually done on the face. Facial tattoos were also used in Japan on criminals. They were tattooed on the forehead with a design to signify a dog after three...
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...TATTOOS I t seems like everyone has tattoo these days. And it's not just anchors, skulls, and battleships. People have found many ways to express themselves with their tattoos. Tattoos are a form of body art, and like all art, some like them and some don't. Nowadays, elderly have bad impression about people with tattoo. As we see today even women are having tattoos. The purpose I choose this topic is to explain that tattoo is an art. THE HISTORY OF TATTOOS History shows that tattooing has existed since 12,000 years BC. The purpose of tattooing has varies from culture to culture and its place on the time line In Borneo, a woman’s particular skill is indicated when they tattooed their symbols on their forearm. Throughout history tattoos have signified membership in a clan or society. For an example, Hells Angels tattoo their particular group symbol. It has been believed that the wearer of an image calls the spirit of that image. The ferocity of a tiger would belong to the tattooed person. That tradition holds true today shown by the proliferation of images of tigers, snakes, and bird of prey. Egypt is the place where earliest tattoos can be found during the time of the construction of the great pyramids. As they expanded their empire, the art of tattooing spread as well. Around 2000 BC tattooing spread to China. Tattoo was used for the communication among spies in Greek. Romans marked criminals and slaves. This practice is still carried on today. The social status is showed...
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...Tattoo Trend Taking Over Many people today are getting tattoos, and the people who are getting them are getting them done younger. “Teens are the largest growing group getting tattoos, though this ‘body art’ is seen increasingly in professionals such as counselors, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and business managers.” (Nicoletti, p.215). People spend a lot of money on tattoos, although I could not find a scholarly source on how much is spent annually, many of the source that I found for 2013 said that in the United States people spent $1.65 billion dollars on tattoos. (Tattoo Statistics). Although tattoos are an old art form, getting a tattoo has become a trend fairly recently, and with that the art side of tattooing is being diminished. “Tattooing is not a new phenomenon in many parts of the world. As far back as 2000 BC, there is evidence that tattooing was practiced in Egypt, and in many countries it has been used as adornment and to denote status.” (J. Caplan). Tattooing has obviously been around for quite a long time, and today tattoos illustrate completely different meanings from what they used too. I seriously doubt that in 2000 BC people were getting tattoos because they thought it was a fun idea. People have started to undermine a great art form, they are doing this by taking any meaning from the art they are getting. What I mean by this is that in the past, recent and ancient, tattoos represented something about a person, weather it was a representation of their status...
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...Judge a Book by its Cover: For many years the public would say that when asked to visualize a person with tattoos their first thoughts would be of criminals, sailors, bikers, or gangsters. Not anymore! Tattoos have become culturally acceptable in today’s society. They have a rich history that dates back to 2000 B.C. before any kind of negative stigma was formed. Because of that stigma, however, tattoos and people with tattoos have developed a bad reputation. Many concerns such as the procedure, health risks and career complications are what have caused some of the negativity towards tattoos. In today’s society these are no longer the case and thus, the art has become mainstream. The act of tattooing started in early civilizations and was most evident in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians’ wall writing showed evidence of the body being used as a canvas around 2000 B.C. (“All About the”). Throughout many different cultures tattoos are used as a part of their religious practices. A tattoo can represent ones authority or a particular responsibility within the practice. However, during biblical times, tattoos were considered an act of mythological worship. Some experts believe that Moses viewed tattoos a little differently, viewing them as a way to commemorate devotion rather than paganism worship. Years later, during the Roman Empire, slaves and criminals began to bare tattoos causing them to develop a negative connotation. They were also used negatively to brand Jews during the Holocaust...
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...A tattoo is a form of a body modification made by inserting special needles with indelible ink into the dermis layer of skin to change the pigment. Tattoos are known from the ancient times. The original meaning of tattoo were the ritual rites. In many cultures the only people who could wear tattoos were the Chiefs of the tribes. Only someone who killed an enemy and got his tattooed head could wear tattoos. The most popular way of tattooing that time was the facial tattooing called “Moko” which is still being used nowadays. ‘Moko’ facial tattoo History of tattooing The earliest record of tattoos was found in 1991 on the frozen remains of Ötzi the “Iceman” who was dated from the 4th to 5th millennium BC. His lower back, left wrist, right and left ankle, behind his left knee and foot were worked with several dots and lines, made by “rubbing powdered charcoal into vertical cuts”. These tattoos are thought to be made to reduce the pain, because their placement resembles acupuncture. Ötzi, the “Iceman”, 1991. Egypt was another place with a long large number of mummies found covered with tattoos – at first lines and dots, later images representing different gods. As much as Egyptians were expanding their empire, the art of tattooing spread as well to other civilizations like: Crete, Greece, Persia, Arabia, and finally around 2000 BC it spread to China. It is believed that Greeks were using tattoos for communication between spies, Romans marked criminals...
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...Anthropologists believe that humans have been tattooing themselves for thousands of years, since at least 3250 B.C., says Marilyn Scallan in the article, “Ancient Ink: Iceman Otzi has Worlds Oldest Tattoos.” The first record of a tattooed human is Otzi, also known as the iceman (Scallan). According to Scallan, he was found buried along the border between Austria and Italy, in the possession of 61 tattoos. The article, “Looking at the World’s Tattoos” by the Smithsonian Magazine, writes that the art of tattooing has been practiced throughout the entire world at some time, from the native Americans, to Japan, India, New Guinea, and Europe. For over 2000 years, the many tribes and people living in Polynesia have had tattooing as an important cultural...
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...Tattoo Opportunities The career opportunities in art that was chosen was a tattoo artist. An alternate title for a tattoo artist is a tattooist. There are many reasons why people become a tattoo artist, but the number one reason is because of the art form in the whole tattoo industry. During the normal day of a tattoo artist is having to make sure everything is very neat, clean and the equipment and all work areas. During the spare time a tattoo artist can create new work designs. Also keeping up to date with the modern world designs and fashion. Making sure they are keeping up to date with the latest health and safety procedures. A tattooist can work 6 hours or more during 6 days a week. When a tattoo artist is tattooing he or she is using...
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...The History of Tattoos Rebecca Tanner Axia College of University of Phoenix What is all the hype revolving around tattoos truly about? There are so many answers to this question yet it can only truly be answered by the individuals who get them. For many it is simply a form of expression but history shows that there are reasons that some may have never considered, such as the medical purposes for getting tattoos. Although they are becoming more and more popular, tattoos have been a form of artistic, spiritual, and medical expression for centuries. Tattoos have been a form of expression for centuries Tattoos date back for centuries. Over the course of time, archaeologists have found evidence of the existence of tattoos on mummified remains as well as other artifacts. According to Lineberry (2007), it was believed that the first evidence of tattoos existed in ancient Egypt where tattoos date back to 2000 B.C. and were found only on female remains. This has since been disputed with the discovery of Iceman in 1991. This frozen mummy had markings on his spine, knees, and ankles. Historians have also found clay figurines depicting Japanese individuals adorned with elaborate body art dating back to 5000 B.C. It was once thought that these were merely artifacts but later revealed to be depictions of actual individuals (Vanishing Tattoo, 2008). Tattoos have also been very prominent in Celtic history, with records indicating the existence of tattoos as far back as 1200...
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...TATTOO MANIA! (An A-Z of Flash Tattoos) A proposed book illustration and its promotion A Thesis presented to the College of Fine Arts and Design UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Advertising By Ma. Minerva Minnehaha V. Capco INTRODUCTION Although our country still remains conservative as compared to the West, the prevalence of Skin Art here in the Philippines is still unstoppable. Filipinos of the latest generations have gradually started opening up to embrace a whole new subculture---a subculture that is more experimental with art, music and sports. Crews and crews of Graffiti artists as well as Skaters are flourishing, Local bands are reaching new heights, and of course, the Industry of Tattooing is growing by the minute. The word tattoo was said to have two major derivations. From the Polynesian word “Ta” which means “to strike something” and from the Tahitian word “Tatau” which means “to mark something”. Archaeologists across the globe have unearthed preserved corpses and mummies that are tattooed. These mummies are said to have lived thousands of years ago, and most of the bodies bore tattoos that signify their cultures, ranks and beliefs. According to research, tattooing has been in activity to many countries such as Japan, Egypt, China, Polynesia, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Africa, Ancient Greece and Rome, America...
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...Historical Body of Art "Tattooing" James M. McDermott COM/150 March 21, 2010 Comfort Ugwuh Historical Body of Art "Tattooing" In 1936, Life Magazine provided information from an independent study showing approximately 6% of the nation's population had a tattoo; the Harris Poll conducted in 2003 showed that approximately 15% of the population had acquired tattoos (Swan, 2006). A similar study in 2005 revealed approximately 24% of the population then had at least one tattoo (Ford, 2010). Those two studies revealed statistics that illustrate the number of people in the United States with tattoos increasing astronomically. In 67 years the number of people with tattoos increased 9%, in just two years between 2003 and 2005 the United Stated witnessed the number of individuals with tattoos increase another 9%. Tattoos are still gaining acknowledgment in society today; the number of people with tattoos is increasing exponentially with athletes, musicians, and actors ushering a wave of acceptance. Figure 1 Tattoos have been evident in societies and the human race for thousands of years. Scientists have uncovered Egyptian mummies evidently preserved in the period as early as 2000 BC, analysis revealed evidence of tattooing and other forms of body art on their mummified bodies. The Egyptian tattooing thought to be one of the earliest appearances of tattoos came into question in 1991 with the discovery of Iceman (Lineberry, 2007). A pair of hikers in the Austrian Otztal Alps stumbled...
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...Tattoo culture and influence in society Nowadays, tattoo has been regarded as a sign of fashion. “A trend that started growing in America and Europe in the early '90s, tattooing soon became so popular that 36% of Americans aged 25-29 had at least one body tattoo by 2003(Julie Genser 2007).” However, tattoo could probably bring health risks to tattoo carrier. Historically, tattoo originally is the nation’s cultural and symbolic, different tattoo pictures have own meaning and even it is a symbol of authority. This paper will argue that the ink of tattoo injecting into our skin has lead to increase health risk. And then this paper will discuss why tattoo is so popular even it is harmful people’s health. Finally, the essay will discuss tattoo is not only a historical heritage, but also stimulates the development of the economy. Early Tattoo’s culture The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tattau. It means "to mark" and was first mentioned in explorer James Cook’s records from his 1769 expedition to the South Pacific. Some scientists say that certain marks on the skin of the Iceman, a mummified human body starting from about 3300 B.C., are tattoos. In fact, tattoos were found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies starting from about B.C. One of the earliest tattoos was tribal tattoos. Tattoos have different meaning in different cultural tribes. For example, Polynesian people would add more and more tattoos to themselves even until their body was completely covered. They believed...
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...Rebecca Rashid published in the Washington Square News, an article on “Tattoo Tolerance: Older Generation Must Embrace Body Art.” Rashid’s article has brought light over the controversy of whether or not tattoos and body art are acceptable in the workplace, and how having these body modifications can affect they way that you as an individual are perceived in society. Employers are starting to see the results of how hiring tattooed employees affects their business. Even with the art of tattooing becoming more popular, the negative stigma around body modification is still heavily present amongst older generations and communities. Often times these tattoos of self-expressing art tell stories about the person who adorns the design. Ranging from...
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...Body Art: Tattoo Tattooing is a form of body art that allows people to express various forms of meanings and messages. Body art, in general, is a “visual language” that can demonstrate accomplishments, display desires and memories, and serve as an identity to exhibit a person’s status in society (Schildkrout 107). However, tattooing can often be misinterpreted and misunderstood, leaving either negative or positive perspectives upon the person that is tattooed. According to Enid Schildkrout, an anthropologist who examined the diverse cultural meanings of body art, body art is “not just the latest fashion”. Rather it is a way of expressing “individuality, social status, and cultural identity”. Tattooing is used in different groups and cultures, and is also processed using different techniques. In Body Art as Visual Language, it is stated that the Japanese would work by hand by using a collection of needles set in a wooden handle. In Polynesian culture, tattooist would pierce the skin with a hammer-like instrument to mark the body. Steve Gilbert published a collection of historical records of tattooing throughout the world from ancient to present times. He states that in New Zealand, people practice Moko, which was a unique form of decorating the face with “intricate spirals that were incised into the skin to make scars in the form of parallel ridges and grooves” (67). Creating these marked ridges and groove features required the instrument to “penetrate deeply into the flesh”...
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...2013 Research Paper Tattoos From the time we are born until the time we are elderly we are constantly around tattoos. In the United States a person must be 18 before they can get a tattoo legally without parents consent. Therefore, many children like the idea of tattoos, so many put on temporary tattoos such as the stick on temporary ones with water and henna tattoos. A tattoo is a type of art where he or she gets a permanent picture or design process of pricking and ingraining an indelible pigment. The word tattoo is said to have came from two different origins the Polynesian word ‘ta’ which means striking something and the Tahitian word ‘tatau’ which means ‘to mark something (“Tattoo Temple”). Many people across the world have tattoos in all different sizes, colors, and places. Each person who has a tattoo has gotten it for one reason or another. It is amazing how long tattoos have been around for. One fact obtained from doing research is, “Believe it or not, some scientists say that certain marks on the skin of the Iceman, a mummified human body dating from about 3300 B.C., are tattoos” (Krcmarik). It is very interesting to know that tattoos have been around for this many years, it was until 1991 when the tattoos were discover on the Iceman by scientist Otzi. It is incredible how they were still able to discover these markings on the Iceman after so many years of being frozen. Many people over look tattoos as dumb useless art on the body, but many tattoos have a symbolic meaning...
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...Tattoos and Nail Art Todays New Art Unit 1 Discussion Board American Intercontinental University June 13, 2013 Tattoos and Nail Art Todays New Art Non- traditional art has been around for thousands of years. Tattoos and Nail Art are two non-traditional examples of what are sometimes considered masterpieces. People have marked their bodies with tattoos for centuries. Body art has taken many different forms throughout many different cultures. Tattoos are permanent designs. Depending on the culture reasons for body art range from rite of passage, social status, rebellion and artistic expressions. Tattoos are made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of skin to change the pigment. Some tattoos are plain but some are masterpieces. http://www.only-tattoos.com/black-cat-tattoos-the-cool-bold-way-to-make-a-statement-of-your-personality/cat-tattoos1 Nail art is another form of expression or art in a non-traditional way. Nail art dates back to 3000bc where henna or mehendi was used to color nails in India and Arabia. Centuries ago Chinese people decorated their nails with real silver. In 1932 a French company Revlon introduced finger nail polish. Nail art is a beautiful art that is also a huge fashion trend nowadays. Nail art is the practice of painting decorative designs on finger nails. I myself believe that clean manicured nails say a lot about a person’s personality. Nail care and fashion has given birth to a whole new non-traditional...
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