radiobastet

OK, here's my damn tattoo speech that I'm giving on Monday. The little numbers refer to the number of the transparency that I'll be slapping onto the overhead at the appropriate moment. Be kind.

A large, beautifully framed photograph of my left lower leg hangs on the wall of a tattoo studio in Mount Vernon, WA. (1) Standing with me in the photo is Darius, the woman who, with artistry and skill, ushered me into the fascinating world of tattoos 2 years ago. Ive been an enthusiastic student of tattoo culture ever since. Today I want to give you a brief history of the art of the tattoo, and examine several popular tattoo styles. I hope this will be a new and fascinating subject for most of you; and for the already-inked among you, I hope this will serve as something of a refresher course. Who knows - you might learn something new.

Tattoos have an ancient and varied history. No one knows for sure when and how the art of tattooing began, but the oldest tattooed specimen ever found dates back to approximately 3000 years BC. Historical evidence of tattooing has been found in nearly every culture of the world. As author and tattoo artist Spider Webb puts it in his book Pushing Ink, From the Eskimos to the Incas, from the Arabians to the Burmese, from the Tahitians to the Egyptians, from the Africans to the ancient Britons (2), tattooing was part of the civilization. The South Seas seemed to be an especially verdant area for tattoos. (3) Here is a New Zealand chieftan of the 19th century sporting a full-face tattoo. The reasons for tattooing among the ancients were many to indicate social status within the tribe and also ones occupation, as magical or shamanic talismans for protection or communication with the spirit world, as warrior marks, and also simply for decoration. Also, the process of receiving a tattoo was considered an initiation or rite of passage. It was extremely painful. Obviously they didnt have electric tattoo machines, so the work had to be done by hand, using a mallet and an instrument made of bone that looked a lot like a comb.

Well, as you can probably guess, it was the sailors who traveled to the South Seas who were responsible for popularizing tattoos on the mainland once they returned home, starting in the early 1800s. A lot of them told wild tales of being kidnapped and forcibly tattooed by the natives. It probably didnt happen quite that way, but nevertheless those sailors certainly started something.

Tattoo parlors began proliferating around the world shortly after the invention of the first electric tattoo machine in 1891. But far from the exciting art form that its grown into today, tattooing was then seen as something only sailors, thieves, prisoners, circus performers (5), bikers (they came along later) and other low-lifes would indulge in. That image is fading now, thanks to the many truly gifted tattoo artists out there and the people who have chosen to wear these unique artistic expressions or as tattoo artist Madame Chinchilla calls them, art with a pulse.

If youve ever considered getting a tattoo someday, there are many types of tattoo designs to choose from. Lets look at a few of the most popular. (6) Celtic tattoos are one of the most common and, I think, most beautiful styles youll see. They can feature people and animals from Celtic folklore, intricate knotwork, and other traditional (and sometimes not so traditional) designs from the British Isles. (7) The Mans Ruin tattoo shown here is a prime example of the old school style. Old school designs are the classics sacred hearts, pin-up girls, mermaids, lucky dice, hula girls, cherries, swallows, the ever-popular MOM. Mans Ruin always depicts those things that have traditionally been, well, a mans ruin women, alcohol and gambling. Will they ever learn? (8) Theres old school, and then theres new school. New school takes the best of the traditional styles, mixes em up with fine art and folk art styles, and ends up with something bold and unique. This is where the imagination and creativity of the artist and the wearer really come into play. New school tattoos are bright, vibrant, lively works of art. (9) You might say that the biomechanical tattoo is an offshoot of the new school style. These wild and oftimes disturbing designs were inspired by the part human/part machine artwork of artists like HR Giger. They often look like the skin has been peeled back to reveal a combination of bones and machinery. Weird! (10) Here is a very striking Tribal backpiece. Tribal is also very popular. The ones you see most often, like this one, are really modern interpretations of traditional Polynesian tribal designs. They are almost always done in heavy blackwork like this, which gives them that distinctive look. (11) Closely aligned with Tribal is Haida, which truly is a tribal design of the Native American Haida peoples of the Queen Charlotte Islands in Canada. These are also done mostly in black, usually with red or another color as highlight. They often depict the two totem animals of the Haida, the Raven and the Eagle. (12) The Japanese style is very distinctive. Theyre some of the most intricate and colorful designs youll ever see. They use traditional Oriental imagery such as the koi fish, water, dragons, samurai warriors, etc. But the main distinction of Japanese style tattoos is that they are meant to cover the whole body. Also, the traditional Japanese method of tattooing, known as ire-zumi, is still done by hand, very similar to the ancient Polynesian style I described earlier. (13) The artist uses small needles attached to steel rods to literally push the ink into the skin.

As you can see, there are many tattoo styles available, but the tattoo that you choose (if you should decide to get one) should be an expression of your own unique personality and style. Why DO people get tattoos? To express themselves, in whatever manner is appropriate for them. It depends on what you want to express. You can get a tattoo simply for personal adornment (14), kind of like jewelry, or you can get one to mark a momentous occasion in your life. (15) This womans tattoo lets the world know that she will not be defeated by lifes setbacks, even breast cancer and a mastectomy. As you can see, a tattoo can become an affirmation of life in the face of death. A tattoo is a symbol it represents YOU.

I was going to talk about the actual process of getting a tattoo, but I just didnt have the time. We here in Portland are very fortunate to be blessed with many incredible tattoo artists. (16) This is MY tattoo artist, Amanda Myers of Infinity Tattoo, with her mother, who is showing off the beautiful tattoo that Amanda herself gave her.

Now that you know something of the history of the tattoo and are familiar with some of the more popular designs, I hope that you might be inspired to get inked yourself one day or to add to your collection. I hope youll agree with me that tattoos truly are, in the words of Madame Chinchilla, pigments of the imagination.