Over the past quarter-century the world has been enjoying a ‘Tattoo Renaissance’. (Rubin, 1988. pg. 233) Developments of single needle techniques, an extension of colour palettes, a refinement of technique and equipment and a social relocation of the practice have all been gradually evolving since the introduction of the electric tattooing machine in 1890. Furthermore, escalating since the tattoo’s resurgence of popularity in the 1960’s. The technological developments in the field during this time have changed how these indelible designs are viewed in relation to the art world at large, as well as how society views the tattooed masses.
“Tattooing is a universal and age-old phenomenon” (Caplin, 2000. pg.17)
The ancient art of tattooing has led a colourful and episodic life. Cases of ‘marked’ men and women have been uncovered across the globe. Evidence of tattoos have been found on Egyptian mummies from 21,000 BC. The tattooed ‘Ice Man’ that was discovered in the Alto Adige in Sep 1991 dates back to as far as 32,000 – 33,000 BC. Various pieces of Greek artwork depict women with markings on their arms and legs. Ample evidence of ‘barbarian’ nations, the old tribes of Scotland for instance, adorning tattoos has been uncovered. In fact this is thought to be the reason that Scottish warriors famously wore very little wearing clothing, as to show off their decorated bodies. (Caplin, 2000. pg.6) And the ancient tattoo cultures of nations like New Zealand, Japan, India and Africa are still alive today, and considered a venerable art form.
The stigma that still lingers around tattoos in today’s society was born in the ancient cultures of Greece and the Roman Empire. In fact, the word itself is derived from Greek and Roman texts that referred to body-marking with the term ‘stigma’, which has incidentally passed into modern English adopting a meaning of ‘mark of infamy’ or ‘moral blot’. (Caplin, 2000. pg.1) In Ancient Greek artwork women who chose to mark their skin were commonly depicted as maenads, the mad women who were said to have murdered Orpheus and danced in erratic ecstasy at festivals for Dionysus. Little information has been found about the functions of tattoos in archaic societies, but one role it is clear to have played is as a symbol of social status. Tattoos were often used to mark a slave; as a farmer might brand his livestock, a master would mark a slave as his and therefore never to be granted freedom, be it from servitude or class. In the Roman Empire tattooing was used as a punishment or threat. It was not so much the pain or risk of infection that was so intimidating but the stigmatic consequences.
“the various experiences of disgrace, humiliation and exclusion that were consequences of having one’s criminal nature indelibly written on one’s face” (Caplin, 2000. pg.23)
During the seventeenth century Britain began to transport their convicts to Australia, tattooing them with indelible identity tags. Over 115 convicts had their initials and some indication of their crimes inscribed onto their bodies. Later in the nineteenth century tattoos began to appeal to people who felt different or found themselves unwilling, if not just unable, to fit in; groups with a sense of “otherness.” Such groups gravitated towards the circus scene and heavily tattooed bodies grew to be a common sight at Freak-Shows, alongside Bearded Ladies, Dwarves and performers with deformities. The higher classes showed an ambivalent attitude towards tattoos, they may have attended and admired the show but they ultimately looked down upon the seedy, deviants that chose such a life. A deep-seated cultural view that has filtered down to the present day public, and attributing tattoos with a kind of strange double nature; the power to both affront and attract.
Despite the consistent ill feeling towards tattoos, the idea that it’s appeal is ingrained in human nature is inescapable. Perhaps it is that at our core there is a captivation with the body and a longing to express ourselves, that spurred ancient civilizations with no contact between one another to perform the same act of piercing the skin to create aesthetic markings. The technology of the past’s instruments may have been crude and primitive but they had the potential to create a wide range of patterns and pictorial designs regardless. The process involved using extremely sharpened animal or fish bones, bamboo slivers, shell fragments or thorns with a stone like a chisel to puncture the flesh in order to insert pigments that would become a permanent stained scar on the body. (Cohen, 1994. pg.215) The elaborate, illustrative compositions of the Japanese were developed by means of clustering up to forty needles together, and the Maori refined specialised uhi, or chisel-like, tools from albatross bones attached to a wooden handle for their ‘Moko’ tattoos. The method of pricking the skin by hand evolved to using sewing needles, but more or less remained the same until the electric tattooing machine was invented by artist Samuel F. O’Reilly in the late nineteenth century.
It not only accelerated the process and diminished the pain involved, often with the use of anaesthetic, but it facilitated greater detail in the line, colouring and shading of the art work itself. The new ease of the process triggered a surge in popularity for tattooing; an article in the Tatler in 1903 entitled “The Gentle Art of Tattooing” described the practice as a “gentle art” and “the height of fashionability.” (Caplin, 2000) The machine owes its design to the rotary mechanism of the sewing machine, much like Thomas Edison’s Auto-graphic Printer and Electric Stencil Pen. Both of these devices were designed to engrave on hard surfaces such as metal, but O’Reilly’s modifications increased and softened the stroke of the machine making it safe to use on skin, as well as making it faster. (Rubin, 1988) Just as the public showed a greater interest in acquiring tattoos, young artists also flocked to tattoo studios to take up apprenticeships, and learn from the masters. The culture and community involved in tattoo artistry steadily grew, accumulating knowledge and techniques that expedited developments of the tattooing machine, playfully nicknamed the tattoo gun in allusion to its appearance.
Commercial tattoo machines have been available by mail order since O’Reilly’s time, but recent professional tattoo artists are in the habit of building their machines to their own personal preferences, with individual improvements being added constantly. The basic operation of a rotating machine is an electric motor that drives the needle forward and retracts it by means of a spring. Modern rotator machine’s needles puncture the skin 1,000 to 3,000 times a minute (as shown in the video below), and can penetrate less than a quarter of a millimetre; just enough to ensure permanence without causing excess pain. (Cohen, 1994. pg.215) Most contemporary tattooists operate with two machines. One with 2-4 needles for small details and outlining, and another containing 6-12 needles for filling colour and shading. The most common machine used today is the Coil tattoo machine that employs an electromagnetic circuit to move the needle array up and down, and are available in a wide range, from single coiled machines to triple helix machines. Tattoo artistry has never stood so close to the precipice of artistic or technological perfection.
“We are witnesses to a tattoo revival. We see bodies emblazoned with them everywhere, it seems, in our media-saturated society.” (Caplin, 2000. pg.17)
According to tattoo artist and theorist Arnold Rubin, for the past quarter-century the West has been enjoying a ‘tattoo renaissance’. We’ve entered an age when tattoo artists receive professional art training before taking up studio apprenticeships and in turn the quality of art and service has never been better. Increasing communication between tattoo artists and a rise in positive culture surrounding the medium facilitated an increase in mail order suppliers, newsletters and conventions which allowed artists to pool their knowledge and trade secrets. ‘Flash Sheets’ of the past are progressively discarded in order for the artist to specialize on large-scale custom designs geared towards the clients specifications, and because a tattoo artist could begin to take pride in their own creations they could also recognise and apprise one another’s work. The industry came together as a kind of informal guild to share technical and trade secrets, while also construct a uniform ethical and hygienic standard of regulations to help overturn some of the strict laws against the practice of tattooing that arose in the 1930’s, and prevent unsafe practices from opperating.
Tattoo artists have developed a highly professional process that has removed much of the stigma surrounding the industry. They can unhesitatingly respond to client’s questions, handle and adjust the tattooing equipment with routine ease, prepare of the area to be tattooed in a relaxing and matter-of-fact manner. Ultimately it is the tattooist’s professional skill that attest to his right to control the interaction.
“The tattooist’s ability to guide the interaction with the client is further supported by his overt display of technical skill and knowledge.” (Rubin, 1988. pg.220)
The service that a tattoo artist provides has come to be for many a cathartic or therapeutic experience that allows the client to alter their personal definition of their body, and occasionally double as a cosmetic surgery alternative by covering up unwanted birthmarks, hiding scars and even filling in un-pigmented areas of skin. The venerable art dedicated to skin deep beauty’s uniqueness lies in the canvas it chooses; a living, breathing being that can think and move at will, that can give something of their own life force to the artwork. This essence cannot be reproduced. The tattoo may be photographed but the still image will never be able to exhibit the life and movement of the original. One would hope that the public and art world at large will continue to appreciate and develop the practice for its unique potential, and work towards the eradication of its lingering stigma. When you really think about it, the main argument against tattoos and age-old adage ‘tattoos last forever’ is inherently wrong.
“tattoos last only as long as the body endures which is to say not as long as ink on paper.” (Caplin, 2000. pg.66)
For an art form as old as humanity, tattoo artistry has been considerably slow to evolve, but this is due to the old techniques being effective enough that for centuries it did not need to be improved. After all if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? But with innovations being made at an accelerating rate within the past few decades, one has to question where it is going? It’s come out recently that a group of French design students have adapted a 3D printer that could make tattoo artists completely obsolete. (McRae, 2014) Could the technological future of tattooing eventually then remove the artist entirely? Artists are already using computer programmes to create their designs, perhaps the true artistry of tattooing is doomed to become, like hand pricking techniques, a vintage or old-fashioned practice?
1. Caplin, J. (2000) Writen on the Body, New Jersey, Princeton University Press
2. Cohen, T. (1994) The Tattoo, Sydney, Adrian Savvas Publishing
3. McRae, M. (2014) Technology Takes Tattoos into the Future. ASME.org Available at: https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/design/technology-takes-tattoos-into-future
4. Rubin, A. (1988) Marks of Civilization, California, Regents of the University of California.
Scribbled Hands 
Reblogged this on gemmathrower and commented:
Very interesting!
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