The form of body art known as tattooing has developed skillfully, improved technically, and has provided its wearers with a unique form of self-expression. This art form has taken an extreme amount of criticism throughout the countless years to become what it is now days. Frowned upon by the public eye it has been a long and delicate process to get tattoos socially acceptable. Finally in the year twenty fifteen we have more freedom and self-expression than ever before and along with those traits we have an avalanche of people who have started to get tattooed. There has been a seven percent increase in adults that have tattoos over the past 10 years. That is an unbelievable statistic when you think about it; seven percent of the population in the United States has now decided to get tattoos.
When you take a look back into the history of tattooing its quite fascinating. The earliest signs of tattooing dates back to 2000 B.C., tattoos were used for tribal customs in places all around the world. There was a multitude of reasons that people got tattoos back in that time. "Historically, tattoos were created to beautify, shock or humiliate and they could proclaim valor, religious belief, group solidarity or personal independence," (Helms). Tattoos do not have one historical origin point that we know of, yet we get the name tattoo from an English conversion of the Polynesian word Tatau. This is because in 1769 captain James Cook landed on the island of Tahiti and found countless number of tattooed people. While on the island many of the captain's crew took part in getting tattoos. What they did not realize at that time is that them getting those tattoos would eventually spark a tattoo revolution.
This sparked a craze in Victorian English high society; although tattoos were frowned upon in the Victorian society many people secretly had tattoos. Even Queen Victoria her self had a tiger fighting a python tattoo. There is countless evidence that show that the art form of tattoos sprung up all around the world, at all different times, for many different reasons. Ancient crusaders would get the Jerusalem cross tattooed on there chests, Egyptian soldiers would get warrior tattoos, and Japanese prisoners would be tattooed out of shame. Over time the art form of tattooing has greatly advanced from once where you would get chiseled with a sharp point dipped in ink to now the use of the tattoo machine created by Samuel O'reily in 1891. Although the technology has changed one thing has always remained the same, at the end of the day the tattoo in your skin will be there for life.
This art form of tattooing has come a very long way over the many years it has been around, but there has never been a surge of popularity and advancement in the art form itself like this last 40 years. It dates back to 1970 this is when we began to see a major change in the common tattoo. For the first time artists trained in traditional fine art disciplines to begin to embrace tattooing and within doing this created a new type of sophisticated imagery and technique. Along with the new study and new imagery what took tattoos to the next level was the major advance in the electric needle machines. With the new machines and new pigments that provided them with a whole new range of colors and a new way to have grave detail in there works of art.
Over the past decade the popularity of tattoos has sky rocketed, more and more people everyday decide they want to either get a first tattoo or another tattoo. Yet after all the advances and increase in popularity why is it that the perception of people with tattoos is so negative? Something that can be so beautiful and mean a great detail to someone can also have serious negative affects in the eyes of others. The fact that someone can lose there job or not even get a chance to apply for a job because of tattoos he or she has is asinine. This is the twenty first century were people are able to express themselves more than ever before, yet we are holding people back because of ink in there skin. At some point people need to look past this misconception that people who have tattoos are criminals or gang affiliates.
What many people will be shocked to hear is that some of the most respected men and women in the work field have tattoos. What many people don't know is that there are thousands of doctors, lawyers, news anchors that are covered in tattoos. This only proving that because you have tattoos does not mean you cannot excel in any profession that you want. But, with that being said if you do have tattoos all over your body from head to toe it might make it more difficult to get accepted into certain fields of work. As a doctor has the ability to wear a medical jacket and a lawyer the advantage of wearing a suit, yet if you work in the restaurant industry you might not be so lucky to have work attire that covers your entire body neck down.
"The cultural status of tattooing has steadily evolved from that of an anti-social activity in the 1960s to that of a trendy fashion statement in the 1990s." (Levins). And even today getting tattoos is more socially acceptable than ever before. In a recent study it showed that one in every five adults have a tattoo, and about forty percent of adults ranging from eighteen to twenty nine have at least one tattoo. It's truly fascinating how the acceptance of tattoos has drastically changed in the past 50 years. In the early 1900s it was quite rare to see someone with tattoos. The most common person to have a tattoo was someone who served in the military or army. It seemed after each Great War there were more and more military tattoos. This was a great influence during that time that promoted tattoos. Although there was still a lot of backlash from people who were highly negative on the thought of having tattoos.
What truly sparked the revolution of the tattoo and brought us to where we are now was the major influence that rock stars had on the public in the 1970's. No more popular than the rock stars Rolling Stones, by the late 1980's tattoos began to become more socially acceptable and accepted by a much broader group of people. Tattoos have reached such a peak of popularity that some of the most famous people in are country are covered in tattoos. Professional athletes, rock stars, models, movie stars, and other major public figures all support and have tattoos.
Another major reason for the explosion of popularity is the business aspect of tattoos.
During the last fifteen years, two distinct classes of tattoo business have emerged. The first is the "tattoo parlor"... The second is the "tattoo art studio" that most frequently features custom, fine art design; the ambiance of an upscale beauty salon; marketing campaigns aimed at middle- and upper middle-class professionals..." (Levins)
The emergence of the "tattoo art studio" has really helped the surge of popularity. By approaching this new form of tattoo parlor per say it has welcomed the more innocent crowd that want tattoos. Rather than them being intimidated to walk into a tattoo parlor of all men covered in all sorts of tattoos they can now feel more comfortable to walk into an art studio. Somewhere that may be more welcoming and not as scary to some. By making the experience of getting a tattoo more comfortable for the client it has a much higher chance of repeat business or a chance for someone to refer that artist or tattoo shop.
As personally being to both a tattoo parlor and a tattoo studio its very easy to see how they both co exist perfectly and in fact balance the work between both styles of shop. On one hand you get the tattoo parlor something that has been around for over a hundred years and something that certain people love and attract to. On the other hand you have a more casual tattoo shop for the other class of people who get tattoos, such as a first time client receiving a first tattoo can be extremely nerve racking so getting it done in a safe calm environment can really help the client.
Of all the decades that truly helped the cultural shift and acceptance of the tattoos of today it was the ninety's. "The once-rebel art of tattooing has achieved mainstream popularity in 90's America. Today's typical tattoo studio is clean and comfortable with tattooing areas that resemble medical-clinic rooms." (Levins) Throughout the nineteen ninety's there were numerous laws passed that changed the profession of bing a tattoo artist for the first time states had to change laws to allow the practice of this art form. Along with that many museums that finally started to accept and add pieces of tattoo design work to their permanent art collections. The ninety's were a driving force for tattoo artwork and it was the first time ever that artist were being recognized for this incredible talent that they had.
Tattoos are more sociably accepted in the year 2015 than ever before. Tattoos are finally being noticed for the ridiculous amount of detail and artwork rather than just some gang sign or prison tattoo. There is sheer beauty in the way someone decides to mark their body with there own personal believes or interests. "Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past." When conducting research I came across this quote and I just loved it. Once we as a society can accept the fact that tattoos are an art form and you yourself a canvas then I think people will become more open into the idea of tattoos.
Times magazine said it best "they have adorned the arms and chests of sailors, roustabouts and construction workers. Now, after a decade or two of decline, tattoos are enjoying a renaissance. They have become the vogue of the counterculture." (Levins) Tattoos are in there so called golden age, with more people getting tattoos everyday. It makes you beg the question of is the backlash towards tattoos finally over? Of course people will have all different opinions on the subject but the truth is that for the first time in history this art form is being recognized for exactly what it is art.
