Tattoo Art

The Beginning of Tattoo ArtSince times dating back to over five thousand years ago, people have been fascinated by the art tattoo. Historians and archaeologists believe that our ancestors developed the means body marking most likely by accident and when they realized that the marks were permanent, they developed it into a practiced art form and ritualized marking that has continued today.

The art tattoo has come into popular culture in many forms. Ancient ritualized markings denoting caste levels, honor to various gods and goddesses as well as accomplishments have found themselves at the end of a tattoo machine for the modern human canvas as a way to show personal expression.

Early tattoos have been discovered in every populated continent and group of people ranging from Polynesia to Native Americans and Vikings. Early explorers discovered the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptians and elected for many years to not make the discovery of tattoos known to the public due to the negative reaction that it might generate. This nondisclosure was not made public until 1891.

In many cultures tattooing was solely reserved for warriors, the Egyptians practiced the art tattoo for women in service to the Gods and Goddesses. This spirituality is one of the more common reasons for tattooing. They believed that by paying homage with the body, it assured the wearer a more devoted retribution from their chosen deity and a greater chance for a rewarding afterlife.

For many the art tattoo represents a wilder side to their personality.  Perhaps a bit of rebellion against the expected norms of a more staid and traditional society that looks upon a tattoo with wariness as the stigma associated with the art tattoo is not as widely spread to the more conservative.  There are other individuals who use the tattoo as a means of remembrance for fallen family and friends or as a spiritual guide for their lives.

The social stigma of the tattoo varies from nation to nation. When talking about the art tattoo there are many different opinions.  It is common for the elderly population to remember a time when tattoos were reserved for soldiers, criminals or members of a circus troop.  The negative connotation of the ink on the skin has become less with younger generations as it grows in popularity.

The art tattoo has reached a new level acceptance due to television shows such as TLC’s Miami Ink. Viewers watch individuals of all walk’s of life coming into the parlor to become etched with ink. Some are dedicated works of art depicting lost loved ones or as a tribute to special people in the tattooed person’s life. The reasons are many and the tattoo machine, throughout the world, is working overtime to make those marks.