There are many talented people around the world who have a unique professions. I would like to talk about the profession of a tattoo artist. Tattoo artists are creators of images and symbols that relate to the person they are putting their art work on.
A tattoo is a permanent design on a person’s body created with a needle and ink. The word tattoo came from the Tahitian term "tatua" which means "to mark." This type of art has been practiced for centuries in a variety of cultures; each culture interprets the meaning of tattoos in a different way. Dating back to ancient times, decorating with tattoos was a popular practice, whether it was for religious beliefs or a punishment. Tattoos were done to capture a special and important moment in a person’s life.
In the past, tattoos were not accepted in United States as an art form but thought to be a taboo. There was a limited amount of tattoo parlors that did tattoos by hand. The process was long and painful, which explains why everyone had a negative association towards it.
In1891 the first tattoo machine was issued to Irishman Samuel O’Reilly who opened a tattoo shop in New York. From that point on, getting tattoos was a much faster process and not as painful. During the World War I and II, military personnel started getting tattoos, which symbolized protection and remembrance of the work they had done for their country. The type of tattoos they would usually get would be something that showed the pride and freedom they have for thier country, such as an “eagle” or an “anchor.” After this magazines and conventions made tattoos popular and more excepted in United State.
So far I gave a brief summary of the history of Tattooing and I want to focus this blog on the trends and styles of different tattoos like tribal, Celtic, kanji, black and white, bio-mechanical, and much more. I want to understand why people get the tattoos they get and what it means to them. I myself have a full sleeve, black and white piece which took about 30 hours to complete. I personally believe tattooing is a type of art which only a limited amount of talented people can do.
Let me know what you think of tattoos and if you have a piece done already, share your experience. I would love to hear more about it.
