A Fresh Perspective on the Complexity of Tattooing

To gain new information on my topic for my research paper, the first books I read were a series of four titled “Tattooing”. The three books in the series were called, Tattoo Artists, Tattoos and Indigenous People, and Tattoos in Modern Society. Each of these books gave me new insight into the subcategories of the art of tattooing, but they also all worked together as a series to present valuable information on tattooing as a whole.

The first book I read, Tattoo Artists by Jeanne Nagle taught me about the motivation to be a tattoo artist, what the job requires, and the many different aspects and skills required to be a tattoo artist. Tattoo Artists was a valuable resource for me in part because I have always wondered why someone would want to be a tattoo artist asI would feel way too pressured and anxious to want this as a job, no matter how much I love tattoos. One of the main focuses of this book was the complexity and mysteriousness of being a tattoo artist. Something I had never thought much about before was the fact that being a tattoo artist is more than just creating art on someone’s skin. “Because [tattooists] work so independently, they have to learn how to take care of many different aspects of their business on their own. Marketing and advertising their service, as well as ordering supplies and keeping their equipment up to date and running, are some of the tasks they must perform to keep the business afloat. They should also know basic bookkeeping and accounting principles so they can keep track of payments and expenses” (Nagle 23). I think many people take tattoo artists for granted and do not give them enough recognition and respect for their incredible work. Reading this book gave me valuable information and opened my eyes to how demanding and unique of a career tattooists have.

The second of this book, Tattoos and Indigenous People by Judith Levin was my personal favorite of this series because of its pertinence to our current unit. The beginning of the book even dips into the idea of noble savages! This book’s title suggests it is all about indigenous cultures, but it also covers the contributions of other cultures to the history of tattooing. All three books in this series mention the first known tattooed human, a mummified body found in the mountains between Italy and Austria. The book goes on to explain chronologically how tattooing has changed and developed through time. One of the most important things I learned from this book is how the messages and meanings of tattoos have waned since they were first practiced. In modern days, tattoos are more of a “novelty item”, like jewelry or designer clothes, as opposed to something of deep cultural and tribal significance… “Modern tribal-style tattoos are often handsome but do not make the same kind of statement about the wearer’s identity that a real indigenous tattoo can make… [Indigenous people’s] traditions have been destroyed or almost destroyed by outsiders… Tattoos, like letter jackets or religious symbols, can only keep their meaning when people who know what they mean wear them. [Tattoos with tribal significance are] not just a style, not just one more thing for people to buy” (Levin 53-54).

The last book I read was Tattoos in Modern Society by Janey Levy. This one explores “how tattooing entered the mainstream” and “who gets tattoos and why”. The book also mentioned many celebrities and royal people who inspire others to get tattoos. This information made me think more about the trendiness of tattoos; most people who have many tattoos also have friends and family who are interested in them. The book also looked at how our view on tattoos has changed so much throughout the years. I learned about how tattooing has gone from being something strictly to identify groups or cure ailments, to being completely outlawed, to being used to alienate criminals and others with “abnormal” ways of life, to being mostly for decoration and novelty with a few exceptions. The most valuable things this book taught me were how views on tattooing have developed, and how different the concept of tattoos is now as compared to the past.