Doralba Picerno - Tattoo Art: A Photographic Sourcebook

This edition published in 2012 by Arcturus Publishing Limited
26/27 Bickels Yard, 151153 Bermondsey Street,
London SE1 3HA

Copyright 2012 Arcturus Publishing Limited
Photographs Doralba Picerno

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person or persons who do any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

eISBN: 978-1-78212-668-3
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I remember a time, not so long ago, when tattoos were regarded with suspicion and the people sporting them were invariably assumed to lead colourful lives. How things change! Today tattoos have lost their stigma and are essential accessories for many followers of street fashion. While a visible tattoo might hamper your chance of working in a bank, it will not necessarily affect your employment prospects elsewhere. When Lady Gaga feels compelled to mimic Zombie Boys well-known facial tattoo in one of her videos, it is clear that permanent skin designs have seeped undeniably into the mainstream.

One of the most interesting aspects of modern tattooing is the way in which its designs have evolved to reflect the zeitgeist. As tattoo practice has become more widespread, techniques have become more refined, allowing artists to develop new skills and push the boundaries of what a tattoo is expected to look like.

As a consequence, this has led to the development of technologies to remove unwanted body art. Many studios offer laser treatment for the removal of bad tattoos or simply to lighten the tattoo before covering it with a more attractive piece of art. A tattoo is no longer forever, but its removal is painful and time-consuming. Some inks are harder to remove than others, and treatments cost more than the original tattoo, so be sure to choose your artist and tattoo wisely!

What constitutes a bad tattoo is a matter of opinion, but people who have had laser treatment to remove their tattoos describe some common characteristics. Often the offending tattoo is an old one: perhaps the person had it done when he or she was young, failed to choose an artist wisely and was not sufficiently discerning about the quality of work or its subject matter, or the positioning of the tattoo on the body. Sometimes the tattoo is on a part of the body that is seldom covered the head or hands, for example which may cause problems in terms of interaction with others or of employability. Other bad tattoos may simply be poor artwork consisting of uneven lines, colours that bleed into one another, and badly proportioned images. In some instances, the tattoo may not have aged well and what started out as very intricate work now just looks messy.

I have worked in the tattoo industry for a number of years and seen trends come and go or evolve into new styles entirely.

Tattoos have become increasingly complex. Between the 1930s and the 1970s, the predominant style was that of basic two-dimensional designs depicting naval motifs, pin-ups and good-luck charms; the quality and tonal range of these tattoos were dictated by the inks and equipment available at the time. Todays artists can achieve much more sophisticated results by replicating painterly and photographic effects on peoples skin.

The revival of 1950s fashions in recent years has seen a resurgence of the traditional pin-up, both as an icon and a model of beauty to which girls may aspire. Of course, at the dawn of the 21st century the pin-up is street-wise no longer nave and supplicating, but strong and independent. This spirit is reflected in the ubiquity of female tattoo artists, a greater number of visible tattoos on women and a wider choice of subject matter in tattoo designs.

In the 1980s and 1990s, black ink tribal work and monochrome biomechanic designs inspired by H. R. Gigers artwork were all the rage. However, now a fashion for new traditionally coloured pieces and photo-realistic tattoos has taken naval and portrait work to a different level. The earlier trends have not completely disappeared but have merely adapted to the changing sensibilities of artists and clients. These trends have evolved into a range of genres that are often blended in an organic fusion style. One of the oldest genres in the tattoo world, the Japanese style, is interpreted by countless artists even though few of them have trained with Japanese tattoo masters. But the iconography and strength of the symbols are so captivating that this has become one of the most popular types of tattoo art in the West today.

The examples of tattoo art in the following pages demonstrate the skills and techniques of the artists and the range of design ideas available to enthusiasts from the natural world to celebrity portraits, and from elaborate dot work to symbols of the modern age.

A photographic portrait of a much loved rock icon: Kurt Cobain by Andy Engel, Andys Tattoo, Kitzingen, Germany.A colourful and detailed animal portrait by Jo Harrison, Modern Body Art, Birmingham, UK.A sugar skull girl holding a sugar skull: a homage to folk Mexican imagery by Tony B, UK.Hand-poked tattoo by Sakura Avalon, UK.Tattoo by Mark Gibson, Monki Do, Belper, UK.By Dawnii, Painted Lady Tattoo Parlour, Birmingham, UK.By Sam Ricketts, Mantra Tattoo Studio, Cheltenham, UK.Highly stylized Maori work by Lionel, Johnny Two Thumb Tattoo Studio, Singapore.

T he images included here show highly stylized tattoos. The artists who have created them use lines and shapes and often even just simple dots to produce striking designs. They combine small abstract motifs to achieve wonderfully subtle patterns and figures or take pictorial elements and break them down to their fundamental components, which they then tattoo onto the client in individual abstract patterns. Sometimes a pictorial tattoo is surrounded by abstract patterns to elevate it and make it stand out. Somewhat surprisingly, this type of work is not a new development; it has grown out of hundreds of years of tattoo practice and has become more stylized and sophisticated over the centuries.