Nick Schonberger - The Language of Tattoos: 130 Symbols and What They Mean

130 Symbols & What They Mean

Oliver Munden & Nick Schonberger

It is not possible to discuss the language of tattoos without first acknowledging appropriation. Many of the images that represent and inform what we generally accept as standard in tattooing have been taken from a diverse range of places and cultures and granted new life as adornments for the body.

The rapid rise of popular print during the 19th century created a wealth of material ranging from dynamic visual interpretations of popular Christian hymns to the robust graphic language of Victorian funeral tradition. In swift turn, such images became motifs for tattoos and, over time, their tattoo forms became more widely recognized than the original designs. Images derived from military insignia, nation building, brand building, the thrills of the carnival, the blur of the locomotive era, the allure of Hollywood and the power of fast fashion enjoyed a similar fate.

Of course, this is the exciting thing about the language of tattoos. Pictures traverse time and environment, layering tones from prior generations with those of new generations to create an ever-deepening shared culture. The varied, and sometimes conflicting, channels for some images reflect the truly multifaceted flow of information and of visual culture that is seen on countless pages, web browsers, bodies and more.

A second acknowledgement within the context of this book, is that the images described fall within a particular history of tattooing, specifically, the European/North American tradition. It is in this tradition that tattooing is at once an art and a craft, but also a codified business complete with an intoxicating mythology and the vibrant scene that prevails today.

A long-standing interconnection between American, European and Japanese tattoo traditions realizes another subset of tattooings language. American and European tattooists have drawn inspiration from Japanese aesthetic and craft ever since the opening of Japan to the West in the 1850s. Despite this reverence, the studied relationship between mythology, woodblock print (ukiyo-e) and body-focused composition that informs Japanese tattooing is juxtaposed with remnants of artistic liberty taken with pan-Asian aesthetic.

Polarities of the academic and the base underly a tension inherent to the language of tattoos, at once a celebratory amalgam of global influences and a painful reminder of brazen cultural theft. This notion stands in a third subset of tattooing, the fine-line style. Emerging from predominantly Chicano communities in Southern California, the style now enjoys worldwide demand. Aside from the look, which produces a glorious textural depth via subtle black-to-skin gradation, the style helped popularize a series of images now synonymous with contemporary tattooing. Furthermore, it is imbued with cultural codes and informs a certain cool.

When Oliver Munden began his career, the three dominant tattoo styles of fine line, Irezumi (traditional Japanese tattooing) and western traditional had become firmly rooted as choices for anyone stepping inside a studio, shop or parlour. It is with these styles, appropriated slowly into the widening tattoo business, that todays language of tattoos finds its core. In the early 20th century, it would not be uncommon to see an image of a dragon sharing wall (and body) space with the venerable Rock of Ages. This, and the fact that an image derived from a Japanese tradition might accompany one swiped from a short-lived lithographic phenomenon demonstrates brilliantly how tattooings vocabulary takes, evolves and standardizes. Today, these stalwarts sit among many hundreds of other symbols committed to the cannon.

In cataloguing the symbols for this book, we are indebted to generations of tattooists who have passed images across cities and decades, documented on bodies and in books. Some of their names are noted in the descriptions that follow, particularly those with historic flash origins, for flash sheets (pages covered with tattoo designs) help determine when a symbol first became a popular tattoo.

The 130 symbols, depicted in fine line, western traditional and Japanese styles offer a snapshot of tattoo choice and tattoo history. Each became an element of the language at a particular moment in time and carries with it an aesthetic and cultural origin. With that, each also holds a specificity and power that helps us find the perfect way to tell our own individual tales. After all, the true story of any tattoo is claimed when the history of both the design and the wearer meet.

1

LOVE

The acknowledgement of love is, perhaps, the truest theme in modern tattooing. That said, the disclosure of the sentiment runs the gamut from overt declaration to subtle attestation with ones choice of symbol reflecting confidence in one end of the spectrum or the other. And, naturally, given the breadth of romantic feeling, there are countless ways to commemorate union.

Some of the best-known love tattoos are based in the western traditional style. A simple name, alone or in banner, is almost a clich played up by Norman Rockwells 1944 painting, Tattoo Artist. A heart festooned with a nameplate banner has timeless appeal, while the mythological figure, Cupid, frequently takes centre stage in tattoo compositions relaying love. Flora and fauna also provide countless sources for inspiration and include the crane, the rose, the tulip and more.

The breadth of symbols tied to love allows for diverse stylistic consideration. Western traditional, as noted, serves for bold, direct disclosure. More precise symbols are beautifully articulated in black and grey or contemporary Japanese styles. Regardless of rendering, love-themed tattoos carry unwavering clarity of meaning for the wearer.

Cherub

Not to be confused with Christian cherubim, which are assigned several different roles, the figure detailed here references desire, lust and love. Stemming from ancient Greek and Roman mythology (as Eros in Greek and Cupid, son of Venus, in Roman), the character often appears as a winged child or young man, with bow and arrow.