cbonifa1

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    arts
    Tattoo
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    tattoos: an element of visual culture, or fine art?

    Visual culture is the aspect of culture expressed in visual images. Visual culture includes but is not limited to advertising, buildings, photographs, movies, and apparel. Today tattoos are no longer considered a symbol of rebellion or subculture, but a form of self expression. We proudly adorn them on our skin for others to see. In recent years there have been fine art exhibitions that feature photographs of tattoos by famous tattoo artists. For example in 2015 the auction house Guernsey offered a collection of 1,500 images by some of the worlds foremost tattoo artists. But does the fine art community actually see tattoos as fine art, or decorations to permanently wear?

    • If the day comes that the million dollar paying critics accept tattoos as fine art the art industry will change drastically. Once tattoo artists become renown and their time to make work gets valued to the point of museum or major gallery level commissions, what will previously experienced collectors of art say or do? They can't collect tattoos, and their value depreciates over time as skin ages. How do tattoos break into the fine arts world with these limitations? Are images of tangible tattoos enough or will they always face some form of stigma? – Slaidey 7 years ago
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    • Cultural iconography is expressed through tattoos; from anime to tribal symmetry, the fact that an individual is able to create an expression of their identity of which is cultivated by their upbringing and society fits the definitions of what we are calling art. The issue is the canvas used, human skin. I have personally known individuals who's skill was originally cultivated through the root cause of their profession; a painter or visual artist, who became good enough to become a tattooist. They already think like, and behave like a painter who has made the choice to focus on tattooing as a means of ether, exploring a new medium, or a way to practice art while being able to pay the bills. If the art was instead done on a canvas there wouldn't be any difference in question. There is no way of owning an original, so as far as galleries are concerned, photography is the only way to create a "market" of sorts outside of the tattoo parlors themselves. I don't believe there to be an arbiter of taste, the event that is human expression does not depend on this or that critics opinion; it has been said that the writing on the bathroom wall is a more pure form of artistic expression than that of the person who creates with premeditated intent, especially when pecuniary gain is to had. On the other side of the issue, some go into tattooing due to the ease of "paint by numbers" techniques, the people who going to it with the mindset of making money and social status tend to produce lesser quality work than those who apply themselves due to their own passion for the art, this happens in all areas of expression. – LelandMarmon 7 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    Oct 18, 2017
    cbonifa1

    Wonderfully written and informative. I can tell you had put a lot of time into compiling your source material.

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    Oct 18, 2017
    cbonifa1

    I have binge watched this show once. Each episode left me wondering where these people are now on their journeys. I completely agree with many of your points, for example the lack of nutritionists and psychological help.

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    Oct 18, 2017
    cbonifa1

    Wonderful article. I have a four year fine art degree with a concentration in oil painting. With jobs being few and far in between for my particular skill set I have begun to tattoo. There is no doubt in my mind that to execute a well done tattoo the artist must possess the same amount of skill as any painter would to produce a beautiful painting.

    		 Tattoos: Alternative Expression with Traditional Roots