Tattoos

My senior project was over the History of Tattooing, I chose this as my topic because Tattoos really interest me with all the different styles and meanings behind them. Some things I already knew about Tattooing is a lot of tribes used tattoos to symbolize things, but I didn’t know what.

Tattooing is not just a recent fad. Tattooing has been around for a very long time. "The current first proven incident of a tattoo dates back 4,000 years B.C. a traveler was found in Italy near Austria, preserved in the permafrost of a glacier. Carbon dating and arte facts found near him suggest that he is over 5,300 years old" (Tattoos and Design). Tattoos have been used

There are multiple reasons for individuals to tattoo their bodies and the reasons are usually individualistic and subjective. The experience of being tattooed is intricately bound up with one’s character,

Facial tattoos where common in the past centuries however, they no longer are seen in today’s society. They were used as a sign of power and authority but, today’s society has changed the meaning of facial tattoos. The hegemonic society has labeled facial tattoos as deviant, and those who have a facial tattoo are placed into a subculture. “Tattooing is the most established form of non-mainstream body art in the west, having been practiced by modern Europeans and Americans for centuries” (Pitts 5). Today many more people are receiving tattoos on their bodies to represent something significant to them. Society has ruled it ok to have tattoos placed anywhere on the body except for the face or top of neck region. Many people though, do not

Tattoos have become more popular over the last few decades. Many people today see tattoos as a way of

The tattoo is a very old form of body modification, but in spite of that there is still a certain rejection towards those who carry them in a visible area of the body, for some it disfigures what has been created in the image and likeness of God while for others associates this with convicts or gang members mainly because they were one of the first groups to use tattoos to differentiate themselves from the rest of society. But also it is true that there is a very limited understanding about this corporal modification that could be one of the reasons why it can not be appreciated as for how it should be. However, modern society reflects the current popularity of tattooing because it has acquired an entirely artistic meaning to a social expression and a way of identity.

Tattoos have been around throughout our history, from Egyptian times to the present day. Many people may say they know the history of tattoos, and where they originate from, but do they really? Does one know that there were reasons that some people had tattoos? There may be people who know the actual history of tattoos and body art and why one would decide to get one; however there are people who do not. To be able to understand the idea of tattoos, one should educate themselves to the history of tattoos. Although tattoos have been considered taboo and a stereotype, history reveals that this particular form of body art has been used for self expression, status and

The action of tattooing is a bit confusing it was tried with the earliest found instrument believed to be used for tattoos, a sharp point of sorts attached to a wooden handle. Another object believed to be used for tattoos was found and dated to 1450 B.C. was made of bronze and had sharp flat needles, and when grouped together appeared to make designs. The designs were often simple and were usually applied to a person when he or she was at the age of five or six. Tattoos have a very long history and interesting but how has the social

American Tattoo History takes us back to the turn of the 19th century. Things were a little different back then. Circuses and different side shows played a very important role in making tattoos common. Earlier in those days, tattoos were considered vulgar and derogatory and more often than not, tattoos were associated with criminals and savagery. It was considered a violation of nature and was more than just frowned upon.

The media used to portray tattoos as spontaneous, reckless, and drunken moments in one 's life. Now the media writes articles about good resources and how much money is needed to get a good tattoo (Roberts 155). Even though most middle-class working Americans have begun to accept tattoos, the question in the air is if America as whole accepts tattoos now. By labeling tattoos as garish, outlandish and having negative connotations, the author suggests that tattoos are still deviant (Roberts 155). For many people, tattoos can be a form identification, and too others tattoos are actions that will be marked as deviant behavior. 65% of people who were getting a tattoo, claimed to be worried about possible employment rejection. Because of this their tattoos were placed in concealed parts of their body (Roberts 163).

Since tattoos were adopted into western culture, they were associated with criminals, gang members, trouble makers, or side show entertainers. As decades have past our traditional mind set has not since changed on the overall opinion of what tattoos and piercings represent. With the majority of people within the United States, it is shown that body modifications are always appeared negatively. Speaking from a generation Y viewpoint of things, my parents were raised believing that you wouldn’t get anywhere in life or you were a bad person if you had visible tattoos. Partly that is how this generation is being raised passing on the information to like-minded others and when being taught an idea as a kid by your parent it is more believable.

In the past, tattoos were commonly thought of as trashy or bad. One would often relate them to bikers, rock and heavy metal stars, pirates, or gangsters. That has considerably changed over the years. According to Swan, "In 2003 approximately 40 million Americans reported to have at least one tattoo." Today's culture is still fascinated with tattooing. In the 1990s, tattoos were the sixth fastest growing retail behind the Internet, paging services, computer and cell phone services. 28% of adult’s ages 30-39 were tattooed and that number rose to 36 percent in the 25-29 age group. 31% of the gay, lesbian and bisexual population, regardless of age, was inked as well. Tattoos are significant because they

They are no longer considered taboo, but a way for people from all races, ages, genders, and ethnicities to express themselves. More and more people are adorning their bodies with art and with all the movie stars and athlete’s that have tattoos, it makes us common people want them even more. Tattoos are considered a fashion statement, an expression of an individual’s character and personality and it is not just the questionable neighbor who has one but your child’s school

The rising popularity of tattoos and body piercing is more than just the latest fashion craze. This type of body art has been a part of this world for thousands of years. Tattoos and piercings have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment (Smithsonian.com). In the later years (1940 – 2000) tattoos and piercings were more common among teenagers and young adults, but now, people of all ages are expressing themselves through body art. To try and understand this rise in the desire to permanently mark ones self, we must first determine the origin and history of tattoos and piercings.

Tattoos today are recognized as totally different than what they were pictured as in the past. “Tattooing is recognized by government agencies as both an art form and a profession and tattoo-related art work is the subject of museum, gallery and educational institution art shows across the United States.” [ (Levins,