On the 25th April we’re welcoming tattoo artist Gavin Jones to talk to us about The Art of the Tattoo and various aspects of his work.
Gavin works at the Sinking the Ink tattoo studio in Swindon.
Facebook header of Sinking the Ink tattoo studio
Is it art?
It’s an interesting question. And, given that tattooists call themselves tattoo artists it’s probably fair to say it is. Or at least some of it is.
Digging around the Internet I came across some interesting writings on the topic. This abstract from this academic paper has this to say:
‘In this paper I make the case that at least some tattoos are artworks. I go on to propose a definition of tattoo art that distinguishes it from other uses of tattooing – and from other forms of visual art. I argue that tattoo art is form of art that creates artworks in living skin. And that the living body is an essential component of and contributor to the artwork. This gives rise to several other distinctive features of tattoo art, in particular that it reconfigures in interesting ways the relationships between artist, artworks, and viewers.
Like street art, tattoo artistry by its nature resists inclusion in and valuation through art institutions such as galleries and museums.’
Nothing new under the sun
Another scholarly article: ‘Most Vulgar and Barbarous: A History of Tattoo Stigma‘ has this to say on how ages-old this practice is:
‘For thousands of years, tattoos have been used cross-culturally for purposes ranging from religious affiliation to ritual. Still, many societies today associate tattoos with deviance and criminality. Thus making it difficult for tattooed people to find employment and acceptance within society.
This negative stigma can be traced all the way back to Ancient Greece, when tattoos were used to mark slaves and prisoners of war. Other examples come from Dynastic China, Japan, the American circus and the Holocaust.
This examination of tattoo stigma throughout history exposes larger patterns of racism, hegemony, and ostracism, and gives us an awareness of social norms and how they evolve….
….Though the rise of tattooing’s popularity appears to be a modern phenomenon, the practice is actually thousands of years old. The first evidence of tattoos on a human is from the Copper Age, on a frozen European corpse by the name of Ötzi the Iceman. The Iceman is over 5,000 years old, and bears 63 tattoos across his body, primarily in areas of stress; specifically, his ankles, spine, and the backs of his knees. Due to the strategic locations of these marks, historians believe Ötzi’s tattoos may have been an early form of acupuncture…
For information on more of our talks go here: https://friendsofmas.org/events/categories/talks/
Date/Time
Date(s) - 25/04/2024
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Categories
