“A complete theory of the heavens and the earth… and a mystical treatise of the art of attaining truth, which were carved by a departed prophet.”
Ismael, commenting upon first seeing the tattoos on Queequeg, the harpooneer.
Herman Melville’s, Moby Dick.
Time was, and not all that long ago in fact, that unless you knew a Merchant Mariner or a Navy guy – or perhaps a biker gang member or an ex-con – that you’d never see one in the flesh. But nowadays, it will likely be your bartender, your pastry chef, a cop or a school teacher that sports one. And if it’s a rock star or a professional athlete? Well, you’re almost guaranteed.
Call it ink, or body art. Some would dismiss them as a permanent reminder of a temporary emotion. Quite often it’s a nod to a lost loved one, a living memorial that can be very cathartic, while in other cases people say it’s one absolute way in which they can literally change themselves, or a contrast between superficial looks and deep-down personality.
The artwork can be simple or stunning, but it’s also significant as to where you place it on the body, determining when it can or can’t be seen. But in the end, it’s all, just a tattoo.
Tattoos have been found on mummies and 3,000-year-old figurines. Ancient Greeks and Siberian nomads, South American natives and indigenous Polynesians all had them, and in some regions over the eons, tattoos were practiced for religious reasons, while in other cultures they were a mark of aristocracy or wealth; to protect from evil and yes; as is done so often today, to declare love. But the award for longevity goes to Otzi “The Iceman”, a 5,300-year-old frozen mummy discovered near the Italian-Austrian border, whose body was thoroughly adorned with crude ink markings. Although native Americans of North America practiced some crude forms of tattoos, the practice was mostly brought to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by sailors returning from voyages to the south Pacific and the Orient where the practice was already a significant cultural and historical art form.
Tattoos are now a part of human existence, across all cultures. What was once the purview of the darker and seamier side of society has become mainstream, and not just here in America. Tattooing can be found around the world now, more so in some cultures than in others. At the top of the list is Italy, with a purported 48% or its inhabitants sporting at least a dab of ink. Sweden ranks #2 at 47%, and the US rounds out the top three with 46%. And in the US, the greater Miami area – where showing skin is ‘de rigueur’ – ranks highest, with 24 tattoo shops per 100,000 people. Religiously speaking, the basic precepts of the three major religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam all discourage tattooing, primarily on the basis of the “body is my temple” philosophy, while the tenets of both Buddhism and Hinduism are neutral on the practice.
“Traditional” style tattoos are comprised primarily of bold lines in a single color, usually black or blue, while “American Traditional” incorporates bold black out lines; the primary colors red, yellow and green; and the artwork design typically includes objects such as eagles, roses and anchors or, ahem… feminine shapes. This style of tattoo is mostly accredited to famed tattoo artist, Sailor Jerry.
No exploration of tattoos can be complete without a nod to Lieutenant Commander Norman Keith Collins (January 14, 1911- June 12 1973), aka Sailor Jerry, a pipe smoking, rough-and-tumble former merchant mariner tattoo artist in Hawaii who’s generally credited with developing the original American tattoo style and whose personal motto was, “I let my work speak for itself.” (See the YouTube documentary video Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, it’s a MUST watch!). And for a bit of thoughtful nostalgic humor, Google search “Norman Rockwell Sailor Tattoo”, that iconic image of a sailor having yet another gal’s name inked out and replaced.
Photo-like tattoos are called “realism” and then “black work” denotes the application of heavy black ink. A “Neo-Traditional” tattoo incorporates intricate illustrative details, varying line weights and a fuller spectrum or colors and tints, while the ”Irezumi” (Japanese) style incorporates large scale designs of flowers, dragons, koi and folklore, often covering very large areas of the body.
And it should never be forgotten that tattoos were once employed in the most heinous of ways, that being the Nazi’s who tattooed Jews with registration numbers. This is especially offensive when you consider that it’s inhuman oppression in its most brutal form, while tattooing was always meant to express free will, protection and positivity.
Throughout history and across all cultures, tattoos were applied using the traditional and laborious hand poking method until 1891 when a patent was filed by Samuel O’Reilly, a New York City tattoo artist, for the first electronic tattoo machine. The design was based upon modifications to Thomas Edison’s 1876 electric stencil pen and the machines have continued to be refined over the decades. This new machine added a tube and needle system that deposited ink at a greatly increased speed – AND greatly decreased the pain – to the traditional hand poking method. This invention revolutionized tattooing from a slow manual craft into a modern commercial artistic profession.
As for inks, tattoos use heavy, metal-based, metallic, or industrial grade pigments that are insoluble. Regular inks, like in your pen, use soluble dyes which if used on skin would spread out, fade quickly and possibly cause allergic reactions or toxicity. The ink is engineered to be permanent using particles that are too large for the body’s immune system to easily break down, thus staying locked in the dermal layer. Regardless, tattoos do fade over time, the speed at which depends on a number of factors, especially exposure to sunlight.
Speaking of which, tattoos can make it harder for dermatologists to detect skin cancer. Tattoo ink can mask, camouflage or mimic the early signs of skin cancer, especially melanoma, making it difficult to identify changes in mole shapes, color or border. Dark ink can hide suspicious lesions potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment, so be please advised.
And about that grizzled old fisherman down on the docks who claims his tats are done in pure squid ink. Well, while natural, using raw squid ink for a permanent tattoo is not recommended due to safety, sterility and longevity issues. While it is sometimes used as a natural vegan pigment alternative in some specialized or experimental context, raw ink can cause allergies and fades, unlike professional inks that contain those heavy metals or safer processed pigments.
So now you’re thinking… parlour, shop, or emporium? No matter. Just remember the old expression:
“Beauty is only skin deep, but a tattoo goes all the way down to the bone.