The Art of Tattoo: A Look Into Its History and Meaning - Essay Sample

Introduction

The phenomena of tattoo get explained as a form of body art whereby a design gets made through inserting pigments, ink, or dye. A tattoo can either be permanent art or temporary art into a skin's dermis layer to change the pigment. Research has it that tattooing has been practiced for a long time; this is evident through the preservation of tattoos of ancient mummified individuals remains. In modern times, people get tattoos for different reasons, either to look cool, get accepted into a group, or simply because they want it to mean something or to remind them of someone. Therefore, it was worth noting the history of tattoos, the meaning of tattoos, the steps to take when one wants to get a tattoo, and the impact of tattoos on an individual.

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History

In 2015, scientists reassessed the age of the two world's oldest tattooed mummies, referred to as Otzi. Their bodies were found to have at least sixty-one tattoos, and it got discovered embedded in the Alps inside a block of glacial ice. The scientist dated Otzi to around 3250BCE. The oldest figurative tattoos mummies got discovered in Egypt in 2018, and scientists dated them around 3351-3017 BCE. According to Beratha et al., (2016), Austronesian people were the ones who mostly practiced ancient tattooing since it was the earliest technology that Proto-Austronesians developed in Taiwan as well as coastal South China before 1500BCE. Facial tattooing was among the tattooing traditions of the Austronesian communities. Secondly, the use of unique obsidians piecing of the skin among Melanesians and Papuans also got documented among the ancient tradition of tattooing.

Types and Meaning of Tattoos

The importance of knowing about tattoos is not only putting ink into a skin; there exist several reasons behind it. There exist five distinctive types of tattoos, as identified by the "American Academy of Dermatology. Natural tattoos, also known as Traumatic tattoos, are the first type. Traumatic tattoos are caused as an outcome of injuries, particularly road accidents. Secondly is the amateur tattoo, which is usually a single color tattoo. Thirdly, is the professional tattoos, which differ from amateur tattoo because of its many colors that get used either through the use of modern times machines or traditional ways. Fourthly is the cosmetic tattoo; it is a technique that uses tattoos as a way of producing a design that resembles makeup, for instance, eye lining. Medical tattoos are the last types. This type of tattoo treats a medical condition such as diabetics, through the use of Nanotechnology or communicates information. As people entered into the twentieth century, individuals donning tattoos got regarded as convicts, rock musicians, unsavory characters, gang members, and rebellions of society. In modern times, with over forty-five million Americans having at least one of the types of tattoos, the tattoo taboo disappeared, and people donned tattoos for different reasons. According to Furey (2015), in the modern-day individuals get tattoos for reasons such as; sexual motivation, for instance, a Stigmatophile tattoo, artistic freedom reasons, self-expression reasons, to seek attention, rebellion reasons. Also, drunken impulsiveness reasons, and that is the reason why tattoo parlors close late and to remind themselves about cultural or spiritual traditions.

Steps

There exist several processes that are involved in getting a tattoo. Finding the best and talented tattoo artist is the first step. When one wants to get at a tattoo, especially when it is their first time, they should research thoroughly on whom to go to, or they will end up getting a body ink that they will regret. Getting the most talented tattoo artist gets accomplished by either the use of referrals or internet search. The second step is selecting a design (Furey, 2015). Most tattoo parlors give their clients pre-drawn pictures, sometimes referred to as "Flash." The purpose of a "flash" is to enable a client to select a design they see appropriate. They include pictures of flowers, skulls, armbands, kanji, tribal as well as lettering. Clients also have the option of talking to the artist to get them something original. When choosing a design, one should know the reasons as to why they want a tattoo in the first place before embarking on that process. Thirdly is about placement. Selecting the most appropriate body part to be tattooed is essential, for instance, a large tattoo will need a bit of space, and it is necessary to get it on someone's back. Fourthly is about preparing for pain. There is no escaping pain in the tattoo process since it involves the use of needles that pricks someone's skin, intending to place the ink into the skin. The last step is aftercare (Furey, 2015). After one gets a tattoo, it is normal for the area the tattoo is to have a red color, and, see a bit of blood. The tattoo artist usually gives client instructions on how to care for the tattoo, like telling someone to use ointment for a couple of days, stay away from direct sunlight and watch out for any infections.

Impact of Tattoos

Since the tattoo process requires the breaking of someone's skin, it possesses healthy risks such as allergic reactions as well as infections. The process can also lead to transmission of diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, herpes, and stamp when one is getting a tattoo with a piece of unsterilized equipment (Furey, 2015). When someone, later on, decides to remove the tattoo, they will undergo a lot of pain since a laser will be used in the process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the phenomena of tattoo get explained as a form of body art whereby a design gets made through inserting pigments, ink, or dye. There five types of tattoos; Traumatic tattoos, amateur tattoo, professional tattoos, cosmetic tattoo and medical tattoos. There exist several processes that are involved in getting a tattoo; finding the appropriate artist, selecting a design, placement, pain preparation and caring for the tattoo.

References

Beratha, N. L. S., & Ardika, I. W. (2016). Reconstruction of Austronesian culture. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 6(3), 519-539.

Furey, H. (Ed.). (2015). Body Piercing and Tattoos. Greenhaven Publishing LLC.