Tattoos: Past, Present, and Future
Apr. 7th, 2009 12:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkfrostThe outline of my 2nd speech for Human Communications.
I. According to author Georgina Wiman-Rudzinski, tattoos have been a part of human culture since before the birth of Christ (21).
A. From the ancient Egyptians to the Polynesian Pacific Islanders through the college
students of today, people all over the world have incorporated tattoos into their
culture.
B. In order to gain an understanding of tattooing and its influence on our culture, we
will look at a brief history of tattooing, examine tattoos in today’s pop culture, and
learn about new techniques in the art of tattooing.
II. Tattooing was very common in the ancient world, with examples showing up in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia among others.
A. The most ancient example of tattoos was found on “Iceman”, a frozen body found in the
Otzal Alps mountain range between Italy and Austria (Wiman-Rudzinski, 21).
1. Iceman was found in 1991.
2. Carbon-14 dating was performed on the bones, and showed that Iceman had died
around 3,300 B.C.E. (21)
B. Tattooing was also a common custom in Egypt during the Third and Fourth Dynasties that
took place between 2686-2493 B.C.E. (22)
1. Archeological evidence suggests that Egyptians were already using needles in the
tattooing process.
2. The article “Tattoos in Ancient Egypt” says that tattoos were often done for
spiritual reasons.
a. Tattoos were used to connect with the Divine.
b. Tattoos were used as a tribute or as an act of sacrifice to a deity.
c. Tattoos were used as talismans to provide magical protection.
d. Tattoos were used to guarantee a spot in the afterlife.
C. A third example of ancient tattooing comes from a nomadic tribe of horsemen called the
Pazyryks.
1. These iron-age warriors lived in Eastern Europe and Western Asia between 600 and
200 B.C.
2. Scientists discovered two Pazyryks mummies, one male and one female, both heavily
tattooed.
a. Winam- Rudzinski believes that the Pazyryks tattooed animals on themselves as a
form of totemism (26).
b. The tribesmen hoped to absorb the characteristics of the tattooed animal, and
therefore become stronger.
3. The fact that the female mummy was also tattooed showed that the Pazyryks’ culture
allowed both sexes to be tattooed, so long as they had achieved a certain social
class.
III. Over the years, tattoos have slowly become more common in modern Western society, due to several factors such as sailors adopting Polynesian art, celebrities making tattoos more mainstream, and college students embracing the practice.
A. R.W.B. Scutt and Christopher Gotch say that tattoos became a part of Western society
due to sailors returning from voyages to the Polynesian Islands (33).
1. Captain James Cook introduced the word “tattoo” into the English language (37).
a. Tattoo is a variation of tattow, tatau, or tattaw, all of which are derived from
the Polynesian word for striking, ta.
b. Some believe that the word tattoo mimics the sound the chisel makes as the
tattoo is put into the skin (38).
2. The Polynesians were artistic, and used very elaborate, geometrical designs in
their tattoos (Wiman-Rudzinski, 24).
a. The Polynesian tradition of tattooing goes as far back as 1200 B.C.E.
b. Tattooing was performed with flat pieces of bone, shaped into chisels and
sharpened at one end.
c. Their tattoo pigment was made of water and soot, and a mallet was used to knock
the pigment into the skin via the chisel.
3. Modern Western tattooing was greatly inspired by the artistic style of the
Polynesians, which were brought to Europe in the late 1700s (Scutt and Gotch, 33).
B. Vince Hemingson runs a website that features celebrity tattoos, and credits tattooed
movie stars with helping to erase “the stigma attached” to tattoos which marks them as
a lower-class activity (Body Piercing, 14).
1. As pop-cultural icons, movie stars have an extraordinary influence over those that
admire them.
2. Celebrities have helped to create a market for high-end custom tattoo art studios.
a. Flash tattoos are designs that are pictures on the walls of tattoo studios and
tend to be standard old favorites, such as anchors, hearts and skulls.
b. Custom tattoos are designed or requested by the customer, and worked out with
the tattoo artist (Body Piercing, 50).
C. According to research, approximately ten percent of young people now have tattoos, and
Danny Tenkhem states that “college-age kids have accepted the trend more than anyone”
(16).
1. Tenkhem believes that tattoos have become a cultural rite for college students, a
way to distance themselves from their parents.
2. There seem to be two reasons that people choose to get tattoos.
a. The first reason is that tattoos are a way for people to share their personal
beliefs.
b. The second reason is that, for some people, getting a tattoo is a symbol for a
rite of passage that no longer occurs in modern society (100).
3. Women now outnumber men among college students with tattoos, which signals a shift
from the once male-dominated practice (16).
IV. The art of tattooing continues to evolve, with new advances in technique, style, and even new types of ink, such as black light, or UV ink, and white ink.
A. Over the past ten years, a new type of tattoo, known as a black light tattoo, has been
growing in popularity (Girlgivenwings).
1. The tattoos are created with a special type of ink that glows when under a black
light.
a. Chameleon UV Tattoo Ink is the most popular brand, with an FDA approval since
1995.
b. Chameleon Ink contains no phosphors, is not radioactive, and the dye does not
actually touch skin, due to being encased in a PMMA shell (Girlgivenwings).
2. These tattoos are popular with people who do not want their art to be visible at
all times, since the tattoo is all but invisible under normal light, and are
especially popular among “clubbers” who go out to show them off (Singh).
3. UV Ink can also be used to accentuate a regular ink tattoo, and can be added on top
of and around a previously existing tattoo.
B. Another new trend in tattooing is the white ink tattoo, where instead of the
traditional black stencil outline, the entire tattoo is done in white ink, which
leaves a faint, ghostly image on the skin and is quite different from a standard
tattoo (White Ink Tattoos).
1. Like black light tattoos, white ink is popular with those who do not want highly
visible body art.
2. The white ink is different than the ink used for mixing shades- it is a thick, high
quality ink that is specially made to stand out on its own (White Ink Tattoos).
3. White ink tattoos are gaining in popularity, but do have their problems.
a. Many people cannot “take” enough of the white ink for the tattoo to appear
brightly on their skin.
b. Other people have poor reactions to white ink, which can cause swelling and
itching in the tattoo area.
c. Occasionally a person’s skin will reject the white ink, and they may end up with
no tattoo at all.
V. Academic researcher Anne Villiquette says that the social climate of today is more welcoming toward body art than any other period in modern history (Body Piercing, 12). Whether people get tattooed to make sense of the “fragmentation and chaos of postmodern society” or because they are imitating their favorite movie star, the popularity and acceptance of tattooing in mainstream society continues to grow. From the ancient method using a mallet and chisel to the new science of ultraviolet ink, tattooing continues to be a part of culture, and it appears that it will continue to grow and change along with it.
Girlgivenwings. “Blacklight Tattoos.” My It Things. 2 Brains Media, LLC, 9 March
2008. Web. 1 April 2009.
Lloyd, J.D., ed. Body Piercing & Tattoos: Examining Pop Culture. Farmington Hills, MI:
Greenhaven Press, 2003.
Scutt, R.W.B and Gotch, Christopher. Art, Sex, and Symbol: The Mystery of Tattooing.
New York: Cornwall Books, 1986.
Singh, Disha. “BlackLight Tattoos: Latest Body Art Trend.” Behind the Ink.
BehindTheInk.com, 31 July 2007. Web. 1 April 2009.
“Tattoos in Ancient Egypt.” Tour Egypt Monthly. www.egyptmonth.com, 11 December
2000. Web. 1 April 2009
“White Ink Tattoos.” Love To Know. LoveToKnow Corp., 9 May 2007. Web. 2 April
2009.
Witman-Rudzinski, Georgina. “The History of Tattoos: Before the Birth of Christ.”
PageWise. PageWise, Inc., 2001.
I. According to author Georgina Wiman-Rudzinski, tattoos have been a part of human culture since before the birth of Christ (21).
A. From the ancient Egyptians to the Polynesian Pacific Islanders through the college
students of today, people all over the world have incorporated tattoos into their
culture.
B. In order to gain an understanding of tattooing and its influence on our culture, we
will look at a brief history of tattooing, examine tattoos in today’s pop culture, and
learn about new techniques in the art of tattooing.
II. Tattooing was very common in the ancient world, with examples showing up in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia among others.
A. The most ancient example of tattoos was found on “Iceman”, a frozen body found in the
Otzal Alps mountain range between Italy and Austria (Wiman-Rudzinski, 21).
1. Iceman was found in 1991.
2. Carbon-14 dating was performed on the bones, and showed that Iceman had died
around 3,300 B.C.E. (21)
B. Tattooing was also a common custom in Egypt during the Third and Fourth Dynasties that
took place between 2686-2493 B.C.E. (22)
1. Archeological evidence suggests that Egyptians were already using needles in the
tattooing process.
2. The article “Tattoos in Ancient Egypt” says that tattoos were often done for
spiritual reasons.
a. Tattoos were used to connect with the Divine.
b. Tattoos were used as a tribute or as an act of sacrifice to a deity.
c. Tattoos were used as talismans to provide magical protection.
d. Tattoos were used to guarantee a spot in the afterlife.
C. A third example of ancient tattooing comes from a nomadic tribe of horsemen called the
Pazyryks.
1. These iron-age warriors lived in Eastern Europe and Western Asia between 600 and
200 B.C.
2. Scientists discovered two Pazyryks mummies, one male and one female, both heavily
tattooed.
a. Winam- Rudzinski believes that the Pazyryks tattooed animals on themselves as a
form of totemism (26).
b. The tribesmen hoped to absorb the characteristics of the tattooed animal, and
therefore become stronger.
3. The fact that the female mummy was also tattooed showed that the Pazyryks’ culture
allowed both sexes to be tattooed, so long as they had achieved a certain social
class.
III. Over the years, tattoos have slowly become more common in modern Western society, due to several factors such as sailors adopting Polynesian art, celebrities making tattoos more mainstream, and college students embracing the practice.
A. R.W.B. Scutt and Christopher Gotch say that tattoos became a part of Western society
due to sailors returning from voyages to the Polynesian Islands (33).
1. Captain James Cook introduced the word “tattoo” into the English language (37).
a. Tattoo is a variation of tattow, tatau, or tattaw, all of which are derived from
the Polynesian word for striking, ta.
b. Some believe that the word tattoo mimics the sound the chisel makes as the
tattoo is put into the skin (38).
2. The Polynesians were artistic, and used very elaborate, geometrical designs in
their tattoos (Wiman-Rudzinski, 24).
a. The Polynesian tradition of tattooing goes as far back as 1200 B.C.E.
b. Tattooing was performed with flat pieces of bone, shaped into chisels and
sharpened at one end.
c. Their tattoo pigment was made of water and soot, and a mallet was used to knock
the pigment into the skin via the chisel.
3. Modern Western tattooing was greatly inspired by the artistic style of the
Polynesians, which were brought to Europe in the late 1700s (Scutt and Gotch, 33).
B. Vince Hemingson runs a website that features celebrity tattoos, and credits tattooed
movie stars with helping to erase “the stigma attached” to tattoos which marks them as
a lower-class activity (Body Piercing, 14).
1. As pop-cultural icons, movie stars have an extraordinary influence over those that
admire them.
2. Celebrities have helped to create a market for high-end custom tattoo art studios.
a. Flash tattoos are designs that are pictures on the walls of tattoo studios and
tend to be standard old favorites, such as anchors, hearts and skulls.
b. Custom tattoos are designed or requested by the customer, and worked out with
the tattoo artist (Body Piercing, 50).
C. According to research, approximately ten percent of young people now have tattoos, and
Danny Tenkhem states that “college-age kids have accepted the trend more than anyone”
(16).
1. Tenkhem believes that tattoos have become a cultural rite for college students, a
way to distance themselves from their parents.
2. There seem to be two reasons that people choose to get tattoos.
a. The first reason is that tattoos are a way for people to share their personal
beliefs.
b. The second reason is that, for some people, getting a tattoo is a symbol for a
rite of passage that no longer occurs in modern society (100).
3. Women now outnumber men among college students with tattoos, which signals a shift
from the once male-dominated practice (16).
IV. The art of tattooing continues to evolve, with new advances in technique, style, and even new types of ink, such as black light, or UV ink, and white ink.
A. Over the past ten years, a new type of tattoo, known as a black light tattoo, has been
growing in popularity (Girlgivenwings).
1. The tattoos are created with a special type of ink that glows when under a black
light.
a. Chameleon UV Tattoo Ink is the most popular brand, with an FDA approval since
1995.
b. Chameleon Ink contains no phosphors, is not radioactive, and the dye does not
actually touch skin, due to being encased in a PMMA shell (Girlgivenwings).
2. These tattoos are popular with people who do not want their art to be visible at
all times, since the tattoo is all but invisible under normal light, and are
especially popular among “clubbers” who go out to show them off (Singh).
3. UV Ink can also be used to accentuate a regular ink tattoo, and can be added on top
of and around a previously existing tattoo.
B. Another new trend in tattooing is the white ink tattoo, where instead of the
traditional black stencil outline, the entire tattoo is done in white ink, which
leaves a faint, ghostly image on the skin and is quite different from a standard
tattoo (White Ink Tattoos).
1. Like black light tattoos, white ink is popular with those who do not want highly
visible body art.
2. The white ink is different than the ink used for mixing shades- it is a thick, high
quality ink that is specially made to stand out on its own (White Ink Tattoos).
3. White ink tattoos are gaining in popularity, but do have their problems.
a. Many people cannot “take” enough of the white ink for the tattoo to appear
brightly on their skin.
b. Other people have poor reactions to white ink, which can cause swelling and
itching in the tattoo area.
c. Occasionally a person’s skin will reject the white ink, and they may end up with
no tattoo at all.
V. Academic researcher Anne Villiquette says that the social climate of today is more welcoming toward body art than any other period in modern history (Body Piercing, 12). Whether people get tattooed to make sense of the “fragmentation and chaos of postmodern society” or because they are imitating their favorite movie star, the popularity and acceptance of tattooing in mainstream society continues to grow. From the ancient method using a mallet and chisel to the new science of ultraviolet ink, tattooing continues to be a part of culture, and it appears that it will continue to grow and change along with it.
Girlgivenwings. “Blacklight Tattoos.” My It Things. 2 Brains Media, LLC, 9 March
2008. Web. 1 April 2009.
Lloyd, J.D., ed. Body Piercing & Tattoos: Examining Pop Culture. Farmington Hills, MI:
Greenhaven Press, 2003.
Scutt, R.W.B and Gotch, Christopher. Art, Sex, and Symbol: The Mystery of Tattooing.
New York: Cornwall Books, 1986.
Singh, Disha. “BlackLight Tattoos: Latest Body Art Trend.” Behind the Ink.
BehindTheInk.com, 31 July 2007. Web. 1 April 2009.
“Tattoos in Ancient Egypt.” Tour Egypt Monthly. www.egyptmonth.com, 11 December
2000. Web. 1 April 2009
“White Ink Tattoos.” Love To Know. LoveToKnow Corp., 9 May 2007. Web. 2 April
2009.
Witman-Rudzinski, Georgina. “The History of Tattoos: Before the Birth of Christ.”
PageWise. PageWise, Inc., 2001.
