If you’ve never heard of the Yakuza, then you probably don’t know
much about Japanese tattoo. Not that the Yakuza and Japanese tattoo go
hand in hand, but the Yakuza has played and still does play a large role
in the way that tattoos are viewed and utilised in Japan. It’s a very
interesting sub-culture and one that should be studied by anyone within
even a minor interest in Japanese tattoo culture.
So check out this documentary on the Yakuza and their tattoos. It’s a
good place to start for anyone wanting a bit of background info on the
subject.
As I’ve noted on here several times before, Asia in particular is a
hotbed of tattoo activity. Despite there being (for the most part)
vastly different approaches to the aesthetic, the opinion of and the
general process of tattoo, Asian cultures all have very widespread and
diverse appreciation for tattoo as a culture and artistic endeavour.
One of the more interesting aspects of tattoo found in Asia is the
so-called “magic” tattoos – tattoos that are said to bring their bearer
everything from luck to courage and strength to invisibility. Whatever
your take on the probability of such tattoos actually working is not
really important. The ritual and belief in these representations of
culture is all that truly matters. In addition to the ritual
significance of the tattoos, they are intricately designed and hand
poked, often by monks. What’s more, there are even massive festivals
that celebrate these unique tattoos in Thailand, in which thousands of
people attend and a select few retain the honour of being tattooed.
For those of you out there with a potential interest in this aspect
of tattoo but with no cash or time to actually travel to Thailand, no
worries. A new book on the topic called Thai Magic Tattoos: The Art and Influence of Sak Yant might
be just the thing you’re looking for. The book catalogues the various
Thai religious aspects of these spiritual tattoos with plenty of photos
and explanation that will aid even the most ardent information seeker
get what they’re looking for. If you’re interested in a review of the
book itself, check it out here.
And for those of you who do seek out this book but still want more, the
Wat Bang Phra holds its massive tattoo festival in Thailand every
March. Might be worth the trip.
In past decades, if a woman had a tattoo, it was likely to be discreet
or hidden from public view. Multiple, prominent tattoos were more likely
to be seen on men.
But now anecdotal evidence suggests the number of women getting large amounts of ink on their bodies is sharply on the rise.
BBC
News spoke to artists and visitors at the International Tattoo
Convention in London to find out about the latest trends in female body
art.
Hiya peeps and freaks, how goes it?
I wanted to post this little mini-doc by the BBC folks on tattoo and
women. Apparently it’s becoming less of a big deal for women to be
tattooed. I’m sure there are many women out there (some of whom I
know), who would counter that they’ve never given a toss whether or not
getting tattooed was acceptable. That being said however, the
mainstream charm of tattoo does help to break down barriers that might
have kept certain people from getting tattooed five or ten years ago.
Me personally? I like tattooed women. I also like non-tattooed women.
It’s the person that counts, right? (But if they have cool tattoos
that goes a long way too. Heh.)
