A Trip to the Cow Palace

Lesson I: TAT-TOO: Tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tatau. Tattooing involves injecting colored ink beneath the epidermis with tiny punctures through the skin’s surface.

The word “tattoo” was first introduced into Europe in the 1770s by Captain James Cook in his journal that described the Tahitian natives:

Both sexes paint their bodies, Tattow as it is called in their language, this is done by inlaying the colour of black under their skins in such a manner as to be indelible. -Cook, July 1769.

Where is this Going?: Last Friday, I went to the famous Cow Palace to check out the Tattoo Expo. Although I’m still considered a “virgin” in the Tattoo World, I find tattoos fascinating and I wanted to learn more about this fashionable form of art. I thought that the best way to experience and learn about this type of body decoration was to go to the Expo and to see first hand how one goes about getting a tattoo as well as how the tattooists work with this medium. I originally wanted to dive right into discussing my experience at the Expo, but after talking to people about my experience, I realized that a lot of people don't know how historical and cultural the art of tattooing has been worldwide. I decided that I would try to inform people of its long history and then I'll share the pictures and a few things I learned from the Expo. I will only focus on the highlights and attempt to make it as brief as possible, but you can skip the history and go to the Tattoo Expo section if you like.

Cliff Notes Version of the History: Before tattooing even began, body painting was considered the earliest form of body art. Popular pigments of the Paleolithic time were: red (commonly representing blood, vitality, mortality, and fertility); white (often associated with rituals, mourning, purification, and the supernatural); and black (typically representing impurity and evil). Depictions of such body paintings can be found on cave paintings illustrating hunters, men, women, and shamans. Different body painting patterns, geometrical shapes, and colors often represented ceremonies, rituals, tribes, gender, and shamanic experiences. With time, tattooing became the new fad.

Sahara rock painting, Tassili N'Ajjer, Algeria. Dots and lines represent

tattooing and body paint used in ceremonies, as identification,

and for shamanic experiences.

Body Painting vs Tattooing:
Body painting is temporary and is, therefore, often used for ceremonies and rituals.
Tattooing is permanent. Tattoos would represent one’s age, rank and lineage, expeditions, initiations, rights entitled, unusual personal events, and one's identity between communities and as individuals. Tattoos were also associated with religion, shamanism, healing, protection, and good luck.

Sahara rock painting, Tassili N'Ajjer, Algeria.

The Way of the Tattoo –Mastering Technique Based on Culture:
Different cultures and tribes have used, and continue to use, different tattooing techniques. Most tribal cultures would use instruments consisting of comb-shaped needles made of bone or even sharp, pointed teeth. These tools would then be dipped into a concoction of soot, charcoal, or other pigments mixed with oils such as walnut or pine. The tattooists would then drive the instrument into the skin, often using other tools as a mallet in order to puncture holes through the skin. Some cultures and tribes, such as the Oceanic tribes, used a needle and thread as a tool. After coating the needle with soot and oil, the needle would be threaded through the skin while following a desired pattern.

One of the oldest preserved skin tattooings from

a frozen, mummified body. The skin of this man's

hand has animal figures. Pazyryk burial mound,

Upper Altai, Siberia.

Tracing the Tattoo Epidemic from the Stone Age to Modern Times:
Before the Stone Age, carved human figurines covered with tattoos were dated back to 6,000 B.C. Two-thousand years later, figurines with facial and body markings, which represented tattoos, were found in an Egyptian tomb. Tattoos for Egyptians were reserved for women, specifically prostitutes, dancers, and singers. Men with tattoos in Egypt represented Libyan or Nubian prisoners.

By 2,000 B.C., tattooing spread from the Middle East to the Pacific Islands. There are two theories about how this spread, but I’ll skip that because I’m trying to make this brief –if you want to know, post a comment and I’ll let you know.

Japan, specifically Osaka, had many tattoo revolutions starting from the 5th Century B.C. Beginning as decorative and for religious purposes, the practice of tattooing eventually died and didn’t resurface again until the 13th Century B.C. At this point, tattoos were only intended to mark criminals and the “socially-undesirable.” Japan went through many phases and different types of tattooing styles that greatly influenced the types of Western tattoos existing today.

Controversies:
There has been a lot of controversy among the art-know-it-alls who argue over whether or not tattoos are considered “art.” Some people argue that the true tribal and spiritual connections have been lost, because the original intent from the past has become commercialized and even “trashy” and “overly erotic.” Others disagree and believe that people are passionate and serious about the types of tattoos they receive. I think, ultimately, it depends on the person who receives the tattoo and the person who is criticizing the tattoo. It is art no matter what you get.

Whatever goes behind the tattoo can be compared to how artists have been categorized into specific art movements. For instance, postmodernists can easily become pigeonholed into the “trashy” group, because they may not have the same original artistic motives as the impressionists or neoclassicists that people have studied for years. As for spectators, most people who have studied the famous art movements of the impressionists and neoclassicists have learned to love and appreciate these styles, which may cause some people to only appreciate art that follows these formulas. In the end, it all comes down to one’s own opinion and how open-minded one is about learning and understanding nontextbook and “nontraditional art.”

The Tattoo Expo: I didn’t realize before coming to the Expo that there seems to be two types of tattoo groups:

1. the “I only get sentimental and meaningful tattoos” group
2. the “I just get souvenirs and whatever” group

I respect both groups because I see the beauty, passion, and appreciation that each group has about their tattoos and about creating those tattoos for others. Each tattoo is unique and it tells you a little about the person based on their interests, beliefs, and artistic appreciations.

I also learned and heard both humorous and interesting stories about being an apprentice. Some people informed me that an apprenticeship can last for four years. Along with the learning, hard work, and dedication to keeping the workstations clean, apprentices also go through an initiation process. This requires making coffee runs, being tricked into getting tattoos in painful spots, and almost being a dancing monkey. Everybody goes through it. As long as you suck it up and don’t take it too personally, one of the other perks of becoming a tattooist is looking forward to doing the same thing to the next apprentice.

Enough with me boring you all to death, I’m finally going to show you pictures.

This artist had a mixture and combination of Eastern and Western influences.

Joel enjoys tattooing Japanese and Asian styled pieces.


Rush prefers tattooing the Japanese and Asian themed pieces.


Jason does piercings, which was also offered at the Expo.

Jason also informed me about a piercing called "stretching,"

which involves stretching the earlobes with ear spools or ear gauges.

One of Jason's tattoos is about how people are constantly evolving and changing.

Kaysea showed me her rocking tattoos and educated me on how different areas of the tongue hurt more than others when getting certain piercings.

Baba and his artwork. Baba is an award winning artist and the master sponsor of the Expo.

Melissa tattooing Paul a memorial piece dedicated to his
friends he had served with while in the military.

Melissa does amazing portraiture, black and grey,

and Aztec pieces.

There were other vendors at the Expo too.

Kristi was selling massage chairs as well as her

own photography. She also sold jackets and purses

made from sewing on pieces of recycled scraps.

The Aftermath of the Tattoo: Now that you've gotten your tattoo and your piercing, what do you do about the pain and the healing process? Fortunately, there was a booth set up with H2Ocean -The First in First Aid. Charles Young explained and demonstrated how the products worked. It’s a spray that contains sea salt, lysozyme, and sea kelp –natural ingredients that nourish dermal cells, kill bacteria, and improve circulation and skin elasticity.

Before and after pictures of wound treatment.

You can even use it for veterinary care too!

Thank you: All the tattooists and apprentices I spoke with were very kind, resourceful, and talented. Thank you all for giving me a moment of your time to talk with me, answer my questions, and to allow me to take pictures!!! Thanks again!!!!!

For More Information: If you have any questions about the tattooing history or would like me to go into more depth about something, post me a comment! I enjoyed learning about tattoos and tattooing and would love to elaborate more about the subject! I tried to keep everything brief because I was concerned mostly about boring people.

References:
Gelder, K. (2007). Subcultures: Cultural histories and social practice. New York: Routledge.

Hambly, W. D. (1925). The history of tattooing and its significance. London: H. F. G. Witherby.

Sanders, C. (1989). Customizing the body: The art and culture of tattooing. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Thevoz, M. (1984). The illusions of reality: The painted body. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.

Virel, A. (1979). Decorated man: The human body as art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

I'm Not Jackson!!!!

After receiving some feedback about my previous posting from a well-intentioned Tamale peer, I realized that a lot of people may see me as some kind of an art fraud. First of all, I will explain my series that I am working on in more detail once I have more paintings completed. But to set the record straight momentarily, I am only working on a series. It is not my style nor is it a style that I am attempting to use forever –well, I guess if it sells and gets me rich, then you can call me a kitschy artist. I am only using the technique for a few paintings because it is conveying emotions, memories, and flashbacks that I can’t convey in any other way. In fact, my other paintings are going to consist of objects, chicken wire, talc, weaving, and even volcanic ash (actually, the close-up I previously posted does have volcanic ash).

Because I don’t want people to think that all I can do is throw paint all over a canvas, I thought that I should share some art I have done in the past that got selected into two annual juried shows at California State University, Hayward (oops, I mean, East Bay). I was –and still am –completely honored to be in each show, especially since I am not an Art Studio major.

2006-2007 Annual Juried Show

This one was the first portrait that I ever painted, so he looks a little on the pale side –I did it in a Painting I class using oils.

That square in his hair is just a glare.

This one I actually did in high school with rendering pencils. I could probably pull off a better drawing now since I’m a little more experienced (not much more experienced, but a little does make a difference).

2007-2008 Annual Juried Show –won an award

This was the first painting I ever did that involved warping figures –this is definitely a style that I’m going to experiment with some more. I really enjoy layering with oils and it’s a technique that I’m going to stick with. Because I got into a car accident after starting this piece, I actually had to paint the top half upside-down because I could not lift my arms (I even had to tape paint brushes together in order to reach the canvas). The sides of the canvas are also covered in gold leaf.

Some Close-Ups

I did not submit anything for the 2008-2009 year because I didn't take an art class that whole academic year (in order submit anything, one has to fullfill that requirement).

I didn’t plan on making this a show-off session, but I was a little concerned that people may make assumptions that I’m just copying other artists. As an Art History major, I would never do anything of that sort –or at least not intentionally. Again, when I get more paintings going, I’ll explain the purpose of my series. If you got this far, thanks for reading!

A Painting -Only a Close-Up

I had to get some business cards prepared since I will be going to an event. As I was working on them, I took a picture of a close-up of one of my paintings. I thought that I would share a couple of the close-ups so you can see what I’ve been up to lately. I greatly apologize that what you are about to see will be of great disappointment when compared to my Tamale peers who always blow me away. I guess that’s why I should just stick to writing. Anyways…

I couldn’t get a full shot of my painting, because my studio is a little cramped right now since I’m stretching a bunch of canvases (I’m working on a series using mixed-media. Each painting is 36”X36” –yes, I'm working with squares). When I get more room in there, I’ll attempt to get standard-sized pictures of some of my completed pieces.

And now, let the criticizing begin.

A Close-Up

An Even Closer Close-Up

A Sad, Sad Day in the Art World -Merce Cunningham

The Art World is grieving the loss of one of the most influential contributors of modern dance and choreography. Merce* Cunningham (4/16/1919 to 7/26/2009) died of natural causes at the age of 90. Cunningham was a great inspiration in the Art World. I wish I could go on and on about his brilliance and his philosophies, but then it would turn into a research paper that nobody would want to read. I’m sure that a lot of younger people may not be able to identify Cunningham or be in touch with what he did, so I’ll try to briefly highlight some of his major ideas and beliefs while trying not to bore you all to death. He’s definitely an artist worth studying and, if you can, visit his website http://www.merce.org/.

*Merce?! Pronunciation, please: “MURSS”

Major Contributions to the Art World: Cunningham was considered an avant-garde dancer and choreographer who created dance primarily based on movement. His mission was to use movement as a way to go through and across space without the necessity of using a storyline.

Cunningham identified two principals of movement:
1. movement that is learned, studied, structured, classically styled, and used as language
2. movement that is invented and is constantly being invented

I was interested in dancing and I didn’t particularly care the kind of dancing. I was interested in information and trying to find out what made movement up. What is it? The fact that somebody said that it’s a ballet step or isn’t a ballet step didn’t seem to me to be terribly important of what was and still is important. -Cunnhingham, 2009.

The Cunningham Mission: Starting out as a tap dancer who later studied ballet and modern dance, Cunningham went through his lifetime searching the different ways to express the natural motions of dance that communicated art on another level.

Music and Dance: Typically, music supports the dance. The rhythm and sounds emphasize a jump, a twirl, or a still pose that assists in telling a theatrical story. Cunningham changed the dynamic relationship between music and dance. He realized that that the two could co-exist without having to support each other. His idea was that people did not need a music beat in order to walk down the street. As a result, he created and choreographed pieces using music and dance that would typically not flow together based on beat. Most of his musical collaborations were created with his longtime partner John Cage (1912 - 1992) –for those of you who don’t know, Cage was a famous avant-garde musician who was influenced by Zen Buddhism’s principals. Cage believed that focusing your attention on something -even the most boring subject matter -could transform everyday occurrences into an aesthetically and spiritually interesting experience.

Visual Art and Dance: Cunningham also worked with contemporary artists from the time, such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns. Rauschenberg would create art pieces that Cunningham would hang on the stage and his dance required moving around, under, or even through it. Requested by Johns, Cunningham also used a Marcel Duchamp piece titled “Large Glass” and based his dance around the art piece. Cunningham did not believe in telling the visual artists what to do. He wanted the artists to create whatever they chose, because there were no rules or narratives in depicting a dance piece for Cunningham.

Interesting Information about Cunningham: Cunningham was one of the pioneers who did not require dancers to face the audience while performing. It has also been said that Cunningham would toss coins or roll dice in order to determine dance steps for a performance.

In Memory of Michael Jackson

I wanted to write something in memory of the Michael Jackson a.k.a. the King of Pop. There have been tributes and there will continue to be tributes to honor the King of Pop, but I think that the best homage comes from….Nature.*

*italicized Nature: must be whispered slowly in order to get its complete effect

Nature: Yes, Nature. I don’t mean the tree-hugging, hair-growing, and no-bathing rituals to “save some water” kind-of-Nature (if that’s your thing, by all means). I’m talking about Nature in art: Things that have been created without the initial purpose or thought of creating art. To simplify things, it’s just art that naturally happens.

Art and Nature: Nature has created a lot of art, specifically religious art. In fact, you have a good chance of finding an image of Jesus in your lunch or the Virgin Mary on a building somewhere.

For Example:

Virgin Mary on a 10-yr. old grilled cheese sandwich

(the sandwich sold on eBay for $28,000)

Jesus on a frying pan

(sold on eBay to an online gambling company)

Virgin Mary water stain

underneath the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago

Jesus as a Cheeto

(a.k.a. "Cheesus")

Virgin Mary in fire-damaged home in Mexico

Jesus on a tree

in front of a health club in Illinois



Lady of Guadalupe on a tree

in Rogers Park in Chicago

How Does This Relate to Michael Jackson?: I saw on the news two days ago that you can now find an image of Michael Jackson’s face on a tree stump in Stockton, CA. A tree stump?! Yes way!!! Nobody, other that Mary or Jesus, can get their face on a tree stump. Personally, I think that’s the greatest honor.

Modified:

OK, it’s kinda hard to make out his face on the stump -it looks more like Mickey Mouse being flushed down the toilet to me. I guess it was difficult for the Nature Gods to make a perfect impression with all of the face transformations the King of Pop has gone through in his life. Nevertheless, Michael Jackson made a lasting impression on many of us and his music will be listened to for many generations to come.