Sabtu, 31 Juli 2010

Kristen's Trilogy of Knots

The 34th Street Platform for the A Train has been very kind to us here at Tattoosday, even more so this summer than in years' past.



Take Kristen, for example. She generously offered up this small portion of her corporeal canvas:





Estimating that she is at least a quarter covered by ink, this "trilogy of knots" was the artist's response to Kristen's request to attach the cobwebs on her elbow to the end of her wrist.



The artist, identified only as "Batman" near Canal and Broadway, was also asked to incorporate a Celtic pattern, as well.



The final result was to Kristen's liking and we here at Tattoosday thank her for sharing the tattoo with all of our readers!

Kristen's Trilogy of Knots

The 34th Street Platform for the A Train has been very kind to us here at Tattoosday, even more so this summer than in years' past.



Take Kristen, for example. She generously offered up this small portion of her corporeal canvas:





Estimating that she is at least a quarter covered by ink, this "trilogy of knots" was the artist's response to Kristen's request to attach the cobwebs on her elbow to the end of her wrist.



The artist, identified only as "Batman" near Canal and Broadway, was also asked to incorporate a Celtic pattern, as well.



The final result was to Kristen's liking and we here at Tattoosday thank her for sharing the tattoo with all of our readers!

Jumat, 30 Juli 2010

Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

Three years ago today, Tattoosday was born.



On July 31, 2007, I put up a post on BillyBlog, featuring a tattoo on a co-worker named Sephora.



The idea was to post a weekly tattoo on Tuesday, and use this is a vehicle to expand my horizons a bit; meet interesting people and learn about tattoos.



There was one problem. I enjoyed it too much. There weren't enough Tuesdays in the week. I was impatient and wanted to post right away, not wait until Tuesday. And so, as Kurt Vonnegut would say, it goes....



So a month later I threw the previous months post up on the stand-alone blog, Tattoosday. And BillyBlog faded.



It's still there, but Tattoosday is my passion and I couldn't have even imagined, back in 2007, how easy it would become for me to talk to strangers about their ink.



The once-a-week project produced forty-five separate interactions in July, we have a 30-day backlog of material, and this past week we registered our 650,000th hit. Not too shabby.



Go see the original post here to see how far we've come.



And a hearty thanks to all our contributors, all our fans, and all the tattooists out there creating wonderful, interesting, portable art. Without all of you, Tattoosday would have been a blip of an idea, and nothing more.

Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

Three years ago today, Tattoosday was born.



On July 31, 2007, I put up a post on BillyBlog, featuring a tattoo on a co-worker named Sephora.



The idea was to post a weekly tattoo on Tuesday, and use this is a vehicle to expand my horizons a bit; meet interesting people and learn about tattoos.



There was one problem. I enjoyed it too much. There weren't enough Tuesdays in the week. I was impatient and wanted to post right away, not wait until Tuesday. And so, as Kurt Vonnegut would say, it goes....



So a month later I threw the previous months post up on the stand-alone blog, Tattoosday. And BillyBlog faded.



It's still there, but Tattoosday is my passion and I couldn't have even imagined, back in 2007, how easy it would become for me to talk to strangers about their ink.



The once-a-week project produced forty-five separate interactions in July, we have a 30-day backlog of material, and this past week we registered our 650,000th hit. Not too shabby.



Go see the original post here to see how far we've come.



And a hearty thanks to all our contributors, all our fans, and all the tattooists out there creating wonderful, interesting, portable art. Without all of you, Tattoosday would have been a blip of an idea, and nothing more.

Nick Remembers Billy, I Remember Siki

My first tattoo was modified from a piece of flash at Body Art Studios by an artist who goes by the moniker "Siki". Shortly thereafter, Siki left the shop and went on his way.



My friend Pete knows who he is but, until recently, I hadn't met anyone with ink from Siki, other than myself.



Then, I met Nick on the R train one day after work and, while discussing his many tattoos (he "lost count after 45," they've all connected) , I heard him talking about Siki.



So today's tattoo is by Siki and was, like my lynx, modified from an old piece of flash. Although he adapted it a lot more fully and developed a more unique tattoo.





Siki and Nick had a mutual friend named Billy, who Nick would often go with to get tattooed. When he passed away, they added Billy's name to the bottom of the tattoo as a tribute to their departed friend.



Thanks to Nick for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Kamis, 29 Juli 2010

Jessica's Feather for her Mother

I met Jessica on the express platform at 34th Street earlier this month.



She shared this gorgeous peacock feather tattooed on the upper right section of her back:





The piece is an homage to her mother, who loves everything peacock, and has countless items, like bracelets and other jewelery, that emulate the vivid colors of these beautiful birds.



She credits this tattoo to an artist known only as Allison.



Thanks to Jessica for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Jessica's Feather for her Mother

I met Jessica on the express platform at 34th Street earlier this month.



She shared this gorgeous peacock feather tattooed on the upper right section of her back:





The piece is an homage to her mother, who loves everything peacock, and has countless items, like bracelets and other jewelery, that emulate the vivid colors of these beautiful birds.



She credits this tattoo to an artist known only as Allison.



Thanks to Jessica for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Rabu, 28 Juli 2010

Michelle's Tattoo Takes Your Breath Away

Michelle has a lot of ink, twenty-one tattoos, all told, but when I stopped her in Penn Station, she chose to share this one with us:





Boldly planted on her upper right arm, Michelle explained that she paraphrased and pared down a longer quotation to read, more simply, "Live for the moments that take your breath away". I believe she was referring to the saying, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."



The flowers in the photo are cherry blossoms that were done in blue, rather than the traditional pink because, as Michelle tells it, she's "not really a pink kind of girl".





This tattoo was inked by Fat Tony at Hobo's Tattoo Shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.



Thanks to Michelle for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Michelle's Tattoo Takes Your Breath Away

Michelle has a lot of ink, twenty-one tattoos, all told, but when I stopped her in Penn Station, she chose to share this one with us:





Boldly planted on her upper right arm, Michelle explained that she paraphrased and pared down a longer quotation to read, more simply, "Live for the moments that take your breath away". I believe she was referring to the saying, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."



The flowers in the photo are cherry blossoms that were done in blue, rather than the traditional pink because, as Michelle tells it, she's "not really a pink kind of girl".





This tattoo was inked by Fat Tony at Hobo's Tattoo Shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.



Thanks to Michelle for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Selasa, 27 Juli 2010

Timmy's Sophisticated Owl

Earlier this month, Melanie and I took advantage of having my sister's car while she was out of the country and we made an unusual shopping trip to the Fairway Market in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.



There was a gentleman in the produce section with a lot of tattoos, and Melanie pointed out one to me that she thought was cool, this owl on his calf:





Turns out that the guy was Timmy from Timmy Tattoo, an artist whose name rang a distant bell. Work by Timmy appeared in one of Tattoosday's earliest posts, when I met Jackie,an FIT student whose tattoos appeared here.



Timmy's owl was inked by Garrett Ostrowski of Garrett's Tattoos.



Thanks to Timmy for sharing one of his many tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Timmy's Sophisticated Owl

Earlier this month, Melanie and I took advantage of having my sister's car while she was out of the country and we made an unusual shopping trip to the Fairway Market in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.



There was a gentleman in the produce section with a lot of tattoos, and Melanie pointed out one to me that she thought was cool, this owl on his calf:





Turns out that the guy was Timmy from Timmy Tattoo, an artist whose name rang a distant bell. Work by Timmy appeared in one of Tattoosday's earliest posts, when I met Jackie,an FIT student whose tattoos appeared here.



Timmy's owl was inked by Garrett Ostrowski of Garrett's Tattoos.



Thanks to Timmy for sharing one of his many tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Senin, 26 Juli 2010

Niki's Memorial for Elizabeth

Last week I was down in Chelsea when I spotted Niki from a distance. She appeared to have a colorful Madonna-like tattoo on her right shoulder, so I changed course and caught up to her only to discover this lovely tattoo instead:





This lovely photo was supplied to me by Niki, as my own camera's battery had run out of power and my BlackBerry photo seemed inadequate:





Niki explained that, after her beloved cat Elizabeth passed away, she wanted a memorial tattoo to honor the friend she had for fourteen years.



She went to artist John Reardon, then at Saved Tattoo, and told him she wanted a memorial in the style of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the look of Mexican shrines and altars.





One can see Reardon hit the ball out of the park, as proven by my mistaking the piece from a distance as a religious icon.



John Reardon is no stranger to Tattoosday. His work has appeared previously here and here.He now works out of his private studio in Brooklyn.



Thanks to Niki for sharing her beautiful tattoo with us on Tattoosday!

Niki's Memorial for Elizabeth

Last week I was down in Chelsea when I spotted Niki from a distance. She appeared to have a colorful Madonna-like tattoo on her right shoulder, so I changed course and caught up to her only to discover this lovely tattoo instead:





This lovely photo was supplied to me by Niki, as my own camera's battery had run out of power and my BlackBerry photo seemed inadequate:





Niki explained that, after her beloved cat Elizabeth passed away, she wanted a memorial tattoo to honor the friend she had for fourteen years.



She went to artist John Reardon, then at Saved Tattoo, and told him she wanted a memorial in the style of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the look of Mexican shrines and altars.





One can see Reardon hit the ball out of the park, as proven by my mistaking the piece from a distance as a religious icon.



John Reardon is no stranger to Tattoosday. His work has appeared previously here and here.He now works out of his private studio in Brooklyn.



Thanks to Niki for sharing her beautiful tattoo with us on Tattoosday!

Minggu, 25 Juli 2010

Jim Commemorates a Trip To Greece with His Brothers

I mentioned yesterday that I had gone up to Woodstock on the 4th of July weekend, where I spotted some upstate ink.



At a flea market, I met Jim, who had this amazing tattoo on the back of his calf:





And a wider, three-paneled view:







Jim had gone on vacation to Greece for thirty days with his brothers and he wanted to commemorate the experience.



They had stayed on the island of Ios, and Jim took several photos he had into Jake Parrington at Lowell Ink in Lowell, Massachusetts.



The end result was this amazing tattoo that captures the scene of their vacation. One of Jim's other brothers got the same tattoo. Note the three figures hiking are meant to represent Jim and his two brothers.



Thanks to Jim for sharing this great tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Jim Commemorates a Trip To Greece with His Brothers

I mentioned yesterday that I had gone up to Woodstock on the 4th of July weekend, where I spotted some upstate ink.



At a flea market, I met Jim, who had this amazing tattoo on the back of his calf:





And a wider, three-paneled view:







Jim had gone on vacation to Greece for thirty days with his brothers and he wanted to commemorate the experience.



They had stayed on the island of Ios, and Jim took several photos he had into Jake Parrington at Lowell Ink in Lowell, Massachusetts.



The end result was this amazing tattoo that captures the scene of their vacation. One of Jim's other brothers got the same tattoo. Note the three figures hiking are meant to represent Jim and his two brothers.



Thanks to Jim for sharing this great tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

scuba tattoo

Tribal Tattoo

TRIBALES TATTOO

Sabtu, 24 Juli 2010

Larry's Tattoo Burns at Both Ends

Occasionally, but not too often, I do venture out of the city to places far, and not so far, away.



Fourth of July weekend, I was up visiting friends in Woodstock, New York.



On July 3, we found ourselves at an outdoor flea market and I met a couple of inked folk, including Larry who has "a lot" of tattoos.



When asked to choose one, he offered up this piece on his forearm:





The image, of a candle burning at both ends, reminds him that life goes by quickly. The "No Tomorrow" is a spin on the carpe diem, or "seize the day" philosophy.





The tattoo was done by JR Maloney at Vanguard Tattoo in Nyack, New York.



Thanks to Larry for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Larry's Tattoo Burns at Both Ends

Occasionally, but not too often, I do venture out of the city to places far, and not so far, away.



Fourth of July weekend, I was up visiting friends in Woodstock, New York.



On July 3, we found ourselves at an outdoor flea market and I met a couple of inked folk, including Larry who has "a lot" of tattoos.



When asked to choose one, he offered up this piece on his forearm:





The image, of a candle burning at both ends, reminds him that life goes by quickly. The "No Tomorrow" is a spin on the carpe diem, or "seize the day" philosophy.





The tattoo was done by JR Maloney at Vanguard Tattoo in Nyack, New York.



Thanks to Larry for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Tattoo Picture


Lil' Miss Sunshine

I spotted Christina on a subway platform and she let me take a photo of this tattoo above her outer right ankle once we got on the train:







Our time to chat was limited, so all I learned from Christina was that this was a self-drawn self-portrait that a friend tattooed on her four years ago.



"Lil' Miss Sunshine" is her nickname.And yes, the sun refers to her as "That Crazy Ass Bitch".



Thanks to Christina for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Lil' Miss Sunshine

I spotted Christina on a subway platform and she let me take a photo of this tattoo above her outer right ankle once we got on the train:







Our time to chat was limited, so all I learned from Christina was that this was a self-drawn self-portrait that a friend tattooed on her four years ago.



"Lil' Miss Sunshine" is her nickname.And yes, the sun refers to her as "That Crazy Ass Bitch".



Thanks to Christina for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Jumat, 23 Juli 2010

Pete's Tribute to a Magical Grandfather

Last month, as I wandered despondently down my street, mourning the loss of my camera, I saw Pete standing on his stoop in the afternoon heat, without a shirt. He had a really cool tattoo and I talked to him about it, taking a picture with my BlackBerry.



Alas, the image quality wasn't good enough, I thought, to post here, so I waited until I saw Pete again, almost a month later, when I had my new camera in hand.



So here, without further delay, is Pete's tattoo:





Pete explained that this tattoo is a tribute to his grandfather, a magician who went by the name "The Great Merlini". The tattoo was designed by Kiki at Tattoos by Lou in the South Beach section of Miami, Florida. Pete went to him and explained what he wanted and Kiki drew it up and inked it.



On a sidebar, the Great Merlini wasn't just your run-of-the-mill magician. The man behind the persona was Clayton Rawson (click name for full biography). Rawson wrote four mystery novels that featured the character also known as The Great Merlini. And as this YouTube clip shows, Merlini also was a noted illusionist:







Thanks to Pete for sharing this magical tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Pete's Tribute to a Magical Grandfather

Last month, as I wandered despondently down my street, mourning the loss of my camera, I saw Pete standing on his stoop in the afternoon heat, without a shirt. He had a really cool tattoo and I talked to him about it, taking a picture with my BlackBerry.



Alas, the image quality wasn't good enough, I thought, to post here, so I waited until I saw Pete again, almost a month later, when I had my new camera in hand.



So here, without further delay, is Pete's tattoo:





Pete explained that this tattoo is a tribute to his grandfather, a magician who went by the name "The Great Merlini". The tattoo was designed by Kiki at Tattoos by Lou in the South Beach section of Miami, Florida. Pete went to him and explained what he wanted and Kiki drew it up and inked it.



On a sidebar, the Great Merlini wasn't just your run-of-the-mill magician. The man behind the persona was Clayton Rawson (click name for full biography). Rawson wrote four mystery novels that featured the character also known as The Great Merlini. And as this YouTube clip shows, Merlini also was a noted illusionist:







Thanks to Pete for sharing this magical tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Kamis, 22 Juli 2010

Female Wit Butterfly Tattoo Design :Design Of Tattoo

Female Wit Butterfly Tattoo DesignMany women start to get a tattoo inked on their bodies. In the last fifteen years, tattooing has become a symbol of disobedience to the problem and a state of well-loved take as a characteristic style. Some current polls tattoo designs still associated with men, although women are increasingly entering the art of tattoos! Over the past five years has increased the tendency to tattoos, and yes, a large proportion of them are tattoos pretty girl!

For men, the best tattoo body application is in the chest, arms, back and shoulders, although girls tend to go a bit 'most revealing of all. Before acquiring the tattoo, the girls are usually considered, if it affects most, and that goes well with it: the evening gown or a bikini might be, or even informal Kaki! Even for educated women and girls, tattoos are usually, if they can be secret!
Female Wit Butterfly Tattoo DesignWhen you are looking for tattoo art beautiful girl, who is one of the major factors considered is, what part of the anatomy you need it! Usually a tattoo seems pretty nice girl behind or between the shoulder blades to stop around the ankle or wrist, arm or thigh.
Female Wit Butterfly Tattoo Design :Soul Of Tattoo
Some other tattoo is a bit 'back to where it can be demonstrated carving out a small swimsuit.
Female Wit Butterfly Tattoo Design :Soul Of Tattoo
It is not advisable to get a tattoo on his face, because it can break the set and can not be hidden at all! also places where the skin tends to age, such as breasts or between the breasts to build positions tattoos ugly, because the skin can stretch the lead to get a tattoo distorted.This can put you in a very embarrassing situation when both time top, which is precipitated.

Tips Merawat Tato


Tattoo atau Tattoo Art, adalah seni menghias tubuh layaknya kanvas yang akan digambar sesuai dengan keinginan. Walau sudah lama dikenal, namun hingga kini Tattoo Art tetap menjadi sebuah fenomena yang membawa pro dan kontra unik tersendiri.

Trend GayaHidup Seiring dengan perkembangan jaman, dimana pandangan seseorang atas Art Tattoo ini juga ikut berubah. Kini tato di Indonesia menjadi trend yang fenomena dengan terlihat adanya peningkatan pemujanya, bahwa Art Tattoo adalah sebuah seni yang kian hidup menjadi sebuah gaya hidup yang mengikat. Banyaknya Tattoos Galery menunjukan bahwa perkembangan tato mendapat tempat di kalangan masyarakat kota.

Berkembangnya trend tato di Indonesia ( Tattoo Jakarta) juga dapat terlihat dari masuknya seni menghias tubuh ini di kalangan para professional ( Tatto Galery). Sebut saja beberapa entertainer, model, para selebritis nasional lain kini mulai melengkapi ciri khas dirinya melalui tato ( Tatto Galery). Seni tato mulai berkembang, bila awalnya dikenal sebagai wujud jati diri, kini tato beralih sebagai pelengkap gaya hidup ( Tattoo Jakarta).

Merawat tato baru sebenarnya mudah, asalkan anda mengikuti instruksi perawatan yang seharusnya. Di bawah ini akan diberikan tips secara umum bagaimana jika harus mencuci tato baru anda, menjaganya agar tetap bersih dan tidak mudah terinfeksi.

1. Selalu cuci tangan sebelum menyentuh luka tato anda, untuk menghindari infeksi pada kulit yang terbuka.

2. Cuci tato anda antara 2 sampai 3 kali setiap hari dengan menggunakan sabun khusus tato atau jika tidak ada, gunakan saja sabun lembut atau sabun bayi.

3. Usapkan busa sabun lembut dengan menggunakan jari anda yang bersih, jangan menggunakan handuk atau kain lap.

4. Hilangkan sabun dari tato anda dengan cara membasuh busa sabun di bawah air mengalir.

5. Jangan menggosok tato keras-keras dengan menggunakan handuk, cukup ditekan-tekan dengan lembut bagian yang basah dan selebihnya biarkan mengering dengan sendirinya

dikutip dari: http://id.88db.com

Budaya Tattoo




Sering kali masyarakat menyalah artikan tentang tato dan piercing. Kebanyakan masyarakat saat ini merasa bahwa tato dan piercing adalah hal yang pantas untuk ditentang dan dihindari serta para orang bertato dan bertindik atau yang biasa disebut kolektor ini pun mendapat image yang negative dari masyarakat. Padahal sejarah tato dan piercing yang pada kenyataannya adalah kebudayaan lama masyarakat dunia bahkan di Indonesia sendiri kepada para masyarakat.

Memang bukti-bukti sejarah tato ini kurang begitu jelas, namun para ahli mengambil kesimpulan bahwa seni tato sudah ada sejak 12.000 tahun SM. Jaman dulu tato digunakan untuk semacam ritual bagi suku-suku kuno seperti Maori, Inca, Ainu, Polynesians, dan lain-lain. Konon menurut sejarahnya, tato pada awalnya ditemukan di Mesir pada waktu pembangunan The Great Pyramids. Dan kemudian orang-orang Mesir memperluas kerajaan mereka dikuti dengan menyebarnya seni tato. Perkembangan peradaban dari Crete, Yunani, Persia, dan Arabia semakin memperluas bentuk seni tersebut. sekitar tahun 2000 SM, seni tato menyebar ke Tiongkok. Dan kata tato sendiri berasal dari bahasa Tahitian yaitu “tutu”, yang berarti “tanda/menandakan sesuatu”.

Di Indonesia sendiri acap kali para pencinta tato ini menjadi kaum marjinal. Apalagi ketika jaman Orde Baru dan munculnya PETRUS (Penembak Misterius) yang memburu orang bertato. Saat itu orang yang bertato dianggap sebagai preman, criminal, penjahat, dan sebagainya. Sehingga waktu itu banyak orang yang bertato ingin menghapus seluruh tato yang ada ditubuhnya agar terhindar dari Petrus.

Namun dalam perkembangannya sampai saat ini stigma masyarakat tersebut mulai berkurang, meskipun masih ada. Tato mulai dianggap sebagai fesyen, karena tato bisa mempercantik dan menambah rasa percaya diri seseorang atau sebagai aksesoris tubuh. Komunitas tato dan piercing juga mulai banyak. Ditambah lagi dengan maraknya studio-studio tato dan di piercing di beberapa kota besar seperti Bali, Jakarta, Bandung, dan Jogjakarta.

Tato adalah bagian dari seni, bukan lagi untuk dunia kekerasan dan kriminalitas. Tato sebuah ajang ekspresi seseorang, baik si artist (pembuat tato) atau pecinta tato sendiri. Layaknya lukisan, tato sendiri mempunyai makna dibalik sebuah gambarnya. Dan adalah tugas para pecinta tato dan piercing untuk membuat
dan mempertahankan image postif di kalangan masyarakat.

dikutip dari: http://www.magicwave.org

Kehidupan Tato saat ini...


Seni tato sekarang ini menempati suatu kedudukan khusus dan menjadi pilihan di dunia fashion ¹. Tato dapat disejajarkan sebagai sebuah aksesori pelengkap gaya berpakaian masyarakat sekarang ini, terutama di kalangan anak muda di kawasan urban. Sebagian masyarakat masih ada yang menganggap tabu, tapi memiliki tato adalah selayaknya memakai “pakaian lain” dalam pakaian menurut sebagian penikmat tato.

Gaya ini juga muncul dari gembar-gembor media massa yang menampilkan figur publik yang memiliki tato di tubuhnya, seperti artis-artis yang sering kita lihat di televisi, terutama rocker-rocker Barat seperti Guns n’ Roses, Motley Crue, Red Hot Chili Pepper, dan lain-lain. Dan umumnya kawula muda kota-kota besar di Indonesia rela menjadi epigon penyandang tato gaya artis-artis tersebut. Idola dalam hal ini adalah seseorang yang menjadi sumber inspirasi untuk menunjukkan jati diri. Proses tahapan pengaruh idola terhadap pengikut atau pengadopsi tentunya akan melewati berbagai tahapan, yakni ; interest stage (terpesona / tertarik model penampilan seseorang), kemudian evaluation stage (mengevaluasi perlu / tidaknya melakukan peniruan), trial stage (mencoba menirukan bagian yang menarik hatinya), dan yang terakhir adalah adoption stage (mengambil keputusan, meniru sang idola) (Olong, 2006:47).

Selain anak-anak muda, banyak orang yang “lebih dewasa” pun memilih untuk mempunyai tato di tubuhnya, sebagai pelengkap fashion dan mengikuti tren yang ada karena tren fashion dalam industri budaya pop berlaku bagi siapapun dan memasyarakat. Semua orang mempunyai kesempatan yang sama dalam bergaya, tergantung dari pilihan-pilihan individual masing-masing. Semua orang boleh menunjukkan gayanya yang khas sebagai sebuah self image yang akan dikenakannya untuk dijadikan performa dalam bermasyarakat. Seperti yang diungkapkan oleh Idy Subandi Ibrahim sebagai pengantar dari buku Lifestyles : Sebuah Pengantar Komprehensif (David Chaney, 2003) bahwa “kita bergaya, maka kita ada”.

TATTO DAN PERUBAHAN SOSIAL

Seni tato bergerak dan berubah dalam berbagai bentuk dan pemaknaan. Mulai dari fungsi-fungsi tradisional yang religius sebagai simbol status, kemudian ada masa ketika orang bertato harus ditembak mati, sampai akhirnya tato dianggap sebagai tren fashion sekarang. Pemaknaan itu merupakan hal yang menjadi sudut pandang dari masyarakat. Bagaimana kondisi sosial menentukan nilai bagi subjek-subjek material seperti tato yang akan memberi pengaruh secara langsung terhadap penggunanya. Perubahan sosial masyarakat dalam memaknai tato ini berkaitan dengan kepentingan yang ada saat ini. Kemudian, bila dilihat secara antropologis maka pemaknaan dan fungsi dari tato ini berkaitan dengan teori struktural fungsional. Secara struktural, penggunaan tato berpengaruh pada tingkat kelompok masyarakat tertentu. Misalnya, penggunaan tato pada masyarakat Mentawai tentu memiliki makna tersendiri. Tato merupakan roh kehidupan.

Tato memiliki empat kedudukan pada masyarakat ini, salah satunya adalah untuk menunjukkan jati diri dan perbedaan status sosial atau profesi. Tato dukun sikerei, misalnya, berbeda dengan tato ahli berburu. Ahli berburu dikenal lewat gambar binatang tangkapannya, seperti babi, rusa, kera, burung, atau buaya. Tato juga dipakai oleh kepala suku (rimata) Selain itu, bagi masyarakat Mentawai, tato juga memiliki fungsi sebagai simbol keseimbangan alam. Dalam masyarakat itu, benda-benda seperti batu, hewan, dan tumbuhan harus diabadikan di atas tubuh. Tato, juga dipakai pada seniman tato (sipatiti) . Tetapi, seiring dengan perkembangan zaman dan pengaruh media akhirnya stigma mengenai tato (bahwa tato=penjahat, kriminalitas, dan lain-lain) mulai berkurang. Karena masyarakat sendiri yang menilai bahwa tato tidak selamanya seperti itu.

Perubahan nilai terhadap tato ini sangat dipengaruhi juga karena konstruksi kebudayaan yang dianut oleh masyarakat. Kita harus memperhatikan konteks yang ada pada zaman ini. Tato tradisional mungkin menjadi sesuatu yang bersifat religius dan magis karena gambar yang digunakan berupa simbol-simbol yang terkait dengan alam dan kepercayaan masyarakat. Kemudian ada suatu masa ketika tato tersebut menyandang stigma yang negatif. Seperti pada kelompok Yakuza di Jepang, mereka menggunakan horimono (tato tradisional Jepang) pada tubuhnya. Karena organisasi Yakuza ini sering terlibat dengan hal-hal kriminal (seperti perjudian, narkoba), maka masyarakat terkonstruksi untuk melihat tato sebagai hal yang negatif.

Lain halnya dengan perkembangan tato saat ini. Meskipun masih ada yang menganggap tato berkaitan dengan hal yang negatif dan cenderung menyakiti diri sendiri tapi seiring perkembangan zaman, masyarakat mulai memahami tato sebagai simbol-simbol ekspresi seni dan sebagainya sehingga pemakaian tato lebih cenderung ke arah populer. Berawal dari pemberontakan terhadap stigma negatif, memang, namun hal ini dapat dipandang sebagai counter culture yang memberi perubahan dan variasi dalam kehidupan masyarakat.

Dilihat secara artistik, tato memang memiliki fungsi estetika. Tato dipandang sebagai wujud ekspresi seni. Meski begitu, bagi orang Mentawai atau Dayak, tato tetap memiliki fungsi sosial bukan hanya sebagai ekspresi seni tetapi fungsi religi dan politik (yaitu untuk menunjukkan kedudukan sosialnya ). Seperti yang dikatakan oleh William F.Ogburn, bahwa ada berbagai cara dalam perubahan budaya material dan non material.

Perubahan dalam budaya material seringkali dianggap memiliki karakter progresif. Sedangkan dalam arena budaya non material, seperti pengetahuan, kepercayaan, norma dan nilai seringkali tidak menggunakan standar yang umum. Seperti pemaknaan tato yang sebenarnya juga tergantung pada interpretasi dari individu itu sendiri. Tato yang pada awalnya hanya digunakan sebagai simbol kekuasaan dan kedudukan sosial, sampai akhirnya tato dijadikan sebagai tren fashion.

Jadi, penilaian bahwa tato itu baik atau buruk tergantung dari kondisi sosial yang ada. Fungsi sosial tato pada masyarakat tradisional dengan masyarakat urban juga berbeda. Bila pada masyarakat tradisional, tato memiliki fungsi religius politis, tetapi pada masyarakat urban fungsi tato lebih cenderung ke art. Maka, bukanlah hal aneh bila seorang Nafa Urbach atau Tora Sudiro dengan PD-nya memperlihatkan tato-nya kepada khalayak umum. Karena menurut mereka penyuka tato, tato adalah seni dan itu terlepas dari apakah tato memiliki unsur religius-magis atau tidak, yang jelas itu semua tergantung pada interpretasi masyarakat atas pemaknaan tato tersebut. Karena “kita bergaya,maka kita ada”

dikutip dari: http://www.indonesiansubculture.com

Indahnya Tatoo Di Tubuh Wanita



Indahnya Tatoo Di Tubuh Wanita
Tattoo Keren dan SEXY di Tubuh Wanita


SENI menghias tubuh atau yang lebih dikenal dengan tato memang sudah menjadi tren di kalangan pria sejak dulu kala. Namun kini, tak sedikit wanita yang rela menghias tubuhnya dengan beragam bentuk variasi tato yang unik dan cantik.

Bagi sebagian wanita yang tubuhnya ditato, mereka beralasan tato cantik tentu menawarkan sebuah keindahan. Sebagian lagi beranggapan bahwa tato menjadi bagian dalam hidupnya.

Menurut berita yang dilansir Health24, Llieze Ellick, selaku ahli tindik mengungkapkan, "Ada beragam alasan mengapa seseorang memilih menghiasi tubuhnya dengan tato. Menurut saya, tato sifatnya pribadi. Mungkin ada dari mereka yang ditato ingin mencoba pengalaman baru dalam hidupnya. Tato merupakan wujud dari ekspresi diri yang bisa membuat sebagian orang terpana."

tatoo,hampir mirip dengan seni Body painting,akan tetapi biasanya Tatoo hanya merupakan motif simbolis,yang di tuangkan atau di lukiskan pada bagian organ tubuh kita.
Banyak Pro dan Kontra tentang image orang bertatoo,kebanyakan masyarakat menganggap kalau ada orang bertatoo image nya selalu kearah negatif.Bisa di bilang orang bertatoo itu Premanlah,berandalanlah,pokoknya selalu mengarah ke Image Negatif.Dan kebanyakan yang bertatoo adalah kaum laki-laki,selain menambah penampilan jadi Manly juga Macho.

dikutip dari: http://www.forumkami.com

TATTOO ANTARA POLITIK DAN KEINDAHAN TUBUH


Link : Indonesian Cubculture

Nuraini Juliastuti dan Antariksa

Pada sistem budaya yang berlainan, tatto mempunyai makna dan fungsi yang berbeda-beda. Di Indonesia sendiri, pernah ada masa dimana tatto dianggap sebagai sesuatu yang buruk. Orang-orang yang memakai tatto dianggap identik dengan penjahat, gali dan orang nakal. Pokoknya golongan orang-orang yang hidup di jalan dan selalu dianggap mengacau ketentraman masyarakat.

Anggapan negatif seperti ini secara tidak langsung mendapat “pengesahan” ketika pada tahun 80-an terjadi pembunuhan misterius terhadap ribuan orang gali (penjahat kambuhan) di berbagai kota di Indonesia. Soeharto (mantan presiden) dalam otobiografinya, Soeharto: Pikiran, Ucapan, dan Tindakan Saya (PT. Citra Lamtorogung Persada, Jakarta, 1989) , mengatakan bahwa petrus (penembakan misterius) itu memang sengaja dilakukan sebagai treatment, tindakan tegas terhadap orang-orang jahat yang suka mengganggu ketentraman masyarakat.

Bagaimana cara mengetahui bahwa seseorang itu penjahat dan layak dibunuh? Brita L. Miklouho-Maklai dalam Menguak Luka Masyarakat: Beberapa Aspek Seni Rupa Indonesia Sejak Tahun 1966 (Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, 1997) menyebutkan bahwa para penjahat kambuhan itu kebanyakan diidentifikasi melalui tatto, untuk kemudian ditembak secara rahasia, lalu mayatnya ditaruh dalam karung dan dibuang di sembarang tempat seperti sampah.

Tidak semua orang bertatto itu penjahat memang. Tapi mengapa sampai terjadi generalisasi seperti itu? Apa kira-kira dasar alasannya? Apakah dulu kebetulan pernah ada seorang penjahat besar yang punya tatto dan itu lalu dipakai sebagai ciri untuk menggeneralisir bahwa semua orang yang bertatto pasti penjahat juga? Sayangnya belum ada studi mendalam yang bisa menguak pergeseran makna tatto dari ukiran dekoratif sebagai penghias tubuh dan simbol-simbol tertentu menjadi tanda cap bagi para penjahat.

Tapi yang jelas telah terjadi “politisasi tubuh”. Tubuh dipolitisir, dijadikan alat kendali untuk kepentingan negara. Dalam kasus petrus di Indonesia, tubuh yang bertatto dipakai sebagai alat kendali, suatu alasan untuk menjaga stabilitas negara. Untuk tingkat dunia, bisa disebut beberapa contoh kasus politik tubuh besar sepanjang sejarah peradaban manusia. Orang-orang kulit putih menerapkan sistem politik apartheid di Afrika Selatan hanya karena orang-orang Afrika “berkulit hitam”. Dari Jerman, Hitler dengan Nazi-nya membantai orang-orang Yahudi hanya karena di dalam tubuh orang Yahudi tidak mengalir darah Arya, darah tubuh manusia yang paling sempurna yang pernah diciptakan Tuhan di bumi ini menurut Hitler.

Sebelum tatto dianggap sebagai sesuatu yang modis, trendi dan fashionable seperti sekarang ini, tatto memang dekat dengan budaya pemberontakan. Anggapan negatif masyarakat tentang tatto dan larangan memakai rajah atau tatto bagi penganut agama tertentu semakin menyempurnakan imej tatto sebagai sesuatu yang: dilarang, haram, dan tidak boleh. Maka memakai tatto sama dengan memberontak terhadap tatanan nilai sosial yang ada, sama dengan membebaskan diri terhadap segala tabu dan norma-norma masyarakat yang membelenggu. Prang-orang yang dipinggirkan oleh masyarakat memakai tatto sebagai simbol pemberontakan dan eksistensi diri. Anak-anak yang disingkirkan oleh keluarga memakai tatto sebagai simbol pembebasan…

Setiap jaman melahirkan konstruksi tubuhnya sendiri-sendiri. Dulu tatto dianggap jelek, sekarang tatto dianggap sebagai sesuatu yang modis dan trendi. Kalau era ini berakhir, entah tatto akan dianggap sebagai apa. Mungkin status kelas sosial, mungkin sekedar perhiasan, atau yang lain.

dikutip dari:http://riyano.wordpress.com

Preston's Invaders Take Tattoosday

I met Preston in early May on the train platform at West 4th Street.



I spotted his tattoo and we talked about it.After along wait, we finally get to see this, one of Preston's five tattoos, here on Tattoosday:





These are,of course, images from the original Atari Space Invaders, one of the forerunners that was the first video game to truly take the world by storm.





Preston told me that these symbols represent space invasion. The neon green color makes them stick out even more and, he added, they make a "great ice breaker".



As a result, he continued, "people invade my space" when they question him (as I was doing) about his tattoo.



Preston is a musician by trade, who goes by the moniker Press Reset. Check out his website here. And this link will take you to his new record <3 on iTunes, where you can listen to (and hopefully, buy) his music.



Preston credits the tattoo to an artist named Ziggy who tattoos out of South Florida.



Thanks to Preston for sharing his alien neck tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Preston's Invaders Take Tattoosday

I met Preston in early May on the train platform at West 4th Street.



I spotted his tattoo and we talked about it.After along wait, we finally get to see this, one of Preston's five tattoos, here on Tattoosday:





These are,of course, images from the original Atari Space Invaders, one of the forerunners that was the first video game to truly take the world by storm.





Preston told me that these symbols represent space invasion. The neon green color makes them stick out even more and, he added, they make a "great ice breaker".



As a result, he continued, "people invade my space" when they question him (as I was doing) about his tattoo.



Preston is a musician by trade, who goes by the moniker Press Reset. Check out his website here. And this link will take you to his new record <3 on iTunes, where you can listen to (and hopefully, buy) his music.



Preston credits the tattoo to an artist named Ziggy who tattoos out of South Florida.



Thanks to Preston for sharing his alien neck tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Rabu, 21 Juli 2010

Shannon Shares Her Wieners!

At the end of May, I met Sherry, who shared her love of her home state of Texas with this tattoo here.



In an ensuing email, she asked if she could send her friend Shannon my way to share her ink. "Of course," I replied, and was directed by Sherry to Borders, where Shannon worked. "Ask to see her wieners," she said and added, parenthetically, "(it's G rated, I promise!)."



The Borders in question is part of my normal stomping ground, so I kept my eyes peeled. No sign of Shannon and her wieners.



Then, at the beginning of the month, I finally found Shannon and met Geddy Lee and Sarah Lee, the two wieners tattooed on her upper right arm. They are of course, wiener dogs, more formally known as dachshunds:









The one on the left is Geddy Lee, named after the lead singer of Rush. Shannon's a big fan of the Canadian rock trio.



Sarah Lee, on the right, is a fictional dachshund, do-si-do'ing with Geddy, as they are dance partners.



The tattoo took two sessions, which shows her devotion to Geddy Lee who, Shannon acknowledges, is "that little jerk [that] sucked my soul". She loves him to no end.



These beloved dogs were inked by Adam Paterson at Jersey City Tattoo Company.



Thanks again to Shannon for sharing this incredible tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!