New school is a tattooing style originating as early as the 1970s and influenced by some features of old school tattooing in the United States. The style is often characterized by the use of heavy outlines, vivid colors, and exaggerated depictions of the subject. New school also represents a transition towards openness in the sharing of techniques in tattooing.
There are multiple accounts regarding how new school tattooing began. One account posits that California tattoo artists began experimenting with multiple design styles as early as the 1970s and included subject matter such as famous film actors, Disney characters, and even the USS Enterprise from Star Trek . [1] It is argued that during this time, new cultural designs came from the demands of customers, and less so from the inspiration of tattoo artists. [1]
Other accounts place the emergence of new school tattooing during the late 1980s [2] and 1990s. [3] [4] Tattoo artist Marcus Pacheco is one artist recognized for popularizing new school tattooing early on. [3]
New school tattooing incorporates elements from many tattooing traditions including irezumi, old school, and folk art. [2] [3] It is similar to old school tattooing in that they both generally employ heavy outlines. [5] In contrast to the restricted palette in old school, [5] however, new school tattoos frequently use a range of bright colors. [6] [7] New school tattoos are not realistic in that they exaggerate details in the subject; they are sometimes compared to styles seen in cartooning, [8] graffiti art, [9] and themes seen in hip hop culture such as jagged edges and bubble letters. [10]
In terms of subject matter, new school tattoos are not restricted to traditional subjects (such as hearts and eagles). [11] They feature fantastical subjects, [12] novel patterns, and generally allow for a great deal of customization. [10] However, old school subjects are commonly done in a new school style as a way of expressing homage or irony. [13]
New school is also considered to represent a transition in artists' attitudes towards sharing information on their work and techniques. [14] The craft of old school tattoos was often protected by artists during the 1970s and 1980s for fear of losing business to competitors. [15] However, this also meant that innovation was stifled in the tattooing community. New school artists were more open with this information and pushing the boundaries of tattooing, [14] and explains why there is some tension between older and newer tattooers; regarding this transition, traditional tattooers remark that "tattooing has lost some of its charm," whereas newer tattooers consider this openness to be progressive. [15]
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes and techniques, including hand-tapped traditional tattoos and modern tattoo machines. The history of tattooing goes back to Neolithic times, practiced across the globe by many cultures, and the symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures.
Scarification involves scratching, etching, burning/branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification or body art. The body modification can take roughly 6–12 months to heal. In the process of body scarification, scars are purposely formed by cutting or branding the skin by various methods. Scarification is sometimes called cicatrization.
A tattoo machine is a hand-held device generally used to create a tattoo, a permanent marking of the skin with indelible ink. Modern tattoo machines use electromagnetic coils to move an armature bar up and down. Connected to the armature bar is a barred needle grouping that pushes ink into the skin. Tattoo artists generally use the term "machine", "pen", or even "iron", to refer to their equipment, and the word "gun" is also occasionally used. In addition to "coiled" tattoo machines, there are also rotary tattoo machines, which are powered by regulated motors rather than electromagnetic coils. "The basic machine is pretty much unchanged today, in recent years variations of the theme have crept into the market, namely Manfred Kohr’s Rotary machine of 1976 or Carson Hill’s pneumatic machine that uses compressed air rather than electricity, but the principle is essentially the same."
Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo, and is used in English to refer to a distinctive style of Japanese tattooing, though it is also used as a blanket term to describe a number of tattoo styles originating in Japan, including tattooing traditions from both the Ainu people and the Ryukyuan Kingdom.
Body painting is a form of body art where artwork is painted directly onto the human skin. Unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, lasting several hours or sometimes up to a few weeks. Body painting that is limited to the face is known as "face painting". Body painting is also referred to as "temporary tattoo". Large scale or full-body painting is more commonly referred to as body painting, while smaller or more detailed work can sometimes be referred to as temporary tattoos.
Tattooing has been practiced across the globe since at least Neolithic times, as evidenced by mummified preserved skin, ancient art and the archaeological record. Both ancient art and archaeological finds of possible tattoo tools suggest tattooing was practiced by the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe. However, direct evidence for tattooing on mummified human skin extends only to the 4th millennium BC. The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin to date is found on the body of Ötzi the Iceman, dating to between 3370 and 3100 BC. Other tattooed mummies have been recovered from at least 49 archaeological sites, including locations in Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia, western China, Egypt, Sudan, the Philippines and the Andes. These include Amunet, Priestess of the Goddess Hathor from ancient Egypt, multiple mummies from Siberia including the Pazyryk culture of Russia and from several cultures throughout Pre-Columbian South America.
A body suit or full body suit is an extensive tattoo, usually of a similar pattern, style or theme that covers the entire torso or the entire body. They are associated with traditional Japanese tattooing as well as with some freak show and circus performers. Such suits are of significant cultural meaning in some traditional cultures, representing a rite of passage, marriage or a social designation.
Vyvyn Lazonga is a tattoo artist who began her career in Seattle in the early 1970s and was trained by Danny Danzl. She was the first woman to work for herself in the industry, not her husband or another male shop owner. She worked in San Francisco and was tattooed by Ed Hardy in the 70s. She won the award for Best Tattooed Female in 1978 for his work. Later she was fortunate enough to meet Horiyoshi II at one of Lyle Tuttle's parties before returning in 1989 to open her studio in Seattle.
Black-and-gray is a style of tattooing that uses only black ink in varying shades. This tattooing style is thought to have originated from prisons in the 1970s and 1980s and was later popularized in tattoo parlors.
Tattoo inks consist of pigments combined with a carrier, used in the process of tattooing to create a tattoo in the skin. These inks are also used for permanent makeup, a form of tattoo.
Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice. It can also, by metonymy, refer to the resulting decoration, or to the decorative jewelry used. Piercing implants alter body and/or skin profile and appearance. Although the history of body piercing is obscured by popular misinformation and by a lack of scholarly reference, ample evidence exists to document that it has been practiced in various forms by multiple sexes since ancient times throughout the world.Body piercing can be performed on people of all ages, although most minors are only permitted to have earlobe piercings.
Old school, also called American traditional or Western traditional, is a tattoo style featuring bold black outlines and a limited color palette, with common motifs influenced by sailor tattoos. Many common flash designs are in this style. This style influenced new school tattoos, which use a wider range of colors, shading, and subjects.
The Peʻa is the popular name of the traditional male tatau (tattoo) of Samoa, also known as the malofie. It covers the body from the middle of the back to the knees, and consists of heavy black lines, arrows, and dots.
The New York Tattoo Museum was a museum located at 203 Old Town Road in Staten Island's Old Town neighborhood above Dozer's shop. It was reported to be the first tattoo museum to open in New York City and housed mannequins displaying tattoo techniques, and other items from Dozer's collection. As of 2014, the museum was reported to have relocated to Medford, New York. and by 2017 it was reported to have closed.
Sailor tattoos are traditions of tattooing among sailors, including images with symbolic meanings. These practices date back to at least the 16th century among European sailors, and since colonial times among American sailors. People participating in these traditions have included military service members in national navies, seafarers in whaling and fishing fleets, and civilian mariners on merchant ships and research vessels. Sailor tattoos have served as protective talismans in sailors' superstitions, records of important experiences, markers of identity, and means of self-expression. Common symbols include swallows, nautical stars, and anchors.
Jessie Knight was the first prominent female tattoo artist in the UK.
Jacci Gresham is the first known Black female tattoo artist in the United States. She is from Flint, Michigan, US. She has been based in New Orleans since 1976. Her shop, Aart Accent Tattoos & Body Piercing, is Louisiana's oldest continuous tattoo business. At the time of its opening, she was one of only five practicing female tattoo artists in the United States, and the only woman doing tattooing in New Orleans. In 2011, she was honored as a Pioneer of Female Tattoo Artists.
Deq or xal are the traditional and unique tattoos pertaining to Kurds. Deq is more commonly found among Kurdish women, but is also observed among men. However, the practice of deq has become less common due to the influence of Islam and has been substituted with henna. Unlike the henna, deq is not temporary. Efforts have been made to revitalize the usage of deq as a way of reasserting one's Kurdish identity. Deq is also practiced by Yazidis and to a higher degree.
Bert Grimm was an American tattoo artist considered the "grandfather of old school". Grimm's work contributed to the development and popularity of the American Traditional tattoo style. He tattooed Bonnie and Clyde and Pretty Boy Floyd, among others.