Tattoo One
Kusakabe Kimbei, 1889. Public domain.
"My body holds about 50 pieces from every culture and spot I've visited," writes Hanky Panky (a.k.a. Henk Schiffmacher), a father of two and tattoo artist who has run a tattoo shop in Amsterdam's red light district for over 15 years. "Head hunters have made me an honorary chief, cannibals have cooked me meals - all this just to give you a website."
Tracing it from its origins as an African art form in Ancient Egypt thousands of years ago, tattooing's evolution is a compelling story. Wrapped as it is in the history of colonisation, systems of identification whether of indigenous warriors or concentration camp prisoners, its journey is remarkable and the eclectic nature in which it has been used historically and is used today fascinating.
Panky's real time museum has closed. He's converted it into an on-line one (overseen by "the Tattican") that is rich in intriguing chapters in tattooing's international history. It's fleshed out (literally) with photographs of the objects and historical documents in Panky's collection. Included are three photographs of tattooed skin from the 19th century. All of them belong to men of the sea, the most fascinating perhaps is an image of skin from a sailor removed from his body in Indonesia. Showing the blurred image of a woman, the skin was removed to make identification of the sailor possible after his burial at sea. It's stories like this one that abound on Panky's web site.
Along with archival photographs of "Atomic ladies", North American women who indulged in the taboo practice of tattooing large areas of their bodies in the 50s and 60s, Panky details the stories of extensively tattooed individuals brought to the West by explorers beginning in the late 1690s. Explorer William Dampier returned from the South Pacific to London with Prince Giolo. Through Giolo's being placed on exhibition, a practice the empathetic Panky decries, Polynesian tattooing practices and designs became known in Europe. Panky details other examples, including that of The Great Omi, "a former staff officer in the British army during the First World War" who "had himself tattooed all over according to one single concept, a so-called 'full body concept' tattoo."
Tattoos.com is the E-zine of this mutli-faceted body art. This comprehensive site has an extensive historical section, excerpting Tattoo History: A Source Book by Stephen G. Gilbert. In short illustrated sections, tattooing's history is revealed. Particular attention is given to tattooing's significance elsewhere in the world and the transference of some of those forms to the west. This site also features articles on safe tattooing, its kaleidoscopic forms, and an updated list of tattoo festivals and conventions around the world.
In the "galleries" section, each week a new set of artists is featured. Some of the currently featured tattoos include the Asian inspired black and red tattoo designs of Ottawa's own Dan Allaston of New Moon Tattoo.
"Getting my tattoo was the culmination of a three year dance with Breast Cancer," writes Pam Huntley. "The tattoo changed my mastectomy scar into my shield." This is part of a statement below a photograph of Huntley showing off her tattoo with another women who took the same root, shunning reconstruction or breast forms. Called "in celebration of a scar" the page is part of the Triangle Tattoo & Museum web site. The photograph is extraordinary on so many levels, particularly since the social norm in North American is reconstruction in one form or another.
Featured in a documentary on The Discovery Channel, Mr. G. and his partner Madame Chinchilla's web site includes pages about tattooing machinery, historical flash, and a portfolio. There's also information on ordering Madame Chinchilla's book, Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed, her look at the world of tattooing and some of the wonderful eccentric characters within it.
"To mark someone for life is a great responsibility, that involves a deep understanding of the history and craft of tattooing, passed down to us by our teachers" writes Mr. G., co-owner and tattooist of the Triangle Tattoo salon. "Whoever marks a person is responsible for all whom he marks.... The tattooist initiates the ceremonial process with the person wanting the tattoo ... and even though there are no drums beating or chanting, this is perhaps one of the oldest rituals on earth."
Published in The Ottawa Xpress
Tracing it from its origins as an African art form in Ancient Egypt thousands of years ago, tattooing's evolution is a compelling story. Wrapped as it is in the history of colonisation, systems of identification whether of indigenous warriors or concentration camp prisoners, its journey is remarkable and the eclectic nature in which it has been used historically and is used today fascinating.
Panky's real time museum has closed. He's converted it into an on-line one (overseen by "the Tattican") that is rich in intriguing chapters in tattooing's international history. It's fleshed out (literally) with photographs of the objects and historical documents in Panky's collection. Included are three photographs of tattooed skin from the 19th century. All of them belong to men of the sea, the most fascinating perhaps is an image of skin from a sailor removed from his body in Indonesia. Showing the blurred image of a woman, the skin was removed to make identification of the sailor possible after his burial at sea. It's stories like this one that abound on Panky's web site.
Along with archival photographs of "Atomic ladies", North American women who indulged in the taboo practice of tattooing large areas of their bodies in the 50s and 60s, Panky details the stories of extensively tattooed individuals brought to the West by explorers beginning in the late 1690s. Explorer William Dampier returned from the South Pacific to London with Prince Giolo. Through Giolo's being placed on exhibition, a practice the empathetic Panky decries, Polynesian tattooing practices and designs became known in Europe. Panky details other examples, including that of The Great Omi, "a former staff officer in the British army during the First World War" who "had himself tattooed all over according to one single concept, a so-called 'full body concept' tattoo."
Tattoos.com is the E-zine of this mutli-faceted body art. This comprehensive site has an extensive historical section, excerpting Tattoo History: A Source Book by Stephen G. Gilbert. In short illustrated sections, tattooing's history is revealed. Particular attention is given to tattooing's significance elsewhere in the world and the transference of some of those forms to the west. This site also features articles on safe tattooing, its kaleidoscopic forms, and an updated list of tattoo festivals and conventions around the world.
In the "galleries" section, each week a new set of artists is featured. Some of the currently featured tattoos include the Asian inspired black and red tattoo designs of Ottawa's own Dan Allaston of New Moon Tattoo.
"Getting my tattoo was the culmination of a three year dance with Breast Cancer," writes Pam Huntley. "The tattoo changed my mastectomy scar into my shield." This is part of a statement below a photograph of Huntley showing off her tattoo with another women who took the same root, shunning reconstruction or breast forms. Called "in celebration of a scar" the page is part of the Triangle Tattoo & Museum web site. The photograph is extraordinary on so many levels, particularly since the social norm in North American is reconstruction in one form or another.
Featured in a documentary on The Discovery Channel, Mr. G. and his partner Madame Chinchilla's web site includes pages about tattooing machinery, historical flash, and a portfolio. There's also information on ordering Madame Chinchilla's book, Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed, her look at the world of tattooing and some of the wonderful eccentric characters within it.
"To mark someone for life is a great responsibility, that involves a deep understanding of the history and craft of tattooing, passed down to us by our teachers" writes Mr. G., co-owner and tattooist of the Triangle Tattoo salon. "Whoever marks a person is responsible for all whom he marks.... The tattooist initiates the ceremonial process with the person wanting the tattoo ... and even though there are no drums beating or chanting, this is perhaps one of the oldest rituals on earth."
Published in The Ottawa Xpress
