Sunday, February 10, 2008

A little history before we get started

The art of tattooing began over 5,000 years ago. It was discovered accidentally when someone rubbed a small wound with a hand that was dirtied from soot and ashes from a fire. When their wound healed the mark from the ashes remained and tattoos were born. They have been thought to have everything from aesthetic to religious value and even therapeutic uses.

However, tattoos do not always display moral actions. A good example of their misuse would be in the concentration camps during World War II. The Jews were tattooed with an identification number on their arms, much like the brand on a head of cattle. Another example is, gang and prison tattoos, which are frowned upon by today’s society because many of them portray hate and violence.

Today tattoos are mainly a way to permanently display a memory, family member, or something else important to the person being tattooed. They are one of the most difficult forms of art and while not everyone appreciates them, their importance throughout history is undeniable.

1 comment:

Fred said...

Hi, Ilma. Have you ever read (ever heard of) the book The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury? It's a collection of science fiction stories and was first published in 1951. I first read it when I was in junior high-- not that long after the book came out ;-) You can check it out on Google Books. Here;s the link:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Z--eOn1FlgcC&dq=%22illustrated+man%22&pg=PP1&ots=GXtmisSS4v&sig=HT8GqyuzsGIZ5SCXK_MQ5T5itDA&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22illustrated+man%22&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail