Art by Tattooists: Beyond Flash Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't have any tattoos myself, but I have long been fascinated by the art of tattoos. One of the things that makes tattoo art so fascinating is its limitations, posed by the demands of the client, the equipment and the "canvas" -- living skin. Every tattoo artist must learn to express him- or herself within these limitations. But what happens when those creative minds are unleashed without these limitations? This book answers that question.

Ranging from crude, tattoo-like drawings to fine art still lifes in oil to, in one case, an elaborately illuminated fuchsia toilet seat, the art displays a range that surprised me. Not surprisingly, death, religion, violence and sex are dominant themes here, but by no means the only themes. Skulls, snakes, birds, wings, crosses, Eastern religious motifs -- they're all here, as one would expect, but it's interesting to see what the artists make of them when freed from the limitations of a human canvas and a demanding client.

Each of the 26 artists featured is interviewed briefly, and I found these interviews very illuminating as well. My one complaint is that I wish the book had included some actual tattoos by each artist, just to allow for a comparison of style, technique, and themes.

Still, I found this book really intriguing. It would be a great gift for anyone interested in the art of tattooing -- or in modern graphic design in general.

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Product Description:
Tattoos and tattoo culture have gone mainstream in the last few years, with popular TV shows such as LA Ink, Miami Ink, and London Ink making celebrities out of tattooists and their clients. Highly skilled artists, many tattooists have moved beyond the artwork they draw on skin to create personal work on canvas. Art by Tattooists is the first book to showcase this art.

The book features twenty-six international artists who use a variety of mediums, from ink, watercolor, acrylic paint, and oil to lino printing, painting on wood and board, and even examples of tattoo-style street art and skateboard graphics. Many of the artists are heavily influenced by the imagery they use as tattooists-roses, hearts, skulls, scrolls, birds, pin-ups, etc.-and carry this into their personal work. Other work features colors, themes, or subject matter that is more subtly related to tattoo styles.

Given the current popularity of all things tattoo-related, the book will have a wide appeal, not only to anyone interested in tattoo art and culture but also to artists, illustrators, designers, and students.

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