Making Your Mark Part 1:

What we will cover: What are tattoos? -How are they made in different cultures. Where do they come from? -Historically where did they originate and how did they travel to different parts of the world. What are they for? -How do different societies use and view tattoos.

Pre-History of Mark Making: The first cave paintings were found in Lascaux, which is in the Southwestern France. They are the most remarkable because of their exceptional quality, size, and sophistication. Estimated to be about 20,000 years old they primarily consist of large animals that were once native and hunted in the region. The paintings were discovered on September 12, 1940.

Cool video inside the caves: _00.xml _00.xml

Draw a couple quick sketches of these images:

First Dated Cave Man Found with Tattoos: In 1991 a pair of hikers in the Otztal Alps along the Austria-Italian border stumbled across the frozen and mummified body of an ancient man. The mummy was 5,300 years old and was named by historians as “Otzi”. Based on hair taken from his clothing it was believed that he was a Shepard. Scientist found and believe that he was ambushed and murdered only then to be frozen in the ice for thousands of years.

How he was found:

Facial Reconstruction Image:

Tattoos:

The Iceman’s body is covered with over 50 tattoos in the form of groups of lines and crosses. Unlike modern tattooing methods, the tattoos were not produced with needles but by means of fine incisions into which charcoal was rubbed. Interestingly, Ötzi’s tattoos are located at points where his body was subjected to considerable strain during his lifetime and very probably caused him a lot of pain due to wear. The tattoos were therefore probably intended as therapeutic measures rather than as symbols.

Tribal Tattoos: Woo Hoo Videos!!!

Making Your Mark Part deux (2)

Traditional Techniques One of the first known dated techniques was done by piercing the skin and rubbing ink into the open wound. These needles were usually made of fish or turtle bones, long thorns, and splinters of flint (a type of rock) Ancient Egyptians tattooed the courtiers, to the concubines, and even the pharaohs. Many mummified bodies were found with markings on their skin.

Japanese Tattoos Tebori ( 手彫り ) is traditional Japanese hand tattooing. Many artists praise it for its ability to create subtle gradations of tone that are difficult to achieve with a machine. The word Tebori comes from te meaning 'hand' and hori or horu, 'to carve, sculpt or inscribe.' The word is used to describe the technique of tattooing that arose in the late 18th and early 19th century in Japan.

Contemporary Traditional Tebori Artist (Horimyo): DqI DqI

Negative Perspectives : Yakuza In Japan, tattoos are still viewed negatively and are received by the general public as improper. This is due to its deep rooted history with the Yakuza mafia which is still prevailing in Japan today. It is a gang that began after a war era in early 17 th century Japan (exact date unknown since many of the tattoo traditions were underground and hidden from society). The Yakuza are still currently active with over 110,000 members divided into 2,500 families.

If a person adorns visible tattoos in Japan they may not gain respectable high paying jobs and can sometimes not be allowed in fitness gyms, public swimming pools, and especially Japans renowned natural hot springs (Onsen).

Negative Use of Mark Making in Cultures: Roman Empire Ancient Romans marked their slaves who tried to escape. Much like cattle this was a way to ensure they could be easily identifiable if they did end up getting away. Either with symbols or the letters FUG (fugitivus or fugitive in English)

Negative Use of Mark Making in Cultures: Holocaust “For many, the blurred blue lines of a serial number on a forearm are an undeniable image of the Holocaust. The tattoos of the survivors have come to symbolize the utter brutality of the concentration camps and the attempt of the Nazis to dehumanize their victims. The tattoos are also a testament to the resilience of those who bear them. Yet despite the importance of the tattoos, as testament, symbol, and historical artifact, little scholarship has been devoted to the subject. There exist virtually no official period documents relating to the practice; what we know stems from anecdotal evidence contained in camp records and the accounts of those who were at the camps.” –George Rosenthal

Traditional American Tattoos in the Western World: The first known tattooed people in American society were viewed in circus side shows as the tattooed lady or the illustrated man.

Nora Hildebrandt One of the most well known illustrated ladies who made her debut in The daughter of Martin Hildebrandt, a German who set up shop in NYC in the 1840’s. What Martin wasn’t applying his freehand flash designs on soldiers, sailors, and sideshow exhibits, he was working on Nora’s skin.