Body art has been around since the very first human civilizations. It was in Egypt that the concept of body art and tattoos became culturally significant and became a practice that had a deep meaning behind it. Japanese culture also used symbols to represent various social, cultural, professional and personal attributes of an individual on their skin. Today, tattoos are considered a fashion statement. They are the symbolic markings made by the pigmentation of various colours on the skin to present, depict or own a certain sense of personality.
Impact Of Tattoos
Tattoos, however, are not always nice and fashionable, there are many instances where people would get marked (tattooed) due to their criminal behaviour, war crimes, tribal symbolism and social classification markings. In this case, the Nazis marked the Jews in concentration camps, which became a source of constant depression and psychological stress for them all their lives. Situations like these are scattered throughout our recorded history. This is why the negative and the positive impact of the tattoos cannot be ignored.
Various cultures have had different relationships with tattoos, and in ancient times, they were mostly related to animals. Some cultures where tattoos were popular throughout the ages are Bali, Polynesia, Great Britain, and Greece, though Egypt and Japan are probably the original innovators of this body art concept. In the late 1700s, the tattoo was rediscovered by Polynesian explorers. Since then, it was widely used by pirates, sailors, workers and prisoners in the first part of the 19th century. These days, tattoos are considered an art, have become a common practice, and sometimes even a rebellious fashion statement by young people, especially in Western society.
Uses Of Tattoos
Tattoos serve various functions. Personal identification, body art, beauty, cosmetics, religion, and witchcraft are some typical examples. Some tattoos disappear after a while such as temporary ones like henna, and depending on the material used on the skin when it gets applied, it might not last a very long time. The skin, or ‘epidermis’, is continuously changing as well.
In the mid-twentieth century, the emergence of urban subcultures and the adoption of tattoos as a cultural symbol of protest started a trend that has led to the current social acceptance of tattoos. The public at large and some influential people showed their tattoos in public to shatter the stigma that was linked with it. Another indication of its normalization is that various militaries of the world relaxed their rules about this practice, so as not to discourage possible vocations.
Conclusion
Tattoos since the last century have become more creative, colourful, and meaningful at the same time. The younger generation uses them to make statements that are usually not easily said and therefore raise the value of this practice in social and cultural norms and belief systems. Technology has also played its part in mainstreaming the practice of tattoos today. It takes less time and less money to get a tattoo of any sort, and yet these tattoos can still show the incredibly creative and artistic abilities of the professionals of this industry. Tattoos today have become an industry that is tightly knitted with many social and cultural norms like fashion, political or religious beliefs, or just for the sake of fun.
Doing Tattoo is one of the leading tattoo parlours for traditional and colourful tattoos in Edmonton. We make sure you get your tattoo just the way you imagined it. Visit our website or call us to get an appointment from our legendary tattoo artists.