Spider diagram

Below is a spider diagram of all the ideas I came up with for the theme Journey.

I've circled the word Culture because that was the theme I chose, I chose culture because I figured that there are a lot of different ways I could create something from it. 

The culture I chose was African, as circled below, I chose this because by looking through books and doing research on the internet I came to find that it was the culture I was most interested in.

Tattoos

Primary Research 

These are some photographs I have taken of my family and friends tattoo's

Tattoos

How fashion has been influenced by tattoos

Fashion has been influenced by tattoos in the 20th century. There are many different ways fashion has portrayed tattoos and maybe we don’t really notice it that much, but it’s there. Garments have been printed with tattoo styled images for example; t-shirts with the basic skull tattoo style print and pants with the sailor heart and anchor print. Although it might not be a big hit, the print is still around and still being sold in regular high street shops. In places like Korea, china and Japan it’s more recognised. 

Tattoos

http://fgarfias.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/the-technological-development-of-tattoos-through-history/

How it developed

People began to explore new places and got exposed to new things; tattoos also began to spread among non-third world countries. At first only sailors, pirates and convicts had tattoos. When the Industrial Revolution began to happen, more and more people decided they wanted to get tattoos. Now it wasn’t just freaks in freak shows, exiles and military getting tattoos. Women wanted to get tattoos, teenagers and even some wealthy businessmen.  Image has begun to change mainly due to the fact that so many people are getting tattoos. Many celebrities and rock stars have tattoos and we are greatly influenced by the media. Many teenagers are getting tattoos because they think it is “cool” and want to be like their idols on television and magazines. Teenage girls get them because they are “sexy” in certain parts of the body. Men get tattoos so that they seem tough and manly. Slowly they are becoming more accepted among today’s society. Soon, the majority of a certain generation will be tattooed, and then it will become an “accepted” art form.

Kinds of tattoos

Sailor, criminality and circus. Sailors often returned to port with tattoos they received during their voyage. These usually consisted of a extremely basic or primitive styles that used minimum amounts of detail thus making the tattoos look 2 dimensional or ‘flat’. These flat tattoos, today known as ‘flash tattoos’ often give a cartoon feel. The typical motifs would consist of flowers, hearts, mermaids, ships, anchors, snakes, birds, and names or script. Prison tattoos can be quite professionally done with homemade or improvised materials. These convey, in many cases, identity. A commonly known symbol for gang members are their tattoos. Receiving permanent markings on the body is a sign of absolute loyalty. These gang tattoos often speak volumes about the wearer, what gang they are in, what their ideologies or beliefs might be, what they have done, where they have been imprisoned or lived as well as details up to and including how many individuals the member is said to have killed. Known Western gang tattoo symbols include teardrops under the eye as well as spider webs on the elbows – these are said to symbolize that the wearer has killed. The prevalence of tattooing during the late 19th and early 20th century owed much to the once popular circus. When these traveling carnivals were prevalent tattooing, in turn, prospered. For nearly 100 years all major circus acts hired numerous individuals who were completely covered in tattoos.

Tattoos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tattooing

History of tattoos

The etymological origin of the word ‘tattoo’ is believed to have two major derivations; the first is from the Polynesian word ta which means striking something and the second is the Tahitian word tatau which means ‘to mark something’. The use of tattoos is recorded to have begun thousands of years ago and its history is as varied, colorful and diverse as the people who carry them. From a simple scientific standpoint – tattoos are created the insertion of colored materials beneath the skins’ surface or epidermis. The first tattoos were most likely created unintentionally. Someone with a small wound or gash happened to rub it with a dirty hand that was covered with soot or ash. Once the wound had healed, they realized that the skin had healed over the ash and that the mark became a permanent addition.

Our knowledge of tattooing in Europe really begins with the Ancient Greek and Roman historians. It is possible that tattooing cultures already existed in Europe before the last Great Ice Ace, 12,000 years ago. Bowls with traces of black and red pigments along with sharpened flint instruments were discovered in the Grotte des Fees (Fairy Grotto) in Chatelperron – France, 1867, and in caves in Portugal and Scandinavia. The shape and size of the tools suggest that they have been used for tattooing.

Where it went

Pazyryk Culture: In 1948 – just over 200 kilometers North of the borders between Russia and China – Russian archeologist Sergei Rudenko began excavating a group of tombs, or Kurgans, in the high Altai mountains. At this site mummies that date from around 2,400 years ago were excavated. On their bodies were wide arrays of tattoos said to represent various indigenous and mythological animals. Amongst them were griffins and monsters that were thought to have a magical significance yet some of these kinds of elements are believed to be purely aesthetic, decorative or ornamental. The tattoos of these mummies, when viewed together or as a whole piece, were believed to reflect the status of the individual bearing them.

Polynesia: Polynesian tattooing is considered the most intricate and skillful tattooing of the ancient world. Polynesian people, believe that a person’s mana, their spiritual power or life force, is displayed through their tattoo. The permanent marks left by the tattoo artists would forever celebrate their endurance and dedication to cultural traditions. Intricate patterns, mimicking woven reeds or other natural forms, graced men’s arms, legs, torso and faces. Women were generally tattooed on the hand, fingers and wrists and sometimes on their tongue.

North America: Early Jesuit accounts testify to the widespread practice of tattooing among Native Americans. Among the Chickasaw, outstanding warriors were recognised by their tattoos. Among the Ontario Iroquoians, elaborate tattoos reflected high status. In North-West America, Inuit women’s chins were tattooed to indicate marital status and group identity. New York City was settled up in 1846 and began a tradition by tattooing military servicemen from both sides of the civil war. Samuel O’reilly invented the electric tattooing machine in 1891.

Tattoos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tattooing

History of tattooing - Culture.

China

In ancient China, tattoos had been associated with criminals and bandits since at least the Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC to 256 BC). Tattooing Chinese characters such as "Prisoner" on convicted criminals' or slaves' faces was practiced until the last dynasty, the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912).

However, tattoos can be found to have been referenced in popular culture. Tattoos are present in one of the Four Great Classic Novels in Chinese literature, Water Margin, in which at least three of the main characters, Lu Zhishen, Shi Jin and Yan Ching are described as having tattoos covering nearly all of their bodies. Wu Song was sentenced to tattoo his face with his crime after having killed Xi Menqing to avenge his brother. In addition, Chinese legend has it that the mother of Yue Fei, a famous general of the Song Dynasty, tattooed the words "Jing Zhong Bao Guo" on his back with her sewing needle before he left to join the army, reminding him to "repay his country with pure loyalty".

Marco Polo wrote of Quanzhou "Many come hither from Upper India to have their bodies painted with the needle in the way we have elsewhere described, there being many adepts at this craft in the city."

Egypt and India

In northern India, permanent tattoos are called ""Godna."" Tattoos have been used as cultural symbols among many tribal populations, as well as the caste-based Hindu population of India. Henna and Mehndi were popular in ancient India and ancient Egypt, and still remain popular today in the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and North Africa.

Tattooing in the 21st century

During the latter decades of the 20th century tattooing became a popular social practice worldwide. Many younger (and some older) people today either have aspirations to have a tattoo somewhere on their body, or already have one or more. Some elect for one or several small tattoos such as butterflies, flowers, or other designs, while others may have significant portions of their skin covered. Popular along these lines are the 'half-sleeve', having the upper arm covered in tattoos, or 'full-sleeve', which includes the upper and lower arms. 

Whether or not to get a tattoo which is visible while wearing clothing is a matter of taste, but also involves consideration of future employment opportunities, and societal and family pressures.

It is assumed that the majority of tattoo recipients patronize tattoo parlors, which- according to varying state laws- have been registered and observe accepted standards of hygiene. However, some individuals do not, and some even use home tattooing equipment.

Over the past 50–100 years, it has become more acceptable for ordinary people to have tattoos and less so for the aristocracy - a reversal of the situation in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Tattoos are also used today as a sign of affiliation to certain street gangs and many are tattooed in prison as 'badge of honor' so that 'ex-cons' can recognize each other. Tattooing has also gained more popularity with women in recent years. Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo, by Margot Mifflin, became the first history of women's tattoo art when it was released in 1997. In 2012, tattooed women outnumbered men for the first time in American history - according to a Harris poll, 23% of women in America had tattoos in that year, compared to 19% of men.  

Tattooing remains as the archetypal means of 'body painting' and decoration, and certainly the most permanent, and while the traditional popular designs appear to have been devised from 'heavy metal' and 'motorbike gang culture, these are slowly being replaced by more modern tattoo designs based upon Celtic, Indian and Asian themes in addition to floral and other natural images.

Tattoos

I decided to put a spider diagram together because it's more helpful to know what to research, I wrote down the most important points so I could go through them one by one to gather all the information I needed.

Statement of intent

The title of my project brief is Journey, within this brief I will work towards creating a metre of fabric for my final piece by doing this I am going to gather different types of information on my chosen area for my journey.

I chose to look at tattoos and culture. I was influenced to look at tattoos because a lot of people I associate with have tattoos and I take a lot of interest in them. I started off by taking photographs of family and friends I knew who had tattoos and gathering up information about the history of tattoos, where it went, how it developed and how tattoos are now used within the fashion industry. While researching tattoos I was able to gather information about culture as well. This helped because I wanted to look at both tattoos and culture and how they came together. I noticed that I became interested in African culture and went into researching how tattoos were a part of African culture and how tattoos were used within tribes as symbols to identify one tribe from another.

During the project I researched African prints and markings to inspire me to create my own print for my final piece. I created some samples using wooden blocks and spray paint lids; using these materials created a great texture on the fabric and was perfect for the African look I wanted. I looked through books on African prints to get an idea of what colours were used so I could really get a feel for my own prints so they identified the culture correctly, I used bright colours like yellows and greens to give of a vibrant look which I felt identified the culture perfectly.