Tattoos have played an important role in human culture for thousands of years. Ideal for the tattoo artist, anthropologist, or tattoo fan, this visual lexicon covers tattoos from hundreds of different cultures and lists meanings, reasons for wearing, and rites of passage and indicates placement for thousands of individual tattoos. Complete with nearly 650 illustrations, the book breaks down the symbology of these tattoos, indicating the origin and significance of motifs from tattoo cultures that still exist and those that have been lost to history. The breadth and depth of this information serve to inspire today's tattoo artist and expand the knowledge of this ancient and global phenomenon.

'Rebecca Vincent is a genius. I'll be tattooed by no one else.' - Sali Hughes Tiny tattoos are big news. With celebrities showcasing them on social media (step forward Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and Bella Hadid), micro tattoos are a major trend. This sourcebook of 1000 mini works of art, in a range of styles and carefully-organized subjects, is curated by talented tattooist and insta-star Rebecca Vincent. A source of inspiration for tattoo artists or for anyone browsing for a foray into ink.

Tattoos can tell personal stories through ink, drawn permanently on skin. They can be graphic representations of beliefs within communities, or can express an individual's defiance against authority. The tattoo's history can be traced back to the fourth millennium BC in Europe and 2000 BC in Egypt, and the current interest in tattoos is evident in many ways: in advertisements, the stereotypical ""outlaw biker"" character in films and television, the availability of temporary tattoos for children and even the production of a tattooed Barbie doll. Tattoos have become a significant statement, a means of interpersonal communication without words, across the globe. This text explores the tattoo as a narrative concept throughout its six chapters. The work highlights the tattoo in a different context, one of resistance and marginality, and draws attention to the important relationship between the visual and the narrative components of tattoo culture. Tattoos and their use, effects and narratives on Holocaust victims, slaves and colonized peoples, gangs and inmates and other societies are discussed, as well as the tattoo narrative in pop culture, from the prison drama ""Oz"" to the Maori films ""Utu"" and ""Once Were Warriors"".

In the 1830s, missionaries in French Polynesia sought to suppress the traditional art of tattooing, because they believed it to be a barbaric practice. More than 150 years later, tattooing is once again thriving in French Polynesia. This engrossing book documents the meaning of tattooing in contemporary French Polynesian society. As a permanent inscription, a tattoo makes a powerful statement about identity and culture. In this case, its resurgence is part of a vibrant cultural revival movement. Kuwahara examines the complex significance of the art, including its relationship to gender, youth culture, ethnicity and prison life. She also provides unique photographic evidence of the sophisticated techniques and varied forms that characterize French Polynesian tattooing today.Winner of The Japanese Society for Oceanic Studies Award 2005.

MEGAMUNDEN, creator of the best-selling The Tattoo Colouring Book, takes colouring to the next level in this stunning collection of tattoo art. More than 60 pages of elaborate flash sheets depict themes from ghost trains to Venice Beach, pinball to pin-ups, with all artwork drawn specially for the book. Includes a full-colour, pull-out gatefold and two sticker sheets. A perfect gift book that will appeal to anyone who loves tattoo imagery, or is looking for inspiration for their next piece of body art.

The Graphic Art of Tattoo Lettering is a visually led, comprehensive guide to designing and realizing hand-drawn letterforms in the most widely used contemporary tattoo styles. Each chapter constitutes an accessible overview to these key tattoo styles, including an account of the history, complexities and relevant sub-styles, interviews spotlighting leading practitioners, galleries of exemplary artists work, sketches, sketchbooks, finished designs and detailed how-to-design guides to allow readers to truly understand each style.

More than a step-by-step, technical handbook for professional and practising tattoo artists, The Graphic Art of Tattoo Lettering is also an informative introduction to both understanding tattoo styles, their history and context, and learning from them to inform other graphic arts. Touching on the role of lettering in tattooing, as well as considering the components of typographic tattoos, it offers an insight into how tattoo art intersects with other areas of design practice, including sign-making, furniture painting and scrimshaw.

Combining great book design with the inimitable expertise of a master tattoo artist, The Graphic Art of Tattoo Lettering is the ultimate guide for all with an interest or involvement in tattoo art, typography and calligraphy, and graphic design.

Ten realistic tattoos depict such rare and exotic species as the horned, glass, and red-eyed tree frogs. Identifications.

Discover the true meanings behind over 200 popular tattoos with this comprehensive book, illustrated with over 100 tattoo designs. From sailors' swallows and Mexican skulls to prisoners' barbed wire and intricate Maori patterns, tattoos have been used as a means of communication by cultures all over the world for thousands of years. Through meticulous research, The Tattoo Dictionary uncovers the fascinating origins of the most popular symbols in tattoo history, revealing their hidden meanings and the long-forgotten stories behind them. This beautifully packaged book is an inspiring look at tattoo culture, and an indispensable guide to choosing your own tattoo.

Thinking of getting a Japanese-style tattoo? Want to avoid a permanent mistake? Japanese Tattoos is an insider's look at the world of Japanese irezumi (tattoos). Japanese Tattoos explains the imagery featured in Japanese tattoos so that readers can avoid getting ink they don't understand or, worse, that they'll regret. This photo-heavy book also traces the history of Japanese tattooing, putting the iconography and kanji symbols in their proper context so readers will be better informed as to what they mean and have a deeper understanding of irezumi. Featured tattoos range from traditional tebori (hand-poked) and kanji tattoos to anime-inspired and modern works--as well as everything in between. For the first time, Japanese tattooing is put together in a visually attractive, informative, and authoritative way. Along with the 350+ photos of tattoos, Japanese Tattoos also features interviews with Japanese tattoo artists on a variety of topics. What's more, it contains interviews with clients, who are typically overlooked in similar books, allowing them to discuss what their Japanese tattoos mean to them. Those who read this informative tattoo guide will be more knowledgeable about Japanese tattoos should they want to get inked or if they are merely interested in Japanese art and culture.

Professional tattoo artists and their clients showcase tattoo imagery in various forms, featuring traditional and neo-traditional Americana, Japanese themes, and New School designs. Find geishas, sugarskulls, dragons, and more executed with the utmost care and precision in this unique display of tattoo art that goes beyond the ordinary flash book to convey how inspiration makes its way from mind to skin. This celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the original Slave to the Needle tattoo shop in Seattle starts with an illustrated history of how the shop came to be-during the "Tattoo Renaissance" of the mid-'90s. There is a section dedicated to paintings and ink drawings of surreal and fantasy art and vibrant flash, followed by a collection of stunning sleeve, backpiece, and bodysuit designs created by the shop's owner, crew, and guests. This retrospective is a vital component to any serious tattoo artist or collector's library.

Tattoos are more than just ink on skin; they are a window into the soul of those who wear them. The New Tattoo is packed with glorious full-colour photographs that explore the amazing range and creativity of designs that can be found in today's tattoo culture, and shows how tattoo artists are influenced by art, fashion and contemporary culture from around the world.

Take a look through the lens of acclaimed photographer Steve Bonge, who has traveled worldwide for years to capture the best of modern tattoo art. On the other side you'll meet an incredible assembly of personalities-men and women, young and old, who have adorned their bodies in spectacular ways. Hundreds of gorgeous color photos both hone in on intricate details, and pull back to encompass a culture of people who are unafraid to show their true colors. Enhanced with comments from prominent tattoo artists of the past and present, this book is an eye-popping saturnalia of freedom and counter-culture. It will taunt and bewitch, amaze and inspire, and expose you to images you'll never forget.

In the 1830s, missionaries in French Polynesia sought to suppress the traditional art of tattooing, because they believed it to be a barbaric practice. More than 150 years later, tattooing is once again thriving in French Polynesia. This engrossing book documents the meaning of tattooing in contemporary French Polynesian society. As a permanent inscription, a tattoo makes a powerful statement about identity and culture. In this case, its resurgence is part of a vibrant cultural revival movement. Kuwahara examines the complex significance of the art, including its relationship to gender, youth culture, ethnicity and prison life. She also provides unique photographic evidence of the sophisticated techniques and varied forms that characterize French Polynesian tattooing today.Winner of The Japanese Society for Oceanic Studies Award 2005.

Tattoos are a highly visible social and cultural sight, from TV series that represent the lives of tattoo artists and their interactions with clients, to world-class sports stars and the social actors we meet on a daily basis who display visible tattoo designs. Whereas in the not-to-distant past tattoos were commonly culturally perceived to represent an outward sign of social non-conformity or even deviance, tattoos now increasingly transcend class, gender, and age boundaries and arguably are now more culturally acceptable than they have ever been. But why is this the case, and why do so many social actors elect to wear tattoos? Tattoo Culture explores these questions from historical, cultural and media perspectives, but also from the heart of the culture itself, from the dynamics of the tattoo studio, the work of the artist and the world of the tattoo convention, to the perspective of the social actors who bear designs to investigate the meanings which lie being the images. It critically examines the ways in which tattoos alter social actors' sense of being and their relationship with time in the semiotic ways with which they communicate, to themselves or to the wider world, key elements of their bodily and personal identity and sense of being.

Sean Hobden was the youngest member of the Old Timers Tattoo Club when it was formed in 1989. He was privileged to hear the stories of the last of the old time character showmen tattooists when tattooing was still a part of the underworld and hadn't yet gone mainstream and become popularised. Now you can hear the stories of the legends of tattooing from the last century that were told to the author first hand. Read how street shop walk in tattooists dealt with the many drunks and long queues. Humorous accounts and anecdotes of Ron Ackers, Painless Jeff, Cockney Paul, Benn Gun, Barry Louvaine, Charlie bell, Jock of Kings Cross and many more. Many old time trade secrets such as "Three waying" and the "Vanity sink" are revealed, as they are no longer needed in modern tattooing. The book also covers old school politics and serves as a social history of the last part of the previous century. The book now has it's own website so that you can see photos of characters in the book please visit seanhobden.com "I found this book to be compulsive reading and incredibly hard to put down" Total Tattoo Magazine "I often find the best example of a good read is one that cannot be put down. I read this book in one night" Gladstone Magazine "Many of the stories are hilarious, full of dry wit and humour, blended with warmth and affection" Total Tattoo Magazine "A laugh a minute rollercoaster of tattoo madness.This is a book you need on your shelf" Tattoo Master Magazine

The essays collected in Tattooed Bodies draw on a range of theoretical paradigms and empirical knowledge to investigate tattoos, tattooing, and our complex relations with marks on skin. Engaging with diverse disciplinary perspectives in art history, continental philosophy, media studies, psychoanalysis, critical theory, literary studies, biopolitics, and cultural anthropology, the volume reflects the sheer diversity of meanings attributed to tattoos throughout history and across cultures. Essays explore conceptualizations of tattoos and tattooing in Derrida, Deleuze and Guattari, Lacan, Agamben, and Jean-Luc Nancy, while utilizing theoretical perspectives to interpret tattoos in literary works by Melville, Beckett, Kafka, Genet, and Jeff VanderMeer, among others. Tattooed Bodies prompts readers to explore a few significant questions: Are tattoos unique phenomena or an art medium in need of special theoretical exploration? If so, what conceptual paradigms and theories might best shape our understanding of tattoos and their complex ubiquity in world cultures and histories?