Usenet 1994 January/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicjanuary1994.iso/answers/tattoo-faq/part4

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From: [e-mail] (Lani Teshima-Miller)
Subject: rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 4/4: Miscellaneous Info
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Followup-To: rec.arts.bodyart
Summary: This posting contains the Frequently Asked Questions
    file about tattoos and other non-piercing bodyart. Anyone who
    wishes to read/post to the rec.arts.bodyart newsgroup should
    read this first.
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Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 18:56:26 GMT
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Archive-name: tattoo-faq/part4
Last-modified: November 22, 1993
Posting-frequency: Monthly

This is Part 4 of the 'other' half of the rec.arts.bodyart FAQ file that
is posted on a monthly basis (in the latter half of the month) and
includes information about everything but piercing that might concern
bodyart. If you are a regular reader of r.a.b. and do not want to read
this monthly posting, you may want to set a KILL command in your file
for all four tattoo FAQ postings.

The rec.arts.bodyart tattoo FAQ is broken up into four parts:
   Part 1/4: Introduction, and getting a tattoo
   Part 2/4: Artist list
   Part 3/4: How to care for a new tattoo
   Part 4/4: Miscellaneous information

This section includes the following information:
  1. Are there glow-in-the-dark tattoos?
  2. Where can I get a Japanese "irezumi" tattoo?
  3. When did tattooing start?
  4. How does a modern tattoo gun work?
  5. How long do I have to wait before I can donate blood?
  6. Are there references about tattoos I could look up?
     6.1. Tattoos in movies and videos
     6.2. Newspaper articles about tattoos/bodyart
     6.3. Magazine and journal articles about tattoos/bodyart
     6.4. Books about tattoos/bodyart
     6.5. Tattoo organizations
  7. Non-tattoo bodyart
     7.1. What is branding and how is it done?
     7.2. What is scarring?
     7.3. What are cuttings?


 1. Are there glow in the dark tattoos?

Quite simply, yes.
--You generally get a quick test to see if you react to it... If you are
  not allergic, it is not a problem.
--It does not always become invisible.  Freddy (Corbin)tells the story
of
  a woman who got a 6-inch spurting penis with the words "love it" on
  her forearm.  The pigment never became invisible (oops.)
--It sometimes does not take well.  It comes out fairly regularly.
Because of all of this, it is recommended that you use it to highlight
an existing tattoo, but you should not do it as the only pigment.

You can get it at Lyle Tuttle's studio, Tattoo City, and the Blue
Buddha.
If you go to the BB, ask for Bill.


2. Where can I get Japanese "irezumi" tattoos? ----------

[Note: There is an issue of _International Tattoo Art_ (November 1993)
primarily devoted to irezumi, with some very good info (albeit some
errors in the romanized spelling of Japanese words--argh. Hey Jonathan
Shaw--I'm bilingual--why don't you hire ME for your next translation
job? --Lani).]

Japanese "irezumi" tattoos are often associated with laborers (primarily
fire fighters and carpenters) and yakuza members, who stereotypically
also lack the tips of one or two digits on their hands (to signify a
failed order and to show loyalty--see the movie, _Black Rain_ with
Michael Douglas for an example). An excellent book to to see examples of
traditional Japanese bodysuits is _The Japanese tattoo_ by Sandi Fellman
(New York :  Abbeville Press,  1986. 112 p.). For those interested in
getting work of this magnitude done however, the general answer is "ya
can't gets one." This is not only because of the time or costs involved-
-there is a sense of the spiritual and of propriety with the artists,
who do not advertise their services in the Yellow Pages.

Your best bet as a "gaijin" (foreigner) is to find a Western artist who
specializes in oriental artwork. As trends go, the young Japanese are
now interested in tattoos of Elvis and Chevies, anyway--the grass is
greener on the other side, I guess.


 2. Kanji Characters

One word of warning about getting Japanese or Chinese characters--
make sure that the artist who does this understands the importance of
the shape and form of the letters. Unlike the roman alphabet, the
essence of the Oriental characters is in the proper execution of form.
The artist will have to know where the "brush strokes" of the
calligraphy starts and ends (as stroke order also counts), as well as
how angular some corners should be, etc. The worst thing would be to
sport a Japanese kanji character that looks like some zygotes. How to
tell if the characters are formed properly? It would help if you know
how to read kanji or if you have Oriental friends--otherwise, go with a
reputable artist who is known for it.

 3. When did tattooing start? ----------

Paraphrased from the Globe and Mail (Toronto's National Newpaper):
 "A 4,000 year old man has been found in Italy near the Austrian
  border, (originally it was reported he was in Austria, but both
  countries now agree he is in Italy.)  Carbon dating will take a few
  months, but artifacts found near him strongly suggest that he is over
  4,000 years old....He is also tattooed...a small cross is behind one
  knee and above his kidneys there are a series of lines, about 15 cm
  long."
Now I knew that the Egyptians tattooed each other, but that was only
3,000 years ago. I wonder how much further back this custom goes?

From "Tattoo You" by Steve Wind (Off Duty Hawaii Magazine,
October '92):
 "The first Western references to tattoos didn't come until 1771, when
  Captain cook brought the word to Europe after Seeing the artform in
  Tahiti. Tattoos were associated with the lower class and criminal
  elements in Britain and America until the early 1900s when, drawn by
  a sense of freedom, decadence and sexual liberation, upper classes
  began wearing them as well."

 4. How does a modern tattoo gun work?

I'd like to thank Fred Jewell ([e-mail]), who did this entire
section, except the diagram [which took me some time], and the needle
arrangements, which is by Jesster.

The tattoo machine (gun, as a misnomer) is really a basic doorbell
circuit (you know--you push a button and somewhere in the kitchen
this little arm bangs the hell out of a bell thingie). For you techies
out
there it's a DC coil and spring point(s) machine. Both doorbell and tat
machine were invented before household current was available.

                 __
                /  \
                \  /  <--rabbit ear w/ a screw in it
              _/ /____
            / /_/     \
           | (   )---\ \
           |  --- ---\\ \
            \/ /_____ \\ \   __     __
           (  )     \ \\ \ /  \   /  \ <--mecha-
           =============================   nism
             ^ ------------    |  |    | <-contact
armature   (| |________________|---\___|   points
bar ->      | | _/  \_||_/  \_        / <-This
            | | [XXXX]||[XXXX]__    __ \  whole
coils (X)-> | | |XXXX|--|XXXX|   \ /  \ \ thing is
            | | |XXXX|--|XXXX|   / \__/ | the base
            | | |XXXX|--|XXXX|  /   || /
            =========================== <-rubber
            ===========================   bands
          ___| |___|__|__|__|__/ |___((_//
         / //\                       |\-
        | // |    ___________________|
         \// /___/
          ---  |
           |___|
          /XXXXX\
          |XXXXX|
          |XXXXX|
          |XXXXX|  <--sanitary tube
          |XXXXX|
          |XXXXX|
          |_____|
            \  /
             | |
             | |
             | |
             \_| <---needles


It is essentially in 3 sections: The base, the mechanism, and the
sanitary tube. The base really is the bulk of the metal; a rabbit ear
with a screw in it, bent at 90 degrees to hold coils. In the front
there's a round hole to hold the sanitary tube.

Some people think the base looks like the handle of a gun. The base
houses the mechanism, which consists of two coils of wire wrapped
around an iron core.

At the top of the mechanism is a set of silver contact "points" (like
the end of a wire); one usually on a spring mechanism, the other either
the end, or on the end of a screw.

The spring connects to the base and a bar, which is connected to the
needle arm (90 degrees offset). The needle arm is connected to the
needles (which are soldered onto the bar), and moves up and down inside
the sanitary tube.

The coils connect to a DC power supply (between 6 - 12VDC), via a spring
coiled U-cable. The U-cable is called a "clip cord," designed to move
easily between machines but also stay in place and not fall out and
spark all over the place. The springs hold the cable in/onto the
machine.

One side of the coils is connected to the power supply, the other end to
the point on the screw on the bunny ear, which is insulated from the
base. Through the points, the current flows via the coils and the base
of the machine. This causes the coils to become electromagnetic.  The
electro-magnet pulls down the bar, which does two things: pulls down the
needles, and opens the points. The points being open turn off the
magnet. The spring assembly brings back the bar, which causes the
needles to move up *AND* make contact with the points. This causes the
whole cycle to happen again making the needles go up and down.

Most machines have a large capacitor across the coils/points, which
keeps the points from arcing and pitting, and wearing out so quickly. A
capacitor is a device that holds energy kind of like a battery, but
charges and discharges much faster (parts of a second rather than 3 or 4
hours). The capacitor charges while the points are open, so when they
close, the difference in voltage across them is nill. The points are
really an automatic switch controlled by the spring to turn the thing
off and on quickly. In old cars where there were points there was a
condenser (aka capacitor) for the same reason.

The sanitary tube sucks up the ink in capillary fashion, and the needles
load up as long as there's ink in the small portion of the tube.It's
called "sanitary" because of the cutout at the bottom of the tube, which
can be rinsed out.

My understanding is that there are three layers of skin: Scaly layer,
epidermis, and dermis. Tattoo machines are adjusted to penetrate into
the dermis layer but NOT *through* it (below it is the fat layer of the
body).

When the needles go into the sanitary tube they have a layer of ink on
and between them. The needles make little holes in the skin, and the ink
is deposited into the holes. This is why the skin has to be stretched so
blobs of ink don't stay. Otherwise, the skin will latch onto the
needles, grab the ink from them and generally make a mess.

Ink just put into the scaly layer would be replaced quickly and fade
away. While ink into the epidermis will stay, my conjecture is thatthe
dermis makes for more ink and perhaps a more vivid image.

Machines are really of two types: Liners, and shaders. They areexactly
the same, but are set up differently. The gap for a liner isaround the
thickness of a dime, and a shader is the thickness of a nickel.

Liner needles are usually arranged on the bar in a circular pattern.
Shader needles are usually straight (like a comb), although Spaulding &
Rogers sells a 15-needle round shader. The needles are small sewing
machine needles, usually made of stainless steel. Liners are in 1, 3, 4,
5, & 7-needle combinations, set in a round configuration. Note: There
can really be any number of them but these seem to be most common.

Shader needles are in a straight row and usually are in groups of 4, 6,
7, 9 needles. The sanitary tubes are designed especially for the
combination of needles, so there's a special tube for each different
number of needles in a needle bar assembly

The following needle diagrams are from Jesse "Jesster" Leigh Parent
([e-mail]).

o is a needle
. is a cut down needle (shorter & no point)

Liners:

Single needle     3-needle     5-needle
     o               o            o o
    . .             o o            o
                                  o o

Shaders:

4-needle           6-needle
   oooo             oooooo

8-needle shaders are grouped so that 7 needles form a circle with 1 in
the middle. There are also 14-needle shaders.

8-needle     Magnums:
   o         5-needle       7-needle
  o o          o o            o o o
 o o o        o o o          o o o o
  o o
   o


Shaders are mounted on flat needle bars while liners are mounted on
round bars

There are two other types of machines. Spaulding & Rogers revolution
(don't know of an artist that uses this one), which is a DC motor that
turns a cam that raises and lowers the needle bar assembly through a
sanitary tube. The other is something that I have never seen (even in
pictures) but they are used in prison and are made of tape recorder
motors, and for the life of me I don't know how they work.


 5. How long do I have to wait before I can donate blood? --------

The standard question they always ask at blood banks is whether you've
had a piercing or tattoo within the last 12 months. A lot of discussion
has been made over r.a.b. about some centers allowing for exceptions and
whatnot, but it looks like the general concensus is that you have to
wait 12 months. I assume this is to wait out any incidence of hepatitis
or HIV.

Jonathan Allan ([e-mail]) says the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, MN won't take you if you have had:
 1. Sex with another male since 1977 (male to male);
 2. Sex with someone from the subtropic islands or sub-Saharan Africa
    since 1977;
 3. Sex for money or drugs EVER;
 4. Sex with someone who had sex w/ one of the above EVER;
 5. ANY piercing or tattoo in the last 12 months.

 6. Are there references about tattoos I could look up?

 6.1. Tattoos in movies/videos:

This is not a comprehensive list, and does not include videos that are
produced for tattoo conventions; but rather, easily accessible movies
and videos where tattoos are used in some significant form. This
wonderful movie bibliography was compiled by Carl Shapiro
([e-mail]) unless otherwise noted:

Tattoos play minor, but sometimes interesting, roles in these movies:

"Blues Brothers". John Belushi, Dan Akroyd
 Contributor: Ray Hamel ([e-mail])
    The brothers have their names tatooed on their knuckles.

"Cape Fear" (1991). Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte.
    A tattooed psychopath preys on a Southern lawyer and his family.

``Double Exposure'' (1987). Mark Hennessy, Scott King.
    2 photographers turn sleuth after taking a picture of a tattooed
     blonde.

"Lethal Weapon" Mel Gibson
 Contributor: A.D.C.Elly ([e-mail])
    The cops recognise that one of the men they're after is a "Special
    Forces" man because a little boy saw his tattoo (which matches the
    one Riggs got when he was Special Forces).

``Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders''  (1989). George
 Peppard, Ursula Andress.
    Odd tattoos on corpses lead a detective to a Los Angeles nightclub.

``Night of the Hunter''  (1991). Richard Chamberlain, Diana Scarwid.
    A crook's family is prey to a preacher who has ``LOVE'' and
    ``HATE'' knuckle tattoos.

``Night of the Hunter'' (1955). Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters
    Original (and much better) version of above.  Mitchum is fantastic;
    very scary.

"Poison Ivy" has a scene about it
 Contributor: Abu ([e-mail])

"Raising Arizona". Nicholas Cage.
 Contributor: Todd Liebenow ([e-mail])
  Cage's character has a tatoo of a Woody Woodpecker head on his arm.
  At the end of the movie when he's fighting the lone biker of the
  apoclypse we find out that the biker has the same tatoo. However, we
  never find out what all this means.

``Sonny Boy'' * (1990). David Carradine, Paul L. Smith.
  A demented brute and his hairy tattooed wife lose control of their
  wild child, bred to kill.

 "Tales from the Crypt"
 Contributor: Abu ([e-mail])
    There's an episode with Tia Carrera about a guy whose tattoo
    gets...under his skin.

``Tattoo Chase'' (1989). F. Richards Ford, Michael Gregory.
    An heir has 60 days to find the treasure-map tattoo on one of his
    father's global girlfriends.

``The Jigsaw Murders'' (1989). Chad Everett, Michelle Johnson.
    A police detective and a doctor solve a gruesome mystery with a
    puzzle and tattoo as clues.

``The Phoenix''  (1992). Jamie Summers, E.Z. Rider.
    Tattoo master seeks perfect canvas.

``The Tattooed Stranger'' (1950). John Miles, Patricia White.
    A New York police detective tracks down a killer using a tattoo
clue.

They play major roles in these two movies:

``Charles Gatewood's Tattoo San Francisco" (1988). San Francisco, CA :
 Flash Video. 60 min.

``The Illustrated Man'' (1969). Rod Steiger, Claire Bloom.
    Wonderful adaptation of Ray Bradbury's novel about a man whose
    body tattoos depict actual events, all shown in flashback and flash-
    forward.

``Irezumi'' (Spirit of Tattoo) (1985). Masayo Utsonomiya, Tomisaburo
 Wakayama, Yuhsuke Takita, Masaki Kyomoto, Harue Kyo, Naomi
 Shiraishi, Taiji, Tonoyama.
    In this exquisitely beautiful Japanese film, a young woman consents
    to her lover's wish to have her tattooed, and fulfills the cycle of
    the tattoo master's life.

"Signatures of the soul, tattooing" (1984). Peter Fonda. Producer Geoff
Steven.  New York, NY :  Filmakers Library
    Peter Fonda explores the social history of tattooing, both
    primitive and modern, discussing its use as ornament, badge, and
    personal statement. Practitioners of the art from the Pacific
islands,
    California, and Japan discuss the aesthetics of the art.

"Tattoo" Maude Adams, Bruce Dern
    A tattoo artist obsessed with a professional model abducts her and
    tattoos her entire body.

6.2 Newspaper Articles (these citations obtained primarily from the
    Newspaper Abstracts CD-ROM database):

"In Amsterdam, Celebrating an Art That Gets Under Your Skin" by
 Mikelbank, Peter. Washington Post Dec 8, 1991  Sec: F  p: 1  col: 3
    A visit to the world's only tattoo museum in Amsterdam, where an
    active tatto parlor is in operation, is discussed.

"With Him, We Figured They Were Real" by Marx, Andy. Los
 Angeles Times, Nov 24, 1991  Sec: CAL  p: 31  col: 2
    Tattoo artist Roy Zuckerman explains how he helped create the fake
    tattoos seen on Robert De Niro in the film 'Cape Fear.'

"No Longer Just a Biker Thing, Tattoos Trendy Among Women" by
 Monroe, Douglas. Atlanta Constitution, Nov 8, 1991  Sec: F  p: 1 col: 2
    Paul Nelson of Painless Paul Nelson's Ace Tattoo Studio in Scottdale
    GA says about 80% of his customers are women, who are
    increasingly willing to pay the price and the pain to have tattoos
    permanently drawn into their skin.

"Laws Require a Business License, but Little Else" by Monroe, Douglas.
 Atlanta Constitution, Nov 8, 1991  Sec: F  p: 3  col: 5
    Georgia's limited laws on tattoo artists prohibit tattooing anyone
    younger than 16 or tattooing within an inch of the eye, except by
    doctors, but in some parts of the state, only a license is required
to
    open a tattoo parlor.

"Practicing an Underground Art" by Lawson, Sarah. Boston Globe,
 Nov 2, 1991  p: 9  col: 4
    A profile is given of Mike, a tattoo artist who practices his art
    underground in Massachusetts, where it is illegal.

"Rose Tattoo Would've Worked" by Bombeck, Erma. Los Angeles
 Times, Aug 29, 1991  Sec: E  p: 8  col: 4
    Erma Bombeck discusses the popularity of temporary tattoos.
    [I just HAD to stick this one in here! :) --Lani]

"The Million-Dollar Tattoo" by Wallace, D F. New York Times Book
 Review, May 5, 1991  Sec: 7  p: 20  col: 2
    D.  F.  Wallace reviews the novel 'Laura's Skin' by J. F.
Federspiel.
    Favorable book review.

"Under Your Skin" by Eng, Lily. Los Angeles Times, Apr 3, 1991  Sec: E
 p: 1  col: 5
    The work of tattoo artist KARI BARBA of Anaheim CA is featured.

"Point Isn't Lost on Tattooers-War Hurts" by Zamichow, Nora. Los
 Angeles Times, Jan 23, 1991  Sec: A  p: 3  col: 1
    The work of tattoo artists is featured.

"Wearing Their Hearts Under Their Sleeves" by Hedges, Chris. New
 York Times , Aug 21, 1990  Sec: B  p: 3  col: 1
    Tattoo artists do a thriving business in some 100 parlors in New
    York City, all of which operate underground since tattooing was
    banned in 1961 because of a Hepatitis B outbreak.

"A Token of Love That's Skin-Deep" by Farley, Christopher John. USA
 TODAY, Feb 13, 1990  Sec: D  p: 1  col: 2
    Bob Shaw, president of the Nat'l Tattoo Assn, says that Valentine's
    Day brings an increase of young lovers who want love tattoos.
    Many celebrities, including Roseanne Barr, Brigitte Nielsen and
    Winona Ryder, have the tattoos.

"Where the Guy Has No Green Teeth" by Levey, Bob. Washington
 Post, Jan 29, 1990  Sec: D  p: 7  col: 1
   Bob Levey comments on the possible health hazards posed by
   getting a tattoo.

"Tattoo Me, Tattoo You" by Swisher, Kara. Washington Post, Nov 16,
 1989  Sec: C  p: 5  col: 1
   Tattoos are featured.  Tattooing may be a phenomenon of only
   transient psychological significance.

"To Tattoo or Not to Tattoo" by White, Diane. Boston Globe, Jul 26,
 1989  p: 53  col: 1
   Diane White comments on the tattoo trend.

"For Those with Tattoo Regret, Here's Hope" by Altman, Lawrence K.
 New York Times, Apr 28, 1989  Sec: A  p: 15  col: 1
   A new laser treatment reportedly removes tattoos almost painlessly,
   without leaving a scar.

6.3 Magazine and journal articles:

"Marks of Distinction." _Soldiers_. April 01 1993 v 48 n 4 p 41
    Tattoo, anyone?

"Contemporary western tattoos" by Kojima, Hisaka _Aidea =  Idea_.
 March 01 1993 v 41 n 237 p 96

"Made in the Marquesas: Typee, Tattooing, and Melville's Critique of
 the Literary Marketplace" by Evelev, John. _The Arizona quarterly_.
 Wint 1992 v 48 n 4 p 19

"You may never meet Lydia the Tattooed Lady, so here's Mark
 Baudains, for whom almost no piece of skin is taboo to tattoo."
 _People weekly_. Dec 14 1992 v 38 n 24 p 74

"Tattoo Parlor" A photographic essay by Robyn Redman. _Salt_. Sep 01
 1992 v 11 n 2 p 15

"Going To Extremes" by Fox, Marisa. _Option_. Sep 01, 1992 n 46 p 66
   What is it about music that makes artists and fans walk on the wild
   side? Psychic TV's genesis P-orridge and others talk about body
   piercing, tattoos, and brands. Part one of a two-part series

"Career-oriented Women with Tattoos" by Armstrong, Myrna L.
 _Image--the journal of nursing scholarship_. Wint 1991 v 23 n 4 p 215

"Memorial Decoration: Women, Tattooing, and the Meanings of Body
Alteration" by Sanders, Clinton. _Michigan quarterly review_. Wint 1991
v 30 n 1 p 146

"Skin Pics." _The observer magazine :  m._ Dec 08 1991 p 48
    The vocabulary of the tattooist has come a long way since the days
    of love, hate, Mum or Dad engraved on the fingers. Matthew
    Gwyther meets some devotees.

"Tattooing Behavior in Adolescence: A Comparison Study" by Farrow,
 James A., Schwartz, Richard H. , Vanderleeuw, Joop. _American
 journal of diseases of children_. Feb 01 1991 v 145 n 2 p 184

Delio, Michelle. "The Magical Mark: The Art of Tattoo." _Gnosis_, Spring
1993 n 27 p. 60.
    Did the first of all sacred arts use the human body as a canvas?

"Trends: Tattoos go mainstream." _Newsweek_. Jan 07 1991 v 117 n 1 p 60

"Psychiatric Implications of Tattoos" by Raspa, Robert F., Cusack, John.
 _American family physician_. May 01 1990 v 41 n 5 p 1481
    Tattoos may be acquired for a variety of reasons and may be markers
    for several psychiatric diagnoses.

"Now Ear This; Noses are fine, and navels are cool, but for the likes of
 Axl Rose, Perry Farrell and Keith Richards, this is still the classic
rock
 & roll pierce." _Rolling stone_.  Aug 05 1993 n 662 p 59

"Nonmainstream body modification: genital piercing, burning, and
cutting" by Myers, James. _Journal of contemporary ethnography_. Oct 01
1992 v 21 n 3 p 267
[James Myers is apparently an anthropologist on the US West Coast who
has been doing significant research into body modification.]

6.4 Books (some of these books may no longer be in print--check your
    university library for a copy, or request an InterLibrary Loan):

DeMichele, William. _The Illustrated Woman: Photographs by William
DeMichele_. Pref. by Gorman, Shotsie. (Illus.). 128p. 09/1992. $65.00.
(ISBN 0-9631708-0-5); Paper. $34.95. (ISBN 0-9631708-1-3). Proteus
Press, Incorporated.

Ebin, Victoria.  The body decorated. [London ;  New York] :  Thames and
Hudson,  c1979. 93 p. :  ill. ;  25 cm. Includes index. Bibliography: p.
[94]
LCCN#: GN418 .E24

Fellman, Sandi. _The Japanese tattoo_. Photographs and text by Sandi
Fellman ; introduction by D.M. Thomas. New York :  Abbeville Press,
1986.  112 p. :  col. ill. ;  32 cm.
LCCN#: GT2346.J3 F45 1986

_Heavily tattooed men and women_ Compiled and edited by Spider Webb ;
introd. by Marcia Tucker. New York :  McGraw-Hill,  c1976. 100 p. :
chiefly ill. ;  25 cm. McGraw-Hill paperbacks. Includes bibliographical
references.
LCCN#: GT2345 .H42

Heger, Franz,  1853-. _Ueber [i.e., uber] die Tatowirung bei den Sudsee-
Insulanern_. [Wien,  1885] p.35-39.  27cm. Caption title. Photostat
(positive) copy from Mitteilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft in
Wien, Bd. 15, 1885.
LCCN#: GN419.3 .H44

_Marks and meaning, anthropology of symbols_  Edited by O.P. Joshi.
Jaipur :  RBSA Publishers,  c1992. viii, 190 p. :  ill. ;  26 cm.
LCCN #: GN419.3 .M27 1992

_Marks of civilization :  artistic transformations of the human body_
Arnold Rubin, editor. Los Angeles, Calif. :  Museum of Cultural History,
University of California, Los Angeles,  c1988. 279 p. :  ill. ;  29 cm.
Bibliography: p. 265-276.
LCCN#: GT2343 .M37 1988

_Modern Primitives_. V. Vale and Andrea Juno, editors. Re/Search
Publications, San Francisco, CA, c1989. [216] p. :  ill. ; 28 cm. Index.
#12 in the Re/Search series.
    If you are interested in bodyart as a whole beyond tattoos, this is
the one book that you should have in your reference collection. The book
is a collection of interviews and write-ups about a very wide spectrum,
including the opener on Fakir Musafar (he is THE bodyart god, IMHO),
sword swallowing, Polynesian tattoos, pierces, cuttings, etc. The
section on body piercing complements Ardvark's FAQ, and has
illustrations on exactly WHERE those darned genital pierces are supposed
to go. Important note: This book is not for the faint-at-heart. Some of
the information and text contained are very graphic--an assumption can
be made that those wanting to read the book are already USED to small
tattoos and nipple pierces. There is a graphic photo of a bifurcated
penis, for example. You have been duly warned.
    If you (ahem) have trouble finding this book in your local bookstore
, send an SASE to Re/Search Publications, 20 Romolo #B, San Francisco,
CA  94133.

Richter, Stefan,  1952-. _Tattoo_. London :  Quartet,  1985. 158 p. :
chiefly col. ill. ;  36 cm. Ill. on lining papers.  "An art as old as
humanity: a short history of tattooing in the Western world" / Stephan
Oettermann: p. 11-17. Bibliography: p. 17.
LCCN#: GN419.3 .R53 1985

Richie, Donald,  1924-. The Japanese tattoo /  Donald Richie, text; Ian
Buruma, photos. 1st ed. New York :  Weatherhill,  1980. 115, [1] p. :
ill. (some col.) ;  27 cm. Bibliography: p. 115-[116]
LCCN#: GT2345 .R52

Robley, Horatio Gordon,  1840-.  _Moko;  or, Maori tattooing_.  With 180
illustrations from drawings by the author and from photographs.
[Auckland] :  Southern Reprints,  1987. xxi, 216 p. ;  ill. ;  27 cm.
"Authorities consulted": p. [209]-212.
LCCN#: GN667.N9 R7 1987

Sanders, Clinton. _Customizing the body :  the art and culture of
tattooing_. Philadelphia :  Temple University Press,  1989. xi, 220 p.,
[8] p. of plates :  ill. ;  22 cm. Includes index. Bibliography: p.
[195]-211.
LCCN#: GT2345 .S26 1989

Scutt, R. W. B. Art, sex and symbol;  the mystery of tattooing  [by] R.
W. B. Scutt and Christopher Gotch. South Brunswick,  A. S. Barnes
[1974] 205 p.  illus.  29 cm.  $15.00 Bibliography: p. 199-200.
LCCN#: GT2345 .S38 c. 2

Steward, Samuel M.  _Bad boys and tough tattoos :  a social history of
the tattoo with gangs, sailors, and street-corner punks, 1950-1965_. New
York :  Haworth Press,  c1990. 204 p. ;  23 cm. Haworth series in gay &
lesbian studies ;  v. no. 3. Includes bibliographical references.
LCCN #: GT5960.T36 S747 1990

_Tattoo, torture, mutilation, and adornment :  the denaturalization of
the body in culture and text_  Frances E. Mascia-Lees and Patricia
Sharpe, editors. Albany :  State University of New York Press,  c1992.
vii, 172 p. ;  24 cm. SUNY series, the body in culture, history, and
religion. Includes bibliographical references.
LCCN#: GT495 .T38 1992

_Tattootime_. Honolulu, Hawaii :  Tattootime Publications, v. :  ill. ;
28 cm.  Began in 1982. Each volume has also a distinctive title.

VanStone, James W. An early archaeological example of tattooing from
northwestern Alaska /  James W. VanStone and Charles V. Lucier.
[Chicago] :  Field Museum of Natural History,  1974.  9 p. :  ill. ;  24
cm.  Fieldiana.  Anthropology ;  v. 66. no. 1  0071-4739. Publication -
Field Museum of Natural History ;  1193. Caption title. Bibliography: p.
8-9.
LCCN#: GN2 .F4 v.66 no.1

6.5 Tattoo organizations:

Empire State Tattoo Club of America (ESTCA), PO Box 1374, Mt. Vernon, NY
10550, New-York  10550. PH: [phone], Fax, [phone].
Founded: 1974, membership: 1000
International organization of tattoo artists and individuals with
tattoos. Works to increase public awareness of tattoo art. Sponsors
competitions and bestows awards. List of tattoo artists. Affiliated with
Professional Tattoo Artists Guild.

National Tattoo Association (NTA), 465 Business Park Ln., Allentown, PA
18103-9120, Pennsylvania 18103. [phone] Fax, [phone]
Officer: Florence Makofske, Sec.-Treas.
Founded: 1974, membership: 1000, budget: $46,000
AKA: National Tattoo Club of the World (changed 1984)
Tattoo artists and enthusiasts. Promotes tattooing as a viable
contemporary art form; seeks to upgrade standards and practices of
tattooing. Offers advice on selecting a tattoo artist and studio. Holds
seminars for tattoo artists to improve skills and learn better hygienic
practices. Sponsors competitions and bestows awards; maintains
charitable program for children; operates museum and biographical
archives. Lists of members and tattoo studios.
Publications: National Tattoo Association--Newsletter, bimonthly. Price
included in membership dues. Circulation: 1000. Conventions: Annual
(with exhibits).

Professional Tattoo Artists Guild (PTAG), 27 Mt. Vernon Ave., PO Box
1374, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550. [phone] Fax, [phone].
Officer: Joe Kaplan, Pres.
Membership: 2000
Professional tattoo artists.

Tattoo Club of America (TCA), c/o Spider Webb's Studio, Captains Cove
Seaport, 1 Bastwick Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06605. PH: [phone]
Officer: Joe O'Sullivan, Sec.
Founded: 1970, membership: 45,000, budget: $25,000
Tattoo artists and individuals worldwide who have been tattooed. Seeks
to promote the art of tattooing and make it more acceptable to the
public. Bestows annual Mr. and Miss Tattoo awards; sponsors speakers'
bureau; maintains hall of fame. Maintains library and museum of antique
tattoo designs and memorabilia.
Publications: Newsletter, quarterly.
Conventions: Annual conference and symposium (with exhibits) - always
March, New York City.


7. Non-tattoo bodyart

7.1 What is branding and how is it done? ----------

Branding is the process where you take something white hot (usually
some piece of metal in some particular shape) and press it into your
flesh so that it makes a serious burn and (later) a permanent scar.
Branding is dangerous (all burns are prone to infection), but so is
driving a car.

Most of the branding I've read about fall into one of two categories:
  --Rite of passage
  --Punishment.

Most of the rites of passage involved branding someone with a design
on entry into puberty.  A lot of tribal people have puberty initiation
that involve something like scarification/tattooing.

Most of the branding in Western cultures was done as a means of
marking criminals.  The French would brand a fleur de lis into the
shoulder of the offender, and the mark was supposed to make the
wearer into one of essentially an "untouchable" class.  However, they
also did this to Protestants, after a while, and with so many French
Huguenots wearing fleur de lis brands, it lost a lot of its former
meaning.

The English branded people with marks, in different locations,
depending on what they were accused of. Cutpurses and pickpockets
were accorded the punishment of an "S" brand on the cheek, indicating
"slave" and sent into a lifetime of indentured servitude. This
punishment came into the laws in the reign of Henry VIII, and was
abolished in the 18th Century, when they started getting heavily into
transporting folks to the colonies.

Based on my experience with burning my fingerprints off on an
antique stove, and the fact that the pain lasted for weeks, you might
not want to get into that.  (Well, if you're into constant pain and
self-
generated endorphins, I don't know.) In full-scale branding, the iron is
heated hot enough, and applied long enough, that the resulting wound
is a third-degree burn, which destroys the nerve endings and doesn't
hurt as much as more minor burns.  However, areas that have been
third-degree burned *never* regain sensitivity.  It will make a silver
scarred area, in the shape of the third-degree burn, due to destruction
of the entire dermis layer of the skin (through to the underlying
tissue).
The surrounding skin,  with years, will eventually fill in areas that
haven't been too badly damaged.

A word of warning---second and third degree burns are notorious for
getting majorly infected.  Third degree is slightly better, due to
cauterization.  Where it gets you is if the scab cracks. [Just remember
that your skin is your first line of defense against infection.]

The following is a synopsis of modern branding from the article,
"Strike up the Brand, a Scar is Born, New Fad leaves its Mark on the
Valley" from the Phoenix New Times:

The article is on Steve Haworth, of HTC Body Piercing in Phoenix,
who was interviewed at a branding demonstration at "El Rancho de
los Muertos".
Haworth said human branding is very different from cattle branding
(which would just leave a big blob-scar with no definition) because the
human body has more curves and fewer flat planes. To fit the
topography, he uses small irons of stainless steel 1/16 to 1/32 inch
thick. Brands tend to spread 2-3 times the width of the iron. The length
of steel is rarely more than an inch long. Heated with a propane torch
until red hot, it's tested on a piece of cardboard (1,800F is the
preferred
temp.) and held on the skin no longer than a second or two--and
apparently produces quite a stench.
Haworth said the keys to successful branding are:
  --The brander's skill at judging correct temperature
  --How long the steel is held to the skin,
  --Proper pressure
  --Placement
  --People's skin types (which differ greatly).
While a local doctor didn't recommend getting brands, he did say,
"On a more optomistic note, they can be removed by laser," although
even the laser leaves a scar (why not do the brand with a laser in the
first place?  Star Wars branding!)
Some history: Among Fakir's more painful discoveries were that wood
burners, soldering irons, red-hot coat hangers and paper clips were far
more apt to produce unsightly blisters and/or uneven scars than the
small stainless steel strips used today.

BTW the most famous brands that people remember were of the forehead
brands that the followers of Charles Manson wore during the Helter
Skelter trials.

7.2 What is scarring? ----------

Scarring is the making of marks on the body through the use of
making cuts.  The most famous use of such techniques can be seen in
Africa. Small cuts are made in the skin and ash is rubbed into the cuts
to make  a raised bump scar.  This can look really great.  The
unfortunate thing is that people with white skin can't really get these
types of scars because they are formed by a substance called keloid.
Races with dark skin have keliod and races with light skin do not.

Often, these scars and the process is part of a religious or social
ritual.

Scarring can also be the result of self-mutilation due to psychological
problems, although that is too deep and serious a subject we won't
delve into it here.

7.3 What are cuttings?

Cuttings are made by a razor blade or other very sharp instrument onto
the skin. These are usually made in shapes of particular objects, and
sometimes rubbed in with ink so that the scar of the cutting shows up
like in tattooed lined. The person most known for this procedure at this
time is Raelyn Gallina, a "San Francisco Bay Area jewelry maker and
piercer whose specialty is women."

The phenomenon of cutting seems to have grown out of the SM gay
(particularly lesbian) community. Raelyn prefers that clients bring the
particularly illustration they want done--she does not make random
patternless cuts. For more information on Raelyn's personal philosophy
on cuttings, please read _Modern Primitives_.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
This ends the rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 4/4.


--
Lani Teshima-Miller ([e-mail]) "Sea Hare"  o/ /_/_/
UH School of Library & Info Studies. "Whatever the cost of our   o|<0_0>------*
libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant      \=^-| |_| |
nation." -Walter Cronkite         [R.a.b.bit says: "Think Ink!"]       \_} \_}