16 • SKIN DEEP MAGAZINE
Notably, Polynesian tatau—heavy black work and the
absence of pictorial iconography—was instrumental to
the expansion of tattoo art. The pioneering American
publication Tattootime featured the powerful black
graphic work in their 1983 issue, New Tribalism. Its pub-
lication gave birth to the “tribal” style tattoo and swiftly
became dominant amongst tattooists and clients.
Indeed, the third floor is where, arguably, tattoo cul-
ture’s most distinct and recognisable style is found, one
that helped elevate western tattoo into the artform we
see today. Formed through a complex history, Perse-
verance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World
explores contemporary Japanese decorative tattooing.
Curated by Takahiro Kitamura, the exhibition features
the work of seven pioneers and legends, where the intri-
cacies of regional and tutelage differences can be seen in
the pores of their work.
As a product of the Edo period, its iconography and sym-
bolism were developed from the popular arts of ukiyo-e(woodblock prints). Irezumi peaked in popularity around
1872 but the Meiji Restoration saw Japan’s new govern-
ment ban the practice. In a bid to present an image con-
current with other modern, industrialised nations, the law
only served to increase its mystique by driving it under-
ground, Here, the government has continued—with vary-
ing degrees of success—to legislate downward pressure.
While Polynesian and Japanese tattoo are steeped in
tradition both aesthetically and in execution, Pinchuk’s
own tattoo work represent its antithesis. It is diminutive,
delicate, and rudimentary, without codified meaning and
administered by someone for whom tattoo is not a prima-
ry medium. The contrast isolates the core of what makes
tattoo, in my opinion, so magical, timeless, and powerful:
whether in your backyard, home or studio, regardless
of who you are, your corporeal artefact can be received,
given, and laden with any sentimental, talismanic, social,
cultural or political meaning you wish to ascribe it, even
amongst the “carnival of signs”, so to speak.
Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks is at once an essen-
tial tattoo art exhibition and visual exploration of how
culture and meaning can follow the movement of marked
bodies across both space and time.Title: Paul Stillen, Juliette, 2019.
Photograph courtesy of Lekhena PorterVisitors viewing Perseverance/Japanese Tattoo
Tradition in a Modern World © Ben Healley