Tattoo: Identity through Ink

This exhibition rolls up the sleeves to uncover an art form and cultural practice that has long been inaccessible on such a comprehensive scale. Despite the art form having been in practice for over 5,000 years, the ephemeral nature of the finished work is one reason that tattooing has been an uncommon topic of museum exhibitions and a difficult research subject overall. In addition, throughout history, tattoos have typically been created by artists who don’t sign their work, with instruments that are either indistinguishable from other tools or have been misidentified. Actual tattoos on human skin have very rarely been preserved. Beyond decoration, a tattoo can serve as a wearable message – a record of stories, memories, or milestones. A tattoo can convey social affiliations or establish differences. Ancient and indigenous cultures have also used forms of tattooing for spiritual practices and medicinal purposes, many of which are highlighted in the exhibition through curator Lars Krutak's own research. Since their wide introduction to the American public through circus acts in the mid-1800s and until a shift in perception in the 1970s, tattoos were broadly viewed as rebellious and unprofessional. What was once a masculine realm of sailors, bikers, and prisoners has now been embraced by world leaders, royalty, and “everyday Americans” of all genders. Today in America, it is estimated that nearly one in three Americans has at least one tattoo. Today, Krutak extolls a golden age of the art form: “Every style of tattooing in the world is now at our fingertips. Since the introduction of the Internet, Facebook, and Instagram, the numbers of tattooed people have radically increased. And tattoo artists are constantly innovating and expanding what a tattoo can be.”