Tattoos: Magical Iterations of the Past
By Carmen Forquer Nyssen
Tattoos are magical iterations of the past in that the process of making a tattoo holds their very history:
That first mark hearkens back to an ancient moment in time when humans first thought of etching on their skin.
The next mark and the next, and so on, represent the many mystical manifestations of tattoos within cultures across time
Then, from all those iterate inklings embedded with centuries of “sacred knowledge,” a magical work of art emerges.
The sum of the parts is a magical whole.
Sacred Knowledge of Tattoos
The sacred knowledge of tattooing—how it is executed and all that entails—has been handed down through age-old cultural lineages. But the independent development of tattooing around the world tells us it’s something that also transcends time and space; it’s ingrained in human psyche.
Our deep-seated affinity with tattoos is that they exist only by virtue of being on our bodies, and their very existence upon the body affirms our state of being. On a more arcane level, tattoos, through their own self-referencing story, tell the story of our state of being.
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The story hidden in the making of a tattoo is akin to the story of humans and humankind: cells iterating over and over to form a living-breathing-conscious human being, and humans procreating lineages. More broadly, it parallels the story of the universe, which is made up of iterations on all different fractal scales—say, a tree its branches, twigs, then leaves, or orbiting planets in a revolving solar system in a revolving galaxy. Each iteration comes together to create a miraculous whole—to make order out of disorder, from simple to complex.
The magical quality of tattoos is that the ritual of creating one invokes this natural rule of iteration, the universe’s sacred magic, on the very iteration of nature that defines their existence—human skin.
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Ancient Iterations of Tattooing
The ancient layers of self-referencing in tattoos—that create the magical whole—resonate with our consciousness.
“The essence was not in me, it was me.” -Marcel Proust
It is part of the esoteric knowing that has been long sanctified by tattooing’s practitioners and so fiercely guarded from irreverence. Generally speaking, over many decades across cultures, tattoo artists have passed on traditions through apprenticeship-like mentoring and by sharing with those ‘deserving’ of inheriting the knowledge. In other words, not only the making of an individual tattoo, but the evolution of tattooing itself, stems from lineages deeply rooted in iterations of the past. From this perspective, the various customs of tattooing across time bear a “family resemblance;” they have affinity with one another. The same spirit lives in the subject matter of tattoos.
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Iteration of Tattoo Designs
Fast forward to modern days …in the early days of hand-poked ‘sailor tattooing’ and then the emergence and evolution of electric tattooing in the craft, the Western World saw the development of a ‘vocabulary’ of culturally meaningful designs. In this period particularly, the same designs were copied and re-copied, over and over again. Many early motifs, such as the ‘Sailor’s Adieu’ or patriotic imagery, like eagles and flags, held sentiments that crossed over from other realms of culture—from bank notes to trade cards to dinnerware. As times progressed, new designs with new cultural relevance were brought into the collective ‘lexicon.’ The iteration of tattoo designs, regardless of whether the imagery was borrowed from the greater culture, kept continuity within a specific culture of tattooing.
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In light of the introduction of customized tattoo work, improved equipment and tattoo inks, in more recent days, authors from various fields have degraded this method of copying and re-copying tattoo designs as inferior, as lacking in artistry. But they’re missing the point. The iteration of tattoo designs over so many years, up to today, has allowed people (tattooers and tattooees) to participate in a time-honored tradition in both their own time and across time, all tied to the continuity of lineage. The artistry of tattoos, how they’re executed, comes from the latter—the passed on skill and knowledge and continual honing that goes into making them.
“Most tattoo artists aren’t original …they simply copy the work of the great ones like Ben Corday.” -Painless Bee
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Honing Tattoos Through Iteration
The process of passing on knowledge and continual honing is iteration that progresses an individual tattooer and the craft of tattooing as a whole.
“Every time I put in my needles I know it must be right …Practice has made me proficient.” -Martin Hildebrant.
But not all honor these traditions.
A “Sailor Jerry Collins” meme in circulation acknowledges the understood rule of borrowing tattoo designs.
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One thing the meme doesn’t account for, though, is those who disrespect by pillaging out of turn. Sailor Jerry wasn’t keen on just anyone copying the designs or tattoos he made (exactly copying, that is), because they were imbued with knowledge that had been passed on to him through a revered lineage along with what he had honorably honed as a craftsman on his own.
In the numerous letters Sailor Jerry wrote, he was truthful about his selectivity in sharing. He was wary of inadvertently helping people trying to bypass paying their dues or inviting in people who were just trying to cash in on tattooing; who didn’t care about carrying on tradition and upholding the craft; who didn’t carry the lineage and build on foundations; people without “soul in the game.”
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“Anybody can copy somebody else, but to originate something with impact is where they all seem to fall short…” -Sailor Jerry [pg. 29]
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“Despising the ‘copycat(s)’ …has become an obsession I suppose, but I want to be an original Sailor Jerry not a halfassed imitation Horiyoshi…” -Sailor Jerry [pg. 58]
“It’s the work of a master’s hand.”
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The Magical Artisanry of Tattooing
A tattoo, as a whole, carries the lineage; all the blood, sweat, and tears and the heart of those who paved the way; all the successes and failures, all the trial-and-error of the artisan. The artistry of tattoos comes through lineages, in the way of passed on and honed technical ability and composition, with the touch of each tattooer’s personal hand. In the 1940s, when Bert Grimm said “The business of tattooing is mechanical—not art,” he was speaking to the importance of these foundations in artisanship—the magic it creates.
“In traditional society, people who made things were seen as transformers of the world, performing magical acts for the benefit of all members of the family, clan, tribe, or nation.” -Nigel Pennick.
The craft of tattooing itself, not unlike any other artisanry, is the sum of many parts that make up a magical whole. In Bert Grimm’s day, though designs were copied over and over, they were composed for proper, artistic application of tattoos. The execution of a tattoo depended on the capabilities and/or limitations of equipment (machines, inks, etc), in conjunction with a tattooer’s individual skill. Flash was generally painted as realistic representations of a tattooer’s capabilities and also with flair to attract clientele. In a day when tattoo business was feast or famine, whether there was a huge line of serviceman to churn out or customers trickling in, this magical orchestration allowed a tattooer to apply a quick, artistic, long-lasting tattoo, and also earn a living.
The artisan tattooer is a wizard of tattooing.
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Throughout history, the rights of earning a living from a craft or trade have been reserved for the true artisan, those who hone from the bottom up, the keepers of tradition. They make and keep the standards.
“Artisans do things for existential reasons first and for financial and commercial ones later. Their decision making is never fully financial, but it remains financial.” -Nassim Taleb
Keeping honor and reverence in the craft of tattooing comes through having “soul in the game.”
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Modern Iterations of Tattooing
In more modern times, though times have rapidly changed, the passing on of a lineage still has been the core force of tattooing, entrusted to those willing to pay their dues and commit…
“…apprentices get all the ass jobs, like devils shoveling coal, lips, meat stamps etc. Moral to the story is that you have to start at the bottom.” -Sailor Jerry Collins. [pg. 150]
…and those who put in the time and heart to stay true to the craft.
“It’s nice thought to know that one is passing the torch to other hands that will strive to hold it ever high.” -Sailor Jerry Collins. [pg. 147]
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Tattooers have sought to preserve the integrity of handed down knowledge and keep honor in their chosen livelihood. A balance of selective secrecy in passing on information, along with just enough outward celebration to attract clientele, has perpetuated a robust dynamic that both promotes the craft and protects it from potential exploitation.
Tattoo shops, tattooing’s sanctuaries, are the conduit for upholding these traditions; its where order is maintained.
“Here was a never-changing place, operated by a changeless man in a world of constant change. An oasis of order and serenity in a fierce and unbridled society.” -Carol Nightingale, The Tattoo Baron. [pg. 17]
‘Pharaoh’s Horses’ tattoos-references bible passage Exodus 14, a symbolic warning against following a tragic course without regard to consequences. Based on John Frederick Herring’s art piece.
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‘Rock of Ages,’ in religion a metaphor for God’s unchanging nature.
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Disconnect & Disorder in Tattooing
There’s no way to capture the true essence of something without practice and experience—learning through doing and honoring the process.
“You can only acquire right knowledge when you have learnt to esteem it.” -Rudolf Steiner
Unfortunately, in tattooing there has always been a struggle to keep such reverence intact.
“No matter how careful you are, it always gets into the hands of the scratchers sooner or later though…” -Sailor Jerry Collins. [pg. 150]
Not everyone understands the importance of the lineage—of humbling yourself and starting from the bottom, then building a foundation.
“I hate these people that think all they have to do is walk in, and you will break your ass to teach them anything they want to know, just because they are interested.” -Sailor Jerry Collins. [pg. 142]
Disconnect & disorder comes about in any craft when the nuances and tricks of the trade are substituted with non-tacit knowledge (i.e. tattoo schools, kitchen scratchers, etc), when there are more and more participants without “soul in the game.” It’s disconnected because continuity is lost and it becomes generic and diluted. Then, there’s disorder because with less reverence in the craft its fruits are more easily copped by imposters and pillagers who are more interested in taking than giving. Today in tattooing this not only includes the craft itself, but also its history and artifacts.
“…we build up the demand and the bums cash in on it…” -Sailor Jerry Collins. [pg. 103]
‘Battle Royale,’ representing the eternal struggle of keeping balance.
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Magical Iterations Keep Order in Tattooing
Tattooing, with its ancient lineage and layers of arcane knowledge, is something that celebrates itself on many levels—it’s infinitely magic. But when the layers are stripped, there is danger in losing the whole, today like never before. When it becomes more about exploiting tattooing, gaining status of some type, collecting artifacts only to flip them and/or shill them, making tattoo history fit into a cookie-cutter to promote a personal agenda, or outright stealing other people’s hard-earned tattoo work or historical research (without building foundations), there’s no longer continuity. Each bit of disconnect & disorder that can’t be recovered removes evermore magic from tattooing.
Even in earnestly researching and writing about tattoo history, you can only get so close to describing it; it’s an approximation. That’s why the tacit knowledge gained through passing on a lineage—magical iteration—is so important to keeping order, tradition, and continuity in the craft.
Tattoo history done respectfully is about trying to capture the essence of tattooing, following the journey through time and keeping continuity.
The sum of the parts is a magical whole.
Keep the Magic!
References/Inspiration on recursive contexts in art and so forth:
All tattooers who have paved the way and all those who honor and carry on tattooing’s traditions. ♥
Grand Lineages of Tattooing, Buzzworthy Tattoo History post by Carmen Forquer Nyssen
Sailor Jerry Collins: American Tattoo Master by Hardy Marks
Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition: Customs, Rites, and Ceremonies by Nigel Pennick
The Essential Rudolf Steiner by Rudolf Steiner
Incerto series by Nassim Taleb (writes on the importance of fractals as well as how artisans have “soul in the game.”)
The Tattoo Baron by Carol Nightingale
(Special thanks to Jamie Jelinski for this resource: http://www.jamiejelinski.ca/about/)
Tacoma News Tribune and Ledger. July 11, 1954. Pg. A-12
The New York Times. January 16, 1876. Pg. 10.
The Swan’s Way by Marcel Proust (master of capturing recursion & iteration in writing, and writing about tacit knowledge)
- Tagged: History of Tattooing, tattoo history, tattoo lineage
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Questions or Comments? Email:
carmennyssen@buzzworthytattoo.com
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