Customizing the Body: The Art and Culture of Tattooing
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Product Description
Review
Praise for the original edition: "This is the most intelligent book available to date on the modern aspects of an increasingly popular form of body decoration." Kirkus Reviews "A fascinating and well-written study, one that finely sharpens the distinction between deviance and respectability." Choice "The book follows the historical, anthropological and social practices of body modification... This second edition contains a new introduction and an interesting chapter entirely dedicated to the changes which took place over the past ten years in the world of tattoo. A new gallery of images shows some wonderful examples of contemporary tattoos." Tattoo Life Reviewed on the blog Decorative Book Arts on February 21
Product Description
Originally published in 1989, this ground-breaking ethnographic exploration of tattooing - and the art world surrounding it - covers the history, anthropology, and sociology of body modification practices; the occupational experience of the tattooist; the process and social consequences of becoming a tattooed person; and the prospects of "serious" tattooing becoming an accepted art form. Curiously, despite the greater prevalence of tattoos and body modification in today's society, there is still a stigma of deviance associated with people who get or ink tattoos.Retaining the core of the original book, this revised and expanded edition offers a new preface by the author and a new chapter focusing on the changes that have occurred in the tattoo world. A section on the new scholarly literature that has emerged, as well as the new modes of body modification that have come into vogue, are included along with a new gallery of photographs that show some splendid examples of contemporary tattoo art. A directory of artists' websites invites readers to discover the range of work being done around the world from "suits" (full body tattoos) to skulls.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book has a thorough review of the Tattoo sub-culture and the changing perception it has. Although some chapters only scratch the surface of the subject matter, it is well written and documented, with many examples and notes from field studies. I recommend the book to anyone who is interesting in finding out more about the Tattoo culture!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Interestinginly Informative
21 July 2000
Format:Paperback
Customizing the Body is an academic study of tattooing and the whole culture that surrounds it. For most people the best part of the book is its introduction, which provides an excellent mini-history of tattooing and how it found it's way into western society. The rest of the book covers modern tattoo culture -- Becoming tattooed, tattooing as a career, and other issues surrounding tattooing and tattooists. The study is complete on an academic and informative level, yet is also easy and impelling reading that should appeal to anyone with a serious and non-voyeuristic interest in tattooing -- this is not a picture book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Very informative book
8 May 2002
Format:Paperback
I first read this book several years ago, and although its academic tone may be dry in spots for some readers, it's full of valuable information on tattooing. Sanders' studies show that many people getting their first tattoo have never even been in a studio before. A book like this can provide a lot of background on how the transactions works, how not to embarrass oneself and how to be an informed consumer. I started collecting several years after having read this book, and found the information I gleaned from it invaluable.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Clean-skinned reviewer enjoys tattoo book.
31 Jan 2001
Format:Paperback
If you have ever considered getting tattooed, have ever wondered what possesses someone to get one, what kind of people get them, how your life would change after getting one, why so many people are getting them these days, and why very few of them today look like the ones your grandfather or his war buddies had, this book addresses all these questions and many more in a most thorough and mostly unbiased way. The book is actually an academic study written by a university professor who, during the course of researching and writing the book, became a tattooed person. It contains plenty of statistics as you would expect in an academic study, but also lots of colorful anecdotes: tattooists talking about the types of tattoos or customers they refuse, women who explain why they got their first tattoo, various customers on pride and regret. There are so many interesting facts in this book, it really does read like an anthropological study, which it is, and I believe it would make interesting reading for nearly anyone who's ever found themselves looking at an inked armed and muttering "Why?!" or especially those who might look and say, "Hey, why not?!"
A few interesting facts from the book . . . Some classically trained fine artists are gaining acceptance in tattooing doing custom, commissioned, one-of-a-kind pieces . . . Women often get tattooed after a breakup . . . Most tattoo regret comes from getting one with poor craftsmanship . . . Men's first tattoos tend to be on the arm, women's on the breast . . . your social life will change if you get one . . . They really do hurt.
This book is unique in that nearly every other book on the subject falls under the rubric of tattoo fandom.
I read the book several years ago, and I'm still "clean skinned".
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