MANAGING DESIGN

TATTOO MACHINE

TRADITIONAL TATTOO

Some tribal cultures traditionally created tattoo by cutting designs into the skin and rubbing the resulting wound with ink, ashes or other agents. Some cultures continue this practice, which may be an adjunct to scarification.  Some cultures create tattooed marks by hand-tapping the ink into the skin using sharpened sticks or animal bones (made like needles) with clay formed disks or, in modern times, needles. 

Image 1: The process of tapping ink into skin using traditional tattoo machine. Image taken from https://ibanology.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/tattoo-of-an-iban-from-borneo/

Image 2: Shaping tattoo into the skin. Image taken from https://ibanology.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/tattoo-of-an-iban-from-borneo/

MODERN TATTOO

The most common method of tattooing in modern times is the electric tattoo machine. which inserts ink into the skin via a single needle or a group of needles that are soldered onto a bar, which is attached to an oscillating unit. The unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needles in and out of the skin, usually 80 to 150 times a second. This modern procedure is ordinarily sanitary. The needles are single-use needles that come packaged individually. The tattoo artist must wash his or her hands and must also wash the area that will be tattooed. Gloves must be worn at all times and the wound must be wiped frequently with a wet disposable towel of some kind. The equipment must be sterilized in a certified autoclave before and after every use.

Image 3: Example of electric tattoo machine. Image taken from http://tattoomagz.com/wp-content/uploads/the-best-tattoo-machines-tattoo-machines-for-the-modern-generation-65416.jpg

Image 4: Tattoo process using modern tattoo machine. Image taken from http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTY1WDg0OQ==/z/jdkAAOSweW5VNMSo/$_32.JPG?set_id=880000500F

TATTOO INK

Early tattoo inks were obtained directly from nature and were extremely limited in pigment variety. In ancient Hawaii, for example, Kukui nut ash was blended with coconut oil to produce an ebony ink.Today, an almost unlimited number of colors and shades of tattoo ink are mass-produced and sold to parlors worldwide. Tattoo artists commonly mix these inks to create their own unique pigments.

Image 5: Example of tattoo ink. Image taken from http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0698/4225/files/StableColorInkSingles.jpg?592

Image 6: Glow in Dark tattoo ink. Image taken from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/600x315/ec/97/e2/ec97e2b5a6b49473411667ee4b0eaa63.jpg

MANAGING DESIGN

TATTOO OF AN IBAN

For Borneo's Dayak peoples, spirit embody everything: animals, plants and humans. Many groups have drawn on this power by using images from nature in their tattoos, creating a composite of floral motifs images. Tattoo are created by artist who consult spirit guides to reveal a design. Among the Iban, the largest and most feared indigenous group in Borneo, men apply tattoo.

These tattoos are blue-black, make of soot or powdered charcoal, substances thought to ward off malevolent spirits. Some groups spike their pigments with charms-a ground-up piece of a meteorite or a shard of animal bone- to make their tattoo even more powerful. For the outline, the artist attaches up to 5 bamboo splinters or European needles to a stick. After dipping them in pigment, he or she taps them into the skin with mallet. Solid area are fined in circular configuration of 15 to 20 needles.

RITUAL TATTOOING

Traditionally, Dayak tattooing was performed in a sacred ritual among gathered tribe members. Among the Ngaju Dayak, Krutak said the tattoo artist began with the a sacrifice to ancestor spirits, killing a chicken or other fowl and spilling it blood. After a period of chanting, the artist started on extremely painful tattooing process that often lasted 6 or 8 hours. Some tattoos were applied over many week. For coming of age tattoo rituals, the village men dressed in bark-cloth. This cloth, made from the paper mulberry tree, also draped corpses and was worn by widows.

Image 1: Coming of Age tattoo also known as Bungai Terung. Image taken from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b8/f8/bd/b8f8bd8e649586cac6ac9cfc44255669.jpg

HEAD-HUNTING TATTOO

One Dayak group, the Iban, believe that the soul inhabit the head. Therefore, taking the head of one's enemy gives yo their soul. Taking the head also conferred your victim's status, skill and power, which helped ensure farming success and fertility among the tribe. Upon return from a successful head-hunting raid, participants were promptly recognized with tattoo inked on their tattoo.

Image 2: Head-Hunting Tattoo. Image taken from http://www.borneoheadhunter.com/basics/images/img1.jpg

References is taken from https://ibanology.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/tattoo-of-an-iban-from-borneo/

MANAGING DESIGN

RESEARCH OF TATTOO

Tattoo is a form of modification, made by inserting ink, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin change the pigment. The word tattoo or tattow in 18th century, is a loan word from the Polynesian word tatau meaning "correct, workman like".

The first written reference to the word tattoo(or tatau) appears in the journal of Joseph Bank( 24 February 1743- 19 June 1820), the naturalist aboard Captain Cook's ship the HMS Endeavour. Tattoo enthusiasts may refer to tattoos as "ink", "pieces", "skin art", "tattoo art".


TYPES OF TATTOO

The American Academy of Dermatology distinguished 5 types of tattoo:

1. Traumatic Tattoo(Natural Tattoo)
2. Amateur & Professional Tattoo
3. Identification Tattoo
4. Comestic Tattoo
5. Medical Tattoo

1. Traumatic Tattoo(Natural Tattoo)

According to George Cowell, coal miners could develop characteristics tattoo owing to coal dust getting into wounds. Similarly, a traumatic tattoo occurs when a substance such as asphalt is rubbed into a wound as the result of some kind of accident or trauma. An amalgam tattoo is when amalgam particles are implanted in the soft tissues of the mouth, usually gums, during dental filling placement or removal. Another example of such accidental stabbing with pencil or pen.

Image 1: Traumatic Tattoo taken from http://www.avalonmedispa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TraumaticTattoo.png

2. Amateur and Professional Tattoo

Many tattoos serves as rites of passage, mark of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love and etc. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures. Today people choose to be tattooed for artistic, cosmetic, sentimental, religious and etc.

Image 2: Professional and Amateur Tattoo taken from http://www.kissyourinkgoodbye.com/uploads/5/0/1/9/50198399/4868652.jpg?299

3. Identification

People forcibly been tattooed. A well known example is the Nazi practise of forcibly tattooing Nazi concentration camp inmates with numbers during Holocaust as part of Nazi's Identification system in order to identify the bodies registered prisoners in the concentration camp. Tattoo also has been used for identification in other ways for example in early Zhou, Chinese authorities would employs facial tattoo as a punishments for certain crimes or to mark prisoner or slaves. In period of early contact between Maori and Europeans, the Maori people hunted and decapitated each others for their moko tattoos, which they traded for Europeans items.
Tattoo are sometimes used by forensic pathologists to help them identify burned, petrified or mutilated bodies as tattoo pigment lies encapsulated deep in skin, tattoo are not easy to destroy even when the skin is burned.

Image 3: Identification Tattoo of inmate of concentration camp taken from http://inkalab.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/identification.jpg

4. Cosmetic Tattoo(Permanent makeup)

The cosmetic surgery industry continues to see a trend of increased popularity for both surgical and non invasive procedures. When used as a form of cosmetics, tattooing includes permanent makeup and hiding or neutralising skin discolorations. Permanent makeup is use on tattoo is to enhanced eyebrows, lip liner, eyeliner and mole. The colour they usually use is natural colour as it to resemble makeup.

Image 4: Cosmetic Tattoo taken from http://sydneycosmetictattoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Cosmetic-tattoo-web1.jpg

5. Medical Tattoo

Medical tattoo is used to re information the wearer about they blood type, medical condition and etc. Some use tattoo as treatment for vitiligo, skin pigmentation disorder. Tattoo also use in Alzheimer's patient where they put they name so that they can be identified if they are missing.

Image 5: Example of medical tattoo taken from http://www.rcinet.ca/english/illustration/chronicle/HsMHPl_ScreenShot122.jpg

TATTOO RISKS

Because tattoo is required by breaking skin it can leads into allergic reaction and infection. Modern tattoos is low the risks of the infection by following universal precautions by using one single items and sterilising their equipment after each use. In amateur tattooing such as practising in the prison, there is an elevated risks for infections that been transmitted by the use of unsterilised tattoo equipment. for example fungal infection, hiv, herpes simplex virus and etc.

Image 6: Example of risks of tattoo taken at http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/health_tools/tattoos_slideshow/phototake_rm_photo_of_MRSA_infected_tattoo.jpg

REMOVAL OF TATTOO

While tattoo is considered as permanent, they also can be removed fully or partially by laser treatments. Typically, black and some coloured inks can be removed more completely than inks of other colours. The expense and pain associated with removing tattoos are typically greater than the expense and pain associated with applying them. 

Image 7: Laser tattoo removal taken from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Laser_Tattoo_Removal_Alice_Pien_MD_AMAskincare.jpg