MeredyxD [2011-08-10 10:39:19 +0000 UTC]

The relationship between the tattoo artist and the person who's getting it wouldn't be considered to be too important, but for instance, I want to get a "MONSTER" tattoo on my arm a few years from now, and it would really be better if the tattoo artist would understand the reason I want to get this tattoo and share about the same feelings toward the tattoo I want to get (MONSTER as in Little Monster, Lady GaGa's little monster ). It just wouldn't be good if the tattoo artist hates Lady GaGa or something and I think that the tattoo artist's skills are extra-important, the canvas is just as important as well. It doesn't matter how it looks, you know if the skin of the "canvas" gets wrinkled and the tattoo looks bad, that doesn't matter. But the canvas should carry its art with love and pride, so yeah, the canvas is really important too.

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SaoirseRoisin [2011-08-10 08:44:33 +0000 UTC]

Yay! Keep us posted indeed

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PainlessJames [2011-08-10 08:12:43 +0000 UTC]

Most people actually in some way modify their body. When the topic of body modification is brought up most people do not stop to think that the act of cutting your fingernails in a certain manner could be considered body modification. Breast augmentation, botox, liposuction, and even body building could be considered forms of body modification. Perhaps lipstick and makeup also could be body modification. Although here in the west we tend to categorize these things differently, they are in fact a form of modifying ones physical being. How is it right then to automatically judge those people who chose to modify their body in a more permanent manner. All over the world this practice has symbolized maturity, spirituality, awareness and in many cases a higher ranking in society. Embrace what you are and the things that are important to you YOU> at the end of the day, when the cards are all dealt. The only person that is going to be there is YOU.

~j

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NekroBabe77 [2011-08-10 07:32:59 +0000 UTC]

Tattoo is just a permanent embodiment of art, that can never fade.

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nugget12 [2011-08-10 06:13:27 +0000 UTC]

I have a MAD fold-in on my back. To see it I have to take shirt off in my bedroom the face away from my mirror and force my shoulder blades together I know you think that would hurt but it doesn't but it hurt so much when they where putting it on me though.

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GoodJobCastro [2011-08-10 05:55:02 +0000 UTC]

probably the only "art form" older would be painting and or piercing. Between different tribal piercings and barbaric war-paint, there's no telling which is older.

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muleonmushrooms [2011-08-10 05:53:44 +0000 UTC]

1) well, this is really a case by case basis. most of the time the person getting the tattoo is going to get the tattoo that they want. however, sometime the canvas gives the artist artistic freedom, and then the artist truly has the chance to shine.
2) no way. a model working with a photographer is far more interactive.
3) well i have a very personal relationship with my tattoo artist. he is a friend of mine whom i've know for 10 years. but in any case even if you only spend and hour with someone as they tattoo you, chances are you will talk and have a more heart-felt conversation then you would with someone selling you a bed or painting your house.

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YokuMiya [2011-08-10 05:53:00 +0000 UTC]

i like tatoos enopugh that im getting 1 for my 16th bday. thats all i have to say.

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Biggreeneyedgirl [2011-08-10 05:19:40 +0000 UTC]

The relationship Between the Tattoo and the bearer Is usually very Heart felt and Sentimental,something The person who wears the Tattoo wishes to remember forever.
Or art peice they feel they cannot be without ...Paper Fades along with our minds but skin lasts forever ...

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elistax9 [2011-08-10 05:09:53 +0000 UTC]

i'm one of those ppl who will simply never get tattooed, just not committed to a specific artwork enough to consider a tattoo. but i can appreciate the art form and i enjoy looking at tattoos, designing tattoos, and even playing around on photoshop to give myself tattoos that don't actually exist. i just have issues with the permenance, the price, and the stigmas.

and to answer the questions:
1. I would say the canvas. this is only because it is usually the person getting the tattoo that both comes up with the idea, and the tattoo artist usually acts to translate the canvas' idea for their tattoo into reality. then again, i suppose that depends on the tattoo. The person who comes up with the tattoo concept is more important in my opinion.
2. I'm also of the opinion that music is far older and just as interactive, if not more so, than tattooing. so, while tattoos are interactive, music is the first interactive art form; not tattoos.
3. I would say it is a relationship of trust and mutual interest in art.

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BTF-Productions [2011-08-10 05:05:32 +0000 UTC]

I am actually currently Apprenticing at a tattoo shop, and I have a few things I would like to say:

1. When it comes to tattooing, the artist and the Canvas are equals, it takes a really good artist to create art in the skin, it is completely different than any other medium. A Tattoo is permanent piece of art, and the person getting tattooed has to be very trusting, because for the most part, anyone who picks up a tattoo machine can tattoo, but not everyone tattoos good.

2. I don't know if Tattooing would be the first interactive art form, but if not, it has to be a close second. Tattooing has been around for a long time, not the way we see it now, but tribes have been tattooing since practically the beginning of time.

3. The relationship between the artist and the person being tattooed is a special one, especially if the person being tattooed is a regular customer of the artist. Artists tend to get to know their clients a little too well, and even sometime tend to become pretty good friends with their regular customers. This isn't always the case, but what else can you expect when you're putting your trust and physical appearance in another person.

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ADAMantium91 [2011-08-10 04:59:03 +0000 UTC]

(1) Both the canvas and artist are equally important. The person getting the tattoo establishes his body as a "canvas," while the artist does the work. The two go hand and hand with each other.

(2) I don't think so. Music has been around just as long as tattoos, if not longer. It's been around since the beginning, but probably not as long as music.

(3) The relationship is important, because the customer is getting paid for a permanent image on his body. It is up to the artist to deliver, and the customer must trust the artist to make the tattoo perfect.

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madi-wazataa [2011-08-10 03:33:56 +0000 UTC]

(responding to questions)
1. When the body receives a tattoo, the living canvas is equally important as the artist because the canvas provides the vision for the tattoo, but the artist brings it to life on the canvas.
2. I consider tattooing to be the "first 'interactive' art form" because the canvas moves! The tattoo is like a picture on wheels (technically legs); it goes anywhere and is shown to everyone (well, depending on where it is placed).
3. The relationship between the artist and the canvas is (or should be) a trusting one. The canvas puts its skin in the hands of the artist, so it might be in the canvas' best interest for the artist to not mess up...

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sitebender [2011-08-10 03:24:35 +0000 UTC]

Why ruin perfection? Sometimes a blank canvas is more beautiful than any piece of art you can put on it.

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Emma-Jen [2011-08-10 03:08:31 +0000 UTC]

this is so cool. love that tattooing is becoming so huge, it really is such a beautiful and unique form of art. <3 i hope to be a tattoo artist someday!

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Emberbabyx3 [2011-08-10 02:27:14 +0000 UTC]

1.)
I personally find the artist to be important. Being as how it's kind of can't happen without one. But the person getting the tattoo needs to be considered greatly. And treated well and you need to keep them in mind while designing thier work. So really they both play a big role and reallly they intertwine to equal portions in my opinion...

2.)
I can't say it's the first interactive art form. At least it wouldn't be fair to. while I haven't seen a place for it on D.A music IS an art. And it is interactive and it's older. Music makes people sing, dance, cry, laugh. You can speak with and re-use it to act out your emotions. And it still falls as art.

3.)
Relationship is HIGHLY important. I would never let someone put something on my body for EVER if all I knew was their name. Plus, how can the artist help design the right peice of art for the client if the only thing they know is the person wants ink?

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rfb-rules [2011-08-10 01:39:43 +0000 UTC]

60/40 split. with the artist being slightly more important. (not just saying cause i am one...) the client gets to pick the artist, usually based on style or skill level. it's not just a job. you have to get to know someone in a very short time period -- and help them make their ideas a reality, transfer the idea to paper, and from there to their body, and they wear it forever. it's a lot of pressure AND! you also have to maintain some sort of artistic integrity.... can't have someone running around with a crap design just because THEY like it. a tattoo artist needs to be the medium between half-baked strange requests and bringing something aesthetically pleasing to the table.

Do you consider tattoo art to be the first “interactive” artform?
i suppose so. it's not much different than any sort of design work, save the fact that the images need to integrate with the contours of the body.... and there's a lot of commitment involved with the client.

How would you describe the unique relationship between tattoo artist and the person being tattooed?

it can be pretty awesome. especially when you get a client you really click with, in terms of tattoo subject matter and concepts. that's always nice. but it can be weird too. people get really charmed... it's kinda crazy. i think it must be the endorphins....

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WormandaDuck [2011-08-10 00:46:30 +0000 UTC]

1. I'd have to say that the person being tattooed is more important to the process. The artist makes tattoos on a daily basis in order to earn a paycheck whereas the "canvas" is making an irrevocable, once-in-a-lifetime decision.

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owllover123 [2011-08-10 00:10:29 +0000 UTC]

i find tattoos to be awsome i think it is fun to create new tattoos!!!!

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MrDarksMayhem [2011-08-10 00:07:25 +0000 UTC]

Very impressive article.

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MrDarksMayhem [2011-08-10 00:06:50 +0000 UTC]

It's a very popular and expressive fashion trend. I'm thinking about gettin one myself.

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XxSerenexX [2011-08-09 23:00:00 +0000 UTC]

both are equally important to the artistic process. without the artist, there is no canvas, without the canvas, there is no artist.
it isnt the first, but its the sexiest
and, the relationship between artist and canvas varies on the artist or said canvas. if the artist is the kind thats just working to get paid, then no, there is no relationship, only pain for the canvas and some cash for the artist.
now, if there is a relationship between the two, it can vary from anything as all relationships can. maybe the artist is really that. and artist. and maybe the canvas is really just looking for something cool. theres a problem there. it honestly depends on the personality of both people

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SortenUld [2011-08-09 22:35:04 +0000 UTC]

Well, guestion 1 is easy. You can't be an artist without a canvas.
2. Yes, I believe that. Tattoos have been around for more than 5000 years.
3. I'm a tattoo artist my self, and I think I have a good relationship with my customers. You have to listen to eachother, and the artist has to know exactly what the customer wants and give advices if the design is way off. It's all trust in the end.

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SinisterSuicide666 [2011-08-09 20:07:47 +0000 UTC]

Personally, im just a teenager that spends her time designing tattoos, im not a tattoo artist (although i hope to be one at some point in the future) and i dont have a tattoo, so i dont think my opinion would be needed on the questions. The only thing i have really achieved is designing a tattoo for someone and them getting the design done, ive had several other requests for designs but other than that im pretty useless haha. I love tattoos, especially those that express the person who is as quoted "the human canvas".

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starlily77 [2011-08-09 19:56:51 +0000 UTC]

iam an a lots of artist, and a begininer at tattooing 2nd year at it ,iam getting better

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Arionex [2011-08-09 19:53:21 +0000 UTC]

I honestly have a tattoo myself and though it was a rather spicy experience I consider it to be unique for both the artist and myself. Tattooing is some sort of bonding between one-self and another, is pretty much like sex in my opinion because both sides share a same goal at the end, the exchange of a lifetime experience together. Art is art no matter where you may find it, this is my opinion.

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jrl122080 [2011-08-09 19:40:29 +0000 UTC]

I think both authors are equally important. The individual because it is his/her canvas that you are being commissioned to decorate and the artist who can take the individuals idea and make it his/her own. I most definantly agree that tattooing is indeed the 1st interactive art form (at the very least one of the most intimate). And as for the tattooist/tattooie relationship, both undergo a tremendous amount of concentration and discomfort before the final outcome of the artwork. I've made more friends tattooing than by any other means.

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STANTONarts [2011-08-09 19:39:15 +0000 UTC]

1) The Tattoo Artist. You can have whatever idea you'd like in ur head, or drawn up by either u or an artist friend. But without the trained hands of a legit professional (not a scratcher), ur dead in the water. More often than not, a CUSTOM design does not translate well into the skin - unless of course it's rendered with an understanding of HOW the ink is placed and set with the most positive outcome possible.

2)No. It's a client/tattoo artist relationship. ...this type of question ehcoes "Does knowing how to use Photoshop make u a graphic designer?"

3) These reality shows have turned what is essentially a 'service' (like a barber or pedicurist), into some false imagining of a 'bond' between artist and client. SOMEONE needs to remain neutral in the execution of ur tattoo. That someone IS the tattoo artist.

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Iolar-Itealaich [2011-08-09 16:27:18 +0000 UTC]

I don't think either one is more important than the other. Tattooing is a collaboration between two people, the artist, and the canvas. If the canvas doesn't wear the art proudly, well than what is it? Garbage, that's what it is. If the artist doesn't put himself into the tattoo, then, again, what is the tattoo but garbage?
Now as for tattoos being the world's first "interactive" art form, uh, no, that was piercings. Knuckle scrapers figured out how to stick things in their skin before that figured out how to stab themselves repeatedly and rub pigment into the top layer of their flesh.
Oh, but the relationship between the tattooer and the canvas (as you find I like to refer to the tattooee) is probably one of the strongest relationships between two strangers. The canvas is entrusting the artist with his body, turning himself over to the needle in the hands of someone he just met, whereas the artist is entrusting the canvas with a piece of himself to wear for his life. It's a beautiful thing, really.

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Inkfang [2011-08-09 16:20:08 +0000 UTC]

this is wonderful artwork, i can't wait to get a tattoo myself

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makiley [2011-08-09 16:10:18 +0000 UTC]

I just wanted to say I did have my artist sign my tattoo , So I Did give my artist credit for his work, Because after all I am A walking living canvas and Proud of my Artist and He does deserve Credit , I just wanted to put that out there

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kemurikat [2011-08-09 15:57:25 +0000 UTC]

Answers to...
'My Questions for the Reader:'
1. I believe both the living canvas and the tattoo artist are equally important for individual reasons. The quality of the tattoo is very dependent on the artist's drawing skills, layout, ink integrity and placement on the living canvas while it's the 'duty' of the living canvas is to care for their skin, preserving the tattoo's beauty.

2. Not so much an 'interactive' art form to me, rather the words 'mobile' or 'portable' come to mind. The tattoo artist has a broader audience available to them regarding the visibility of their work. The living canvas becomes long term 'free advertising.' ^_^

3. There is definitely a unique relationship between the tattoo artist and the living canvas. Depending on the method of the tattooing process (Western vs Eastern) it's nevertheless intimate. The living canvas selects the artist whose skills fully capture the imagination and concept of the design they wish to display on their skin. The artist takes great care with their rendering and sees to the comfort of their canvas. Overall, the experience can be spiritual, ordeal-oriented or arousing which is totally dependent on personalities and preferences of the people involved. ;D

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themalgal3693 [2011-08-09 15:51:33 +0000 UTC]

1) I would have to say that the one being tattooed is more important than the artist because the one being tattooed has to live with the art day in and day out. It is important that the artist feel some connection to the work and can add his own signature but at the end of the day it's the person wearing the tattoo that matters most in the relationship.
2) Tattooing is definitely the most prominent form of interactive art, but I doubt it's the first. I consider nature to be the first form of interactive art (I mean I AM a dirty hippie). You can dig a pond in your back yard, fill it with water plants, fish, and snails and watch as it grows into its own ecosystem to support other creatures like birds and toads and frogs.
3) There's usually a pretty good bond. I mean the person being tattooed is supporting that artist for what he loves to do most in the world and the person being tattooed is getting that vision and symbol they so love imprinted onto their lives forever.

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WickedDevilsAngel666 [2011-08-09 15:45:16 +0000 UTC]

I think its a great idea to have tattoos on . I'm a big fan of tattoos.

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wwwjack [2011-08-09 15:29:04 +0000 UTC]

kool

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LittleNyx500 [2011-08-09 14:41:00 +0000 UTC]

I reckon the living canvas is more important... i mean, it's obviously important that the art is good, but the artist isn't necessarily the one to walk around wearing it. The canvas needs to be happy with the art on their body. And yeah, not counting face painting (war paint etc.) and scarring (not sure if that's the right term? :S), i'd say it's probably the first interactive form of art. I'm fascinated by the tapping method they used to use? It's really interesting to watch. Not sure on the last question... trust? Trust that the artist will deliver an outstanding piece of work and that it meets all your expectations I can't wait to get my first tattoo

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Crystalitar [2011-08-09 14:17:35 +0000 UTC]

i do desgin some tattoo's but i think the living canvas is more important: he/she decides to wear it for the rest of it's live.

i don't know how to answer the other 2 questions >.<

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trixym98 [2011-08-09 13:33:53 +0000 UTC]

for me all person have their own decision
to make for there own so if we would like to have a tatoo in our body it is our decision to make and it is our body not theirs so . go ahead fellows en joy your life

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sarahredhead [2011-08-09 13:27:26 +0000 UTC]

Where did my comment go?

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