| Polynesian Tattoo Designs? |
Question:
I recently visited Moorea on my honeymoon and I fell in love with the
polynesian style of tattoo. I didn't have time (for obvious reasons)
to research and have a tattoo done while in Moorea. I'm thinking of
getting a half sleeve done of nothing but polynesian black work. Now
the problem, I need books or online resources or even flash art with
examples of the polynesian style. I would also love to know if there's
an artist in NYC or the surrounding area that can do this type of
tattoo for me. I have the basic idea for the work in my head but I
cannot even begin to draw something like this. Can you give me some recoment?
Answer:
-For obvious reasons, we don't do a persons research for them.
It seems there are search engines for the internet. Or so I'm
told.
I don't need to know the information you are looking for, so I'm
not even going to do a simple search on Google.com or even
Dogpile.
Of course, after you find what you want, you might want to come
back and ask if the design you've chosen (and don't post a binary
here) is appropriate for the arm. I seem to remember there are
ones you do for one area, and others you don't.
If you're going to emulate a custom, at least you have to do it correctly.
-I suggests that you slightly adjust your mental
perspective and say something like "I want designs for
contemporary neo-tribal blackwork after the Polynesian style."
When you are confronted with The Real Thing (in the way of ethnic
tattooing), you have to remember that any attempt to reproduce it
is unavoidably an imitation, not to say rather ersatz, and
something of a parody. To explicitly remember that your own
tattoo is of this nature, and in a sense a tribute to The Real
Thing, will keep your mind in good working order.
Also, you should realize that throughout the -nesias tattooing
was eradicated by missionaries with the sole exception of Samoa.
With that exception, modern tattooing on those islands is thus
itself a revival, and could also be described as imitation,
ersatz, or parodic. But Skookums doesn't have the chutzpah to
complain when people try to recover their own cultural heritage.
As for sources, the ReSearch volume "Modern Primitives" includes
a number of design sheets compiled by Hanky-Panky. If you enlarge
these with a xerox machine, they will serve as usable source
material. Also, Don Hardy's TattooTime series (five volumes)
includes a fair number of examples drawn from Trish Allen's
thesis at the University of Hawaii. She compiled all known
illustrations of Oceanic tattooing up to 1900 or so, including
many from very rare and obscure Russian publications.
Oh, yes, one last source: some years ago Taschen published a fat
book of tattoo pictures drawn from Hanky-Panky's collection. This
may be o.p. but is worth looking for. Try www.bookfinder.com.
|
|
| |
 |