As we all know, in recent decades the art of tattoo has undergone a massive transformation, not just in terms of techniques and styles but also in how it is perceived by the public. The greatest revolution has definitely been this: though ours was once a male-dominated world, the face of tattoo today is increasingly feminine, and women tattooists, once a rarity, are the essential ingredient in the new process of innovation, inclusiveness and creativity in our industry.
These reflections stem from the field in which I operate, my experience and the role which Tattoo Life has been playing for decades now as a social and artistic mirror held up to the international tattoo scene. Just look at Tattoo Life – if you go back in time from this issue over recent years, you’ll see how interviews with talented international female tattooists are on the rise, women teeming with fresh ideas and inspiration and brimming with pride and passion for their craft. If in the past I always made a point of having one female tattoo artist in each issue – or on tattoolife.com every week – for the sake of that inclusiveness which is so dear to me, and I now realise that the contribution of the women in the industry to tattoo art has been of enormous value and led to a wonderful visual revolution.
And it’s not merely a question of numbers, but a reflection of a broader cultural shift which has seen a re-evaluation of the role of women in many sectors traditionally considered exclusively male. I am certain that it is also thanks to female tattooists if we have managed to break down certain social stereotypes associated with tattoo which relegated it to an emblem of masculine culture the epitome of which was the man who never has to ask.
Female tattooists today not only account for a large percentage of the scene, but are also establishing new aesthetic canons and fresh ways of making art. I’m thinking, for example, of the new school of female tattooists in New Traditional or Art Nouveau but also fresh takes on Oriental. Of how these women bring with them a sensitivity, attention to detail and innovation. Many of them have distinguished themselves with unique, personalised styles, mixing tradition and modernity, and a more intimate approach inclined to explore more subtle and complex themes connected with identity, nature, spirituality and the body, underlining the connection between the art of tattoo and self expression. They are redefining the very meaning of this art form, making it increasingly a universal language, open to all, regardless of gender, with a Flower Power revolution marked by a sense of levity, positivity and creativity which sees delicacy and attention to the other as its greatest strength.
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