If tattoos were artwork hanging in a gallery, would you visit it?

Question

I find that most tattoos are hideous. I understand wanting to be 'cool' and 'hip' and 'oh-so-rebellious', but 98% of tattoos are just plain ugly. Especially the big ones.

I do realize tattoos are a kind of art, but I just think the prevailing style is rather unappealing. So gnarly and busy and dark--and generally detracting from the beauty of the human body. In my opinion anyway.

Still I know not to judge people who get them. To each their own :D

Answer 1

It depends. A lot of tattoo artists are incredibly good artists and do beautiful artwork and prints that don't end up as tattoos. Some even exhibit their work in galleries. A close friend of my boyfriend is a tattoo artist and he's also done some really beautiful pieces of art. If I felt they were good as an artist not just a tattooist and enjoyed their work, then I would most definately visit their exhibition.

Their are also a lot of people out there that tattoo but are terrible artists. The quality (ie appearance) of the tattoos they do may look good, but their art could be horrible. A lot of these people work from flash, copying designs out of books etc. This, I feel, is the distinction between a 'tattooist' and a 'tattoo artist'.

A tattoo artist has the ability to take an idea or suggestion, draw it up in to a beautiful design and then turn it in to a good quality tattoo on a persons skin.

I agree that a lot of people have some really ugly tattoos. I believe that is because these people didn't do enough research to find a good tattoo artist and because they lack the imagination to make a tattoo their own. I'll readily admit, I was guilty of just picking a tattoo out of a book, and now I regret it. But, soon, I'll be getting it covered up with something beautiful, that I've put my thought an imagination in to.

I feel the human skin is a blank canvas and I feel tattoos and piercings are a way of making it more interesting and of expressing yourself. The problem is, a lot of people see tattoos and piercings as a fashion accessory rather than a form of expression. Thats why, in so many ways, it's started to become uniform and generic.

For hundreds, if not thousands of years, tribes from all over the world have used body modification as a way of being seen as more beautiful or to carry some other kind of symbolism. Women in certain tribes in africa are not seen as beautiful and able to marry unless they have rows of scars cut in to their skin.

It all depends on your social ideals and how you percieve things like tattoos as to whether you accept them.

Tattoos can be extremely beautiful and a lot of tattoo artist are incredibly talented people, often overlooked because tattoos are still, general, socially unacceptable.

Answer 2

I would probably go to a tattoo gallery, yes. I love tattoo's, all of different styles. Sure, there's some I don't like, like the biomechanical and the graffiti-style lettering, and there's definately some that I find 'ugly' (either because of a bad artist or just a design that's off-putting to me), but I can still appreciate that the wearer liked it, and probably wanted it for a specific reason.

I didn't get any of mine to be 'cool', 'hip', or 'oh-so-rebellious' (tattoo's would have definately been the wrong way to go for that one- my mom's got about as many as I do!), but because I've always loved them.

You probably love something that I'll never understand, but I'm okay with that, and I don't judge you for it.

Answer 3

I personally do not have any tattoos but I think they are artwork.

I love looking at other people's tattoos.

Tattoos are like a picture to a story. ANYTIME someone has a tattoo, there is a story connected. Now whether the story is meaningful or not is a different story.

Answer 4

Yes, I would definitely go to a gallery that displayed tattoos as "artwork", because that is exactly what tattoos are -- to me at least.

You are entitled to your opinion of tattoos, but what makes you think that the only reason people get them is to be cool or hip or rebellious -- I am neither of those "labels", yet I have 25 tattoos and plan to get more. Each of my tattoos represents something of great significance to me. Yup, they are big, NOT ugly and NOT hideous.

I don't pass judgment against you because you don't have tattoos, so don't pass judgment against me because I do.

Answer 5

Of course! Have you ever seen a tattoo convention? It's a living museum, and as an artist I find it amazing. Tattoos are works of art the same as a painting, drawing, or photograph is-- just taken one step further and drawn onto a living subject.

I like tattoos, but the unique ones that are done well-- not just the ones people get that all look exactly the same. Mine is one I'm designing myself. And a lot of tattoos aren't fads, rebellious, or just there to look "cool"-- a good deal of them are testaments of faith, works of art, and unique pieces that show the personality of the bearer.

Answer 6

That's your opinion and please don't judge people with them just because of what they chose. If you find them ugly don't look at them. I love them and would totally visit an art gallery based off of tattoos. It's not about being hip, cool or oh so rebellious for most of us; we get our tattoos because we want them for us for whatever reason. Try talking to people with larger tattoos, you'll find that they are just like you, a person and usually those with visible tattoos don't care what others think and like to show it off since people look anyway. We are artistic, open minded, comfortable with our selves and do our best to ignore negative talk, especially from people that don't even try to find out why we got them.

Answer 7

yes. it would be weird to go to an art gallery and see people hanging on the wall displaying their art but yes. i don't think that all tattoos are artful but then i don't think that all "art" is artful either. i would rather go view some amazingly done tattoos than to ponder over a jackson pollock painting. my tattoo artist and many other tattoo artists are just that.... artists. they don't limit themselves to one medium. i actually have a painting hanging in my living room that is five feet by four feet that was painted by my tattoo artist for me. it is art just like the tattoos he does.

whatever you think is fine but don't discount all tattoos just because there are crappy ones out there. it's not my fault some people CHOSE to buy and wear cheap crappy tattoos.

Answer 8

if the tattoo artist is an artist they can look nice, but many times thy are poorly done. You gotta livewith it too unless you can afford to cover it up.


It wouldn't make for the best gallery, but a magazine layout would be cool to see.

Answer 9

Yes I would visit. You are just not getting what it's about. It's the MEDIUM. Do you think Düreror Matisse could have done what they did on living flesh? Maybe Mr. Dürer, but not Matisse. I guess you're not a Pollock fan?

Answer 10

For your information my back piece is Not ugly. Only narrow minded people that don't like tattoos think that. It is an insult to me and my artist who by the way is very talented. If you don't like them don't look better yet don't commit. How would you like it if we were to say just how you looked.