I want to look at how this sub-culture of tattooing still carries deep meaning about a person, but how this is seen as a negative interpreted view of the tattoo industry today.
Russian criminal tattoos have a complex system of symbols which give detailed information about the wearer and their life story and crime activities. Not only do the symbols carry meaning but the area of the body on which they are placed may be meaningful too.
This makes them mean a lot more in prison - becoming a hidden language/means of ranking and communication to other prisoners. These tattoos categorise the criminal for the rest of their life, but these crazy Russians appear to be proud of their stamps of the trade.
- I think today tattoos are more accessible / acceptable and popular in culture, holding less of a meaning in our cluttered and opinionated society with social media, etc. So it is safe to say the concept of representing your true identity and expressing yourself is still carried forward - however not only the practise but the wearer of tattoos has also evolved beyond psychopath inmates.
<- A dagger through the neck, for instance, suggests that an inmate has murdered someone in prison and is available to carry out hits for others.
"Devils" or fierce beasts symbolise a hatred of authority and the prison structure. This type of tattoo is known as an oskal (grin), a baring of teeth towards the system.
Bronnikov - A senior expert in criminalistics at the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs for over 30 years, his duties involved visiting correctional institutions in Ural and Siberia. It was then – between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s – that he interviewed, photographed and gathered information about convicts and their tattoos, building one of the most comprehensive archives to date.
<- The skull and crossbones on the prisoner's shoulders indicate that he's serving a life term, and the girl "catching" her dress with a fishing line on his left forearm is a tattoo commonly inked onto rapists.
The stars on this inmate's shoulders indicate that he's a criminal "authority" - when on the knees it especially suggests higher authority and indicates they would never bow down to anyone.
What kind of kit were they using to tattoo themselves?
The majority of the tattoos would have been done in a primitive, painful way. The process can take several years to complete, but a single small figure can be created in four to six hours of uninterrupted work. The instrument of choice is an adapted electric shaver, to which prisoners attach needles and an ampule of liquid dye.
Where do they find the dye?
Scorched rubber mixed with urine is used for pigment. For health reasons it's best to use the urine of the person getting the tattoo. Because tattooing is forbidden by the authorities, the practice is pushed underground and usually executed in unsanitary conditions. This can easily create serious complications, including gangrene and tetanus. But the most common problem is lymphadenitis – an inflammation of the lymph nodes accompanied by fever and chills.
But they do it anyway?
In most cases, the inmates interviewed by Bronnikov claimed that they started getting tattoos only after they had committed a crime. As their convictions increase and the terms of incarceration become more severe, the tattoos multiply. In minimum-security prisons, for example, 65 to 75 percent of the convicts have tattoos; that figure increases to 80 percent in medium-security prisons, and to between 95 and 98 percent in maximum-security facilities. In the female corrective facility near the Perm region – about 700 miles northeast of Moscow – Bronnikov found only 201 out of 962 were tattooed, but as many as 40 percent were tattooed in the high-security prison.
As a rule, criminal leaders don't have a large number of tattoos – only a pair of seven or eight-pointed stars on the collarbones.
What are your personal views on the culture of prison tattoos?
Well, it's remarkable – nowhere else do tattoos express such a unique and defined language. Every image is charged with meaning; a tattoo can literally be a matter of life or death for its bearer.
When any new convict enters a cell, he is asked, "Do you stand by your tattoos?" If he can't answer – or if word reaches the other inmates that he's wearing a "false" tattoo – then he'll be given a piece of glass or a brick and be asked to remove it, or face the consequences. That could be a severe beating, rape or even death.
It's for this reason that tattoos became the most respected and feared thing in prison society. Far more than being simply personal, they carry a weight of meaning and are an indelible law in a society beyond conventional law.
Arkady Bronnikov, who's regarded as Russia's leading expert on tattoo iconography, recently released a collection of around 180 photographs of criminals locked up Soviet penal institutes. Russian Criminal Tattoo Police Files, published by FUEL, is spread over 256 pages and is probably the largest collection of prison tattoo photographs to date.
Bronnikov - A senior expert in criminalistics at the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs for over 30 years, his duties involved visiting correctional institutions in Ural and Siberia. It was then – between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s – that he interviewed, photographed and gathered information about convicts and their tattoos, building one of the most comprehensive archives to date.
The initiation tattoo of a new gang member is usually placed on the chest and may incorporate a rose. A rose on the chest is also used within the Russian Mafia.
Wearing false or unearned tattoos is punishable in the criminal underworld, usually by removal of the tattoo, followed by beatings and sometimes rape.
The stars on this inmate's shoulders indicate that he's a criminal "authority" - when on the knees it especially suggests higher authority and indicates they would never bow down to anyone.
While the medals are awards that represent defiance against the Soviet regime.
Eyes on the stomach suggest that he's gay (the penis makes the "nose" of the face).
What kind of kit were they using to tattoo themselves?
The majority of the tattoos would have been done in a primitive, painful way. The process can take several years to complete, but a single small figure can be created in four to six hours of uninterrupted work. The instrument of choice is an adapted electric shaver, to which prisoners attach needles and an ampule of liquid dye.
Where do they find the dye?
Scorched rubber mixed with urine is used for pigment. For health reasons it's best to use the urine of the person getting the tattoo. Because tattooing is forbidden by the authorities, the practice is pushed underground and usually executed in unsanitary conditions. This can easily create serious complications, including gangrene and tetanus. But the most common problem is lymphadenitis – an inflammation of the lymph nodes accompanied by fever and chills.
But they do it anyway?
In most cases, the inmates interviewed by Bronnikov claimed that they started getting tattoos only after they had committed a crime. As their convictions increase and the terms of incarceration become more severe, the tattoos multiply. In minimum-security prisons, for example, 65 to 75 percent of the convicts have tattoos; that figure increases to 80 percent in medium-security prisons, and to between 95 and 98 percent in maximum-security facilities. In the female corrective facility near the Perm region – about 700 miles northeast of Moscow – Bronnikov found only 201 out of 962 were tattooed, but as many as 40 percent were tattooed in the high-security prison.
As a rule, criminal leaders don't have a large number of tattoos – only a pair of seven or eight-pointed stars on the collarbones.
What are your personal views on the culture of prison tattoos?
Well, it's remarkable – nowhere else do tattoos express such a unique and defined language. Every image is charged with meaning; a tattoo can literally be a matter of life or death for its bearer.
When any new convict enters a cell, he is asked, "Do you stand by your tattoos?" If he can't answer – or if word reaches the other inmates that he's wearing a "false" tattoo – then he'll be given a piece of glass or a brick and be asked to remove it, or face the consequences. That could be a severe beating, rape or even death.
It's for this reason that tattoos became the most respected and feared thing in prison society. Far more than being simply personal, they carry a weight of meaning and are an indelible law in a society beyond conventional law.
For this reason, I think it is such an interesting sub-section of the culture - obviously seen as very negative and evil, however it shows how it still represents individuality, expression and story telling through imagery and script - although prison tats and delinquents are what have exaggerated tattoos negative mis-interpretation, they can and are now used as more positive representation of a person - ELICIT IN OUR RESPONSE.
Tattoo History - in terms of letterforms.
Tattoos are majoritively image based - scripture and letterforms have always been around but for the Monotype Brief we do need to focus on the type-side of tattoos and how they can be differently portrayed.
Tattoo Script Styles -
While the possibilities of tattoo lettering are endless, there are some styles that are more commonly used in tattooing than others.
Block Lettering
The first of these tattoo lettering styles is what we call “block lettering“. Block lettering is very common in tattoo art because of how basic it is. Unlike other tattoo script styles the letters are basic and boxy. Many people recognize it as a collegiate font, commonly used for college names on apparel. The key to block lettering for the tattoo artist is straight lines. The example at right has very thick lines which can help cover any unevenness at first, but ultimately has to be very straight. Block lettering is most commonly used for tattooing a single word as it isn’t well suited to tattooing phrases or sentences.
Script
The script style of tattoo lettering is designed to imitate polished handwriting in a cursive style. Tattoo script is often delicate and can be difficult to produce for an artists who isn’t especially experienced. Much like calligraphy, tattooing script takes a lot of practice and a fluidity that doesn’t always come natural. There are numerous variations of tattoo scripts as well. Some use only fine line, some create broader letters that are later shaded or filled in with colour. This style of tattoo lettering is most commonly used for names, mottoes, and other phrases.
Filigree Tattoo Script
A subset of the script style of tattoo fonts is a style called filigree. Filigree lettering has the same core design elements as your basic script lettering, but takes it to a completely different level with very elaborate calligraphy. Filigree tattoo lettering is common in Southern California tattoo art and has strong ties to hip-hop and rap culture which is driving an increased interest in the style.
A subset of the script style of tattoo fonts is a style called filigree. Filigree lettering has the same core design elements as your basic script lettering, but takes it to a completely different level with very elaborate calligraphy. Filigree tattoo lettering is common in Southern California tattoo art and has strong ties to hip-hop and rap culture which is driving an increased interest in the style.
Celtic Lettering
Celtic lettering is also a popular tattoo font. Generally used as a nod to the wearer’s heritage, Celtic lettering is a strong, bold type with unusual curves to the letters that give it a very ancient and perhaps even a mystical feel. It’s also commonly used as lettering in fantasy themed tattoos as well as tattoos referencing certain sports teams. It can be confused with viking lettering due to its extreme similarity.
Graffiti Style Lettering
A bit more dramatic and reflective of street cultures is the graffiti style of tattoo lettering. The graffiti style of tattoo lettering is as diverse as graffiti itself. Pulling its influence directly from street art, graffiti lettering tends to be brightly colored and the lettering itself can take on a wide range of shapes ranging from fluid and smooth to boxy and angular.
It’s not extremely popular across all of tattoo culture, but its very popular in certain subcultures and niches.
It’s not extremely popular across all of tattoo culture, but its very popular in certain subcultures and niches.
Classic Tattoo Lettering (Traditional Tattoo Font)
When it comes to the traditional style of tattooing, this is hands down the most common. When people talk about tattoo-style lettering or a tattoo font, this is most commonly the style to which they are referring.
Classic or traditional tattoo lettering is recognisable by its alternating thick and slim lines and its resemblance to print lettering. This style of lettering is tied to the origins of the traditional American tattoo style and has become an iconic font in tattoo art.
No comments:
Post a Comment