Body art has been around for a while. In fact, from the Ice Age. The oldest human tattoos found were done sometime between 3,370 BC and 3,100 BC. Otzi the Iceman, whose mummy was discovered on September 19, 1991 by two German tourists in the Ötztal Alps on the Austrian-Italian border, bore 61 tattoos in different places, but mostly on his legs. Forty-nine tattooed bodies have been discovered from various sites around the world so far.
Forensics found Otzi had bled to death, but it is unlikely the tattoo instrument was responsible. Thousands of years later, it is still impossible to go to any beach, university or public spaces without spotting a tattooed shoulder, arm or even face. India’s tribal communities marked their skins using the gudna method (read burying the needle in Hindi), showing off the designs as personal jewellery that cannot be stolen.
In South India, pachakutharathu experts from the Korathi tribe explored the countryside, especially in Tamil Nadu, looking for people who want to embroider their skin with ink. Tattoos are enough to make feminists angry as well: both the Dhanuks of Bihar and the Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh imprint their women in order to make them unattractive to abductors and strange men.
The Ramnamis of Chhattisgarh use ‘Ram Ram’ tattoos to fight caste prejudice. Tattoos are also serious skin art, and as dominated by trends like any other fashion. Styles are sacrosanct in definition but individual in taste, often combining two styles; for example, geometric and animal tattoo with minimalistic shades.
Minimalistic: Clean lines with few twists, this style eschews colours and large size. Small geometric figures, dots, lines and flowers in pure black are the most popular style around—anyone can get one without being considered a punk or rebel. Using black and grey ink, the artist fills in the shades giving the tattoo depth though different styles like realism, dotwork, linework are used.
Geometric: Body design heavy with symbolism and geometric patterns reflect the modern age: the desire to find harmony and balance amidst chaos. Its bespoke nature gives off a strict sense of individuality. The Mandala designs are spiritual tattoos with Buddhist-Indian significance.
Illustrative: Lines are the structure and antique is the word with etchings, woodblocks or simple sketches that resemble an ink drawing.Watercolour: Abstract art on skin sums up this style. Clients treat them like a piece of impressionist or surreal art since they do not have any specific shapes, just dermatologic splashes of colours.
New school: The trend encapsulates the spirit of the ideal tattoo: colourful, bold, crazily symbolic and anti-traditional. They represent rebellion and counter-culture: fantastic creatures, Marvel comic heroes, zombies and vampires and zany symbols that are esoteric and eye-catching form the language of the skin.
Neo-traditional: Old School tattooing style is reinvented and reinterpreted with brighter colours and heavy details. The usual symbols are anchors, compasses, ships, mermaids, roses and hearts plus tigers, sugar skulls and more.
Full sleeve: Large tattoos covering the entire arm is the dress code for skin, boasting intricate work: a tiger on a shoulder, a geometric lattice design with roses, snakes twisted around swords and other zany stuff.
Japanese: This unmistakable and globally popular style duplicates the effect of ancient inks and is inspired by folklore, dragons and Koi fish. Each tattoo is different.
Dotwork: These are intricate and complicated images that are made with only dots. It requires enormous patience on the part of both the artist and the client.
Animal: Wearers who want to bring out the beast in them choose an animal that they believe represents them: peacock for beauty, cat stands for mystery and femininity, lion for leadership and strength.