Coin jar of history of this art accounts for about 6 thousand years. Notably, this currently popular trade owes its emergence to happenstance... A prehistoric man once noticed that after any natural colorant had gotten into a place of a burn or a cut, very lasting drawings stayed on skin.
From that moment on people began inflicting slight damage to themselves in order to decorate own bodies with ornamentation and stand out among others. Researchers discovered the oldest samples of tattoos during excavations of sacred Egyptian pyramids. Nowadays tattoos come laden with less and less meaning being merely a trendy feature. One can frequently hear a phrase: “Want to get a tattoo but can figure out where and what kind”. But approach to such an important deed hasn’t always been so light-hearted…
Starting with times of prehistoric people drawings depicted mindset of a person. While uniting into tribes everybody tried to demonstrate belonging to a certain social group. And tattoo performed this function perfectly. Besides, certain patterns were invested with magic virtues and served as disguise during hunting. The art didn’t lose its popularity in times of totemism when tribes believed in magic powers of a certain spirit-ancestor that protected them during their entire lives. Its picture or name was inked on bodies: thus a guardian was always being near a person. Some peoples even used tattoos as some sort of method of secret correspondence: for that a necessary message was inked on a shaved head of a captive or a slave and later, when his hair would grow back to securely hide text of a letter, he was send to a destination point.Photo images.says.com
Not just images and its placement but also colors were of huge significance. For instance in Dayak tribes from Borneo they were sure that in heaven everything light becomes dark and vice versa. With this in mind it was customary to make tattoos in dark colors and shades exclusively. It was believed that after death they would turn light to shed it on the road to paradise. On-body pictures were used as punishment, too: in ancient China they marked military prisoners and slaves using tatted images on faces to make it much harder for them to escape and much easier to be identified. Tattoos were used for the same purpose by ancient Greeks and Romans.Photo oupcanadadocument.com
Geographical spread of this art strikes imagination: almost every white-skinned people have covered their bodies with tattoos while dark-skinned ones replaced it with scarification. The culture reached the summit of its heyday in Japan. Tattoos enjoyed crazy popularity there among geishas who managed to bypass nudity ban with the use of them. Multicolored patterns on skin seemed like imitation of clothes. Only face, palms and feet remained non-tattooed. More to that, those were Japanese experts who first started to draw 3-D images: instead of flat shapes they began inking exceptionally realistic pictures. The art also enjoyed great popularity in the Land of the Rising Sun among members of Yakuza mafia and other criminals. In Africa tattoos were popular among representatives of both sterner and gentler sex. In numerous tribes they made cuts in skin to rub it with resin. It was customary for women to wear tattoos that pointed to their social and marital status. Male on-body pictures normally characterized their holders as brave warriors and skilled hunter.Photo tattoomagz.com
Culture of painting bodies was brought to Europe by James Cook in 18th century. Or more precisely he brought a Polynesian fully covered in pictures. But it was since than when tattoos started gaining popularity in this part of the world. Another version exists saying that tattoos came to Europe from Australian Samoa Island, where they are till present days believed to be an attribute of high social rank of a person.Photo slavastarkov.com
Extremely important moment in the history of tattoo is 1891 when an American Samuel O’Reilly invented electric inking device to replace previously used self-made tools and instruments. Entire Europe and America were flashing standard selection of pictures on their bodies before, but in 1950s-1960s new era in the art began. With consideration of global traditions (Polynesia, Far East, American Indians), new body painting experts began experimenting boldly. New schools, styles, methods and currents emerged. Tattoo application techniques broadened their abilities significantly. Idols of youngsters of those times began coming to salons with increasing frequency so fans followed their lead. The industry got mighty momentum. Starting with 1976, when the first festival of adherers of this culture (tattoo convention) took place in New York, such events have been held in many cities of both the Old and the New World several times a year. They determine and award winners in various nominations turning each fest of this kind into a bright artistic event.
In a local history museum in every country you visit, you will certainly notice similar archaeological finds - fragments of clay products. Pottery, born millennia ago, but “living” even today, can rightfully be considered one of the most tenacious one. The uniqueness of clay was noticed by our distant ancestors who lived in caves ...
When I, as a little girl, for the first time passed my hand over trimmed bush, my palm got scratched with sharp edges of twigs and lasting arborvitae fragrance hit my nose. Mesmerized, I was not able to take my eyes away from the cones, balls and squares that surrounded me in the park of a small resort town. I felt like being inside a fairy tale, where behind the leaves I could notice a smile of the Cheshire Cat.
Dazzling flashes of ancient knowledge manifested in colourful shimmering beads and in elaborated yarn mosaics by Huichol Indians, captivate the imagination calling for an endless journey through branches of the world tree. Spiritual images take on flesh in intricate ornaments that accompany a Mexican peasant throughout his life.
Bali is one of the most popular places to spend winter. Ocean, volcanoes, amazing nature and exotic fruits... But there is also one more reason that not many people know of, yet it definitely deserves attention: Kamasan, a unique art village where namesake Balinese picture art was conceived – as ancient as the island itself. We are going to tell about it today on the pages of the OUTLOOK.
Exclusive glass vases and Christmas tree decorations that only exist in one or two samples, aside from high price, most often also have in common unique production technology that is mastered by representatives of a rare profession – glass-blower. The history of the craft has lasted for a couple of millennia with some old secrets of handmade production still kept under seal.
In those days when the Persian soldiers were second to none, and both the Roman Empire and the Arabian Peninsula were conquered by their power, skilful fingers of winner nation craftswomen created their first masterpiece. The carpet called The Springtime passed into history as the most precious of all time. It symbolized powerful rule of the Persians, and its beauty told about the divine origin of the king Khosrow I.
Behind the window sad eyes of old man peered at Petrograd engulfed by revolutionary fire. This fire spread on his life's work: a proud four-story building was invaded by noisy commissioners and sailors, whose presence seemed a cruel joke after regular customers. Workshop owner Carl Gustavovich Fabergé, apparently, noticed in this chaos approaching decay of his career. However, he could have a secret gleam of hope for another life of his heritage.
Many places, famous around the globe today, were created by a bunch of enthusiasts without money or outside help. These people lived for their ideas and were doing everything to turn them into reality. Official date of street art appearance is believed to be year 1942, fervor of World War II.
A borderline between the shadow and the light is just as contrasting as the one between the dream and the reality. Therefore artists use both things in pursuit of balance on a painting. Landscapes, portraits and still-life… nothing ever goes without the clash of the opposites. However there are particularly crafty artisans who do not need light at all.
Traditional Japanese kabuki theatre has always been a mystery to the European mentality: only an expert on the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun can understand a play without guide’s tips. The word kabuki is sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing". Why not an operetta? The essence of performance is not confined to musical presentation only...
Independent artist originally from the Philippines, Patrick Cabral conquers the world with his unusual artwork. His creations are an innovation that combines the age-old traditions of calligraphy and cutting-edge 3D technologies. His art is a way to change the world for the better, both through aesthetics and through the fulfillment of a social mission.
- Do you want to try some rice? - such a question is greeted by guests in China. And if the owners are also farmers, they can invite you on an unusual excursion and show you the masterpiece of natural art. The grass which we often eat without thinking about its aesthetics, at the time of growing resembles a blanket woven from multi-colored rags ...
Flowers and trees, animals and birds, dragons and fairytale characters – to put it short, anything that may come to your head can turn into an object of edible art there. Amazing technique of painting with hot sugar is possessed by craftsmen from Sichuan province. Paintings performed in almost caramel can be neither “edited”, nor painted over.
Twelve-string guitar, the twilight of Portuguese nights, candles, and soul-gripping voice… Dramatic incentives of fado song tell about unrequited love. It cannot appear in the crossroads of destinies; however, it enables feelings to embody into the touching sounds of Portuguese romances.
More than fifteen hundred years ago Romans were awe struck when they caught the very first sight of the Sistine Chapel. After that masters of painting were born and dead as well as whole pictural art styles. And contemporaries of you and me gape on the distinguished temple.
And since winged horses of Valkyries darted away to Valhalla forever, Dalecarlian horse has remained the guardian of Vikings’ traditions – painted folk toy, first mentioned in chronicles of 17th century. Dalecarlian horse serves as an amulet of non-touristic Sweden by saving from oblivion ancient fables and beliefs.
Especially for those who believe theater and opera music to be vestige of the past, we tell about an amazing Austrian theater where traditional art meets technical and engineering novelties and also a great view of the Alps.
Modern cities cannot be imagined without murals – large-scale in size works of picture art that decorate buildings. Not only we have gathered most outstanding works in our collection but also tried to learn as many interesting things as possible about this art movement.
The Japanese are one of those peoples who zealously respect the ancient traditions. They respect old age, being interested in ancestors and often know the family ancestry by heart. With such a worldview, it is not surprising that a unique technique for the restoration of kintsugi appeared exactly there. Read about it in OUTLOOK.
What most people know about flamenco, is that this dance is manifestation of neither love and affection, nor entertainment and revelry fun. Fiery expressive flamenco is reflection of suffering and pain of an individual within nation, always persecuted and deprived of home. The dance itself, which has become a global symbol of Spain, is not only its national heritage...
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