Cultural History
Mandala Tattoo
Thomas Hooper: Tattooist, American
Post-modernism c1975 - Present
Tattoo
Recent years has seen the art of tattoo become more popular and accepted than ever, also seen as a respected art form.
"In the twenty-first century, getting a tattoo is a popular
choice for both the old and young. A recent study estimates one in seven or
over 39 million people in the U.S. and Canada have at least one tattoo."
Mandala
The mandala has been appropriated in different ways for modern use.
Dreamcatcher
Similar
patterning to the mandala. This object became popularized in the 1960's
and 70's. It became a symbol of identification symbol amongst native
Americans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamcatcher
Skinhead
"A movement started in Britain in the 60s when the mod scene met the
hippy scene. The mod scene split, and the "hard mods", the ones who
hated hippies, got harder. With a little influence from Jamacian
rudeboys, the skinhead was born out of the hard mod. Most of the music
was held over from the mod days, but there were ska and reggae imported
from the rude boys."
Modernism c 1875 - 1975
Tattoo
Now
seen on everyone from junkies to businessmen, in the late 19th century,
to early 20th century, the connotations were that you were in the
military, or later on, a criminal.
"It’s no longer taboo, or out of the ordinary to see people flaunting
their tattoos around Long Island. However, years ago “getting inked” was
considered to be reserved for the uneducated or lower class. American
socialite Ward McAllister said about tattoos in the 1890s, “It is
certainly the most vulgar and barbarous habit the eccentric mind of
fashion ever invented. It may do for an illiterate seaman, but hardly
for an aristocrat.”"
Modern era c 1500 - onwards
The flower
Flowers often represent many different things, this is what I chose to take from it:
"Flowers
within art are also representative of the female genitalia, as seen in
the works of artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Imogen Cunningham,
Veronica Ruiz de Velasco, and Judy Chicago,
and in fact in Asian and western classical art. Many cultures around
the world have a marked tendency to associate flowers with femininity."
"1600: Unlawful intercourse by Indian priests is
punished by tattooing. Doesn’t sound so bad? Try having a big vagina
branded on your forehead for life."
http://www.neatorama.com/2008/02/21/tattoo-timeline/
Pattern: Lace
"Lace was used by clergy of the early Catholic Church as part of
vestments in religious ceremonies, but did not come into widespread use
until the 16th century."http://www.lacemakerslace.oddquine.co.uk/history.html
Aztec Calendar Stone
"The Aztec calendar stone, Mexica sun stone, Stone of the Sun (Spanish: Piedra del Sol), or Stone of the Five Eras, is a large monolithic sculpture that was excavated in the Zócalo, Mexico City's main square, on December 17, 1790. It was discovered whilst Mexico City Cathedral was being repaired. The stone is around 12 feet across and weighs about 24 tons."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_calendar_stone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_calendar_stone
Medieval History c 500 - 1500
Tattoo
The use of the tattoo
as a symbol of most religions is hugely popular in the 21st century.
Thomas Hooper's Mandala is a perfect example of this.
"During the Crusades of the 11th and 12th centuries,
warriors identified themselves with the mark of the Jerusalem cross so that
they could be given a proper Christian burial if they died in battle. After the
Crusades, tattooing largely disappeared in the West for a time, but continued
to flourish in other places"
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0412/online_extra.html
http://www.math.temple.edu/~reich/Fib/fibo.html
Fibonacci
"The Fibonacci sequence exhibits a certain numerical pattern which originated as the answer to an exercise in the first ever high school algebra text. This pattern turned out to have an interest and importance far beyond what its creator imagined. It can be used to model or describe an amazing variety of phenomena, in mathematics and science, art and nature. The mathematical ideas the Fibonacci sequence leads to, such as the golden ratio, spirals and self- similar curves, have long been appreciated for their charm and beauty, but no one can really explain why they are echoed so clearly in the world of art and nature."http://www.math.temple.edu/~reich/Fib/fibo.html
Stained Glass in Churches
"Evidence
of stained glass windows in churches and monasteries in Britain
can be found as early as the 7th century. The earliest known reference
dates from 675 AD when Benedict Biscop imported workmen from France to
glaze the windows of the monastery of St Peter which he was building at
Monkwearmouth. Hundreds of pieces of coloured glass and lead, dating
back to the late 7th century, have been discovered here and at Jarrow."
Ancient History c 3350BCE - 500
The Mandala
"The Sanskrit meaning of mandala is circle. The circle is a
symbol of perfection, eternity, unity and completeness. Given these
meanings, it's no wonder mandalas are such important symbols in all
cultures.
Mandalas are incredibly versatile and can personify any number of
meanings for the viewer. The meaning each mandala holds is limited
only by the creator and the observer."
"The traditional and familiar form of the
structured or geometric Mandala, as we know it today, also originated in
India. It is most often associated with Buddhism since creating
Mandalas for enlightenment was taught by Siddhartha Gautama, known as
the Buddha, in the 6th century B.C. However, in India the histories of
Buddhism and Hinduism are closely linked, and the Mandala is part of
Hindu spiritual practice, as well"
"The mandala as art form
continues today as well. The kaleidoscope is one of the simplest ways to
experience mandala art. Some artists use recycled records and compact
discs to form the basis of their mandalas, while others use clay, canvas,
dinner plates or even fabric. Fractal designs, with their self-replication
and basis in geometry, are sometimes used to create mandala art as well."
Buddhist monks
Hair of the head. The hair of the
head should not be worn long. It should be shaved at least every two
months or when the hair has grown to a length of two fingerbreadths
Prehistory
Tattoo
"3300 BCE: Ötzi the Iceman dies in the Austrian Alps,
where his frozen body is discovered by hikers in 1991 CE, making him the
world’s oldest mummy. His 57 tattoos – straight lines and small
crosses, mostly – are believed to be therapeutic, possibly used to treat
osteoarthritis."
Ceramics
"Ceramics is one of the most ancient industries on the planet. Once humans discovered that clay could be dug up and formed into objects by first mixing with water and then firing, the industry was born. As early as 24,000 BC, animal and human figurines were made from clay and other materials, then fired in kilns partially dug into the ground"http://ceramics.org/learn-about-ceramics/history-of-ceramics
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