History In Ink

It’s no surprise that tattoos have become a mainstay in western culture. With a proliferation of studios, styles and canvases alike, one can be hard-pressed to find what’s special about this historic art form.

Technology has allowed tattoo artists to take on a whole new dimension of art work: hyper realism, micro tattoos and others may not have been possible before - but artists are now exploring a new realm of possibilities. To truly understand the impact of tattoo culture, a number of artists are going back to tattooing in a traditional style - using the inks, methods and applications that originated this historic art form.

Follow along as we document artist Curtis Rushton, as he builds a traditional body suit in the Japanese style of tattooing.