Customizing the Body: The Art and Culture of Tattooing

Originally published in 1989, this ground-breaking ethnographic exploration of tattooing–and the art world surrounding it–covers the history, anthropology, and sociology of body modification practices; the occupational experience of the tattooist; the process and social consequences of becoming a tattooed person; and the prospects of serious tattooing becoming an accepted art form. Curiously, despite the greater prevalence of tattoos and body modification in today’s society, there is still a stigma of deviance associated with people who get or ink tattoos. Retaining the core of the original book, this revised and expanded edition offers a new preface by the author and a new chapter focusing on the changes that have occurred in the tattoo world. A section on the new scholarly literature that has emerged, as well as the new modes of body modification that have come into vogue, are included along with a new gallery of photographs that show some splendid examples of contemporary tattoo art. A directory of artists’ websites invites readers to discover the range of work being done around the world from suits (full body tattoos) to skulls.