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In the New York Historical Society exhibition,
Tattooed New York, the deep roots of body art
and tattoo culture in New York have been traced
back three centuries. The Native American
Haudenosaunee nation (Iroquois), from what is
now known as the state of New York, were among
the first documented communities with a well
established practice of the art form. The exhibition
opens with Colonial era anthropological texts,
handwritten notes, and drawings dating back to
the 1700s. European settlers created the documents
in an attempt to describe and visualize the healing
powers, spiritual meaning, life event, and identity
marking characteristics of the practice.
The pure artistry of the art form in the 21st
century is captured in six large-scale Vibrachrome
photographs printed by Duggal Visual Solutions.
Hardy Rosenstein of Duggal worked closely with
Marcela Gonzalez of the New York Historical
Society to produce the stunning, frameless
images which present bodies as canvases against
black backdrops. The backs of human figures
photographed from the knees, hips, or waist up,
reveal full back tattoos that in some cases extend
into full sleeve tattoos, down to mid-thigh, or
gracefully crest over the lower back.
The timeless magic of body art and tattoos, presented
in Tattooed New York, is quite astonishing, and
appears to be a truly global art form that continues
to grow, evolve and never lose its charm.
NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY
NEW YORK
TATTOOED