Customer Reviews

Tattoos (TASCHEN Icons Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book most definitely is good value for money.

The text is very short, but informative. It gives a quick overview of tattoo history and other related aspects. (If you want to delve further into said topic, check out Steve Gilbert's "Tattoo History Source Book".)

The photos are also very nice; there is a mixture of 20th century flash, indigenous peoples and their (tribal) tattoos, Japanese tattoos, etc.

However - if I were you, I would part with a few bucks more and buy "1000 Tattoos" instead. (Also by Henk Schiffmacher aka Hanky Panky.)

You wonder why? Well, it is very simple. Because all the photographs included here have already appeared in "1000 Tattoos", but the latter has a lot more of them! The only difference is the printing. The publication reviewed here has the black/white photographs printed in black/white, whereas in "1000 Tattoos" those are printed in a more photorealistic brownish/yellowish kind of black/white. (The only other difference I noticed was two photos being swapped on a double page...)

Rich in illustration, this book charts the development of tattooing throughout the ages and across the world - from tribal origins to Japanese breathtaking full-body art to fried eggs on someone's head. The pictures are breathtaking and definitely showcase the work of many terrific artists worldwide. This book would be a perfect gift for the tattoo collector or as a purchase for yourself as a small "coffee table book" and conversation starter.

I can't recommend this book enough. Full of history and ideas, it's sure to please those of us caught in the counter-cultural fringe. It's a high-quality book as well - attractive and sturdy. Definitely a good deal ...

Just another exciting Taschen product covering the offbeat and interesting. The ink and body art are colorful and I'm sure each tattoo has it own history/story. Tattoos are not for me, and the people involved are in the long haul for telling their life's experiences, who they were with, what they did, and even what they're planning for the future. Some of the art is magnificent and cleverly done...but I would always worry about the work fading out, the owner changing body sizes and shapes, and of course, what it would mean to others, some favorable but mostly negative, especially on the job or in a relationship. It appears it's not good to change lovers after your former date left a permanent mark.