The Practices Involved in Tattooing Qualify as Art - Research Proposal Example

TATTOOS AS PART OF THE ART CULTURE Student’s Name Course Tutor Institution Date of Submission Tattoos as Art Executive Summary The subject of tattoo as art has created debates to various accords with factions either supporting or opposing the projection to different dimensions. Ideally, tattoos subject is down to many factors and the fact that it is based on creativity that is used to meet the demands of human imagination has been the most significant reason for which some factions support that tattoo is art. Some factions that reason that the practice involves the use of ink and paint to create colorful images just as is done when preparing portraits also validate this projection. However, some factions dispute this projection and point to the occult history that compounds the practice. This research is based on a trajectory that seeks to determine the practice’s qualification as art. Chapter I Introduction An article published by the New York Times in 2013 outlined how the practice of tattooing had transitioned from cult to art. The author, Randal (2013, 1), highlighted how much the practice has been embraced in pop culture and has become far too common than would have been anticipated half a century ago. Ideally, his projections were right. Not only is the practice common, it has also become a cynosure of attention as scours travel to visit the individuals with the famous tattoos. The persons who undergo the procedures spite the pain to wear what they consider as ‘beauty’. This research is targeted at elaborating how tattoos have evolved and how, in the current world, they qualify as art. Problem Statement Notable, tattoo has been accepted by scours as body art and is still growing in popularity (Atkinson 2003, 23). There are authors who acknowledge that the fact that individuals tattoo their bodies is itself an indication of art as, in essence, they only seek to improve their appearances. However, there are factions that loath the practice and have, therefore, rejected the opinion that it is art. Arp (2012, 34), for instance, explained that art cannot be overdone and highlights man’s capacity to recognize beauty. He further noted that tattoo practices such as eyeball tattooing or the tattooing of entire bodies are practices that disqualify the practice as an art. This debate inspires the question, do tattoos qualify as art? Research Purpose This research is based on the trajectory through which it seeks to analyze and evaluate the factors that define tattoo as an art. It integrates the projections that have been made by artists, critics, and the individuals who have tattooed their bodies to prove that the practices involved in tattooing qualify as art. Significance of the Study Not many publications have been authored about tattoos and their influence in the pop culture and whether this practice qualifies as art (Atkinson 2003, 23). This practice has created a vacuum of information about the subject of study. This research seeks to fill that void of information. Besides, it is based on a trajectory that will highlight the facts and details that are involved in tattooing and why it qualifies as art. Research Questions What is art? Does the practice of tattooing meet this definition? What are the perceptions that have been conceived about tattooing as art? Do these perceptions meet the existent theoretical projections? If tattoo does not qualify as art, what are the reasons for which it is not art? What can be done to make it art? Research Hypothesis The way in which the practice of tattooing has been accepted in pop culture makes it art. Chapter II Literature Review Arp (2012, 39), defined art as the human activity involved in the creation of visual and audio products that are often targeted at satisfying man’s curiosity and imagination. According to him, one is considered an artist as long as they produce products that meet this definition. Jones (2015, 1) also explained that art can be done on anything that provides a working surface or provides a podium on which the creative activity can be recorded, played, or shown. Though his most significant illustrations were those of musicians, thespians, and painters, Jones’s illustration indicates that even the individuals who print tattoos qualify as artists as most tattoos are based on imagination and creativity. In his publication The Mammoth Book of Tattoo, Hardy (2012, 52) explained that tattoos are discredited as art majorly because they are either found as unattractive or scary. However, according to him, this is a projection that should be reversed as art must not particularly please every individual. Ideally, that is why even some lovers of music do not love every genre. Sanders and Vail (2008, 45) projection was supported by Randal (2013, 1) who even gave a more lucid illustration when he stated that tattoos are art because they involve creativity and imagination. Definition of Terms Art: Visual and audio creations that are based on imagination and sometimes curiosity. Tattoo: Paintings and drawings that are made on the human skin. Pop culture: The practices that have become common amongst the current generations. Chapter III: Methodology This research methodology was developed in line with the requirements that enhance the evaluation of the practice of tattoos and whether they qualify as art. In a sense, it seeks to determine whether tattoos meet the definition of art. The methodology is based on criteria that evaluate the different perceptions of individuals and comparing them to the theoretical projections in publications to effectively realize that objective. Population and Sampling The target population that was used for the research was that of the EF students who have tattooed their bodies or who have interacted with individuals with tattoos and have, therefore, taken different perceptive stances toward the practice. To get a balanced representation of the population, random sampling was used as a measure of avoiding bias. Instrumentation The instruments that were used to aid the collection of information from the participants are questionnaires that were developed to idealize the participants’ conceptions. Procedure and Timeframe The participants were contacted and met physically for the interviews. However, in the cases in which some were participants were not readily available, they were reached through social media, especially Google hangouts and Skype that have the video call feature. These interview sessions lasted for a week. Validity and Reliability To ensure that the information collected was valid, a research of the participants’ backgrounds was conducted on social media platforms to verify their interactions with tattooed individuals. The questions projected in the questionnaires were also made more precise and direct to avoid vague answers. Assumptions Ideally, tattoo has become a definitive part of pop culture. For instance, Jones (2015, 1) stated that almost every movie or songs have artists who have tattoos, a factor that has consequently created a scenario in which persons embrace it as art that may be adored by some factions and even loathed by others. This research is based on the assumption that tattoo, as has been clarified in the projection, is considered as an art. Research Scope and Limitations The research’s scope is limited to valuations that have been made in the new millennium. That implies that the participants are members of the millennial generation. Besides, even the publications that were used to support these projections are publications that date no earlier than 2000. Chapter IV: Results Only 8% of the total interviewees had tattoos. However, to the contrary, 98% of the interviewees believe that the practice is becoming a common trend. This figure quantifies to 49 of the total interviewees. These statistics are presented in the graphs below: Statistics: Tattooed Participants v Non-tattooed Individuals who Consider Tattoo as a Trend On the other hand, 4% of the total population believed that the common practice is propagated by trend while 14% believed that it was purely based on fashion. Moreover, 30% of the participants believed that it was based on the combination of fashion and trend while another 12% believed that it is propagated by the combination of fashion and celebrity. However, the remaining 40% believe that it is propagated by the combination of fashion, trend, and celebrity. The graph below is a projection of these statistics: Views on the Influences of Tattoo Ideally, only 12% of the total interviewee population refuted the notion that tattoos qualify as art. This figure is way below the 88% that acknowledged that tattoos qualify as art. Of the persons who considered tattoo as art, only two persons had no reasons to validate their projections while a majority of the participants compared tattoo to paintings and cultural valuations. According to the, tattoo not only depicts one’s personality, but also illustrates the love for art as it exists in a society. The graph below is a projection of the populations’ valuations of tattoos as art: Chapter V: Conclusions and Recommendations Summary and Discussion Though there are conflicting ideas about the validation of tattoos as art, a majority of critics, as is projected in the research’s findings, acknowledge that it qualifies as part of art. Most of the critics consider that the practice qualifies as art because it involves the use of paints to create visualized imaginations and to make the human body more appealing (Atkinson 2003, 23). Ideally, this is a projection that meets the definition that was fronted by Sanders and Vail (2008, 49) when he explained that art should satisfy the human quest for imagination. Ideally, even the factors to which the practice’s popularity is credited like fashion and trend, which are the definitive features of the pop culture, are factors that are based on art. According to Arp (2012, 34), fashion and trend are exemplifications of art and, in a sense, seek to satisfy the void that man terms as beautiful and acceptable. Ideally, this research proves that tattoos are a part of the culture. Recommendations Though the study is a representation of the common beliefs and debates about tattoos and their conception as art, the research scope was limited. Ideally, further research should be conducted with a wider spectrum of participants. For instance, the social media can be used to get participants on a global scale. Though this widened scope would demand for more funds, it would present a more accurate analysis of the conceptions about tattoos and the debates on their qualification as art. Appendix Sample Questionnaire Name: ………………………………………………………………… Gender: ………………… 1. Are you over 18? 2. Do you have any tattoo? 3. Have you ever regretted on it? 4. Do you think tattoo is popular now? 5. What makes tattoos famous? 6. Which tattoo style do you prefer? 7. Do you think tattoo is part of the art culture? 8. Why do you think it is art? 9. Do you know any history of tattoos? 10. Which part of tattoo history do you know? 11. What do you think of persons who have tattooed their whole bodies? 12. What do you think of persons who have tattooed their whole arms? 13. What do you think of persons who have tattooed their whole legs? 14. What do you think of persons who have tattooed their faces? 15. Do you agree that tattoos can represent one’s personality? 16. Do you agree that tattoos can represent one’s society and politics? 17. What do you think of tattoos on the general? References List ARP, R. (2012). Tattoos - Philosophy for Everyone I Ink, Therefore I Am. New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons. ATKINSON, M. (2003). Tattooed: the sociogenesis of a body art. Toronto, University of Toronto Press. HARDY, L. (2012). The Mammoth Book of Tattoo. New York, Constable & Robinson. JONES, J. (2015). Ink-credible: do tattoos count as art? The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2015/feb/18/do-tattoos-count-as-art RANDAL, E. (2013). Tattooing Makes Transition from Cult to Fine Art. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/10/arts/artsspecial/Tracing-the-transformation-of-tattoos-.html SANDERS, C., & VAIL, D. A. (2008). Customizing the body the art and culture of tattooing. Philadelphia, Temple University Press. Read More

Research Questions What is art? Does the practice of tattooing meet this definition? What are the perceptions that have been conceived about tattooing as art? Do these perceptions meet the existent theoretical projections? If tattoo does not qualify as art, what are the reasons for which it is not art? What can be done to make it art? Research Hypothesis The way in which the practice of tattooing has been accepted in pop culture makes it art. Chapter II Literature Review Arp (2012, 39), defined art as the human activity involved in the creation of visual and audio products that are often targeted at satisfying man’s curiosity and imagination.

According to him, one is considered an artist as long as they produce products that meet this definition. Jones (2015, 1) also explained that art can be done on anything that provides a working surface or provides a podium on which the creative activity can be recorded, played, or shown. Though his most significant illustrations were those of musicians, thespians, and painters, Jones’s illustration indicates that even the individuals who print tattoos qualify as artists as most tattoos are based on imagination and creativity.

In his publication The Mammoth Book of Tattoo, Hardy (2012, 52) explained that tattoos are discredited as art majorly because they are either found as unattractive or scary. However, according to him, this is a projection that should be reversed as art must not particularly please every individual. Ideally, that is why even some lovers of music do not love every genre. Sanders and Vail (2008, 45) projection was supported by Randal (2013, 1) who even gave a more lucid illustration when he stated that tattoos are art because they involve creativity and imagination.

Definition of Terms Art: Visual and audio creations that are based on imagination and sometimes curiosity. Tattoo: Paintings and drawings that are made on the human skin. Pop culture: The practices that have become common amongst the current generations. Chapter III: Methodology This research methodology was developed in line with the requirements that enhance the evaluation of the practice of tattoos and whether they qualify as art. In a sense, it seeks to determine whether tattoos meet the definition of art.

The methodology is based on criteria that evaluate the different perceptions of individuals and comparing them to the theoretical projections in publications to effectively realize that objective. Population and Sampling The target population that was used for the research was that of the EF students who have tattooed their bodies or who have interacted with individuals with tattoos and have, therefore, taken different perceptive stances toward the practice. To get a balanced representation of the population, random sampling was used as a measure of avoiding bias.

Instrumentation The instruments that were used to aid the collection of information from the participants are questionnaires that were developed to idealize the participants’ conceptions. Procedure and Timeframe The participants were contacted and met physically for the interviews. However, in the cases in which some were participants were not readily available, they were reached through social media, especially Google hangouts and Skype that have the video call feature. These interview sessions lasted for a week.

Validity and Reliability To ensure that the information collected was valid, a research of the participants’ backgrounds was conducted on social media platforms to verify their interactions with tattooed individuals. The questions projected in the questionnaires were also made more precise and direct to avoid vague answers. Assumptions Ideally, tattoo has become a definitive part of pop culture. For instance, Jones (2015, 1) stated that almost every movie or songs have artists who have tattoos, a factor that has consequently created a scenario in which persons embrace it as art that may be adored by some factions and even loathed by others.

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