Old School vs. New School

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the wondrous Tattoo Prodigies by Mike DeVries. A great compilation of some of the absolute cream of the tattoo crop. Page after jaw dropping page of artists who are expanding the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of tattooing. If you have any interest in tattooing at all, you owe it to yourself to get this book.

But after seeing the breath talking work highlighted here, it reinforces my dismay at how many tattooists are still mining the festering shit pile known as “old school.” I can’t for the life of me fathom how anyone can think rehashing the efforts of drunken carnies that couldn’t draw is worthwhile. I’m stunned, absolutely stunned that anyone after seeing the potential of what is possible would be willing to settle for work that is nothing more than a retread of hackneyed crap.

Here’s an eagle done by Tim Harris. 

And here is an eagle done by I don’t know and don’t really care who.

A tiger done by Mike DeVries.

And here is a tiger done by I don’t know and don’t care who.

Really? People are seriously choosing work that looks that crummy over work that looks that amazing?

I almost think there is a cabal of crusty old dinosaurs who have managed to bamboozle all sorts of people into buying into their charade. Who are terrified of the talented new kids who can actually draw and have vision and determination. Who are desperately trying to cling to their shrinking slice of the pie in the face of an onslaught of talent. Who can only do the fading flash on the wall, and need to try and stay relevant so they convince all the punk kids that this is the thing they should slather all over themselves. Or maybe it’s the new kids who are keen to be in on the “mystique” and the cool guy cachet of being a tattoo artist, but who lack the prerequisites of skill and talent and artistic ability, so they just copy this tired old junk.

I’ve heard the tepid arguments that the new school stuff will turn into an indistinguishable blob. That the old school stuff with the thick lines and the limited colour palette will hold up better over time. But I’ve been around modern tattoos that are now twenty five years old and they’re holding up beautifully.

I know that I may not be the best at the artistic pursuits I engage in. But I do know that I strive to constantly improve and learn new techniques and ask questions and practice and work hard. I don’t understand how any one could find satisfaction in the constant rehashing of the stuff that has been done before. And that wasn’t very good to begin with. To my mind being an artist is all about evolving and learning and striving to be better than you were yesterday. That’s to my mind the fun of it.