Mastrogiacomo Editore, Padova, 1980 | Softcover, 96pp | 210 x 205 mm | First Edition
A thoroughly illustrated historical survey of tattooing as an art form, curated by Italian artist Plinio Martelli. Unlike the reactionary anthropological or criminological studies that often framed tattoos in terms of deviance, this volume positions tattooing within a visual and cultural history of art. Richly photographed, it presents tattooed bodies as living canvases, celebrating iconography, symbolism and the aesthetics of skin as a medium.
One of the earliest Italian publications to take tattoo art seriously, Il Tatuaggio Come Arte bridges documentation and advocacy, offering both a visual archive and a cultural reappraisal. A rare and collectable reference for historians, tattoo practitioners and artists interested in the aesthetics and anthropology of tattooing.
Parallel Italian / English text.
Acceptable condition: Textblock separated from the wrappers, but complete and with no loose pages. Small piece of title page has been cut off.
