Good Morning Speak Easy Readers!
Today is the first day of Coachella which means for those of us who stayed back in Los Angeles, lighter traffic! Let’s enjoy it while we can.
Before we get into today’s topic I want you to imagine this… Imagine you have just decided that you are becoming a vegetarian. You walk into the grocery store and decide you are going to try plant-based meat for the first time and you’re even going to be cooking it! As you are looking in the plant-based meat section, you notice how surprisingly this subsitute looks so real. So out of curiosity you turn the product to look at the ingredients, but what’s this?? It's blank. How can that be? Shouldn’t you know what you are about to put into your body?
And with that thought, I now introduce you to today’s topic. EU’s recent ban on tattoo inks, more specifically inks that include Blue 15:3 and Green 7.
On January 4th, 2022 the European Union which includes 27 countries in Europe banned two commonly-used green and blue pigments. Any tattoo ink that includes the pigments Blue 15:3 and Green 7 are not allowed to be used.
“It does not only affect all your green tones, or all your blue tones. It’s also going to affect purples, some browns, a lot of mixed tones, the muted tones, your skin tones, all this stuff. You’re talking about 65-70% of the palette that a tattoo artist uses.” says Mario Barth, the owner and founder of Intenze Tattoo Ink.
According to the EU’s REACH, the use of these pigments can cause “cancer or genetic mutations”. Others feel this isn’t right, fair, or completely true. Dr. Ines Schreiver and her team who studies tattoo ink at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment examined the two pigments and said they appeared to have “a comparatively low level of toxicity” but that it wasn’t possible to provide a reliable health risk assessment because of a lack of data. For years, many countries in Europe have limited certain chemicals in tattoo inks that are thought to cause cancer, damage DNA, or trigger allergic reactions. Yet in the United States, tattoo ink is almost completely unregulated and there’s little known about what’s in the tattoo ink. As of 2022 statistics said 46% of the US population have at least one tattoo. So for a lot of us this news may cause some concern.
Going back to the Eu’s new ban, REACH emphasized “the aim is not to ban tattoos, but to make the colors used in tattoos and permanent make-up safer.” REACH regulations require proof that a pigment is safe rather than depending on a lack of proof of it being dangerous. What’s unfortunate though is that there isn’t that kind of data yet for these two pigments. On top of that there aren’t really any good substitutes for these two pigments, and many tattoo artists are worried about finding replacements for them. Without these pigments, palettes will become muted and colors will be limited.
Until someone can provide data proving that Blue 15:3 and Green 7 are safe these regulations will remain for the EU. Artists worry that because the alternatives to these pigments aren’t safe that some will start using even less regulated ingredients as a substitute. Pigment manufacturers create pigments for multiple uses so therefore they don’t do tattoo specific safety trials, instead ink makers have had to choose pigments based on their own trials and errors. Despite the tattoo industry asking for safety studies, there isn’t the cash in place to pressure these big companies to make new pigments or study the ones they have.
For the time being I am relieved that there isn’t information that actually says these pigments will cause you harm, but on the other hand I do believe our industry deserves proper safety trials. Just like anything else that is going into your body, you want to know what it is and have proper information about it. The one bright side that I see to this ban, is hopefully this will push for these studies to finally happen. As we know, the art form of tattooing goes back thousands of years. And one thing has always been true and still remains true today, tattoos are mysterious. From the methods, the rituals, the inks and more there are many questions about tattooing throughout time. For the industry today, the question for some of us is, will I ever be able to do a vibrantly colorful tattoo again?
Until next time my fellow apes,
Peter Hernandez
Aloha Speakeasy readers, today marks the first day the city has had a normal day. the last couple of weeks to a month to a year have plagued us with an uncommon weather cycle. today truly feels like the beginning of a brand new chapter for us here in los angeles. that aside, this week we truly have a topic dear to my heart.
The origin stories of tattooing vary widely depending on what part of the world you are looking at. This week I dove into the history of tattooing in hawaii.
While Hawaii is a U.S. territory today, it didn’t start off that way and while it was still an independent nation, we can thank Hawaii for introducing tattoos to the United States.
Let’s begin by going back 3,000 years ago. At that time, people of South-East Asia went on a voyage to settle in distant islands around Oceania. The outcome of this epic journey resulted in a very widespread Polynesian culture that encompasses many different sub-cultural groups which include Marquesand, Samonas, Niueans,
Tongans, Cook Islanders, Tahitians, Maori, and of course Hawaiians. Due to the shared ancestral history, the Polynesian people shared similar language and cultural traits across all of the island groups and that includes the art form of tattooing.
For centuries, tattooing was an important part of tribal life for Polynesians and this carried on to the people who settled in Hawaii. It is unknown exactly when the tradition began for the Polynesian culture, but it is believed that the tradition is at least 2000 years old. Polynesian people used tattoos to express their identity and personalities. In Hawaii, the tattoo artists of Hawaiian tribes were carefully trained and held a high importance within their communities. If a tribe had a good tattoo artist, it was a symbol of high wealth and status. For the Hawaiian people, tattoos served many different purposes. In some cases a tattoo represe
nted a high social rank and was only reserved for leaders or warriors with high accomplishments. In other instances, tattoos were like tribal patches that marked rites of passage and even believed to have protective spiritual elements against evil spirits and other forces of nature. The meanings behind tattoos varied greatly between island groups and each group eventually evolved into its own unique variations of designs.
Traditional Hawaiian tattoos are called "kākau or kākau uhi.
Kākau refers to the act of tattooing, while kākau uhi refers to the method of using combs made of natural materials to tap the ink into the skin.
The tattoos are typically bold black ink and geometric in design. In the beginning, tattoo traditions in Hawaii were similar to the full-body Marquesan tattoos, but after they developed their own unique style, the characteristics of a Hawaiian tattoo became asymmetry across both sides of the body. A lot of times the right side of the body would have solid black designs that gave spiritual protection to its wearer. This practice was called Kakay I ka uhi.
What makes Hawaiian tattoo designs different from other parts of the world, including their Pacific island neighbors, is that their tattoos are bolder, larger, and are unique in the way they shape and layer tribal patterns into one larger piece.
For Hawaiians, tattoos were not simply decorative, but instead they told stories, and represented family lineage, spirituality, and personal achievements. The purpose of these tattoos were not about being aesthetically pleasing, but instead to tell the individual's life story or to protect their spiritual well being. They were also used for warriors to look more intimidating in battle. The placements of the tattoo were also important and carried meaning that usually reflected the person’s identity and connection to their community and ancestors. Some people were covered head to toe in these tattoos; ancient lithographs show Hawaiian women with tattoos mainly on their hands, feet, fingers, and calves and both women and men had facial tattooing that was typically found on the brow ridge, cheeks, and chin. No matter the placement and size, each tattoo could unveil the history of that person’s life. Even today, Hawaiian tattoos continue to be a meaningful and significant aspect of culture and identity.
In Hawaii the act of receiving a tattoo was considered an honor and a sacred ritual. Getting a tattoo was often accompanied by ceremonies and prayers. This tradition was really special to the Hawaiian people, so much so that if a person is not honoring their ancestors in a favorable way with their lifestyle choices, they are deemed not ready to get a tattoo.
Getting a tattoo was also extremely painful and receiving a tattoo was seen as a great act of bravery and the sign of a powerful person. Tattoo masters also known as “kahuna” were highly respected. The painful tattoo process would consist of the kahuna cutting the skin open by using a sharp tool and hitting it with a stick acting as a mallet while assistants would stretch the skin and wipe away the blood. The sharp tool that acted as a needle used to puncture the skin would be made of natural things like, bird’s beaks, fish bones, animal claws, cactus barbs, and urchin spines.
The pigment most commonly was black and made from kukui nut ashes and sugarcane juice. Other colors were rare, but sometimes created using various brightly colored island flowers such as the Hawaiian Iris. There are few records of the entire process because tattooing would be done in absolute secrecy. It was such a mystical process to the people that often the tattoo tools would be destroyed once a tattoo was completed.
In 1778, Captain James Cook, a British explorer, sailed to the Hawaiian islands and anchored off the coast of the island Kaua’i.
To his surprise, he was greeted with a warm and friendly welcome from the Hawaiian natives who at this point had been living on the island for over a 1,000 years. The Hawaiian people had a multiple of deities, including Lono, the god of peace and agriculture and it is believed this warm welcome was due to the Hawaiian people mistaking Cook for a physical embodiment of Lono.
Prior to landing in Hawaii and other nearby islands, Captain Cook and his voyagers had never seen tattoos before. Explorers and sailors who continued to land in Hawaii after Cook were fascinated with Hawaiian culture including their tattoos and began to get tattoos themselves. This is how tattoos got introduced to the Western world. European visitors played a huge role in popularizing tattoos in other parts of the world and helped develop modern tattooing techniques.
In 1779, Captain Cook returned to the Hawaiian island to repair a broken mast, but this time he was no longer considered a god. Once on shore, Cook was attacked and killed. Soon after, European settlers and missionaries arrived to colonize the island. On May 8, 1819 the great chief Kamehameha,
a leader who had accomplished uniting the Hawaiian islands into a recognized political entity passed away and with his death, the kapu system (an ancient Hawaiian code of conduct and laws) which was ignored by the European settlers collapsed. The ancient ways of the island began to vanish and kakau (tattooing) was discouraged and suppressed. The closely guarded secrets of tattooing died along with the Kahunas who applied the tattoos.
Today the people of Hawaii strive to rediscover the secrets of their ancient culture and they have had to reinvent what they can’t verify to honor their past and ancestors.
Design wise, Hawaiian tattoos have expanded and now also include other imagery outside of the tribal designs. Common Hawaiian tattoos outside of the tribal designs include things like Honu (sea turtle) which symbolizes good luck, and long life. Other common designs include birds or dolphins which symbolize freedom and movement or sharks which represent strength and power. The impact of traditional tattoos is profound. These tattoos preserve and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Hawaii and that is still true today. Between the imagery that is associated with Hawaii or the traditional tribal designs, people of today want to get these tattoos for self expression and to celebrate their culture and ancestors just like the native Hawaiians before them. While the method of getting these tattoos mostly follow the modern technique we see around the world there are still some tattoo artist in Hawaii who hold the old traditions close like Keone Nunes who practices hand tapping tattoos. Next week i think we'll be taking a detour off historical topics and take a look at something happening to the industry in the right now. I hope you've gained a little insight into our brothers from the Hawaiian islands and the history of tattoos.
til next week my fellow apes!
peter hernandez
Hello Speakeasy readers, from the rainy streets of Los Angeles its Peter Hernandez back again with another interesting topic. Ancient tattooing as a practice can be traced 5,000 years back to the Neolithic era, where a well-preserved mummy now named Ötzi was discovered.
The body of Ötzi, who is also known as Iceman, was found with an approximate total of 57 markings, including some on the back of the left knee. The Neolithic mummy dates back to the 4th millennium BC. The tattoos are said to have been made by rubbing coal into incisions in the skin. Although the reason for the markings cannot be determined, they were carbon tattoos in the shape of lines and dots.
In ancient Egypt, the tattoos were mostly worn by women, and they were used to represent religious devotion, class, and both as a way of healing as well as a form of punishment.
The position in which the tattoos were made was important; decorations around the fingers and wrists were said to ward off evil spirits and diseases.
Similarly, the Mummy of Amunet from ancient Egypt was also found with tattoos on him. Apart from the ancient Egyptian tattoos, the inhabitants of Central America and Mexico also had Aztec tattoos, which were worn by ancient Aztec people.
The tattoos of the Aztec people were made as part of rituals for the purpose of honoring a chosen god. The tattoos were also used for the purpose of differentiating tribes as well as displaying the prowess of a warrior. The people of the Philippines also used tattooing as a mark of rank and accomplishment.
Despite regions such as those occupied by Aztec people and those with people of the Philippines viewing tattoos as a mark of prowess and pride, others, like the Ancient Chinese and some parts of Egypt, saw the practice as barbaric. In China, tattooing was used to humiliate and shame convicted criminals by marking their faces with the symbol of the word "prisoner". However, as times changed, the use and meaning of tattoos started to change in Chinese culture. For instance, Yue Fei, a famous Chinese general, is said to have had "Repay the Country with Pure Loyalty" tattooed on his back by his mother.
The ancient Chinese, however, were not the only ones who viewed tattooing as barbaric. In Europe, which was encompassed by Christianity, tattooing was considered barbaric. However, the practice did not go into extinction, and instead, the oceanic voyagers would often bring home tattooed natives from the places they visited. The word tattoo is said to have been introduced to the English language and other languages by Captain James Cook after making observations on the modifications made to indigenous bodies.
Similarly, in America and in the Old World, tattooing was made popular by sailors who used the body marking as a way of self-expression and also a way of identification.
Tattooing continued to grow popular by the 19th century, although it was only used by commoners and crowned heads. Despite the practice being associated with the lower classes in the 20th century, tattooing soon became mainstream in the western world, where in today's tattoo culture it is done by both males and females and across all economic classes. In 2023, tattoo tattoo parlors will be found everywhere where the practice has been elevated to an art form done professionally and with great skill. Furthermore, tattoo culture in 2023 is not done as a form of punishment or with any other universal meaning, but as a form of remembrance of things a person holds dear. Tattooing is part of the human heritage and has a rich history that can be traced back to the B.C. era. The attitude associated with tattooing has improved to the point where it is not seen as barbaric anymore but as a form of artistic expression. People no longer hide or fear tattoos, as people have taken to using them for identification and to make statements. Additionally, tattoos are used today for fashion, and those who do want tattoos do it because they want to be different and not because it is barbaric, as the ancient people believed. A journalist for the Paris Exhibition told the Guardian in 2017 that tattooing is "an art movement that's developing and changing all the time."
The tattoo culture in modern society has changed in that instead of using wooden and bronze tools to create the designs like in ancient times, the tattoo artists today use finely crafted needles. More so, the soot and carbon substances used in ancient times have been replaced with specialized inks that create various pigments. The modern tattoos are also said to last longer and be less painful. The safety measures taken to tattoo a person have changed as well; now the tools are sterilized and the practice is done in a controlled environment. This makes it impossible for infections to fester, unlike in ancient times. in the future i would like to explore this topic further and maybe flesh out specific time periods and the body modifications that define them. til next week my fellow apes.