Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo

162 Conclusion
"The Aesthetics of Graffiti" at the San Francisco Museum of Modern
Art. The showcontained both graffiti-influenced work byestablished
artists and art-photographic documents of "real" graffiti. In
his introduction to the exhibit's catalogue. Castellon called attention
to the process of cultural imperialism whereby disvalued
forms of cultural production are coopted. sanitized. and transformed
into art.
In general. this exhibition defines two main categories of
graffiti. First, there are traditional examples which are found
on streets. buildings. doorways. hallways and sidewalks. By
taking these graffiti out of their normal environment. it is
hoped that a new appreciation for their visual and aesthetic
qualities can be achieved. Secondly. there is graffiti art, an
increasingly thriving and richly varied mode which draws
emotionally. intellectually ancLbr Visually from the street graffiti
of the everyday world. Through the process ojconscious
integration by studio artists. graffiti thus become officially
sanctioned ':fine art" (emphasis added. San Francisco Museum
of Modern Art, 1978: 1).10
It is imminently reasonable to anticipate that contemporary tattooing.
with its demonstration of technical skill. consistent aesthetic
appeal. organizational promotion. changing audience.
gallery and museum exposure. and increasing academic and critical
attention. will be at least as successful as was graffiti in
achieving the status of a minor art form and acting as a source of
stylistic innovation in established artistic genres. However. as we
have seen. not all tattooists are in favor of disrupting the commercial
status quo nor are all tattoo enthusiasts interested in seeing
tattooing accepted Within conventional social circles. What is lost
when a deviant cultural activity is coopted by agents of the institutional
art world and gains-at least to some degree-artistic
legitimacy?
The power of tattoo. like that of street graffiti. is primarily derived
from its ability to outrage members of conventional society.
For tattoo devotees much of the appeal of tattooing comes from its