Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo

24 Introduction
theory of art" regards art as an honorific label that comes to be
applied to certain objects or activities by certain agents operating
in the social world surrounding artistic production. marketing.
consumption. and appreciation (see Dickie. 1974; Danto. 1964;
Becker. 1976). From this perspective. art is a matter of constructing
a consensual definition. Objects or activities that look like art.
are discussed like art (especially with regard to some extant tradition
and theoretical perspective). bought and sold like art. created
by social actors who consider themselves to be artists. and presented
for appreciation or sale in settings (for example. galleries
and museums) in which art is typically displayed or marketed
have the greatest likelihood of being defined as art. Central actors
within the social world surrounding art-especially producers
and marketers-have a vested interest in this definitional process.
The honorific label significantly increases an object's market
value. and the social role of "artist" carries with it the implication
of talent and sensitivity. Further. successful aspirants to the status
of artist commonly enjoy conSiderable control over both their
worklives and the outcome of their productive activities.
A flexible. indistinct. and highly permeable boundary separates
art from craft. Commercial artists and artist-craftsmen reside in
this marginal space. The former utilize conventional artistic media
in more-or-Iess conventional ways but. like craftsmen. are involved
in a service activity directed predominantly by the needs
and tastes of the client. Artist-craftsmen work with materialsclay.
precious metals. fabrics. and so forth-that are typically
shaped for functional or decorative purposes by those who are traditionally
defined as craftworkers. However. they tend to emphasize
the aesthetic features of their work (especially uniqueness
and beauty). display their products in galleries and museums.
and create objects which are the focus of "serious" appreciation
and discussion. Artist-craftsmen. their products. and the conventions
that surround them often come to be the center of "minor
art worlds" (Becker. 1982: 276-281).
Contemporary tattooing is undergoing this transition from a
(generally disvalued) craft to a (partially legitimated) art form.
This process of definitional change has significant impact onand
is affected by-the organization of both the social structure