The Tattoosday Book Review - Tattoo Art: A Photographic Sourcebook

I'm not going to lie. There are a lot of quality books out on the shelves of your local bookstore (if you still have one) that showcase tattoo art and its best practitioners. I'm still partial to Tattoo World (edited by Marisa Kakoulas), which is a hefty brick of tattoo awesomeness.

So how fair was I going to be when I came upon a copy  of Tattoo Art: A Photographic Sourcebook by Doralba Picerno, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and layout of this undertaking.

The book is clearly and concisely written, with sections divided up into your standard categories - Famous Faces, Fantasy World, Natural World, Getting Away, Love Objects, Symbolism, Fusion, etc. Each section has a short paragraph or two, but the bulk of the 120+ pages (8.9 by 11 inches) are devoted to crisp, clean photos of stunning and well-executed tattoos.

What is particularly interesting to me is the heavy European slant. Picerno, who is a photographer living in London, focuses primarily on the work of artists in the UK and the European mainland. There are a few exceptions, like Bugs in California and Liorcifer in NYC, but despite the lack of familiar names (at least to this American-centric ink blogger), the unfamiliarity of the work made it that much more enjoyable.

I wish that I had more images to show you, but they are scarce online, which is ultimately a good thing, I guess. The list price on the book is $12.95, which is a veritable bargain, especially considering how full of fun and amazing work this volume is.

This title is a hidden gem which is a spectacular addition to any tattoo fan's library!

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