When man began to form civilizations and discovered or innovated ways to make his life easier, his paintings eventually gained more sophistication and depicted scenes from his daily life or illustrated the figures that form their religious pantheon.  Egyptians painted murals that are flat, symbolic and stylized.  The Chinese captured court scenes, domestic scenes, mythological creatures and landscapes on cloth and paper using calligraphic strokes that were simple and elegant yet stark, stylized and seemingly unreal.  The Greeks and the Romans did the same, but unlike the Chinese, they were more liberal in their use of colors.

When the Roman Empire fell and Christianity came to rise during the Middle Ages, paintings took on a heavily religious note.  This is most felt in the lands ruled by the Byzantine Empire, the eastern remnant of the Roman Empire.  In Byzantium, huge emphasis was made on iconography, the depiction of religious figures in art.  Most common themes of Byzantine paintings are those of the Blessed Mary holding the Child Jesus in her arms, the Crucifixion and Ascension scenes and portraits of saints.

In the western part of Europe in the Middle Ages, religion is also heavily depicted in paintings.  However, the medieval age also saw the rise of the abstracted Celtic and insular art as well as the Romanesque and Gothic art in Western Europe.  Gothic paintings, in particular, are somber, dark and highly emotional.

In the Muslim world, paintings were also generally abstracted, as lifelike depictions of humans, animals and other living figures were forbidden by the Qu’ran to discourage idolatry.  Islamic paintings were often companions to the written word but nonetheless bore a richness in itself.

At the close of the medieval age, Europe opened itself to the spread of knowledge from the outside world.  This greatly influenced the techniques used in painting.  The Renaissance Age is often thought by art experts to be the golden age of painting, and it is during this period that painters began to experiment with depth, perspective and proportion.  This is the age when the masters such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Sandro Botticelli and Giovanni Bellini lived and worked on their art.  The paintings of this age were more accurate, realistic and refined.

Following the Renaissance Age is the Baroque Age, when paintings took to depicting realistic figures presented in a dramatic fashion, spotlighted on a dark background.  Still life paintings, paintings with historic themes, landscapes and genre scenes were highlights of the Baroque Age.  The Baroque Age took a somewhat lighter turn to what is now known as Rococo.  Rococo paintings are generally frivolous and depict erotic scenes.

Painters embraced a pantheist philosophy in their art at the passing of the Baroque and Rococo Age, and this age is known as the Romantic.  Painters of the Romantic Age gave emphasis on the supposed supremacy of the natural order over the will of man, resulting in tragic or pessimistic themes in artwork.

In the 19th century, a new movement swept the world of painting with its visible brushstrokes on the painting, its seemingly ordinary and everyday subjects, its remarkable visual angles and the way it depicts the changing of light and the seeming passage of time.  This movement is called Impressionism, named after Claude Monet’s work entitled Impression, Sunrise.

Modern day art continues to stretch the perceived limits and to offer different views of the world.  The vivid expressiveness of modern art is depicted in the paintings of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, of Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne.  And then we have such art movements in the 20th and 21st centuries that go by such names as Dadaism, Social Realism, Surrealism and Symbolism, among many, many others.

The art of painting is an art conceived by man to express himself and the way he sees his world.  The world is continually changing and so are the ways man perceives these changes.

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To adorn one’s self has always been part of the nature of man.  While the primary function of the clothes and footwear that he or she dons every day is to protect the body from the harmful elements, these clothes and footwear gained a secondary function of providing adornment to a person’s body.

The same goes with a person’s hairstyle.  The primary function of hair is to cushion the head against bumps and possible physical shocks to the head.  However, men and women have come to use their hair as personal adornment, opting for hair styles that flatter his or her face and body the best.

Historically speaking, however, adornment is not the only purpose for hair styling.  Until the 1900s, the style of one’s hair is supposed to denote his or her age, wealth and social standing, marital status and even religious beliefs.  One example of this would be the ladies of the Roman Empire.  Following the example set by the Grecian ladies before them, the noble and the rich among the Roman women wore their hair in long curls or in chignons and dyed them red.  To further accentuate their manes, they sprinkled upon their hair golden powder and either piled them high on wire frames or wore flowers, tiaras or jewels.  This sets the Roman ladies apart from the usually blonde slaves captured from the North.

Another such example is the way Chinese women wore their hair.  Unmarried Chinese girls comb their hair back into one single braid.  Matrons, on the other hand, coifed their hair into buns at the back of their necks.

Because it is considered indecent and immodest for them to expose their hair, women in Moslem lands wore their hair long but covered with veils.  Christian women in medieval times were also encouraged by the Catholic church to do the same – to wear their hair in long plaits and cover them with veils, caulks or netting.

Hair styles also varied from simple to extravagant and back again.  The norm in the Middle Ages was for women to have their hair in long, simple plaits and veiled.  This hugely contrasted with the predominant hair styles in the 1700s, where the sole guideline in hair styling was “the bigger, the better” – three-feet white wigs replete with feathers, ribbons and flowers, as elaborate as the imagination could manage it.  The Victorians in the 1800s put an end to that and began to favor subtle and natural styles.

By the 1900s, the rule that hairstyle should be an indicator of social status was eradicated.  Hairstyle became a symbol of liberation and practicality for women.  This was emphasized by the short singles favored by the flappers of the 1920s, who savored their newfound freedom.  The lack of resources during the Second World War prompted women to be more subdued in their hairstyles by simply bundling their hair in scarves during the day and wearing them in natural curls in the evening.  The fifties saw glamour back into hairstyles, with women aiming for the perfect head of curls.

As women became more empowered starting the sixties down to the nineties, hairstyles became more varied.  The artiste hippie type would often wear her hair loose and flowing while the career type would keep her hair sleek and controlled.  The rebellious would not hesitate to go for punk styles with spikes and Mohawks; the femme fatales, on the other hand, love their hair sexily mussed up and fashionably messy.

Hairstyles change over the years to answer for the need of men and women to adorn themselves.  As long as this nature of man persists, hairstyling will always evolve.

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The word “tatao” is a Polynesian word meaning “to tap” which precedes the Tahitian word “tatu”, which means to mark something. They are thought to be the word origins of the word tattoo. In several groups and religions, tattoo is made an important part of their practice, with each follower having the specific tattoo mark on their body to show his part and authority within the group. Most cultures throughout history have practiced some form of body art, from body piercing to the painting of their bodies.

For the past 150 years, numerous mummified remains have been dug up that are decorated with tattoos.  A 5,000 year old frozen but well-preserved body of a Siberian Iceman was discovered in the Alps, having 57 tattoos. A Scythian Chieftain mummy was found to have tattoos of a donkey, a ram, and deer on his body. The Egyptian priestess Amunet, who existed sometime during 2160 to 1994 BC had tattoos on her arms, legs and below the navel. In Japan, clay figurines that were more than 3000 years old were found painted with tattoo like markings.

During the biblical times of the Old Testament, the art of tattoo was considered pagan since it became a form of deity worship. But experts suggest that Moses favored this art as a way to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Roman writers during that time have also reported that slaves and criminals bore marks or tattoos. When Constantine became Roman Emperor in the fourth century, he banned the putting of tattoos on the face, commonly done by convicts, soldiers and gladiators. In the late fifth century, a monk was documented to have a tattoo on his thigh. Procopius of Caesarea, in the sixth century reported that many Christians had tattoos of cross or Christ’s name on their arms. Crusaders, upon arriving in the Holy Land, have a tattoo of a small cross done on their hands or arms to signify their desire for a Christian burial.

Before, tattoos were done as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, signs of religious and spiritual devotion, serves as medal for bravery, a mark of fertility, love, punishment, protection as well as the mark of an outcast, slave and convict. It has also been used to brand Jews in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Sailors from Europe used to have the picture of the crucifixion of Christ tattooed on their backs for protection from flogging since it was considered a crime to defile Christ’s image. Nowadays, they are applied more for cosmetic and aesthetic use and to show their affiliation with a certain group. It is a form of self expression for others. As a cosmetic, it is used as a permanent makeup to enhance the eyes and lips, and cover for skin discolorations.

Sometimes, tattoos made in conspicuous areas in the body, coupled with other body modification can lower the probability of getting decent employment. Although this usually depends on the company rules and regulations since some employers see tattoos as giving an unprofessional appearance. Still in some cultures, having tattoos is viewed to be associated with criminals, and mafia members. For women with tattoos, it is not favorable to them to have it since it denotes them being tramps and other degrading occupation.Before, in some tribal cultures, tattoos are created by cutting the design into the skin and rubbing the wound with ink, ashes or other agents. Some make them by hand tapping the ink into the skin with the use of sharpened sticks, animal bones or needles. In Japan, they still use the traditional method of inserting ink manually using bamboo or steel needles.

Now, the most common method used is the electric tattoo machine, inserting ink into the skin using a group of needles that oscillates 80 – 150 times a second as it rapidly pokes the needles in and out of the skin. This is the most sanitary since the needles used are packaged individually and are disposable.

The first tattoo machine was invented by Samuel O’Reilly in 1891 which was patterned on the rotary technology of the electric engraving device made by Thomas Edison. Modern tattoo machines use electromagnetic coils which was first discovered by Thomas Riley and improved by Alfred Charles South in 1899.

The pigments and dyes used before were very much different from the ones being used now. They used to be from a mixture of natural ingredients and were limited to only the colors that they can find in nature. But now, there are a wide range of dyes and pigments to choose from, made from inorganic materials like iron oxides, azo dyes, and quinoline derivatives, as well as dyes made from ash and other mixtures. Iron oxides are frequently used in cosmetic tattooing. Just recently, the use of a blacklight reactive pigment is emerging in popularity as the chameleon tattoo ink.

A tattoo studio should be properly equipped, with the necessary sanitary and safety equipment and bio-hazard precautions for the instruments used. A tattoo artist should practice proper hygiene especially when dealing with clients since this procedure is prone to contamination. Cleanliness is a major consideration in these places since a small mistake may lead to infections and complications. Minors are required to present parental consent and those with skin conditions, pregnant, and with other illness that may contraindicate the pigments use or needles are discouraged from getting tattoos.

Getting tattoos will take about fifteen minutes to several hours and multiple sessions, depending on the size and intricacies of the design of the tattoo. After a session, recovery time is usually for twenty four hours. They usually do not allow contact with water and to avoid exposure until the wounds heal.

Tattoos are usually a fun way of expression one’s freedom. It is not for the faint hearted although it may also be used as a test of strength. Just remember to practice care and safety when trying out these kinds of ideas or else it might cause more harm than good.

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Most piercing of primitive societies is done to signify their status within a tribe, a rite of passage, or as a talisman to chase bad spirits away. Nowadays, in spite of the vast difference between cultures and beliefs, us having easy access to the latest technology, still rely on piercing to fulfill ourselves as social animals for the continuity of a certain way of life. The increase in piercing and tattooing popularity is a response to the disposable mentality of fashion and consumerism.

Body piercing was pioneered in the UK by Alex Sebastian. In the 1950’s, while working in his field, he came across a couple of helpers who had gold rings in their nipples. Since he was curious about it, he began to ask around and was introduced to a local man who did some piercing. He tried having the piercing and it healed. When he returned to England, he tried some other piercing on himself. Soon enough, people got curious as to where he was able to get those piercings and asked if he would be willing to do it for them. This became the start of his career as one of the country’s first and most respected body piercers.

Among the ancient Egyptians, to get a piercing in your navel is equivalent to being royalty. This is why commoners are not allowed to get pierced. Prince Albert was reported to have a piercing through his penis, also called a dress ring by Victorian haberdashers since this is originally done to firmly place the penis in place by either the left of right trouser leg. It was because of the craze for extremely tight trousers that Prince Albert was rumored to pierce his penis. Other piercings of the male genitalia is used as a means of discipline. Arab youths have a piercing on the left side of their scrotum which is believed to prevent the testis from returning the body. This practice also came from North Africa. Female genital piercings developed later and is used for erotic stimulation although in some African tribes, it is also used as a form of discipline. Nowadays, it is used for erotic stimulation.

Most tribal cultures employ the piercing of the ear lobe and ear rim with ear lob stretching see among the people of Northern India, Burma, ancient Egypt, and other African tribes. Ivory ear plugs are also used by the African Samburu warrior and the Masai and Pokot tribes wear many rigns in their stretched earlobes.

Girls from the African Dogon, Kudi, and Lobi tribes get to have ear, nose and lip piercings to enable them to wear ornaments which will identify their tribe and protect them from bad spirits. In India, nose rings are the trend which became popular among the mughals, indicating whether the man or woman is single or married. African Pokot girls wear lip plugs when they are married, which is also done by Turkama men and women. Lip plugs are also worn by some men of the Amazonian tribe to show their status wherein the elders have bigger plugs or plates every year.

Nunivak tribes of North America wear lip or labret piercings while silver jewelry was worn in the septums of the Clayoquot tribes to denote status. Other septum piercings, gilded with plant stems and bone jewelry are worn by tribesmen of Papua New Guinea. Piercing located in the eyebrow, tongue and ear are modern practices developed in the west.

Nowadays, people are becoming more aware of tribal societies that still exist in their culture and who still practice their distinct customs and traditions. They would like to apply what they have learned about these societies by the rituals they perform like tattooing and piercing. Unfortunately, although piercing is become more popular in the west, the third world countries are slowly forgetting their own ancient tribal customs to be able to take on western standards.

Two main schools of thought have been discussed on to how modern body piercing came about. The US version recognizes the contributions of Doug Malloy and Jim Ward in the field of body piercing while the version of the United Kingdom recognizes Mr. Sebastian. The three have documented the development of piercing and its expansion from the homosexual and sadomasochistic communities in the US. In the United Kingdom, piercing was originally exclusive to various fringe groups, such as the punks, the travelers, and members of the sadomasochistic scene although they are not the only ones who practice body piercing.

Three to four years ago, a sudden change happened in the nature of body piercing, caused by several factors but most significantly, the adapting of navel and eyebrow piercing by the fashion world. Because the use of these piercings are made public on British television, it dictated to the general public that piercing is fashionable. Secondly, it opened the possibility of going to extremes with body piercing, as opposed to fashion. And thirdly, those who have been practicing piercing on their body for several years have become aware that the practice of body piercing is already widespread.

Before undertaking this procedure, there are just a few suggestions to remember. Make sure that the tattoo artist you go to is reputable and clean. His instruments should be sterilized properly so as to lower the risk of infection. And, as with any procedure concerning the body, make sure that other safety precautions are made before you push through with the piercing.

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