The Evolution of Tattoos in Estonia: From Soviet Anchors to 90s Studios

На тёмном столе тату-студии лежит классическая coil-машинка с рифлёной металлической ручкой и установленным наконечником, рядом — запасная игла, бутылка с тату-краской и стаканчик с чёрным пигментом; на размытом фоне видны полки с флаконами и окно.

In Estonia, tattoos have ceased to be a marginal sign and have become an object of academic interest. This is according to Oskar Poll, a tattoo artist and researcher of local tattoo culture, who has been working in a studio for about ten years and simultaneously studying how motifs, techniques, and the profession of tattoo artist itself have transformed over the past decades. Poll received his bachelor’s degree in graphic arts from the Estonian Academy of Arts, and dedicated both his bachelor’s and master’s theses to the history of tattooing in Estonia. He is now developing the topic in his doctoral dissertation, and it is this scientific perspective that allows him to see the bigger picture beyond just a craftsman working with skin.

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