“Creepy” tattoos are more than just a Friday the 13th tradition for some Latino communities

In recent decades, tattoos have become a mainstay of pop culture. As living rooms around the world prepare to celebrate Friday the 13th with flashes galore, our pop ink the pack examines how these marks on the skin have evolved. the-significance-of-their-tattoos”>beyond its traditional roots – from fandoms to family. In this article, writer Skyli Alvarez explores the meaning of “spooky” tattoos beyond Friday the 13th flashes and how, for some, their ink runs deeper than you think.

From hyper-realistic skeleton sleeves to small ghost mosaics, there’s no doubt about the tattoo world’s affinity for all things macabre, and Friday the 13th takes it to another level. Although these tatting trends may come and go, some are as timeless as ink itself, but they often don’t have as sinister meaning as they appear on the skin. Take, for example, the number 13 tattoos; According to legend, a sailor once obtained this now “unlucky” number. the-13th-deals-at-tattoo-parlors/” target=”_blank”>tattooed so that any misfortune he encountered would be overlooked. Much to the dismay of black cats and sidewalk crack avoiders, since the ’90s, this story has evolved into the widespread belief of tattooing Friday the 13th as a the-13th-tattoos-tradition/71144440007/” target=”_blank”>sign of good luck.

Typically occurring several times a year, Friday the 13th inspires endless flash sheets and festive tattoo styles that are as chilling as they are sentimental. Tradition sees customers lining up outside their favorite tattoo shops into the wee hours of the morning, transforming a seemingly superstitious day into one of excitement and community.

Tattoos are found in the space between memory and presence, since both the final work and the process of its creation are ways of telling stories. the first one has the-significance-of-their-tattoos” target=”_blank”>tied recipients of broader identities (sailors, Friday the 13th enthusiasts, collectors of unique body art), while the latter has the-indelible-marks-of-filipino-identity” target=”_blank”>preserved long live these traditions. Although the relationship with your ink evolves with age, its meaning endures and goes far beyond the skin. Whether one selects an original design from its artist or a repeatable old-school classic, the cultural and ancestral ties of Friday the 13th flashes run deep for both tattoo artists and the tattooed, especially this month that coincides with Latino Heritage Month.

“Every tattoo tells a personal story.” [and is] a connection to the past or a statement about the present”, tattoo artist Ulises Gonzalezwho has long adopted darker motifs in his work regardless of specific dates, says teen fashion. “It is a form of expression that transcends words and allows our identities and emotions to be shown in our body and [be carried] with us at all times.”

For González, tattoos are almost a talisman, and the art form has become a vessel through which to fuse personal, familial and cultural stories. Currently based in Los Angeles but born and raised in Mexico City, the artist is largely inspired by early memories of his hometown and his own Latinidad. He considers his work “Mexican neo-baroque,” ​​conceptually disturbingly mixing “religious themes and exaggerated ornamentation” with “popular imagery and folk art.” By abstracting Catholic and Christian images with those of the indigenous people of Mesoamerica, he recalls the complex history of syncretism of his country.

Through tattoos, González evokes the Mexico City of his youth: listening to dancers practicing their performance routines at home, going to and from church and marketand see the iconography of Santa Muerte and the Day of the Dead. Offerings. González honors his family’s past, eternalizing what was through his art. In turn, the ephemera he collects and creates serve as visual mementos. For him, the colorful market stalls, street signs, murals and eclecticism of the city at this time of year echo the country’s folklore, which he brought with him to California.

In preparation for his Friday the 13th flash tattoo event this month, González recently put together a flash tattoo sheet remembering his family members. Day of the Dead images he grew up with, from stylized skeletons to cobwebby floral motifs. They are based on the beginning of the 20th century. skull and prints of Catrina by the Mexican engraver José Guadalupe Posadas, best known for his the Catrina Skull woodcut, a ubiquitous image of the with-family-and-culture-for-mexicans-across-the-world” target=”_blank”>public holiday and modern Mexican identity in general.