ABSTRACT
The introduction provides an overview and discusses the state of the art in tattoo research. It emphasizes the need to overcome the continuing Euro-American bias prevalent in much of current tattoo research, which contributes to the silencing of tattoo histories defined as “other”, and discusses the notions of permanence and impermanence with regard to tattooing. It also offers an overview of the themes covered in the book, specifically tattoos as individual or communal body projects; tattoos and othering; (de-)colonization, revitalization, and cultural appropriation; and tattoos as embodied art.
