Description
CRIMINAL
Book Summary
This visual and documentary essay explores the marginal past of tattooing, from its use as a secret code among criminals, convicts, and prostitutes to its study by anthropologists and criminologists. Through a historical journey spanning from late 19th-century Spain to the 1980s, the book reveals how tattoos were considered signs of atavism and dangerousness, pursued and hidden, until their unstoppable popularization as art. An essential work for understanding the transformation of a stigmatized practice into a massive cultural phenomenon.
What is it about?
The book chronicles the history of the tattoo as a social stigma and symbol of rebellion, focusing on the Spanish context. Based on the theories of Cesare Lombroso, it analyzes how criminologists and doctors viewed tattoos as marks of degeneration and a predisposition to crime. It details the work of Rafael Salillas, a pioneer in the collection of criminal tattoos in Spain, and the social panic caused by tattooed "apaches" in cities like Madrid or Barcelona. The work also addresses the use of tattoos during the Civil War, when militiamen and Falangists hid or removed their political markings to save their lives, as well as the subculture of legionnaires, petty criminals ("quinquis"), motorcyclists, and rockers, who made the tattoo a hallmark of their identity. Finally, it describes the turning point marked by the opening of the "El Martillo de Lucifer" studio by Alberto García-Alix and the figure of the tattoo artist Mao, who drove the popularization and acceptance of the tattoo as art, causing it to lose its criminal aura.
Main themes
- Social and cultural history of the tattoo in Spain.
- Criminal anthropology and the theories of Cesare Lombroso.
- The tattoo as a secret code and mark of identity in marginal communities.
- Persecution, concealment, and survival through bodily markings during the Civil War.
- The transition of the tattoo from stigma to an artistic and mass phenomenon.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at enthusiasts of social and cultural history interested in the evolution of urban subcultures and marginality. It will also be of great interest to tattoo artists, fans of body art, and anyone who wants to understand the origin and symbolic weight of the tattoo as a persecuted practice and its subsequent reclamation as a form of artistic expression.
What this book offers
- A documented and visual analysis of the forbidden history of the tattoo in Spain.
- Historical and criminological context explaining the stigma associated with tattoos for over a century.
- A unique look at the subcultures that kept the practice of tattooing alive as a code of belonging.
- Keys to understanding the process of popularization and social acceptance of the contemporary tattoo.
Technical specifications
- Author: Various Authors
- Publisher: LA FELGUERA EDITORES,S.L
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Body art and tattoos, True stories, History, Social and cultural history, Crafts, Decorative arts and crafts
- Collection: TRUE CRIME
- Binding: Hardcover
- Edition date: May 2022
- Number of pages: 260
- Weight: 250 g
Editorial review
This is a reference work for those wishing to delve into the hidden side of the tattoo, far from the current commercial and aesthetic view. The edition, edited by Servando Rocha, offers rigorous historical documentation that connects criminology, sociology, and art history. Its focus on the Spanish context and the inclusion of key figures such as Rafael Salillas or Alberto García-Alix make it a valuable read for both specialists and the curious. A book that invites us to reflect on how a marginalized practice has become a mass cultural phenomenon.