Martha Cooper: Tokyo Tattoo 1970

Product description

Martha Cooper arrived in Tokyo in 1969 and soon became fascinated by the local art of tattooing. She began documenting the work of traditional Japanese tattooist Horibun I, who worked with traditional Japanese methods, tattoos made by hand, with different-sized bundles of needles bound to sticks, which he dipped into coloured inks. His motifs were derived from traditional Japanese legends.

Tokyo Tattoo 1970 tells the story of a Japanese tattoo master and his work. It shows him at work, with his customers, their tattoos, and it follows Horibun I on a pilgrimage to a holy Shinto shrine. Martha Cooper’s sharp pictures show the process of the tattooist’s work as well as finished motifs and result in a unique and astounding story of the traditional Japanese tattooing technique.