Scenes from gang life, beautiful women, slick lowriders, lettering, Catholic iconography all became the mainstays of Chicano tattoos.Inmates of prisons would piece together a homemade tattoo machine and, using only the black or blue ink they had available to them, depict that which they knew best.The prison culture that, since the 40’s, has deeply influenced Chicano tattoo arts, is mainly due to arrests that were often a byproduct of xenophobic societal forces on migrant peoples.Chicano artists have a powerful philosophical and political heritage, and this style of tattooing reflects that.
This guide to Chicano tattoos looks at the historical roots, cultural references, and artists who have mastered the craft as well. Chicano Tattoos: Roots, Cultural References, and Artists
