When you first look at these tattoos, maybe the first thing you say to yourself is, “wow, I didn’t know tattoos could shift that much with age!”
But then you realize that the chestpiece is on well known tattoo artist Toni Moore (of Broad Street Studio in Bath) by Tim Kern, and the neck piece is a knock off by Marcel Daatz at Extremetattoo in Munich. I know, not a line-for-line copy, but close enough that if you didn’t look at the pieces side-by-side you could easily assume they’re the same tattoo.s I often have more permissive feelings about copying than many of my friends in the industry, because it’s my opinion that tattooing has always been an artform that is built on appropriation, but this example of tattoo plaigiarism really upset me.
The reason this piece upset me so much is that Marcel Daatz appears to be a talented and capable tattoo artist. There is no need or excuse for him to be knocking off his peers’ work and claiming it as his own. It makes me very sad, and it’s an unfortunate comment on how many of the traditional tattoo culture ethics have been lost as this industry ages. I’m used to crap artists aping the pros. But for talented artists to rip each other off? To have so little respect for each other, for themselves, for the industry? It’s really heartbreaking.
What do you think? Where is the line? Is this an example of a professional backstabbing a peer? Or am I overreacting, and it’s been changed enough, and is instead an example of someone simply drawing inspiration from a well-known tattoo and getting “their own version”?
Comments
54 responses to “Changing industry ethics?”
Personally, if I saw any of my tattoos done on anyone else I would go ballistic. Motives and traditions are different from unique desings, I think Inka is either trying to over simplify or doesn´t see the difference. If this would be a traditional Dayak dog design it would be ok, but if it was Dayak dog done custom with nice abstract colors and unique surface design then it would be a rip-off. Its not hard to see the difference there. About Swastika. It is part of Western culture also, in Finland we have several thousands of years old traditional Swastika design, bet you didn´t know that? Everytime you get a CUSTOM tattoo , you get a one of. If a tattooist has any self respect they will refuse to do a copy of a clearly custom work and rather do their take on the design. I have had the pleasure of telling hundreds of customers why its not a good ida to take someones idea and copy it but it still seems to be hard to understand to some.
Talented as he may be, Marcel Daatz is hardly known for his “cultural ethics”. The guy has WAW (weißer arischer Widerstand, white arian resistance) tattooed on his neck.
Talented as he may be, Marcel Daatz is hardly known for his “cultural ethics”. The guy has WAW (weißer arischer Widerstand, white arian resistance) tattooed on his neck.
Talented as he may be, Marcel Daatz is hardly known for his “cultural ethics”. The guy has WAW (weißer arischer Widerstand, white arian resistance) tattooed on his neck.