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The University of Waikato

Art, the aesthetics, and ethics of tattooing at Flax Roots Tattoo Studio

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Flax Roots Tattoo Studio, a tattoo business in Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand, offers clients different styles of tattooing to choose from, i.e. Moko, Traditional European, Portrait, and Traditional American. Tattoo artists and their clients differ in ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, occupation, age, hobbies, and so on. Anthropological research and philosophical insight provided the framework texts for my case study. My fieldwork consisted of semi-structured interviews and photographs of artists and clients. By participating in tattooing, these individuals influence the art and the aesthetic tastes of their local culture. Additionally, tattoo artists follow an ethical code that dictates how to run their business, preserve their art, and protect their clients. By choosing Flax Roots Tattoo Studio as my fieldwork site, I was able to answer the questions: 1. How do tattoo artists and their clients engage with and shape tattoo art and its aesthetic at Flax Roots Tattoo Studio? ; and 2. How do these tattoo artists’ ethics influence their relationships with their clients and art?

Degree

thesis:*
Grantor dc:publisher.institution
The University of Waikato
Year dc:date.issued
2018

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Shaver, Mandy (Amanda)
Advisors dc:contributor.advisor
  • Ryan, Tom
  • Kingsbury, Justine
  • Richards, Raymond

Subjects

dc:subject × 16

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University Waikato
Base URL
researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/server/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Shaver, Mandy (Amanda). Art, the aesthetics, and ethics of tattooing at Flax Roots Tattoo Studio. The University of Waikato, 2018.