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20 Amazing Artist-Inspired Tattoos

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[Editor's note: While your Flavorwire editors take a much-needed holiday break, we're revisiting some of our most popular features of the year. This post was originally published February 16, 2011.] If we’re being honest, most of us will never own a work of art by a famous artist. And while back in college, it might have been okay to pay homage to one of the greats with a poster print from the museum, these days when it comes to the artwork that hangs on our walls, we tend to opt for original pieces by emerging (read: more affordable) talents. A few enterprising souls have found a way to sidestep the issue completely by displaying famous works of art directly on their bodies. Click through for some of our favorite examples, and if you happen to have an art-inspired tattoo, be sure to tell us about it in the comments.


Andy Warhol [via]


Banksy [via]


Chuck Close [via]


Edgar Degas [via]


Frida Kahlo [via]


Georgia O’Keeffe [via]


Gustav Klimt [via]


Jean-Michel Basquiat [via]


Joan Miro [via]


Jenny Holzer [via]


Kara Walker [via]


Keith Haring [via]


Kiki Smith [via]


Marcel Duchamp [via]


Pablo Picasso [via]


Piet Mondrian [via]


Roy Lichenstein [via]


Salvador Dali [via]


Shepard Fairey [via]


Vincent Van Gogh [via]


Yoshitomo Nara [via]

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Comments (63)

[...] HERE to see all the [...]

Jenny Grace’s is totally worth a look. Wow.

What? No Pollock?

Tats creep me out. Like horrible photos of skin diseases inna medical book. Sorry.

a number of people get Alex Grey tattoos

the klimt and the dali are slammin

@Rodney I couldn’t find a good Pollock! If you do, please send it my way.

I thought these would be great, but most of them aren’t; they seem cheesy and impersonal–”Yeah, I picked it out of a more upscale book.” And wish your physician the best of luck finding your early melanoma. But it would be funny if someone worked out a way to use their pit hair for Frida’s eyebrows.

The Mondrian is paint. Seen it already.

I have a tattoo of MC Escher’s plate “Rippled Surface” as a half sleeve on my arm.

@NoOneYouKnow
I second that! Blatant copies of what was only meant to be a painting on a canvas is not only impersonal but takes it out of context either, making it even more random and cheesy (art “geeks” who favor van Gogh because they once saw a painting in an art book… geez…). But i guess people have their idols… i just wish they’d be their own idol and let their own portrait tattoo onto them. That would be fun to see.

[...] 20 Amazing Artist-Inspired Tattoos [...]

cool post!

[...] 19. 20 amazing art inspired tattoos. [Flavorwire] [...]

@Joe
Picking a painting you like to have tattooed on yourself is a lot less impersonal than picking a tattoo design off of the tattoo parlour wall.

Tattoos can be cheesy, sure, but that’s a matter of taste. Art being replicated onto skin does not make them so. If you like a painting you might buy a print to hang on a wall; skin is as valid a canvas.

I really like the majority of these, especially the Gustav Klimt (a favourite artist of mine). Some very well executed tattoos :)

Very cool!

tattoos are lame, express yourself by creating something instead of wearing it… pussies

I love the one from jenny holzer the most

Brilliant. The Dali is awesome, and I don’t think anyone’s work lends itself to tattooing quite like Keith Haring… though I think the Duchamp would get irritating really quickly having to explain it to every single random person on the street. (“Hey! Why you got a urinal on your arm?”) A friend of mine has the same Gustav Klimt piece done across her back, after all, can you really limit Klimt to the limitations of a mere forearm?

fucking hipsters

A lot of these are bad “art” to start with, but Basquiat… _This_ is considered art? I know several children who could easily do better, and even give a better story (I looked up his work). Next time you wonder why people want to defund the NEA, now you know.

On the other hand, the Dali and the Lichenstein are pretty good, but I wouldn’t tattoo myself with either.

Oh, and the Smith, very good, and even a good tattoo. The only one of the bunch.

Based on the three artists you decided were “pretty good” it is clear your view of art is extremely narrow minded. Basic art history education would enlighten you as to what makes each and every one of the above artists renowned.

I respect your personal opinion but I do not respect your need to share your negative views with the rest of us, please keep them to yourself.

@egg
tattoos and/or loving art does not make you a hipster, nor are either of those a requirement to being one.

@Joe
“what was only meant to be a painting on a canvas” <– This is actually only the Modernist style of art, or which we are now into the Post Modern. Seeing as most of the above artists are of the post modern style or the impressionist style, this comment is completely inaccurate, the exceptions being: Piet Mondrian and Joan Miro.

@Enjoy We’re post post modern.

Stellar work.

There really should be a longer description on the “protect me from what I want” photo considering that’s a picture of Toby Wong’s arm (RIP)

My husband and I both have tattoos HONORing artists such as Dali, Escher, and Warhol! Fantastic to highlight our love for favorite artists!

There is not a single tattoo on my body but I believe if you’re going to do something so permanent you might as well make it look amazing.

what about alex grey?

NoOneYouKnow • February 17th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
I thought these would be great, but most of them aren’t; they seem cheesy and impersonal–”Yeah, I picked it out of a more upscale book.” And wish your physician the best of luck finding your early melanoma. But it would be funny if someone worked out a way to use their pit hair for Frida’s eyebrows.

BETTER YET- HER MOUSTACHE =)

I have a Frida Kahlo quote tattooed on my feet in her handwriting. I love it, and I love all of this ink. Thanks for sharing!

I love the starry night sleeves. If you’re going to have a tattoo, might as well have a masterpiece.

Wow, these are fucking stupid. Enjoy your intentional scars.

I have a Ringo tattoo taken from a painting by Joe Ledbetter. Takes up my whole side and rib cage. outlining is taken care of just need to finish coloring it in. :3

That Banksy tattoo was done by Deanna Wardin @ Tattoo Boogaloo in San Francisco.

[...] sursa Share and Enjoy: [...]

Yeah, Jenny Grace’s ftw!

[...] at Flavorpill, we love a good tattoo. And while we’re all for body art that expresses your individuality, especially in a world [...]

[...] zetten ze wel op hun lichaam en dat moeten ze natuurlijk helemaal zelf weten! Klik op de link om de 20 Amazing artist-inspired Tattoos te bekijken. No [...]

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wome poeple are brave to have such tatoos. These are the people that make the human race special….. strange but special!

this should be called “pretentious people doing pretentious things”

The Mondrian “tattoo” is a paint. BS.

I guess I’m the only one, but I do take issue with the Picasso. I find it questionable that someone (and I’m sure there’s a very upsetting story behind why the girl got it in the first place) would get a piece that covers their entire back of an image of a grieving mother, taken completely out of context of the painting itself.

You truly gotta love this medium. What better way to permanently self-express and advertise!

i have extensively studied the works of Michelangelo’s last judgement and bosh’s garden of earthly delights and could think of several things i would like to find a competent artist to ink. to expensive for me though…

Ranging from awful to very nice. Also, that Mondrian one isn’t a tattoo.

[...] will know, we’re usually fascinated by tattoos around here — whether they’re odes to famous works of art or a celebration of wonderful song lyrics. But we’ve got to tell you, this one has us [...]

I’ve a Picasso and I love it.

Lets see how all these look when you guys are in your 70′s and the ink has faded on your wrinkly flabby skin. Still think you are going to look cool then?… I’ve seen it and it’s not pretty. Anyone over 60 with a tattoo is a major loser and since the ink is permanent you are all just ticking time bombs of loserdom unless you plan on some expensive painful laser surgery. I’m guessing most of you aren’t anticipating living that long or forethought is not a big item in your lives.

Yes, dogisgod, it’s important to always keep in mind what may or may not happen in 30 or 40 years’ time when deciding how to live your life

I too have a Dali elephant on my back. It’s slightly more detailed and less shaded in.

To each their own. Just cause it’s not for you doesn’t mean you have to inflict negative opinions on those who appreciate tattoos and/or art.

I’m sure the time it took all you negative folks out there to write these comments you could have been doing something productive.

But, maybe this is how you guys find enjoyment in life. And if so, that’s just unfortunate.

I love these. especially the dali and the walker. I hate thatsome narrow minded morons are calling people hipsters for doing this.

If i got a tattoo it would definitely be by one of the artists that inspired me to study art history.

[...] Noch mehr “künstlerische” Tattoos ältere Poetry-Beiträge [...]

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