- Lyle Tuttle
Lyle Tuttle (born 1931) is a well-known American
tattoo artist and historian of the medium, who has been tattooing since 1949.cite web|url=http://www.prickmag.net/lyletuttleinterview.html|author=Chuck Brank|title=Lyle Tuttle: Forefather of modern tattooing (interview)|publisher=Prick Magazine|accessdate=2006-12-24]Biographical and career information
Tuttle was born in 1931 and grew up in
Ukiah, California . At the age of fourteen he purchased his first tattoo for $3.50. In 1949 he began tattooing professionally.cite news|url=http://www.columbusdispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/13/20060513-B1-02.html|author=Aaron Beck|date=May 13 ,2006 |publisher=Columbus Dispatch|title=For tattoo master, every mark is special] In 1954 he opened his own studio inSan Francisco . This first shop was open for nearly 30 years. Tuttle tattooedJanis Joplin ,Cher ,Henry Fonda and several other notable musicians and celebrities of the time.He has been tattooed on six continents, and has never knowingly tattooed a minor. He has become a legend and a teacher within the industry in the years he has been tattooing. He officially retired in 1990 but will still occasionally tattoo his signature on a friend or acquaintance. His fame within tattooing was somewhat controversial, as many tattooists of his day disliked his statements to the press and "shameless self-promotion".
Tuttle currently teaches accredited seminars in "Tattoo machine maintenance and machine building" at tattoo conventions around the United States.
When asked what made tattooing gain in popularity during his early career, he responded:
"Women's liberation! One hundred percent women's liberation! That put tattooing back on the map. With women getting a new found freedom, they could get tattooed if they so desired. It increased and opened the market by 50% of the population - hell of the human race! For three years, I tattooed almost nothing but women. Most women got tattooed for the entertainment value ... circus side show attractions and so forth. Self-made freaks, that sort of stuff. The women made tattooing a softer and kinder art form."
References
External links
* [http://lyletuttle.com lyletuttle.com]
* [http://tattoos-101.tattoofinder.com/lyle-tuttle-interview-september-2007 TattooFinder.com's Tattoos-101 September 2007 interview with Lyle Tuttle]
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