From Parlour to Studio, The Sensory Experience in Contemporary Tattooing Spaces

Daniele Lugli (1)

1 Monash University [Melbourne]

Tattoos have historically been marginalised and associated with deviancy. However, as they become mainstream, the experience of giving and receiving a tattoo changes, and so does the studio environment. This paper analyses design elements that set the contemporary tattoo studio apart from the traditional parlour, and how they shape the sensorial and atmospheric experiences of individuals. I present an ethnographic case study of a contemporary studio in Australia, suggesting that design interventions influence the way practitioners and clients engage with the space, with each other, and with tattoo culture. I use this case to build an argument for the importance of an atmospheric understanding of this design practice, as it signals an effort to detach itself from a stigmatised subculture.

Mots clés: Tattoo Culture; Sensory Ethnography; Aesthetic Experience

Domaines: Architecture, aménagement de l'espace

Daniele Lugli. From Parlour to Studio, The Sensory Experience in Contemporary Tattooing Spaces. Proceedings of the 4th International Congress on Ambiances, Alloaesthesia: Senses, Inventions, Worlds, Réseau International Ambiances, Dec 2020, e-conference, France. pp. 138-142, ⟨10.48537/hal-03220283⟩. ⟨hal-03220283⟩