#Armadillo tattoo full

SurenosĪccording to author Karen Kinnear, in 1968 California prison inmates were separated into two rival groups, Norteno (northerner) and Sureno gangs (southerner). Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Created in Canva by Jono 2. Note the poor quality in design – they were almost certainly done by a prison ‘scratcher.’ As tattoos are illegal within jail, needles, ink, and rudimentary machines are often cobbled together from all sorts of refuse, from pens and plastic to workshop offcuts. The examples here are from a pair of Texas branches of the prison gang. The Aryan Brotherhood is comparatively small in numbers but have the reputation for ready murder and ruthless retaliation when crossed. Most Aryan Brotherhood tattoos reference the initials A.B. All of them signify membership to the primary gang for Caucasians in prison and are often accompanied by other forms of white supremac ist body art (more below). Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Created in Canva by JonoĪryan Brotherhood tattoos come in many sizes, shapes and designs. Read on to learn about 12 types of hate tattoo, and explore how and why these tattoos have taken such a large place in collective consciousness. The use of control and power for the deployment of these types of tattoos was something I had never considered – like a branding onto cattle, or the slave identification tattoos of Greek Antiquity – this body modification could never be considered art in any fashion.

#Armadillo tattoo full

In my opinion, these tattoos are a lingering stain on the world of tattoo that stop our industry from gaining the full acceptability it deserves as an art form and choice of expression.

I found this assignment both repugnant and fascinating. This story is not an endorsement for these types of tattoos, but an article that can be used for identification purposes and for greater understanding of what these tattoos are used for within prison and gang systems, and to the wider world. The following article discusses common prison, gang, and hate tattoos.