Tattoo Opens at Natural History Museum LA

One thing that keeps bringing me back to the Natural History Museum is their wide variety of exhibits. Whether it’s Latin American art, Los Angeles history, dinosaurs or spiders they’ve got you covered. Today, their latest exhibit, Tattoo, opens and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek.

Tattoo originated at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris and celebrates all aspects of the unique art form from its indigenous origins to it’s current cultural status.

Originally, about 7,000 feet in size it’s expanded to 10,000 feet in LA to include our local contribution to it’s extensive history. Unique to the LA exhibit are highlights of the wartime years at The Pike in Long Beach (where the American style was developed) and the origins of black-and-gray style tattoos in East LA.

Scattered throughout the exhibition are silicon molds highlighting the works of current masters of the art form and smack dab in the middle is a working tattoo parlor.

Throughout the exhibitions run you can book an appointment to get your very own unique inking.

As much as I admire the art form I won’t be booking an appointment (the permanence always stops me) but I was nevertheless fascinated by what I saw. Tattoo, on view through April 15, is an extensive look at a unique art form and is worth seeing for aficionados and newbies alike.

Please note: the exhibit does contain nudity in case you have children.