Chicano - Mexican Americans created tattoo style
Interestingly, that nowadays popularity is gaining many new tattooing styles, and among them there are also classic ones whose origins can be traced back to prisons. One of today's most sought-after tattoo art styles is called black and gray.
Black and gray used to be called common or prison style because of its roots in prisons, where inmates made homemade machines from ballpoint pens, guitar strings, needles and parts which instead of imprisonment were available. The machines had only one needle. Ink was not available, so the ink was adapted from pen kernels, black, but if you diluted it with water, it turned grey.
The prison culture that has deeply influenced Chicano tattoo art since the 1940s is primarily associated with arrests, which were often a by-product of xenophobic societal forces on migrant populations. Chicano-style tattoos are at the forefront of the body art revolution that emerged from Pachuco gang culture in the 1940s. Mostly gang members the basic drawing consisted of Pachuco cross tattoo between the thumb and index finger.
Chicano tattoos are characterized by black-gray color, light lines, clear details and soft shading and are very meaningful and reflect many different aspects of life. In 1950, in California prisons in the Latino community stood out a new unifying gang tattoo style. The Chicano tattoo style was born. Chicano means “Mexican-American,” i.e., people living in the United States who have origins and roots in Mexico.
Chicano tattoo artwork has an illustrative approach that mixes realism with surrealism, which partly explains why for a large part contemporary Chicano art has the distinct look for which it is known. Classic Chicano-style tattoo themes include La Catrina Girl, Day of the Dead, Clown Girl, Sugar Skull, Rose Flower, Virgin Mary and religious figures.
One of the people who represents this style from the inside (while in incarcerated places) is 61-year-old Freddy Negrete. He says it wouldn't exist without "prison ingenuity". He was once one of Los Angeles county's most notorious Chicano gang members. He writes that gang culture in Los Angeles had its own language and style. And tattoos were the main part of this style.
"I created my ink with pride—a mix of Aztec, Mexican revolutionary, and a mix of Cholo images. These were our campfire stories, our myths, our cultural signs. And once you were marked, you were marked for life."
To make this tattoo authentic to what you would get behind bars it is necessary to adapt the working tools, so that the tattoo can be applied correctly. "La pinta" (in prison) with fine lines and black and gray shades. Tattoo parlors that specialize in this genre have already changed their professional tattoo machines to have only one needle :) Otherwise it's a black and gray style with Chicano motifs :)
Each Chicano tattoo can be different, and it largely depends on the experience of the tattoo artist. Behind this tattoo style has a lot of history and also a lot of meaning. This tattoo has become a great way to express Mexican identity, creativity and culture. A common unifying element of this style is the rose flower.
Bold lines and symbolic character. Chicano tattoos are a visual language that speaks a lot about personal and cultural stories. Many of these key designs are related to aspects of Chicano culture.
P.S.
The word Chicano today refers to a boy or man of Mexican descent. These tattoos are often deeply symbolic, reflecting the wearer's personal beliefs and values. Before you decide in favor of this style, think x2 "And once you're marked, you're marked for life." Perhaps the alternative style of black and gray will be a better designation for your chosen tattoo.