To All,
When I started writing about fruit, little did I know that fruit art would turn out to be one of the major areas of interest. Now that I have stumbled into this area, however, I learn that it is such a sprawling field that it is essential to break it down into different types of fruit art. Therefore, this is the first in a series of e-mails on the different genres of fruit art. Today we cover fruit tattoos.
Having studied this subject thoroughly, I have discovered the rankings of different fruits in tattoo popularity. The two most popular fruits are the strawberry and the cherry. Both are excellent subjects for tattoos since they are small and red, two desired qualities in a tattoo. Since I am not reporting on the mainstream strawberry, no strawberry tattoos are shown. Since the cherry is my favorite fruit, however, I do include a few cherry tattoos.
To my utter astonishment, the fruit that is the next most popular subject for tattoos is the star fruit. I conjecture that this popularity is due to star fruit being a standard training exercise at tattoo school. Evidence for this conjecture is the lack of diversity of designs. Here is an assortment of star fruit tattoos.
In my e-mail on art appreciation (Aug 24) I reported that kiwi and dragon fruit are the two fruits most often represented in fruit art generally. Inexplicably, the dragon fruit does not feature heavily in tattoos, but the kiwi does.
Bananas, which are very well represented among tattoos, seem to bring out the whimsical side of tattoo artists. Contrast this diversity to the relative uniformity of star fruit tattoos. Perhaps the proverbial slipperiness of banana peels and their role in slapstick have given bananas a goofy reputation that appeals to artists.
Here are a few tattoos that feature grapes, apples, avocados, and a pomegranate.
You won't be surprised to see tattoos that honor the first lady of fruit, Carmen Miranda.
Finally, highly popular are composite tattoos that feature a variety of fruits. Shown here are only a few chosen from the vast assortment that is available.
Here's your party tip. For your next party engage a tattoo artist. Tell your guests that as a party favor each is being given a fruit tattoo. Perhaps a macho type will choose a tattoo of a horned melon wrapped in barbed wire, a non-conformist will request a jack fruit tattoo, and others will ask for tranquil tattoos such as a bunch of grapes, an orange slice, or a rambutan tree. Decades after your party, your guests, by then doddering on their last legs, will catch a glimpse of their tattoo, reflect on how much pleasure it has given them over the years, and realize that getting that tattoo was the smartest thing they ever did. They will think back on your party as a turning point in their lives.
In short, the penchant for fruit tattoos shows in yet another context the power of fruit over the human psyche.ri
