Ornamental & Art Nouveau Tattoos

Decoration as Fine Art

There's a tendency to think of ornamental and decorative tattooing as simpler than figurative work. The opposite is true. A mandala is unforgiving — every line has to be precise, every radius consistent, every element balanced against every other. A composition that goes slightly wrong is instantly visible because there's nothing to hide behind. The craft has to be clean.

Art Nouveau brings a different challenge. The style — born from the late nineteenth century works of Mucha, Klimt, and their contemporaries — is defined by organic line, the integration of figure and frame, and a sensibility that treats the female form, flowers, and flowing hair as interchangeable elements of a single decorative system. Translating that to skin requires both drawing skill and an understanding of how those long curving lines will behave over the contours of an arm, a leg, or a back.

Terry Ribera approaches both ornamental and Art Nouveau tattooing the same way he approaches everything else: as an illustrator. The line quality comes from a lifetime of drawing. The composition planning comes from thinking about how a piece needs to inhabit the body rather than just sit on it. Ornamental work in his hands tends to be precise without being mechanical, and decorative without being empty.

These styles work particularly well as standalone pieces — a mandala on the chest, a scalp tattoo, an ornamental forearm — but also as connective tissue in a larger body suit composition. An ornamental element can tie disparate styles together, create visual breathing room between larger figurative pieces, and give the eye a place to rest. That's a function that gets underestimated.

If you're considering an ornamental or Art Nouveau piece in San Diego, email is the best way to start a conversation. Terry books approximately one year in advance from Remington Tattoo.