Trash Polka Style Tattoos

trash-polka

The Trash Polka design style was popularized by the Buena Vista Tattoo Club. It uses a black and red color scheme illustrated with collage-like images. Trash Polka includes a combination of realism, lettering/script, and geometric shapes.

What is Trash Polka?

The Trash Polka design style resembles that of fine art collages in that it combines realistic images with smears, smudges and kinetic designs that generate a discordant, chaotic look to the piece. Words are sometimes even included in this design. This design style is only done in red or black ink. According to Volko Merschky of Germany Buena Vista Tattoo Club, this style is a combination of “realism and trash; the nature and the abstract; technology and humanity; past, present and future; opposites that they are trying to urge into a creative dance to harmony and rhythm in tune with the body”.

Considering a Trash Polka Tattoo?

If you are considering a Trash Polka style tattoo, there’s some things you should think about first. As with any tattoo, you’ll want to lend some consideration to placement, colors, etc. However, to stay within the guidelines of they style, only red and black inks can be used. Some artists will also prefer to come up with their own imagery, but others are willing to work with images you would like to use.

It’s a Bold Style

Trash Polka tattoos stand out because of their use of both bold and fine lines and heavy use of black and red inks. This style makes for a dramatic tattoo, but it is also fresh. All tattoos fade over time. However, some tattoo styles hold up better than others. Fine lines tend to not do so well and black will visibly fade. This is something important to consider with Trash Polka style tattoos since the stark contrast that makes the style “pop” won’t always be there.

It’s an Unusual Aesthetic

Another thing to consider is that one of the core elements of the Trash Polka style is that it utilizes dissociative imagery-pictures of things that may not directly relate to each other — which can mean that there is less meaning behind the imagery in the tattoo and thus there is a weakened relationship between the tattoo itself and the person wearing it.

It’s Designed to be Fresh

Trash Polka style tattoos are designed to be fresh as in “just finished”. You will notice in all of the pictures you see on the internet that show this style of tattoo feature tattoos that look like they were recently done. This is because the “gloss” of the piece adds to how impressive it looks, but what happens when it fades? Red and black inks—the trademark colors of Trash Polka—are notorious for fading, but are often utilized in pieces that tend to hold up well to aging (like modern traditional or traditional Japanese styles that don’t typically look bad once they’ve aged). While it has yet to be seen, it stands to reason that the aging process will be especially hard on Trash Polka style pieces, particularly if they are in areas that get a lot of exposure to the sun.

 

This are a few things to consider when thinking about getting a Trash Polka Style Tattoo. Ultimately, getting a Trash Polka tattoo will depend on your personal tastes and preferences. Tattoo Consortium can design Trash Polka tattoos to any of our clients specifications. For more information or to get started on your next tattoo contact us with the link below!

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