Back in Black (and Grey)

Is there any better way for an artist to showcase his skills than by doing a large scale back piece? In the hands of the right artist the possibilities are endless. Given the ample amount of real estate that the back provides an artist can do things that would never, ever work on an arm or a thigh. For one thing, a skilled tattooist can put in levels of detail that would simply be impossible in a small piece. Just look at the piece above (tattooed by Speranza Tatuaggi), the marble floor that the angel is kneeling upon has more detail in it than half the tattoos we’ve ever seen. Also, given the religious symbolism within the tattoo a full back piece is really the only way the artist would be able to give the work the gravitas that is necessary. So, celebrate the splendor that is the back tattoo by looking through this gallery featuring some of our favorite pieces.