There are two kinds of wall tattoos. One is the stencil or vinyl sort put on display for public view. The other kind is created by anarchists who challenge prevailing thought. Sounds cool, huh? Whether wall tattoos of the anarchist variety are simple drawings or ornate modern art, they have one thing in common: They’re little seen. In most cases such tattoos can be found behind hotel ‘art work’, mirrors and furniture. The fact that these objects are usually screwed into place makes the job of the anarchist that much more challenging.
The term ‘wall tattoo’ is generally believed to have been coined by Joshua Homme who played with Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal. As a musician who spent a lot of time in hotel rooms and an artist with a lot of time on his hands while in those hotel rooms, Joshua began leaving behind secret messages for future guests to receive.
Wall tattooing in the subversive sense is considered vandalism, as is graffiti, so it is not encouraged. However, the next time you find yourself in a hotel room, you might want to take a peek behind the ‘art’. Just don’t forget to pack a screwdriver.
For more images of wall tattoos, check out secretwalltattoos.com.
