A style of tattooing called "black and gray realism" has its roots in East Los Angeles' Chicano culture. It moved from penal institutions, to the barrios, to high-end tattoo shops around the world.

A popular style of tattooing called "black and gray realism" has its roots in East LA's Chicano culture. It moved from California prisons in the 1970s to high-end tattoo shops worldwide.

A popular style of tattooing called "black and gray realism" has its roots in East LA's Chicano culture. It moved from California prisons in the 1970s to high-end tattoo shops worldwide.

It was there that he encountered the fine-line black and gray tattoos that would become his signature style. “It blew my mind,” Mahoney says now.

His work, along with other examples of the black-and-gray style, is on view at the Natural History Museum as part of the traveling “Tattoo” exhibition that opened Sunday.

Johnny Depp calls him brother. Adele and Angelina are clients. After 40 years of body ink, Mark Mahoney, whose style now dominates the craft, has become an icon of the Sunset Strip.

After Ten Tattoo specializes in black-and-gray, fine line and realism styles of tattoos. Sunset Tattoo specializes in bold, American traditional tattoos.

A popular style of tattooing called "black and gray realism" has its roots in East LA's Chicano culture. It moved from California prisons in the 1970s to high-end tattoo shops worldwide.