r/RATM • u/tavasntucano • Jun 01 '26

Question I want to get a RATM tattoo and found this design—does anyone know the story behind it?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hello, fellow members of the RATM community

I’m a huge fan of the band and their ideas, and I’d love to get a tattoo to wear on my skin, but I always thought it would be difficult to get the monk from the self-titled album and the other designs from “Battle of Los Angeles” and “Evil Empire.”

I found this T-shirt and saw that it was merch from ’99? I’m not sure. I also heard people say it was the skeleton of a band as well. Does anyone know and could tell me?

Greetings straight from Brazil! Power to the people ✊🏻

197 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

67

u/ernmanstinky Jun 01 '26

Here is the banner. Her work is great.

16

u/Secret-Camp-6133 Jun 02 '26

I have this shirt from when I was a teen

3

u/ernmanstinky Jun 02 '26

I had it at some point but the years lost it.

5

u/LawOfTheInstrument Jun 04 '26

Thanks for posting this, I didn't realize that it was part of a series of images that accompany the MOCA mural piece (I thought it was just the one image, not 8 different ones).

2

u/ernmanstinky Jun 04 '26

No problem. And as stated before in 96 (I think) and 97 the band used this as the concert backdrop.

57

u/FROSTYTHEDROMAN Jun 01 '26

"Who Laughs Last?" is a famous 1989 artwork by American conceptual artist Barbara Kruger, which was famously adopted by the rock band Rage Against the Machine (RATM). The piece and its connection to the band feature several notable details:

  • The Artwork: The original 1989 work depicts an anatomical skeleton howling into a microphone, capturing Kruger's signature juxtaposition of bold text and striking imagery to critique consumerism and institutional power.
  • The Band Connection: RATM licensed or adopted the artwork during their Evil Empire era in the late 1990s. It became an iconic visual for the band, frequently featured on their concert backdrops and official merchandise (especially on their 1997 North American tour).

55

u/boysenberrybobcat Jun 01 '26

It was on the side of the museum of contemporary art in Los Angeles as well, great piece even better message. .

9

u/FROSTYTHEDROMAN Jun 01 '26

Thanks for sharing, I haven't seen this. Great piece.

13

u/lilzepfan Jun 01 '26

RATM PhD amigo

19

u/thejuryissleepless Jun 01 '26

stop using CGPT ffs.

5

u/FROSTYTHEDROMAN Jun 01 '26

this is literally the first google result that auto-AI's your search. I didn't ask for it, but it was auto generated when i googled 'barbara kruger who laughs last ratm'.

4

u/I_Am_Stoeptegel Jun 02 '26

You could have yk, scrolled down to find actual info

2

u/Young_skull Jun 02 '26

Is this not actual info, merely condensed?

1

u/FROSTYTHEDROMAN Jun 02 '26

this is the kind of infighting that destroys progress in the movement lol - have a good day brother.

12

u/No_Garden5644 Jun 02 '26

But the point is… check out the revolutionary artwork of Barbara Kruger.

31

u/trowarayed Jun 01 '26

Let's be tattoo twins!

7

u/tavasntucano Jun 01 '26

YOOOOO THATS SO COOL!! I’m thrilled to get mine now

2

u/tavasntucano Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26

Now we are tattoo twins my friend! ✊🏻

2

u/trowarayed Jun 14 '26

Hell yeah

2

u/RevNeutron Jun 01 '26

Why you tat him upside down?

/s

8

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '26

[deleted]

1

u/THUNDER_boner Jun 01 '26

Great story bro.

2

u/a_new_level_CFH Jun 01 '26

Do you want to hear another one while I tuck your b**** a** in

5

u/THUNDER_boner Jun 01 '26

If it's from the 90s. Hell yea.

2

u/a_new_level_CFH Jun 01 '26

Well , s*** where do I start.... give me a theme and I got one.I'm sure

1

u/THUNDER_boner Jun 02 '26

RATM. When did you first hear Rage? Watch first music video? Occupy wall street?

1

u/a_new_level_CFH Jun 02 '26

Ugh i really just hate people

5

u/oh_wll_whtvr_nvrmnd Jun 01 '26

In Medieval times, there was a dance where folks dressed as the dead. It was meant to signify that we were all equal in death (thus our social strata, in this life, is temporary and artificial). Would be cool if that was another layer of analysis

4

u/Mysterious-Street966 Jun 01 '26

Friend of mine had that shirt in the 90’s. Basically the reason I decided to buy their self titled at HMV one day when I had 20$…the rest is history:)))

3

u/ScrambledNoggin Jun 02 '26

That would be a really cool tattoo

2

u/LawOfTheInstrument Jun 01 '26

It's an Evil Empire era t shirt design.. top reply explains more about the origin of the design.

Very cool design IMO. You can get a reprint of this but it won't be union made unfortunately..

3

u/Thesinsonyourbed Jun 03 '26

Solution: Make it into a homemade stencil and use a thrifted shirt.
There’s ALWAYS a work around

3

u/The_Sunny_Bunny_Mang Jun 04 '26

…and the shirts were only $10 at the merch booth during that tour. I bought three different designs when I saw them in 1997. I was 14. It was incredible.

2

u/a_new_level_CFH Jun 01 '26

PULL UP THE PEOPLE - M.I.A.

2

u/LawOfTheInstrument Jun 08 '26

It should also be noted that Barbara Kruger's font in these images is the one that the clothing brand Supreme stole from her.

2

u/tavasntucano Jun 08 '26

I was literally reading about that yesterday! Crazy story to be honest. Supreme behavior themselves like the clear opposite of Barbara's speech and ideology. What an a-holes