My Lifetime Intrigue With Tattoos Essay

The rising popularity of tattoos and body piercing is more than just the latest fashion craze. This type of body art has been a part of this world for thousands of years. Tattoos and piercings have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment (Smithsonian.com). In the later years (1940 – 2000) tattoos and piercings were more common among teenagers and young adults, but now, people of all ages are expressing themselves through body art. To try and understand this rise in the desire to permanently mark ones self, we must first determine the origin and history of tattoos and piercings.

Body modifications have existed in our society for centuries and the way in which it is perceived has changed somewhat over the years. But certain stigmas still persists to this contemporary day. One such body modification is the act of inking or marking the skin: Tattooing. Like most body modifications, tattoos are an often misunderstood form of body modification. Despite the stigmas, tattoos have become a unique object of desire to diverse groups of people. But are the popular perceptions of tattoos out of synch with the true meaning behind them? This essay will explore the social and cultural practices of tattooing and the causal connection between the mind and the tattooed body. It will also explore why tattoos engender

When the Egyptians extended their empire, tattooing extended as well to civilizations such as Crete, Greece, Persia, and Arabia. Later on in 2000BC this form of body art also reached china. With almost every culture influencing the practice of tattoo’s, the concept ranged from medical purposes, branding slaves to even determining the coming out of women. Examples include:

In different modern culture people often express themselves with tattoos. People express their beliefs and, in some cases, prove themselves, like fight to prove that they are worthy to be in that culture. Some cultural tattoos, like ones from Japan, can tell a story or indicate one’s social status. People have to prove to themselves and the other members of their culture that they belong. Cultural tattooing has many different meanings to many different cultures.

For as long as there have been people, there have been methods of distinction amongst them. Throughout the years we have discovered ways in which to express our beliefs, our ideals, and our passions. Tattooing has been one of forefront methods in expressing our humanity, or in certain cases, our lack there of. For so many, they have taken on many different representations, each with an equal level of significance. The importance found in the symbolism of tattoos and their cultural relevance has consistently been a trend found throughout history, religion, and art.

The tattoo is a very old form of body modification, but in spite of that there is still a certain rejection towards those who carry them in a visible area of the body, for some it disfigures what has been created in the image and likeness of God while for others associates this with convicts or gang members mainly because they were one of the first groups to use tattoos to differentiate themselves from the rest of society. But also it is true that there is a very limited understanding about this corporal modification that could be one of the reasons why it can not be appreciated as for how it should be. However, modern society reflects the current popularity of tattooing because it has acquired an entirely artistic meaning to a social expression and a way of identity.

The following is the summary of chapter 12 of the book named Written on the Body: The Tattoo in European and American History originally written by literature doctorate, Stephan Oettermann. The author is aimed to illustrate how the individuals get tattooed, entertained the people and displayed their life. Capturing, tattooing and displaying the savage individuals and having the voluntarily tattooed individuals had been the beginning of western tattooing in nineteen century. Being apart from a showman in performances, narrating biographies were one of the modes of display in the tattooed culture of the West.

An individual’s image is important when meeting somebody for the first time, an employer, family, peers, even strangers that a person might encounter while walking down the street can be judgmental. When are where did the world’s culture change with regards to tattoos? Tattoos were once considered a “rite of passage in some primitive cultures” (Johnson, Ileana, 2015), they were also linked to gang affiliations, military unity, “spirituality, devotion, religion, rewards and awards for bravery, amulets, talismans and security. Tattoos were also used as a symbol of punishments, being outcast, slavery and conviction” (A Brief History of Tattoos and Body Art, 2015). With shows like “LA Ink”, “Bad Ink, and “Miami Ink” body art is no longer looked as an offensive act but being used as a statement of freedom and worn by people of all ages from around the world.

Humans have been tattooing and piercing their bodies for thousands of years. They are not only a means of expression but a way to appreciate other cultures, and in many cases a way of identification. Fortunately our culture has begun to adapt to these ways of expression and my hope is that it only continues to encompass many more variations of diversity whether it be race, sexuality, religion, gender, or social class.

Tattoos are being commonly observed as criminals like killing someone or robbing banks. In the past more men than women supported tattoos. They became apart of groups, signaling time spent in jail, ‘punk’ status, or membership in a motorcycle gang. The popularity with who supported tattoos decreased but were in group situations. People used to get tattoos for peace, with beautiful or calm designs, and/or the names of loved ones. There has been an increase in the placement of body art involving puncturing of the skin from the tattoo artist. Tattooed people were less likely to claim a religious denomination than the non tattooed. “Little is known about the prevalence and consequences of body art application.” (Amy J. Derick 2006). That quote

Tattooing has been an art form for thousands of years and is associated with a wide variety of styles and techniques. In fact, the oldest tattoo found to date was discovered on the body of Otzi the Iceman who died in 3345 B.C. Today, nearly 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo and that number is steadily increasing. After watching the Ancient Ink documentary, I realized that tattooing has more significance behind it than I initially thought. This realization showed me that my knowledge of tattoos is limited and that I wanted to learn more about them.

In the current age of technology and social media, our current generations’ trends stand far apart from previous generations. Concepts that were once frowned upon; are now strange if you don’t possess one. Although tattoos are not a new concept, in recent years the rise of skin modification has skyrocketed. Tattoos were once seen as taboo and meant for the devious, those who were in gangs, sailors, or prostitutes. Before today’s current trend, tattoos use to be symbolic in allowing people to be in acceptance of their own skin. With social media being a huge influence on almost everything in our lives, the concept of tattoos has changed. Tattoos with the current generation has shown that there is a visible concerning sign of harmful and irrational

The body as image - An analysis of the postmodern characteristics of tattoos in contemporary society

For over a decade, tattoos and piercings have seen an increase in popularity. Body modifications is defined as “the semi-permanent or permanent deliberate alteration of the human body”. The studies and articles below show different views in cultures, environments, and gender based ideas. The following sources I used for my research look at how body modifications from a variety of perspectives and bring together these beliefs and more. These resources show an overall analysis on the way body modifications are accepted in today’s society.

The history of tattooing is very long. Humans have been putting ink on their skin for thousands of years. As the evidence for tattooing in ancient world is scarce, it is necessary to refer this practice to more developed societies. The first written records about tattooing come from the Greeks and the Romans. There is valuable archaeological evidence that tattooing took place mainly among the eastern tribes. This practice was usually connected to spirituality and safeguarding people against the unknown. Native Americans have been tattooed for many years because of their culture. For them, every tattoo is a symbol that relates to something within their culture because of the belief that tattoos give them supernatural powers and strength. The story of the boy who wears long hair is an example of commitment of Jessica Oates, the boy's mother to Cocopah Indian culture, in which hair is viewed as strength. Regardless of his hair length, the school should uphold his culture or religion. Theologians indicate that “physical altercations to the body are like "road signs" marking a spiritual journey” (Kuruvilla, 2015). The term tattoo renaissance was developed and used in the academic sources with the major goal – to demonstrate the changes in the popular Western tattoo culture that were initiated in the 1960s. According to researchers, “prior to this shift, much of Western culture associated tattoos with the deviant behavior of bikers, criminals, prisoners, circus entertainers, gang