In the recent weeks, I have been looking into getting another tattoo, another art piece to add to the collection. This topic may seem to stray from the world of academia, well at least in comparison to what we are studying in university. Although, in my Arts Studies course, we are encouraged to look for patterns and trends between literary works and explore the significance behind our findings particularly in the genre of autobiographies. Since getting my first tattoo, I have always been intrigued by tattoo culture and now I’m looking into connecting this subject matter with the study of autobiographies, sparking the idea of this blog post.
Before committing myself to getting inked I always ask myself…
“Why do I want tattoo? And Why do I want another one?”
Here are two main reasons:
1) My decision to get a tattoo is usually in response to a recent life event
2) The act of getting a tattoo is a way of remembering
These motives are very common amongst many tattooed individuals. In an article from the University of Denver “Newsroom” they confirm this knowledge by stating:
In my case I got my first tattoo when I became of legal age, a way to commemorate my coming of age and transitioning from a child to an adult. My tattoo is a small reminder of that experience and a way to record my memories. Like many others who want a tangible means to “document” their memories, they look to the form of tattooing as a tangible and easily attainable method of remembering. As we have studied, other individuals remember through writings and autobiographies such as Mariane Satrapi’s Persepolis and how she actively remembers through creating a graphic narrative (comic) on her life experiences. Since not everyone is able to have a publication of their life, some may look to tattooing as a cultural form of memory preservation. Moreover, how tattoos can be an expression of one’s life stories, events or other personal attributes.
As seen in this video here, a mother explains the reasoning behind her tattoos and how she chose to share her life experience.
In our studies we have also looked into the concept of “Private vs. Public” and the lines crossed between sharing private thoughts in a public manner. Though an individual’s tattoos are not distributed or commodified for global readership like blogs and non-fiction texts, they are in a way publicized. By choosing to get a tattoo, it is exposed on your skin which in a micro sense (small-scale level) a way to publicly display the artwork. When tattoos are noticeably visible, they may spark questioning and interest. What does your tattoo mean? Why is the story behind it? Now, through the questioning one may choose to share what their tattoo means. As I mentioned earlier before, many tattoos are done for personal and intimate reasoning. Therefore, by getting the tattoo in the first place illustrates the “private” aspect of this form of remembering, and by having it exposed on our skin satisfies the “public” concept. Moreover, my connections between the two are generally limited on the micro-scale (or immediate surroundings) unless we start talking about tattoo reality TV shows – but that discussion can be saved for a later date. Therefore by exposing our tattoos we openly share the artwork allowing others to see it, and to see our stories.
Through these trends between storytelling and art, more specifically tattoo art, we can see the correlations between tattoo culture and life narratives. I must reiterate that these findings are not a formal generalization, but rather ideas derived from my own personal findings and observations. By analyzing the patterns behind the “why” people choose to get tattooed it can be compared to the “why” life narratives come to be created and shared.
No matter how big or small a tattoo may be, significant or impulsive… a tattoo is a permanent way of remembering, and I hope to continue to add to my collection throughout the course of my life and share my stories.
I really enjoyed reading this post and it was very interesting how you made connections with the ‘private and public’ through the tattoos. I strongly agree with your points on how tattoos are a form of autobiography that carries personal meaning that is meant to be shared. Thus, would you say that these tattoos, a form of life narrative, be a way for one to establish their identity as well? Furthermore, on a slightly personal curiosity, what is the significance for an individual to tattoo themselves on an area they will not be able to see ever with their own eyes such as their back?
Mana,
I do think that this is definitely a way for people to establish their own identity. If we look through the course of tattoo history in the beginning (and is still practised now) tribes use tattoos as a way to identify themselves and their place within the community. For example, the Maori (indigenous people) of New Zealand, have different tattoo styles for men and women to be identified as holding a certain position in a group or for beauty and intimidation tactics. We also see this with sailors or gangs, they use tattoos to symbolize which group they come from, or some significant events within their lives. So I do think that tattoo culture is a more intimate way of “documenting” one’s identity. Funny you should ask about tattoos on the back… There are definitely a few reasons as to why people get tattoos where they do. Location plays a key role in how certain tattoos are meant to be displayed. In the example of a back tattoo, the spine/back can offer symbolism as a core structure of the body and so having a tattoo there can illustrate that significance. On the other hand, back tattoos are very easy to hide from work, or is a relatively less painful spot to get tattooed. However, for those who choose to share their tattoo on more exposed areas of the body like hands, arms or even legs can definitely mean that they want to make a statement with their artwork, and it invited people to question the story behind it.
Lynsee, what a unique connection you’ve made in linking tattoos to life narratives. I am most intrigued by the similarity of the crucial role of audience in both cases. Often, we believe that audience is what determines the success or meaning of life narratives. So for example, if someone writes an autobiography and nobody reads it, then we deem the autobiography as a failure. However, I think tattoos as life narratives are a good way to show that yes, the public aspect does matter, but the private counts for something as well. Even if no one’s life is changed by an autobiography/tattoo, it means something to the person who wrote it/wears it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insight on tattoos as life narratives!
Lynsee this was a super interesting post. I completely agree with you in the ways in which tattoos act as a way of remembering. However, I feel that tattoos have largely remained stigmatized as either impulsive and irrelevant, or as part of a sort of punk-rock image that people create for themselves. Your post does a great job at explaining that tattoos are functional for the broadest of audiences, and initiate communities of storytelling by the simple connection of meaningful life events. As acts of remembering, I want to ask you if you think the memories of your tattoos will change over time, either in relation to new tattoos or new perspectives on the past?