I don't know why I picked this topic of research, but somehow I feel that perhaps I could relate to tattoos well enough to do so.
No, I am not a tattoo collector; nor do I think I have that level of commitment to be one. Perhaps that is why I only have a tiny one behind my left ear. It's discreet enough and it says "Strange". It is already smudgey after 7 months and 4 days, condition almost likening to tattoos done years ago. :(
Too bad. I gave an apprentice a chance to practise on me and paid for it nonetheless.
Hopefully he gets better (he has to!) and my 'bravery' has contributed to his progress.
Why "Strange"? Or why tattoo at all?
I have had serious doubts on getting a tattoo, and even till now I still have them.
Believe it or not, I am a Christian. Though its tough to see that from my conduct,
I do worry about stuff like that. I have hesitated and thought about it so much that I was sick of doing so. And to top it off, if people are making such a big deal out of it, it must be either horribly traumatic or damn good. Either ways, I was curious, and more so with the ongoing rise of tattoo culture all thanks to "Miami Ink" and "LA Ink".
My mother did not know until I showed it to her out of rebellion one day.
I told her that I need to do what I want.
I think everyone is rather sick of the stories that come along with tattoos on those above mentioned TV shows. And some comments on Youtube sound like this:
"Why do they fucking need stories as an excuse to get a tattoo?
Why can't they get a tattoo just because they want to?"
I think its true. But in a way, I do understand why people need a reason, or an excuse. Say if your inks are just body decorations, meaning that there is a lack of depth in its content, it would be an annoying scar to keep when the trend has passed. We all know that trends come and go, and most people do not keep their old clothes unless they possess a certain amount of sentimental value. So likewise for tattoos, it is definitely easier to commit to a design with sentimental value and therefore the existence of the stories behind them.
As for "Strange", it is my excuse/reason to indulge in this trend as this word carries certain meanings for me.
ONE: My cat's name is Stranger, and I have no difficulty committing to animals, and sadly, this doesn't ring true in the case of my relationships with human beings.
He is a dying cat, and this is my way of keeping him with me.
TWO: My siblings used to call me "Emily the Strange". Just because they find me Strange, and I had that haircut the character has. The funny thing is; Emily's bestie is actually her black cat named Mystery. At some point I shall adopt a black cat and live out this fiction. :)
THREE: I think it is good to be strange and find things strange. That way, you won't lose your amazement with life too quickly and lack the motivation to live.
So, the conclusion : Did that tattoo change my life?
Yes only to a certain extent. The pain is fun, and addictive to a degree, and I am glad to have experienced it. Luckily, I am happy with it so far. Does it make me smile when it reminds me of my baby? Yes. Did it motivate me to be amazed with stuff? No, because I still want to die or not do anything most of the time.
I don't think people change from the outside in, maybe they would alter their actions with a WWJD bracelet(What would Jesus Do?) upon seeing those initials worn on their hands. But hey, for this you can't blame me! Simply because I have my tattoo placed somewhere that I can't even see! Ha, nice try, me.
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Ivy!! heard you're sick hope you're ok :)
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to hear your reasons for getting your tattoo. I think they're very good and significant reasons for you personally.
For our Archive Fever project we need to define a main problem and subsequently sub-problems and solutions to these problems. This analysis will help us to define a direction for our final translation of our archive and what are we going to collect here.
Since you were not in class today, let me inform you that for our final presentation, we need to hand up 4 things: a)our archive blog; b) our translating of the archive; c)the 2 posters; and d)the time capsule (not necessarily related to the archive).
I think maybe you can look into archiving the meanings of the tattoos that have private significance to the people who get tattoos.
Sorry got to go for now, will continue with my comment later...
take care :)
I came across this picture http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com/galleries.php?g=3&p_id=403&page=1.
ReplyDeleteThere was this gallery exhibition by Audrey Kawasaki, an artist who illustrates mostly images of young girls in eros. One of her fans got a tattoo of one of her illustrations on her arm, and the picture shows the artist signing the tattoo.
I am very curious to know what significance does the artist play in the fan's life that made her make the decision of engraving her illustration on her body? I think this tattoo, which is a pictorial image by an artist, has a special meaning to the person who got it, and this meaning will be different from the reason why you got your tattoo. There are different types of tattoos (e.g. the illustration is different from just a word like yours), and I think that the tattoo expresses a part of the person, a story that the person carries with him/her for life. It may be interesting if you can look into some tattoos and collect the stories behind it, and maybe combine them into a booklet. The stories behind each tattoo must be deeply personal to that person, and so a collection of stories would be touching to read, I guess.
Just some suggestions, hope it helps. :)
Everytime I think about tattoo, I remember Memento, Christopher Nolan. Surely you have seen this film. The interesting thing is not the tattoo itself, but why and how he engraved them on his body, and how each tattoo represents a fragment of his mind and memory... I find that's quite interesting...
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