Skin Art and Body Ink: The New Mainstream Phenomenon
Tat Taunts, Tribulations and Trauma
This is the age of self-expression, and we want to express ourselves on our own terms. But our culture is also conformist, and there is a new puritanism in the air.
So body art must straddle the division with as much grace and aplomb it can muster, cognisant of the perceptions of others as well as (the equally hard to navigate) perceptions of self.
These are the internal and external perspectives, and where you put the tattoo, how many you have, what they depict — and their size — all shape the emotional response.
Tats are no longer taboo, but their historical associations with soldiers, the incarcerated and gangs won’t be quickly forgotten.
And a prurient curiosity remains. Why get one in the first place? Self-expression, yes — but to what end, and for which purpose? For attention? Artistic freedom? Rebellion? To honour someone’s memory? To celebrate a current love? To boast a group affiliation? To get laid?
The decision to ink the skin is psychologically fascinating.
Symbolic interactionism theory says tattoos are about identity, its creation and maintenance, collectively (as a symbol of membership) and individually (in the sense of…
