Tatoo Rites

by Caroline Healey

Tattooing is an exciting and constantly involving art form, all the more fascinating now that it’s coming out of the land of deviancy to become a familiar expression of freedom.

The world of tattooing in the western world stems from gangs and outsiders - bikers and sailors - and originally criminals and slaves. From this extreme deviancy, body art has blossomed into the mainstream through a kaleidoscope of fashion, celebrity endorsement, popular cultural movements such as the hippy era, punk and the increasing liberty from conservatism the middle classes have experienced over the last decade.

It is the exciting branding of identity and social communication through physical expression, as well as the association in the west with rebellion, which has captured the fashion designers’ imaginations. In his 1993 fall collection, Jean-Paul Gaultier put his sheer bodysuit coated in tattoo enthused twists and spins on the catwalk, creating a new step in acceptability for the look. Inspiration for this show came from the contrasting sources of banknotes and his eternal interest in Hells Angels and mariners. Galliano combined underground, sexy Film Noir imagery with ‘old-school ink’ full body tattoo suits at Glow, Vancouver, 2004, creating a huge spin off in tights and sleeves on the high street.

Galliano founded his body art creations largely from western ideas of tattooing, but interestingly, on the far side of the world tattoos have converse connotations. Rather than a mark of rebellion and therefore often exclusion, they offer inclusion and are a mark of respect and recognition, of status and tell narratives of ancestral history. The word tattoo is actually derived from the Tahitian, ‘ta tau,’ to mark. Gaultier has used this body art culture for ideas as has Paco Rabanne, both leading to huge debate. Many Polynesians and Maori felt offended by this use of their iconography, disregard shown for the symbolism of the markings. It is not usually felt that Polynesian tattoo is impossible to incorporate into western culture however. Robbie Williams’s piece on his shoulder and Ben Harper’s full back Moko have been executed by traditional artists from the original countries and most feel this is completely acceptable.

Following their hero’s lead or the latest fashions are fine, but interestingly many don’t consider that you can’t take off a tattoo like a T-shirt. Decorating one’s body ultimately leads to judgments, not always positive and once there, the marked and their viewers are left with the impression. Tattooing is an exciting and constantly evolving art form, all the more fascinating now that it’s coming out of the land of deviancy to become a familiar expression of freedom.