What do you think when you see someone with an armful of tattoos? A cool expression of their personality? Or the sign of a less-than-savoury character?
Despite one in three of us having them, tattoos remain somewhat of a taboo. Something to hide away at weddings and job interviews. Something to be justified and explained.
So, who on earth thought sticking black stuff under your skin would be a good idea in the first place?
‘Otzi the Iceman’, that’s who.
This bronze-age stud-muffin, from 3300 BC is the first tattooed body ever to be discovered. His 57 designs were loosely correlated with acupressure points on the body – a hint that they were ‘medicinal’. And, they were made of soot!
For centuries afterwards, tribes across the globe have followed in Otzi’s (highly-decorated) footsteps – using tattoos as a signifier of great and important things. The coming of age at 16. The tribe you belong to. Your societal or even marital status. How far you’ve travelled. The battles you’ve fought.
So far, so good.
So where did inking start to get a bad rep?
In the 6th and 7th century, the Greeks and Romans tattooed their prisoners and slaves, so that they could be easily identified and returned to them if they escaped.
In fact: ‘Stigma’ – the word now meaning a distinguishing mark of social disgrace – comes from the Latin, meaning a mark or puncture, especially one made by a pointed instrument.’
Ouch.
And, despite a boom in Victorian Britain among members of the aristocracy – and even the Royal Family- the popularity of tattooing among convicts right up until the 20th century has given the art form a long-standing bad name.
So why do 33.3% of us still do it?
For many tattooed folk, it’s a way of outwardly expressing themselves. To commemorate those they’ve loved, or those they’ve lost. In a world that expects you to look a certain way, tattoos can help people regain a sense of autonomy over their bodies – decorating themselves exactly as they see fit, right down to the last dot.
For some, it’s still about belonging to a tribe. The quirky teeny-tiny tattoos of Chelsea’s bright young things. The PT and gym-bro’s Beckham-esque sleeves. The brightly coloured trad tattoos on the torsos of hipsters. The dotwork black and grey designs on countless chefs in countless kitchens.
For me, with over 10 designs (and counting) tattoos are not only a beautiful way to commemorate people and moments in life, but a reminder not to take my body – and in some ways, my life – too seriously.
As Cat Stevens said “we’re only dancing on this earth for a short time” and that’s always struck a chord with me. And, as morbid as it sounds, like Mexicans celebrating the Day of the Dead, we should never lose sight of the fact that our time here is limited. That our bodies are not our true selves. And, that our outer skin is just what keeps our insides in.
So, if an armful of tattoos makes you feel cooler, more empowered, or a little bit more in charge of your body; if the process pushes you outside your comfort zone, or makes you feel just that little bit more rock’n’roll, what could be more beautiful?
Otzi the Iceman would be proud.
Image is a selection of work by my amazing tattoo artist, Jules Gordon, at Frontier Tattoo in Cardiff.
Claire Sutherland 