ink

Tattoos are fascinating. They are a strange blend of ancient and modern, being found on millenia-old mummies, but also seen as newly accepted in open (Western) society. The tools and pigments have changed over time, as well as popular designs and reasons behind the tattoo. From a social rite to freak-making operation to statement of individuality-just-like-everyone-else's, the tattoo has evolved over time to the personalized and portable work of art that many people consider it to be today.

Why do people choose to be tattooed? Why do we want a permanent mark on our skins, one that is even painful to have put there? In some cultures, the tattoo is a beautifying mark, much like pierced ears in modern Western society, and piercings are also a somewhat painful way of making oneself more attractive. Other methods of leaving marks on the body have become popular in the 20th century among some strata of our society, generally permanent and involving some discomfort, both in their application and the subsequent healing. These include branding, scarification, and piercing other parts than the earlobes.

The tattoo is possibly the most accepted form of permanent body modification today. It can be placed so as to be hidden in situations where it might be distracting or inappropriate. Many tattoos are beautiful, with a variety of patterns and colors, and can be considered works of art. However, the question arises again: why the permanent mark? Why go through an uncomfortable process, when a simple body painting could suffice? Temporary tattooing with pigments like henna often last for many days or weeks.


Most who undertake the chore of getting a tattoo say it represents some important event or idea in their life. Names and slogans tend to be easily deciphered, but images may be more obscure to the casual viewer. In a way, this is an advantage for the owner of the tattoo, whose views and ideas may change with time, and a pattern or picture can be reinterpreted more easily than words.

Part of the tattoo's appeal may in fact be the possibility of pain in its application. In other cultures, it has been applied to mark milestones in a person's life, achievements and growth in the
community. While the tattoo does not have that
universally recognized meaning here and now, to the willing canvas there may be a certain psychological fulfillment in having it done. The minutes, even hours spent, perhaps a process taking days to finish, then the healing...all this might stimulate the pleasure centers of the owner of the new tattoo. Add to this the enjoyment of showing off the picture to admiring or horrified
observers, and the tattoo is worth the money, time and discomfort for its fans.

This thinking can also be applied to more destructive activities such as cutting, which leads some mental health professionals to search for negative causes for tattooing, and to the publicizing of these views over other, more positive opinions.

Modern Western society is one of individuals and personal choices. We have the luxury of being able to dress and decorate ourselves distinctively, and the tattoo is part of the decorative cache for many people, even those who choose not to make use of it themselves. In our times of volatile mobility, the very permanence of inked skin may hold some attraction; the mark will remain for the rest of the bearers life, barring some serious intervention to have it removed. It can be modified, but will never disappear completely.