NOTICE
More than skin deep
The motivations and implications of body modification
By Sean Rosner
srosner@kansan.com
Kelly McReynolds first went under the needle her freshman year. Sitting awkwardly in a barber chair with her shirt pulled up to expose her back, she waited nervously until the buzz of the needle broke the room's silence.
McReynolds, Santa Fe, N.M., senior, had been planning this for weeks. A fan of Man Ray's photograph "LeViolon d'Ingres," which depicts a woman with f-shaped holes similar to a violin's on her back, McReynolds decided to replicate the photo by getting two f-shaped holes tattooed on her own back. Now that the time had come, though, she was beginning to second-guess her decision. Holding her friend's hand, she stared at the white tile floor and braced for the painful process to begin.
"When the needle hit the skin, it wasn't as jolting as I expected," McReynolds says.
McReynolds since has returned to the tattoo parlor twice to add to her collection of body art, and she is one of many people doing so today. Once the trademark of prisoners and bikers, body modifications such as tattoos and piercings exploded into popular culture in the early '90s and have continued to grow in popularity.
A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 36 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 had at least one tattoo. That same survey found that 32 percent of people in that age group had at least one body piercing, which is a piercing somewhere other than in the earlobe.
So how did tattoos and body-piercings go from counterculture to commonplace? Clinton Sanders, professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut and author of the book Customizing the Body; The Art and Culture of Tattooing, says the growth in popularity of tattoos and body-piercings has been a natural progression. Sanders says most people get tattoos and body-piercings because they see someone they know or admire, and the growth fuels itself. Sanders also attributes the popularity to television shows like LA Ink and Miami Ink, which have turned tattoo artists into celebrities.
Though the inspiration to get a tattoo or body-piercing may come from others, it can be extremely personal. Sanders says
body modification is important because it allows people to set themselves apart from the ordinary. He says that tattoos especially because of their permanence, are a huge commitment to the ideas of the people who have them.
"Tattoos are the ultimate stability in a world that is dominated by change," Sanders says.
Matt Simon, Omaha, Neb., sophomore, has a quote by the ancient Persian poet Rumi covering his left arm, which reminds him to take risks and think independently. On Simon's right arm are four bands representing life, death, love and sympathy for others, things he says he would give his soul to. Simon says his tattoos represent ideas that he wants to live his life by.
"I wanted to incorporate them into my body, so they are a part of me physically and not just in my mind," he says.
As body modifications have grown in popularity, so has their acceptability. Sanders says that although tattoos and body-piercings used to be a way to "thumb your nose" at society, they have since lost their deviant appeal.
The declining association between body modifications and delinquency has changed the opinions of people who once found them unbecoming.
Steven Bridgman, a tattoo artist at BDC Tattoo, 938 Massachusetts St, has a full sleeve of tattoos, as well as tattoos on his neck and hand.
"I don't even scare little kids anymore." Bridgman says.
But one place that is still relatively inhospitable to tattoos and body-piercings is the workplace. David Gaston, director of the University Career Center, says acceptance from employers has not changed as quickly as tattoo and body-piercing popularity has grown. He says that the issue can vary depending on the industry, because some job fields require less face-to-face interaction and some job fields are more relaxed about appearance.
But Gaston is quick to note that career paths can change unexpectedly, and students should be prepared for whatever they are faced with.
"Students need to think through things before they do them," he says. "I remember folks telling me that when I was younger. Nothing has changed."
Photos by Ryan McGeeney Kelly McReynolds poses in the same position as the woman in artist Man Ray's 1924 photograph, "Le Violin d'ingres." McReynolds has also has a skin tattoo on her left side.
Tattoo and body-piercing trends
Naval rings, tribal armbands tattoos, and Asian calligraphy tattoos have all had their share of the limelight, but what's hot today? Tattoo artists Scary Carrie and Steven Bridgman from BDC Tattoo discuss what's currently big in body art.
- Tattoos on the rib cage:
Though it is one of the most painful places on the body to get a tattoo, the rib cage has become a popular canvas for tattoo artists lately. The ribcage offers a big area for detailed pieces, and can be easily concealed.
- Portraits: "Portraiture is fucking enormous right now." Carrie says. Black and gray portraits have been a tattoo staple for years, often used as a way to pay tribute to a lost loved one or favorite celebrity, but full-color portraiture has made a big splash recently.
- Gauged earlobes: Though generally relegated to certain subcultures, the act of stretching an earlobe piercing has taken off lately. Most gauge sizes stay around or less than one inch, though Carrie says that people could stretch their earlobes down to their waists if they really wanted to.
- Stars: Whether in a group, alone outlined or filled in, stars are highly sought after. "Everybody wants a nautical star now," Carrie says.
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October 23, 2008