In addition, tattoos seem to have a variety of functions. While some
choose to receive a tattoo to cover up blemishes or other tattoos,
others may use them simply to create an individual identity and
distinguish oneself from everyone else in the world. In this sense,
tattoos serve as a "visual metaphor for identity", just as Davis
states concerning dress and appearance in general (33). Tattoos can
be used to portray specific messages, like the ones that profess
undying love to the person's partner. I have even heard of tattoos
being used as "punishment" for the masochistic in the sado-masochism
scene. Additionally, as Davis states, in the case of females who
receive tattoos, tattoos are a way that women try "to incorporate into
their own personas insignias of male status and masculinity" (33).
While I don't believe that women specifically go out to find ways to
adapt into their personas, male masculinity, in this
society where gender roles are very specifically and strictly defined,
I guess that tattoos could be wrongly accused as a symbol of male
masculinity. Finally, tattoos are used as a way to shock people and
rebel against the standards and expectations of the society. It is
with this function that tattoos become artifacts of anti-fashion. They
seem to consciously rebel against societies "designated rules" of
fashion.
Tattooing is an elaborate (and permanent) art form in
which the human
body becomes the artists canvas, and the tattoo gun becomes the brushes.
Tattoos, in general, usually begin as a sketch on paper, or in the mind of
the artist. Rarely do the artists tattoo without a great deal of
preparation and thought to the matter. The designs themselves, which may
be form designs like the ones on the wall of the tattoo parlors, or
designs specially brought in by the client, can be just about anything.
(A great deal, though, are abstract black designs like the one on the
left) Tattoos may be complex and encompass the entire
body or they may
be as simple as a dot on the tip of someone's toe. Whatever the design
may be, it is most often applied to the body by a tattoo artist with the
aid of a tattoo gun. Although I have seen a couple of
people who have
rejected the idea of going to a tattoo artist, and have created their
tattoos by carving the design into their body with a knife, and applying the
ink this way. (This method is not recommended, however, due to the
extreme risk of infection) The tattoo
gun is a small, hand-held
instrument that repeatedly punctures the skin, while at the same time
inserting small amounts of ink into the skin. This process of
repeated puncturing, which many take anywhere from a couple of minutes to
numerous hours, eventually creates a permanent design on the skin.
I designed by tattoo in 1992, although it took me until the next year to
come up with enough money to finally get it tattooed onto my ankle.
The tattoo, which is pictured on the right, is a small flower about an
inch in diameter. A black border, about two millimeters thick,
surrounds the five petals of the flower, and comes to a sharp point at
the end of each one. The small petals are a combination of two
different shades of green, while in the very center of the flower lies
a small speck of yellow encircled by another black outline. The
tattoo itself, which was applied to the inner ankle of my right foot,
was created by a gentleman at Great Southern Tattoo in College
Park, MD. (Which I do not recommend to those
individuals who are looking to invest in the art form ) Priced at about fifty dollars, the tattoo, took approximately
twenty minutes to complete.
Although my tattoo becomes a piece of anti-fashion simply because it is visible deviance from the mainstream fashion, I did not receive it to portray a message of rebellion. In fact, my tattoo has a much more personal function in my life. It symbolizes a very pleasant time in my life and constantly reminds me of my feelings during this period. Therefore, my tattoo functions as more of a symbol of my life, rather than any of the other functions listed previously.
