Artifact: Tattoos
Classifications: Visual representation of individualism, status symbol, wordless introduction, attention grabber
Connections: Tattoos often represent the feelings or beliefs of the people sporting them. They act as a representation of ones self without having to speak. Not every tattoo has significant personal meaning to a person either. Often, a person just wants a tattoo on their body because they like the way they look and they like the way their bodies are with art added. This is why a tattoo has such a wide variety of interpretations as a cultural artifact.
Compare/contrast: A tattoo relates to JJ’s artifacts, beards and badges, in that JJ says that people (and primates) use these things as attention grabbers to attract people to them or bring attention to themselves. As JJ is talking about hipsters and it’s fair to say that plenty of “hipsters” use tattoos for the same reason that they grow beards or wear flamboyant things. We must not corn hole people with tattoos, or beards, or badges, to only hipsters, however. Lots of people grow beards for a very large number of reasons. Just as lots of people get tattoos for many different reasons. The main difference between beards and tattoos is that a tattoo is not as easily removed as a beard. A tattoo is far more permanent because its extremely painful and expensive to get a tattoo removed and all you have to do with facial hair is shave it off.
Metaphors: Tattoos are definitely a metaphor for art because they literally are pieces of art depicted on the skin of a human. Some people get tattoos of pictures, some get words, some get musical notes or lyrics to songs. Pictures, literature, and music are all classified as art.
Tattoos could also be a metaphor for an introduction. By displaying tattoos blatantly for all people around to see, you are posting something about yourself to everyone. Most of the people that will see them are strangers and you do not know and probably will never meet again.
Tattoos are characterized by the masses typically as a negative thing. Getting a tattoo is viewed by many as deviant behavior and an act of defiance of cultural norms.
Cultural narratives, stereotypes, and biases: To many people, tattoos are status symbols. In different cultures, tattoos mean different things. So tattoos in some cultures are symbols of strength or experience where as in other, more mainstream cultures, tattoos are a status symbol of someone who may be less educated than tattooed people, are in lower social classes, or are even dangerous people.
Tattoos, in some circles, are cultural land marks in people’s lives. Even in the modern day, being able to get a tattoo is related to a person becoming an adult in our society. A person cannot go out and get a tattoo whenever they want without a parent’s permission without being at least 18 years old. In some circles, tattoos represents actions that a person has taken in their lives and act as reminders for different points in people’s lives.
Culture affects tattoos by putting people in different categories without using any words. It is not necessarily right to do this, but it is done just the same because of the negative connotations associated with tattooed people.
Tattoos affect culture by being symbols of people. I look forward to the day that there is someone in a political position in this country that has tattoos because that will be the day that we can have a discussion about the reasons people get tattoos and perhaps they can be viewed in a more positive light.