Tattoos and Body Art in Europe
Various Artists
Circa
2000 BC – Present
Human Skin
Various Human Beings
Art in Europe
has taken many forms on many different mediums.
Perhaps one of the most common and contextualized forms of art is the
tattoo. Tattoos are also one of the
oldest forms of art. Tattoos were first
documented as an art form present in Europe by Julius Caesar in his Gallic Wars. In the 14th chapter of his 5th
book, Caesar records, “All the Britains, indeed, dye themselves with wood, which occasions a
bluish color, and thereby have a more terrible appearance in fight.” When the Romans were pushing north and west
into Europe, they encountered Celtic people who had a tradition of tattooing
themselves in order to appear fiercer in battle. The Celts date back as far as 2000 BC and
settled where the United Kingdom and Ireland are located today. These markings were intended for more than
just battle, however. To the Celtic
people, tattoos carried representation of the gods they worshipped. These designs were circular and continuous
patterns interweaved. The method in
which these patterns interacted determined
In the Common Era, tattoos became
uncommon throughout Europe. Body art was
associated with lower classes and criminals.
It wasn’t until European explorers discovered tattoos on South and
Central Pacific islands that tattoos came back to fad. Inhabitants of these islands were brought
back to Europe, where royalty admired the intricate patterns engraved into the
skin of these indigenous peoples. By the
18th and 19th centuries, tattoos were a part of the seafarer’s
culture. It is also rumored that tattoos
were popular among European royalty. The
Romantic ideologies of this era valued the exotic, and royalty had the money to
support these interests. Tattoos tended
to represent family ties and the coat of arms.
In the 20th century,
tattoos developed a new wave of popularity.
Many youth found tattoos attractive and individualistic. From the 1960’s and onward, tattoos became
commonplace on people of all classes.
The subjects of body art varied, and in this way, the art becomes very
contextualized. One might see a tattoo
on another’s body, but not understand what the meaning of the tattoo has. Tattoos have thence become extremely private
and ambiguous works of art. Even the
artists who apply the tattoos may not understand what the meaning of their art
is. Tattoos, through European influence,
have also spread to the Western Hemisphere.
The contextualization of tattoos can
be seen through the tattoo of Robina (Robin) Heft, an American from Los
Angeles, California. On Robin’s left rib
cage is a tattoo that reads, “Consider
the lilies”. This phrase comes
directly from Matthew 6:28, a selection from the Bible (English Standard
Version). This phrase has particular
meaning for Robin because of its relevance through a situation that she
endured. A few years ago, a student made false accusations against her father and a SWAT team raided Robin’s
family’s house. At this point in her
life, Robin felt a lot of stress and confusion.
The day that a SWAT team raided
Robin’s house, she had to go to work.
While at work, Robin was overcome by the events, and broke down. A coworker offered to pray with her, and in
his prayer he quoted Matthew 6:28. For
the next year, Robin consistently read this Bible verse. In this time, God spoke wisdom into her life
through the verse.
When Robin decided to have this
phrase tattooed into her skin, much thought went into the placement and
phrasing of the verse. At first, Robin
wanted to have the tattoo placed on her shoulder so that it could be more
visible to others. However, she decided
to place it on her left rib cage instead for several reasons. When she was young, Robin used to cut
herself. Her left rib cage was the best
place for this because it was hidden and opposite of her right hand. In order to represent the redemptive nature
of God’s love, she had the tattoo placed over this area. Her rib cage is also hidden, but still
visible as Robin gets dressed and a constant reminder for her not to worry
about the trivialities of life.
As Robin was deciding the details of
the tattoo, she wasn’t sure which of two different translations from which to borrow
the phrase. One translation said “Consider the lilies…”, but another said “Consider the wildflowers…” Robin wanted to show the impact that her best
friend, Evelyn, has had on the decisions she makes in life, and so asked for
Evelyn’s opinion. Evelyn chose the
phrase that is now engraved in Robin’s skin.
As one can see, tattoos are an art
form that not only are beautiful to sight, but also have beautiful stories
behind the art. This contextualization
provides a deeper meaning that helps one understand the true meaning and beauty
behind the art. As with all art, there
is good and bad art. The good art can be
distinguished by the intentionality of the placement and subject matter. Body art that has been considered art,
throughout history, is art that has contextualized meaning.
Report by Benjamin Mills - 2015
Report by Benjamin Mills - 2015
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