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Tell - Tale Signs
The cultural theorist, Efrat Tseelon insists that within the framework of capitalist consumer culture, the status of the body has radically changed. The body has turned into malleable cultural product. An individual could use his body to depict pleasure, social belief or political orientation.
In 1970, a French artist, Gina Pane in front of a selected audience, dressed in white used her body as an art experience; in a complex gesture she struck herself by a razor - sharp like instrument and the net work of wounds bled. She justified her art as physical identification to outside suffering. She used her art as a psychic participation in the process of healing. Her act could be compared with Shamanic practice of ancient times. Shamans of inner and further down Asia used body marking, to wade away the evil forces that were beyond human control.
Tattoos are found in pre – industrial culture; which traces its art practices to the magico – mythical world view of pre – historical times. The belief that tattoo evades the evil is found even in Hindu myths. Lord Vishnu imprinted couch and discus mark on his wife Lakmi’s hands to protect her from evil. The tattoos could be either for protection or to enhance aesthetic apple of the body.
In Naga tribes (North – Eastern India) body marking is according to the gender. Female tattoos started when a girl reached her pubescence and added at different stages of her life. Male tattoos started at the time of boy’s maturation, and tattoos were added according to his achievements till the time of his death. Tradition believed if a man died without tattoos on his body then his soul would become a ghost in the netherworld.
Each community had tattoos to convey the cultural logic. Ancient Greeks used tattoos to identify the spies, Romans to keep account of their slaves. Invaders Norse and Saxon brought tattoos to Britain. Their tattoos highlighted their might on sea faring. In Burma, Japan and Russia tattoos were imprinted on prisoner’s forehead to mark their crime. Criminals were grouped by their marking on the forehead. Among the itinerant and nomadic tribes tattoo was their ID; the way it would serve in an agrarian or industrial society.
Anthropologists are of the opinion that the military, navy, musician and teenagers in the urban environment tattooed as solidarity among the subculture. Nevertheless, Physician and psychologists argue the modern trend for tattoo especially in Europe and America is not connected with religious belief but shows the person’s sexual desires and perversions and represents negative attitude. Supporting Freudian theory, Walter Bromberg suggest, people who suffer from sexual repression, use the body as a weapon to protest against the social norms; as a right to be an independent individual.
In 787 AD at Nicaea, Christian church in Europe at Ecumenical council, Pope Adrian I, declared tattoos as, “savage and barbaric” and banned tattoos. From then on tattoos were used as a protest against the existing system.
The difference between body decoration and body defilement; the line is very thin as it is specific to socio – culture and individual’s idea. But it is true, at present, tattoos doesn’t carry tribal tradition; it is an expression of an individual concept.
Oxford anthropologist W. D. Hambly is of the opinion; a tattoo, a permanent or a temporary one is to express ‘self’ rather than public opinion. He further argues that it expressed individual belief and originality depending upon body – soul equation. Temporary body marking like ‘Mehendi’ at the time of Indian wedding, is sacred rite but where as permanent marking represents the person’s mission.
One body artist disclosed; she tattooed her body at 14 and coloured her hair as a protest against the general belief to be beautiful one should be svelte size 6, with perfect skin and hair and most stylish cloth. After thinking deeply, she considered what it was to be truly beautiful leaving out social norms; she used her body as a site to depict her inner thoughts.
A continuous theme runs from ancient tattoos to modern art of Gina Pane’s idea of using the body as a site to express inner personal reality to outer world are dealt with and attempted to be resolved.
Published: January 16, 2008