Questionnaire Samples

Dr. Selma Odek's discussion of methodology and memory collection inspired my own methodology for the following 
questionnaire's. Participants were encouraged to write down 
their initial responses, feelings, recollections. This does not
mean, however, that there was not room for construction.
While observing participants it was evident that, for some
more than others, a degree of thought and conscious awareness 
of "what psychoanalysis calls secondary revision" was taking
place (Kuhn 180). Some people even erased and replaced their
initial response.

Globalization, Transition, Memory: The Case of Horimono

From as early as 1830 in Edo, Japan there are written records of formal gatherings of tattoo enthusiasts. Today, tattoo 'conventions' are common both in the West and Japan, but the fact that they were taking place over 160 years ago is indicative of the long and rich history of Horimono (http://horimono.net). Notorious for its link  to the dark underbelly of the Japanese Criminal world, Horimono was a word and practice met with fear by many. Today, the practice is emerging in Japan amongst youth reclaiming and aiming to eliminate the stigma cast upon this misunderstood art form. In the West, there has been a flux in interest in this art form with celebrities like Angelina Jolie having tattoos done with the traditional tools of Horimono (although hers were done in Thailand). Horimono is a good case to study in gaining a better understanding of all tattoo art. As this art form is better understood and less associated with deviant subcultures (much like the tattoo art of the West) it becomes more socially 'acceptable'. For more on youth and artists in Japan aiming to de-stigmatize this practice see "The Japanese Tattoo (horimono)" on You Tube. 

Tattoo art is certainly permeating more than just

 the artistic landscape of Toronto... it's popularity

 is now being used by marketers attempting to cash

 in on the 'trend'. Perhaps they're trying to appeal to

 some kind of imagined "EXTREME" demographic, by

associating this energy drink with tattoo art. 

   

American Statistics

WHO HAS TATTOOS?
"How many tattoos do you currently have on your body?"
(People saying "one or more")

Base: All Adults
All Adults 16%

Region
East 14%
Midwest 14%
South 15%
West 20%

Age
18 - 24 13%
25 - 29 36%
30 - 39 28%
40 - 49 14%
50 - 64 10%
65 + 7%

Sex
Male 16%
Female 15%

Race/Ethnicity
White 16%
Black 14%
Hispanic 18%

Party I.D.
Republican 14%
Democratic 18%
Independent 12%
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual 31%

Sara

"My tattoo shows that I'm an optimistic person,
and a lot of people call me giggles...cause thats
what I do!"

Sara notes the change in the publics perception
of tattoo art, she states "Yes, it has definetely
changed over the past couple of years just like styles
evolve along with perceptions, cultures, and views.
I think its through pop culture...its become a fad,
making it more accepted by others/society"

Rachel

 
"If my tattoos say anything about my identity, it's that
I appreciate art. All my tattoos were designed and brought
to life by my tattoo artist who is brilliant"

"My tattoos each bring back seperate memories. One of a friend,
one of a stage in my life, and the other of my actual tattoo artist"

Amy

Amy notes the shift in collective memory with the
increased popularity of tattoo art. She recognizes
tattoos as a mark of conformity, rather than one of
social deviance or rebellion.

"I think that like anything that is associated with the
new burgeoning arts, tattooing has become an art form
itself, and like the rise of graffitti, has caught the eye of
a young, hungry artistic culture."

Dahna

" Moments like these never Last" Artist: Rob Coutts

Dahna notes the importance of the artist in respecting
the body as a canvas for beautiful work. The tattoo artist
responsible for her work has even signed her body in
recognition of this.

"Its stuff that through my life, I mean I'm only 23, but its things
I've gone through in the past 5 years, its moments in my life that
 have really affected me...things that I want on myself permanently.
That's my reminder of that point in my life, and maybe I'm not
going through that now, but when I look at that work I can never
forget it."

"Tramp Stamp": Fashioning femininity?

One of my first memories of tattoo art, 
was seeing my gymnastics coach's tattoo. 
It was located in the middle of her lower back.
In the years following this, there was an explosion
in the popularity of tattoos. The medium had
become popular with a new demographic: young
females. What would later become known as the
"tramp stamp" within the subculture, emerged as a
very popular means of cultural expression. It became 
the "acceptable" tattoo to get as a young woman.

The "tramp stamp" is a very interesting phenomenon
because it uses the medium of a once predominantly
"masculine" art form to perform/embody contemporary
understandings or suggestions of what it means to
be "feminine". All the while the 'male gaze' is steadily 
positioned on the woman's body, as John Berger writes,
"Men act, women appear. Men look at women, women
watch themsleves being looked at, and the surveyor of
woman in herself is male". So, somehow, an art form that
was once a way to break away from conventional,
naturalized beauty standards became a tool for further
prescribing and reinforcing beauty ideals.


 

Norman Rockwell: "Fashioning Masculinity"

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was a tremendously 
popular artist whose work has become recognized 
as a "cultural artifact of twentieth century America" (Segal 1).
Theorist Eric J Segal suggests that Rockwell's images 
have participated "in the formation of identity in the modern era, focussing on the fashioning of competing
versions of white, middle class, American masculinity" (1).

Rockwell's work is interesting to look at as a reflection of its
time. In his vast collection of work (most popular for his
covers on The Saturday Evening Post) I was surprised to
see the large number of tattoo related images. The majority
of them have described and prescribed the 'tattooee' as a
tough, rugged, white, male.