Hey everybody, my name is Mark Dumville. I am a student and am working on a research project for something I am very passionate about…tattoos! If you wouldn’t mind it would be an incredible help to me if you could fill out a survey on tattoos. pm me for the url
It is all about the modern tattoo movement and where better to get answers than a collection of tattoo enthusiasts like this. Thank you so much for the help with this project.
-Mark
Hi Mark
I have also done a lot of tattoo research and to help you in your request it would be great if you could tell us more about yourself.
Why are you passionate about tattoos?
What tattoos do you ahve or intend to get (pics would be nice)
Your questionaire what exactly is it going to be used for? eg Qualiative or Quantiative Statistsics?, Sociological?, Psychological?, Art?
What is your definition of a New Tattoo Movement?
The forum is full of some great ppl but many are cautious because we do not like to think of as being ‘freaks on parade’ or a quirky psychoanalysis.
To succeed you have to show why it is in our interests to help your interest – if it is of value then you really have to sell the value of it.
(Just from personal experience and meant in a positive way 🙂 )
Take Care
Matthew
The reason I became really interested in tattooing and tattoos isn’t necessarily for the tattoos themselves, but rather the stories behind them. Everybody I have met has a story about why their wanted their tattoo and what it means to them and that is the most interesting part.
At the moment I do not have any tattoos, I haven’t done anything that I thought warrented getting a tattoo. I never had the story for the tattoo and to me the story is what makes the tattoo. I never wanted one unless it was special to me and meant something to me and I just havent found that yet. I will post the picture of my tattoo right after I get it, whenever it may be.
The questionaire is going to be used in writing a paper for a basic freshman writing/research class. We have to collect the data and write a paper that can be presented to a local school newspaper. I interviewed several tattoo artists for the qualitative article that we were assigned and now we are using these surveys for our more quantitative articles.
I know “Modern Tattoo Movement” can sound a lot like a catch all phrase that is just being thrown around, but what I mean by it is the up turn that the perspective on tattoos has taken in recent decades. The stigma against tattooed people decreasing, people have become more accepting, more media coverage of tattoos and tattooing, changes in the demographic who are recieving tattoos. It is really a combination of a lot of different factors.
I really should have introduced myself further before, the time constraints on this project kind of forced me into rushing through posting the survey to ensure getting enough answers. Thanks for the advice Matthew.
All the best,
Mark D
At the moment I do not have any tattoos, I haven’t done anything that I thought warrented getting a tattoo. I never had the story for the tattoo and to me the story is what makes the tattoo. I never wanted one unless it was special to me and meant something to me and I just havent found that yet. I will post the picture of my tattoo right after I get it, whenever it may be.
“Meaningful tattoos with stories”
What crap.
I don’t believe in “meaningful” tattoos. Memorials, celebrations of events in your life, tattoos with stories behind ’em, whatever. The stories are always a cliché, an after the fact justification to provide meaning where none exists, or just not well thought through.
Tattoos exist because they do, one of the purest forms of art for art’s sake, and frankly, I don’t think someone without a tattoo is capable of truly understanding them, or even forming a reasonable opinion.
Without suffering the blood and the pain, you can’t understand their mystic. You don’t understand the discrimination, how the hot young thing you share an elevator with shrinks back from you, how old ladies will look down their noses at you in the supermarket, how loss prevention will zero in on you thinking you’re a thief.
You don’t understand how it sets you apart, makes you part of an in group, part of the club. How you sometimes feel an instant connection to other tattooed individuals. How you can talk for hours with a complete asshole stranger about tattoos. How sometimes old women will walk up, grab your arm and demand to see your crazy young person art work.
You don’t know how it is to be one of us, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is pretending that you do, which is how this whole project comes off to me.
In other words, it’s a phrase you invented on a subject you have no idea what you’re talking about but want others to believe you do? Discrimination against tattoos decreasing? Did you miss the guy last week who was denied entry to his flight on British Airways because his ink was visible? Or how hard it is, especially in this economy, to get a job when you have visible ink? Or, as I mentioned earlier, how Wal-mart Loss Prevention will follow you around, assuming you to be a criminal?
Search tattoo discrimination on this fourm–you’ll get plenty of examples.
Or ask Matthew himself. If I remember rightly, guys have jumped him in bars over his ink before.
To really understand those of us in the club, you need to be one of us. You need to be inked, you need to research your subject like Matthew, and to a lesser extent, myself, you need to be around us.
Like every research paper I’ve seen on modern tattooing, yours is most likely going to be shallow, ill thought out, and based more on your own prejudices than on actual fact.
Time restraints are no excuse. If you’re going to do something, do it well, or not at all.
Especially when your work reflects on real human beings.
Love. Peace. Metallica.
I kind of agree with Mr. Knighthawk. Although i dont think you are a shallow person or anything, i dont think you have the experience to talk about such a subject. All the research on articles on the net are not going to make up for it. you need to actually go through the entire process, from thinking of an idea to looking up artists, to having it drawn up, sitting down and going through the pain until its finally done (hell its not even done there until it heals, which is another experience in itself). After that, you need experience dealing with the rest of the world with your tattoos exposed. Its really a mix of positive and negative experiences. Some people are totally facinated and curious, others are downright offended that you would show your ink infront of them.
I only know of a very few people who have tattoos with “meanings” or “stories” behind their tattoos. Most people, including myself, get tattoos because they are works of art on a living canvas. The subject matter is usually an intense, awe-inspiring image that inspires us. For example, I have a Terminator skull on my left arm. Theres no real meaning behind it, i got it because im a huge fan of the terminator series. Its a very well done tattoo, and i love it. Were you watching LA/Miami Ink by any chance? I sometimes watch it to. But these shows always portay every tattoo as having a deep meaning, like you need a life changing event in your life to justifiy getting one. But really, only a small percentage of tattos in the world have special stories behind them.
Anyway just something to think about Mark.
Ross
Hi Mark
I am a mixed on the subject of tattoos and meanings – three of my tattoos have meanings to myself and are just extension of how I feel.
Two are about the love I have for my wife and one is my pride in my jewish heritage.
The back piece that I had planned before some medical difficulties was pure aethestics – I just liked the picture.
That said I have posted a PM and will gladly take part in your survey as you were kind enough to respond to my questions I will answer yours.
The thing to bear in mind is also geographic location as to whether ink is more acceptable.
I have been in 2 bar fights in the UK over my Lion Of Judah and one in Israel, I have also had rocks hurled at me in Israel because of my tattoos.
I have been searched and nearly denied entry to a plane in France because my tattoos looked suspcious (IE I had an middle eastern looking tatoo).
I have been spat on in Belgium because one of my tattoos ‘disgusted’ the old woman.
These are just a few of the negatives I have put up with.
That said I have had many positive experiences and got to know ppl and share a lot of info based on tattoos and discussion of them.
Take Care
Matthew
i hate to be on a negative side but post like this are popping up more and more on all the tattoo forums over the internet…and quite frankly it is all a load of bollox,
you aint interested in the art of tattoo’s or tattooing or you would have one allready, its just a subject that you thought was cool to research, but when you are passionate about the art then you would do some propper research like matthew has done for the past years and enough to write books (he gets my respect any day)
people dont need a meaning to get a piece of everlasting art that they can treasure for the rest of their life…. some people get it done because they want the the tattoo and not just because there is a story behind it, plus the fact that they are addictive… you are probably one of them people that cross the road if a heavily tattood person walks towards them…..!!
and if you think i am speaking out of line….. TOUGH LUCK
RANT OVER
ps… i wont be adding to your research.!!!!!
The thing to bear in mind is also geographic location as to whether ink is more acceptable.
I have been in 2 bar fights in the UK over my Lion Of Judah and one in Israel, I have also had rocks hurled at me in Israel because of my tattoos.
I have been searched and nearly denied entry to a plane in France because my tattoos looked suspcious (IE I had an middle eastern looking tatoo).
I have been spat on in Belgium because one of my tattoos ‘disgusted’ the old woman.
These are just a few of the negatives I have put up with.
That said I have had many positive experiences and got to know ppl and share a lot of info based on tattoos and discussion of them.
Take Care
Matthew
Crazy stories man! I’ve known I’ve wanted arabic writing on my back for about a year now but I’ve been hesitant because in my parents country of Nigeria tattoos are not socially acceptable (people there are very religious and people don’t even get tattoos in nigeria).
That story in Israel about the stoning is crazy which is why I’ve been hesitant about the arabic writing because in my parents country having arabic writing on my body could get me killed. What’s your ethnicity Sherav?
Hi Shamwow
I am British but have lived in Israel and visit regulary as my wife is Israeli.
The thrown rocks were done by the ultra-orthodox hasidics in Jerusalem. They even throw rocks at cars if you drive on a Saturday :rolleyes:
I am friends with several Nigerians and they share the same feeling as your parents they tolerate my tattoos but clearly have a dislike of them.
My advice is if you do decide to get a tattoo keep it discrete and you should be fine – I tend to get a bit more trouble as I am not always culturally sensitive about my ink – drives my wife crazy 😀
Take Care
Matthew
All of my tats are purely art.
I’ve always thought the fantasy stuff was cool, hence the wizard and dragons. Snakes are my favorite animal, always have been so I got a rattlesnake. Science and math were always my favorite subjects in school and I wanted something different so I got my mad scientist. I wouldn’t get a tat of Mary b/c I’m not a religious person. So my ink might not have any actual meanings but they do show a bit about me and what I am into, at least as far as art goes.
+1000000000 on KH and Outlaw’s posts. The OP can’t possibly have a clue without having ink himself.
Also,
There is a large variation of acceptance even amongst people with ink.
I know several people who have tats that are always hidden and will look at people with visible ink as being too far out there or too extreme. Hell I have visible ink and as bad as I hate to say it I am even guilty of it. The first time I seen one of my current artists with his ink covering his head and face I was thinking, “wow” and couldn’t help but to look at it to the point of almost staring. Now I never thought bad about him for it just “wow that is hardcore.” The guy is a great guy with a cool sense of humor and an excellent artist. He is also one of the few people I know that REALLY doesn’t give a fuck about what other people think of him. Most people whether they are willing to admit it or not do care what other people think about them, at least to a certain extent. I guess being a tattoo artist for 10+ years he doesn’t have to worry about the visibility of his ink being detrimental to his career. 😎
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