Tattoos-A form of rebellion or creative expression?

I have never considered getting a tattoo. Personally, I have not found something important enough in my life that I would want to indelibly symbolize on my body. However, moving past my personal beliefs, I think that tattoos are a form of creative expression that can allow individuals to differentiate themselves from others and convey characteristics that make them unique. It is commonly believed that adolescents obtain tattoos to rebel against social constraints and to express control over their own bodies, as stated in the essay “On Teenagers and Tattoos”. However, this is not the only motivation for teenagers to permanently mark their bodies. A tattoo may use abstract symbols to signify something the beholder considers dear to himself, and may be in memory of a loved one. An example given in “On Teenagers and Tattoos” is that of a man who tattooed a picture of his 4-month old baby girl onto his chest, so that the image of her smiling face would always be etched on his body. Even as his daughter grows, the tattoo would permanently remind the man of the beautiful child he dearly loved.

http://aura1.gaia.com/photos/20/199855/large/Om_Lotus.jpg

Another reason people might get tattoos is to pictorially display their beliefs. The tattoo I have looked into (check out the above link) holds a bit of a personal significance for me. The Hindu “om” symbol is recognized universally, but few people have actually analyzed its true meaning. I am not a particularly religious person; however, I am of Hindu descent and have great respect for the beliefs of my family. I find this tattoo interesting because it combines symbolism and color to convey beliefs in a supreme, divine power. The “om” symbol is derived from ancient Sanskrit, and represents the Brahman caste, a group of people considered closest to divinity. It symbolizes great faith in the divine beings, and serves to help humans through darkness and the unknown. The saffron color symbolizes fire. It is believed that if one has faith in the gods, he will find the light of the fire that guides him through the uncertainties in life. Overall, if someone were to have this tattoo on his body, it would show how that person has faith in divine beings, and respects those beings as supreme authority. It is a personal reminder of how an individual relies on divinity for guidance during times of adversity, and that the person should never give up hope when things are looking bad because the fire will steer the person in the right direction.

“The Decorated Body” states that marking one’s body is what distinguishes him from other individuals. It claims that the “absolute naked body is considered as brutish…where no distinction is made between man and beast”(41). The fact that humans ornament their bodies is what has historically separated civilizations from primitive beings. Whether a person tattoos words on his body, religious symbols, or fierce animals, that person is sketching the inner workings of his soul onto his body. He is taking his beliefs and ideas and constructing them into his social self. This follows an idea put forth by William James, that the social self is reflected in the way others recognize a person. Tattoo art allows a person to display what matters most to him in an artistic and permanent fashion, so that others can recognize the traits that make him unique.