Branin+Reading+Images+Proposal



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The ten images that are on display are all tied together by a common theme that can be described in many different ways. The first common thread is that all the individuals in the images are displaying tattoos. Secondly, they fall into a category of individuals who have decided to get tattoos. As humans, we are not born with defining ‘marks’ like those of a cheetah or leopard. We chose to get symbols, signs and pictures marked on us by making a decision. The individuals in these images all made a decision to have these permanent pictures on their body. They can be tied together in a third way because each individual has a story to tell behind the picture they have. Whether the tattoo has incredible and profound meaning to the individual is something that one can not necessarily tell by first glance. Some individuals get tattoos because of the tribe they belong to or because of their heritage. Others get tattoos because one day they woke up and decided it was something they wanted to do. Whether there is a deep meaning or not is irrelevant; there is a story behind every person’s tattoo.

In our culture it is socially acceptable for individuals to have tattoos. There are a great number of people in our society that have and proudly display them. The tattoos, even without intention, place these individuals into social categories. It can bring people together and can even tear them apart. It can make an individual feel like he belongs or it can set an individual apart in a society that conforms. Whatever the reasoning of the tattoo may be, in the 21st century it has become acceptable to ‘get inked.’ Tattoos are no longer saved for sailors, Native Americans or pirates anymore.

But just because tattoos are socially acceptable does not mean they are politically acceptable. Individuals in high positions of power do not proudly display their tattoos in our culture. To keep things uniform in corporations and businesses there are dress codes in order to not distract from work. It is very unlikely to see a business man or women proudly showing off their tattoos if they are in a ‘power suit’. Those social categories that individuals are placed in when they get tattoos can definitely inhibit their ranking in the professional world. It is definitely interesting how something can be socially acceptable but not politically acceptable.

The image that caught my eye and was the most visually interesting to me is the image by Benoit.P. At first glance your eye is drawn to the purple shirt of the subject. The background is blurred so as to direct your eye to the subject. The girl in the picture is not looking into the camera, but still has some contact with the reactor. The image is in a public place, not a private context. The body and image have asymmetry. She is making an offer to look at her, to look at the artwork on her shoulder. She is at a social distance but requires involvement. The artwork of her tattoo is her story. It is what makes her the person she is. She is inviting you into a raw side of her life, a side of life that has a story, a meaning that is something only the subject knows. But she is still somewhat guarded because the picture is taken from the subjects back and not the unmarked position of the front.

She is asking the reactor to look at what most people don’t see at first glance. She is offering the secret she holds. But she is also exposing her sexuality. She is appealing to the eye; she is asking you to look at her and to look at the intricate designs and pictures. Her hand lingers by her hip and draws the eye to follow from the top of the tattoo all the way down to the end of her fingers. She’s sending a mixed signal. Although she looks sweet and innocent the tattoo tells otherwise. This is not a stereotyped image of sexuality. It is a raw and new image of what can be perceived as attractive.

Looking at the tattoo you can tell a lot about the subject in the photo. The tattoo is composed of tattoos and fairies. These are very stereotypical girl images, but the way they are placed and the manner in which they are shown is not a girly image. Even though the tattoo is of a fairy, a childhood image, it’s provocative. The fairy is exuding sex. And that image of the fairy transfers on to the subject in the photo. The girl is inviting you to look at her, look at her hips and see her in a sexual manner.

The girl in the picture is showing her tattoo, displaying it for all to see. She made a decision to get the tattoo’s that cover her arm. She has a story to tell, the context is unknown. And she has put herself in to a category. Socially it is acceptable for her to have these tattoos. It is something that can now even be identified with sexuality. It is no longer tied to the masculine persona it used to be tied to. This girl would probably not be someone who had a job in corporate America, but then again she might. For one to assume that she isn’t is just proof of the stereotype that tattoos bring. Until tattoos are politically acceptable, there will still be a stereotype surrounding them. But there has been a change in the landscape of the tattoo. It is no longer something that has to be masculine and brute. It is ok for sexuality to be included in the tattoo landscape.