Collecting Identity: Tattoos as Art

Tattooed Face

Source: Original photo by Diane Arbus, used with permission

Tattoo collections are beginning to be all the rage for museum exhibitions. One at the New York Historical Society in 2017 focused particular attention on women and tattoos. Other displays worldwide include Barcelona, Denmark, Canada, and others, to say nothing of the many in the United States.

What is going on here? Why do people collect tattoos that are displayed for the rest of the population to gaze upon, comment on, or even disparage?

Evolutionary Perspective

It appears that it is because tattoos are ingrained within the human condition. In fact, several researchers have approached it from an evolutionary perspective (Cameron et al. 2012). They postulated that the motivation for getting tattoos fell into three categories, “(a) a symbol of an important past event, love, or friendship, (b) group membership, and/or (c) a marker of individuality.” These investigators’ perspective was that the evolutionary explanation for people doing this was to perpetuate their own genes.

Body ornamentation meant that humans with it were more likely to be competitive in the gene pool as population density increased. It displayed fitness, making those with it more appealing to a mate. The authors called this their “upping the ante” hypothesis.

The Modern Approach

Roggenkamp et. al., 2017, had a different take. These researchers were interested in the meaning of tattoos in modern times. They examined the epidemiology of tattoos in Western culture to conclude that tattooing “has become a mainstream phenomenon.”

Rather than suggesting that the bearer of tattoos belongs to a sidelined subculture, such as criminals, soldiers, or gang members, regular members of the community exhibit tattoos. Movie stars even participate, making it likely the general population will follow. Witness Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.

Thus, Roggenkamp revised the thinking of the 1970s when it was thought that skin art represented a degenerate individual. Today, such a person is like any other, though with body ornamentation. It is considered a personalized expression and, thereby, normal rather than abnormal.

A Brief Historical Perspective

Otzi the Iceman had not one but 57 tattoos on his body. They were composed of soot near or at puncture marks believed to have been placed to relieve arthritis or rheumatic symptoms. This was 1,700 years ago.

Tattoos were likely present on the human body even before that time. Japanese tombs included clay figures with tattoos on faces that appeared as early as 5000 B.C. Though the meaning of this is unclear, we know that high-raking women mummies from 2160-1994 B.C. showed evidence of tattoos, suggesting they were used for adornment (see A Strange New Collection: Tattoos by Laurel Mcleod). After that time, the practice of tattooing began to decline until it resurfaced today as an art form.

Summary

Here, I explore the rising popularity of tattoo exhibitions in museums worldwide, emphasizing the shift in societal attitudes towards tattoos from subcultural to mainstream acceptance. Researchers theorize that tattoos were an evolutionary advantage in human mating, while other investigators observe that tattoos have recently become symbols of personal expression in contemporary culture. All of this contributes to the concept of tattoos as art and, as such, a collectible of interest to collectors.