#Tattooing: Inking Bodies for Art
Dr.Hayam Qayyoum
Tattooing and body piercing is used for the self expression. While it was once frowned upon, they have become quite common now. It was considered antisocial people like sailors, hippies, bikers, rock bands, singers and dancers. Now it has become a part of mainstream life style. In Polynesian language ‘ta’ means to strike or tap something. Thaitian word ‘tatau’ means to mark something. Piercing is accepted worldwide.3 to 5 percent of the population of the world has tattooed them.
According to a research conducted in USA on 500 people, ages between 13 to 50 years, revealed that 24 percent have tattoos and 14 percent had body piercing and 73 percents of them are teenagers. 52 percent of the tattoos are done on women and they are mostly related to show business.
“Girls are attention seekers and that is why they are more attracted towards this art. In colleges it is strictly banned so the students hide the tattoos and pierced parts of the body,” said the senior lecturer of the model college of Islamabad.
Fifteen schools (5 elite schools, 5 model schools/colleges and 5 universities) surveyed and found that among elite school 91 percent students do the tattooing and piercing. This is because of the music as a subject taught in the schools. In result, students start idealizing the western pop singers. In the model schools it is 2 %. In the universities 43% students tattooed them especially where the dress designing, fashion, dancing and music are taught as subjects. In girls tattooing is very common whereas boys preferred piercing.
Young boys come to me for piercing of an ear and I ask for Rs: 300 for each ear piercing. I do piercing with boiled needle. I also dip the needle in dettol for sterilization, said the roadside piercer at Raja Bazaar.
Dr. Ayesha Umer, a Dermatologist said, “Tattoos are made by inserting indelible ink under the skin with some sharp instrument or needle. It remains in the second layer of the skin where nerves and tissues are in abundance. Its procedure is very painful and causes skin viral infections and cancers. Ear, nasal septum, eyebrow, tongue, cheek, navel and other parts of body are the most popular piercing sites and in some cases full body is inked. It is important to be physically and mentally healthy for tattooing. The mortality rate rises if people are addicted to drugs, alcoholics, on any sort of medication or in the state of pregnancy.”
Historians explored that the body art of tattooing and piercing is approximately 4500 years old. In Egypt, the mummified body of Amunet (1994 B.C) the priestess of the God Hather is found having dots and dashed shaped tattoos. Maorai chief used facial tattoos as signatures of their role and status in their tribes. In Africa, scarification with a sharp scalpel or knife is practiced in place of tattooing because tattoo does not show up well on the dark color of skin. As a girl enters her adolescence, she is given a tattoo or scarification to show her maturity and worthiness for marriage.
In 18th century Captain James Cook brought south sea Islanders to England that introduced tattoos. During 1960’s and 1970’s, tattoos began to emerge as full blown art. People fall in love, they like to have the name of their loved ones on their arm, chest or anywhere on their body. This art was also used for branding slaves or prisoners and a practice of lower class.
In northwest China, fifty well preserved bodies of non Mongoloid were discovered in 1986 which were estimated to be three thousand years old having geometric patterns’ tattoos.
The oldest complete human tattooed body of the ‘iceman’ some 5000 years old discovered in 1991 near the border of Australia and Italy in the frozen glacier high up in the Alps Mountains.
“In our tribe tattooing the chin of female is very common. It is considered as a mark of beauty. I like this art and it is becoming very expensive too. I have all basic tools like tattoo machine, foot pedal, grip, tips, grip stem, 55 different types of needles, tattoo ink and autoclave. People from 12 to 30 years of age both male and females used to come here for tattooing. I am planning to launch tattoo studio in the mid of this year in Islamabad,” said the tattooist at Karachi Company.
Dr Yusuf, a religious scholar said, “The popularity of tattoos and body piercing is enhanced by celebrities through media. The wrestlers, players, rock stars, movie stars, pop singers VJ, DJ and models have a tattoo or piercing and proudly exhibit the body art to get attraction of the people and prove their individuality. In Islam tattooing and piercing is strictly forbidden.”
Dr. Simi, a psychologist said, “In Pakistan this art is practiced among the teenagers and considered as a unique proposition for self identification, a symbol of prominence, strength and endurance. Tattooing and piercing also promote nudity. Tattooing the bicep muscles, stomach, chest, scapula, lower back and legs is very common. Teenagers who suffer from inferiority complex are more inclined towards this type of art. Beside this teenagers are influenced by western life styles and fashion industry so they blindly follow the trend.”
According to Social Analysts, “Tattooing is more than a trend now. It has evolved as a fashion and took the shape of an industry. It influenced every part of the globe and equally popular among every strata of society. Parents are also promoting this art by purchasing sweets and chew gums where the wrappers carry different types of stickers of cartoon characters and celebrities. In the early age children paste wrappers on their faces, arms and necks for the impression of tattoos. Stickers of tattoos are also easily available in the market thus promoting trend of tattooing and piercing in the later age. Few years back people with tattoos and body piercing could not find a proper job in Pakistan.”
