the body of Art

Have you ever seen a woman with the likeness of a flaming cherry on her butt, and wondered why?

Is it a symbol of lost virginity? A favorite dessert? Or something more profound?

Throughout history, tattoos have signified different things in different cultures. In tribal societies, they have been signs of bravery and brands of belonging. In the Orient, tattoos were traditionally considered fine art. In the United States, a tattoo often meant you were in the armed services, a gang, or you had a little too much to drink last night.

Looking past the surface and past the stereotypes, tattoos are a very personal thing -- often too personal to talk about. Lisa Marie Buckingham said her flaming cherry tattoo is there to remind her of a poem her friend wrote about drunk driving. She didn't elaborate.

David Layden, an English Literature student, said he got his "MOM" tattoo to keep his mother close to him while he was away at college.

"She came with me to watch me get it done, and she got one too -- a heart with my name in it," he said.

David Rarides, a history student, said he got his first tattoo because of a girl. When asked to expand on the question, he said, "Let's get back to that later." He never did.

A Denny's restaurant coffee mug adorns the forearm of graduate student Scott Davidson. He said it doesn't mean anything in particular. "It's just there to be funny," he said.

The red and black band circling Davidson's wrist means much more. It's there, Davidson said, to remind him of a friend who died.

Though these personal, and permanent, works of art express something different to each individual, many of the tattooed have one thing in common. It's addictive.

"Tattoos are like potato chips," said kinesiology student Rosalind Lawrence, "you can't get just one."

[ Golden Gater Online October 17, 1995 ]

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