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Saying it with
a tattoo A delicate black
and silver dragonfly adorns her hip. Its striking silhouette is
captured through fine lines... subtle and amazing. Body sticker?
Close, but far from the truth. Welcome to
the world of tattoos. Believe it
or not, some scientists say that certain marks on the skin of the
Iceman, a Tattoos involve
puncturing the skin with a sharp instrument and inserting the pigment
through the outer layer, the dermis. Tattoos are intended to be
permanent; only recently have expensive laser techniques allowed
people to remove them. Tattoo patterns and techniques have varied
with different culture. Traditional Polynesian tattooists tap a
needle with a small hammer, while the Japanese work with bundles
of needles set in wooden handles. In the west, the electric tattoo
machine has revolutionized tattooing, expanding the ease of application
and the range of colours and designs. Besides being
decorative, tattoos send important cultural messages: a commitment
to some group, an emblem of a rite of passage. Tattooing has been
used to indicate a high rank in some societies, rebellion in others.
Despite numerous religious and social injunctions, tattooing has
been a popular form of body art throughout the world. Mads Jansien
Raunsbaek, a tarantula lover who was listed in the Guinness Book
of Records once for owning the world's largest tarantula, has been
practising the art of tattooing for ages. Living in Sri Lanka for
the past eleven years, he started to tattoo professionally in Sri
Lanka seven years ago. His tattoo
machine looks like any normal machine. It has five needles that
when put together look like one thick one. Mads uses it like a paintbrush.
The needles can hardly be seen, as the vibration is so fast. "It
feels like a nail being drawn slowly over the skin," says Dilini
who recently got a tattoo of a snake wrapped around a rose on her
back. "It doesn't hurt at all." "It is
no way advisable to just walk in and get a tattoo done without making
sure the Another artist
is slowly coming in to the limelight under the guidance of Mads,
and it is none other than his girlfriend Anne Chrushly. She is the
only female tattoo artist in Sri Lanka, and she is still learning.
"I feel that there are more prospects for female customers
to come in as they are very reluctant to get a tattoo done by a
male," says Mads. Mads gets all
his colours from a friend in Italy. "They are 100% organic,"
he promises. "I have been getting them from there ever since
I started tattooing. They have been in the business for fourteen
years and they are known for their good quality products." The social
stigma associated with tattoos is certainly immense. But it is a
personal thing says Dilini who has convinced her fiance to get one
done. I want another!" she added laughing. " It is very
addictive..." Mads isn't
surprised. "A lot of people come in saying that they want a
small tattoo and that it will be their first and their last. But
then, I am sure that I shall see them again almost always. I can
also re-do tattoos. Many are disappointed because they did not get
what they wanted. I can do it all over again and customer satisfaction
is guaranteed. If you are tired of the one you have, you could come
in and I could turn it into something different," he explained. Tattooing might be different and some might say that it is a bit extreme. But for others it is a means of self-expression. |
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find
out more about this latest form of 'self-expression'
mummified
human body dating from about 3300 BC., are tattoos. If that's true,
these markings represent the earliest known evidence of the practice.
More widely recognized are tattoos and body art found on Egyptian
mummies dating from about 2000 BC.
Tattooing
today is definitely a popular form of self-expression.
needed
precautions are taken by the artist," says Mads while assuring
that he is always very particular about the hygiene aspect. "
I always use sterile disposable needles and I wear latex gloves
during the procedure."
