Body Art: Timeless Expressions of Self"One must be a work of art, or wear a work of art." Oscar Wilde
In ancient cultures, body art is often connected with themes of transition or significant change from one life stage to another. Rites of passage such as coming of age and marriage are marked in a physical way as an outward sign of an abstract inner change. Transitions are considered a crucial and dangerous time and body markings are in some cases considered a protection. Coming of age rites usually involve endurance of pain and hardship along with the physical markings. These could be a combination of body painting, tattoos, scarification, piercings or cuttings -- genital mutilations or circumcisions are common. The accompanying picture is of Dota boys of Zaire preparing for puberty rites. The blue faces represent the death of their childhood. Most often, the traditional use of body art is connected with supernatural forces. Tattoos and body painting create associations with the spirits of ancestors and deities to ensure protection against evil forces. The Andamanese Islanders use the most meager of clothing and only as decoration. Some contemporary body art bears a remarkable similarity to that of ancient societies. This photo from Body Art:Marks of Identity is of Jon of Manhattan, a neotribalist. Note the tattooing, piercing, the stretched earlobes, and the hair. Western societies have witnessed a revival of tattooing, piercing, body painting, and scarification, in the last two decades. Tattooing formerly associated with navy seamen and done in tattoo parlors in back alleys is now done in upscale salons advertising strict practices of sterilization. The art of Flash or that of the old navy type of tattooing, has been supplemented with a wide variety of designs from many cultures as well as custom work. Though tattooing is the most popular form of body art, piercing has seen a dramatic increase in popularity. Similarities between the body art of today and that of ancient societies does not end with forms, for they also serve very similar functions. As with ancient cultures, we use body art as a signifier of belonging, courage and endurance. Some use them as singnifiers of belief systems and means of bonding to one another. All ages engage in creating themselves as works of art. The youth, though, are by far the strongest group to indulge in more extreme body art -- multiple piercing combined with tattooing and possibly scarification. Body art serves to draw a defining line between the adult world and that of youth. The following interviews indicate similar aspects of rites of passage in tribal societies that our culture fails to supply to youth in meaningful ways. "I recently got an 'industrial piercing'. This is when you get the elastic upper-ear cartilage pierced twice with a barbell through both holes. I got this done very recently, 2/16/99. I think that my tongue is next on the list, and probably the last. I had my piercing done on my eighteenth birthday. Maybe it sounds immature, but I felt like I needed it to show my parents that they can't control over every aspect of my life. I was also trying to overcome a life-long (and very intense) fear of needles. I think that it helped me. It wasn't nearly as painful as I expected, and made me feel sort of powerful. By the way, I'm Anne, I'm eighteen years old, and am from Columbus, Ohio." Like the rites of passage of tribal societies, Anne marks a transition from childhood to adulthood with body art, her version of taking control over her life. The pain, which is also a part of the tribal experience, is overcome and Anne claims she feels more powerful. The theme of taking back power and control from authority is a common thread through the interviews as is facing pain and overcoming fears. R. Sadheart, a Lakota of the Sioux Nation writes about her tattoos.
As indicated above, people use body art as an outward permanent sign and statement of what has meaning in their lives. Examples might be Christian, Celtic or Haida symbols. Body art defines oneself by making an outward statement of an inward abstract belief or self-concept.
 Davis, Stephen. "Above Capricorn." Sydney, Australia: Angus & Robertson Publication, 1994. Image p.35 Ferraro, Gary."Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective." New York: West Publishing.1995. Image p.265 Mariners Museum Research Library.  |
Body adornment has always been an important medium of communication.Many forms of body modification have been recorded over time. Archeological evidence exists in the form of artifacts such as carvings, sculptures, artistic materials such as ochre and charcoal and tools, mummies and skeletal remains. Living ancestors of ancient cultures such as those of tribal societies as well as many ancient societies that developed into large-scale societies are living archives of the use of body modifications. The picture to the left is of Felix Holmes, born in 1905 near Darwin Australia. The arts of tattooing, body painting, scarification, body sculpting, and piercing are still practiced today within these cultures. Although the forms of art may have changed over time, the motivations for engaging in them are likely much the same. 
In marriage ceremonies men and women are marked in a variety of ways to indicate their new status. In India, women paint each other's hands, wrists, feet and ankles with henna. Some see the decorated hands and feet of the bride as a sexual incitement for the groom to imagine what is hidden under the sleeves and hem of the dress that the motifs disappear into.
Use of colored clay as body paint is used for religious significance as well as protection from insects and sunburn. The Onge utilize paint to protect against supernatural dangers, painting their newborn babies with red ochre. The drawing to the right is of Samoan tattooing. For Samoans, tattooing was proof of an individual's ability to bear pain. (Drawing reproduced by permission of The Univesity of Pennsylvania Museum.) Scarification is a practice of the Andamanese. Geometric patterns similar to those of body painting run up and down the limbs. Scarification is a mark of beauty and served as protection. Body art as part of a tradition creates a community of belonging, differentiating one group from another, one individual from another.
The earring is no longer a novelty. Multiple piercing of the face, torso and genitals is available. Henna and body paints are temporary decorations; easily applied and removed, they are popular means of body art. Scarification, branding, and cutting are less common but they have their following.
