Watching tattooing change over the decades has
been very fascinating. I think one of the reasons why tattooing
became so popular is because we as a culture are looking for
more meaning in our lives. Technological advances have made
it even harder for us to stay in touch with our bodies and our
spirit and what has meaning. Tattooing is a very primitive and
universal way of honoring the sacred, it seems that we crave
meaning in our lives and this can be a very powerful experience
when approached with conscious intent.
Joseph Campbell used to say "Artists are
the modern day mythmakers, shamans and story tellers."
It is an honor to be able to channel my art in this way. The
act of tattooing is a way of transitioning from this world into
other unspeakable worlds that lend themselves for being able
to create art on skin. Most of my inspiration comes from the
natural world, or cultural motifs, a lot of it is non-literal
and decorative.
Of course, the ancient tradition of Japanese woodblock prints
I've always been in awe of. One of my favorite artists is Yoshitoshi;
he did a lot of art that depicted women doing every day things.
This was during the Edo period of Japan, the period of their
renaissance. I really like his One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
series. His compositions were genius.
Nature to me is like a religious experience.
I can't help but see the miraculous ness of it all. It's fun
to look at things that grow in nature, their markings and to
use them in my art. I'm also very fond of art nouveau because
of its fluidity and ability to conform to the body so easily.
I get so much of my inspiration too from art nouveau jewelry
books. I adore some of the last turn of the century artists
like Kaminski, Miro, Chagall, Dali, Klimt, and the Russian constructivist
like Leger.
I have been doing more mastectomy scar cover-ups
lately, and I finally realized after doing my third one, that
I needed to sit down and talk to these women about their grieving
process. I needed to talk to them and tell them that this process
might dredge up the experience of what they went through and
that it's normal, but that will pass too.
At first, I didn't quite know what to do or how
to console them, but now I have a better idea of how to be supportive
without losing my own boundaries and still be able to do the
work; work that is very important to their lives.
One thing I noticed, through all of my experiences
is that so many people are beginning to see that being tattooed
is a way to mark a time in their lives. I totally understand
that but for me it was always something beyond time. I always
liked the idea of going beyond time into a dimension where the
images being put on the body would be something that wouldn't
necessarily represent time but a profound and universal concept.
By having maybe one well thought out tattoo,
it saves the body from having a bunch of pitchy-patchy, (that's
what I call it) tattoos that don't have any congruency. That's
why I think when a person does extensive bodywork that it becomes
an expression of their mythological belief system.
Mythology, in my opinion, has always been the
glue that has held societies together. What a fabulous thing
to see so many people now as an expression of what holds meaning
for them. I'm excited to see tattooing changing in this manner.
Finally, after 30 years of watching and waiting, we're finally
getting it.
Her
Philosophy