The Sacrifice of Skin
How much of an artist goes into their work?
How much of themselves is sacrificed for the sake of art?
In this essay I will attempt to look at the ever-growing forms of `body art', from tattooing to performance artists such as Orlan.
My own art can be very personal to me, drawing from past experiences that have caused me pain. When I create art from emotion I feel like I am giving the art a piece of me, I become the art, the art becomes me. That art is then very precious to me, like my child, and I find myself holding on, not wanting to let go. But letting go is the most important part; letting go is the way to heal. There is a unique difference between traditional methods of creating art, where the artist uses personal experience to create, and new forms of artistic expression.
In these newer forms of art, the body, the person, IS the art.
Traditional art (painting, drawing, sculpture etc) is created from the mind, from feeling, from observation; it's an interpretation of the artist's experience. Using the human body, the skin as a canvas can have a powerful effect on the person involved and the people observing. It is a medium that we can alt relate too. The skin is the outer layer of the human body. It is the part of us that physically comes into contact with the universe, and the part of us that we can manipulate, change and enhance to express ourselves.
Body Art
Body art in it's most well known sense comprises of body painting, tattooing and piercing moving, into the extremes of scarification and branding.
People have used body painting since the dawn of time. It is still very much a part of tribal communities. Colours made from natural sources were painted on the skin for a number of purposes. During the pre-historic period, primitive shamans used body and face painting as part of their ritual from everyday-life into the magical realms, which-in-tum brought them closer to the divine. Hunters used paint for spiritual protection, with the added bonus of Camouflage. When man`s priorities changed from hunting to agriculture and stock rearing, body painting became more refined, leading to the first uses of make-up (as we know it today) in Egypt. Make up was seen as elite and denoted kinship and status.
Tattooing has had many uses over the centuries. It could signify status, which tribe you belonged to, spiritual awareness, life experience, child bearing, or to the other extreme, tattooing was used to mark a criminal outcast of society.
Scarification was used as widely as tattooing by the tribal communities.
In many tribes tattooing and scarification starts as a child and marks different rites of passage. The women from the Kayan tribe in Borneo receive their first tattoos at the age of 4 or 5. By the time she is married her thighs will be completely covered in intricate blue lacework. The tribies of Borneo, traditionally used tattooing to celebrate flghting and headhunting. It was also used as a charm to ward off evil spirits.
Tattooing has always been a common custom on the island of Borneo. Wooden pattern blocks, like this one, were smeared with black ink and then pressed upon the skin to provide the tattooist with a template to follow. Such pattern blocks were always carved by men. However, it was the women who were considered experts on the significance and quality of the tattoo designs. Tattooing was only ever performed by them.
The The Kayan tribe believed that the spirit is negative to this one, and that tattoo's become luminous after death. If a Kayan died without tattoos they would be-condemned to perpetual blindness in the spirit world.
Tattooing in the west has been through some bad times regarding reputation. It was considered to be the domain of the criminal, sailor or circus act.
Even in 2004, tattooing, although becoming increasing popular in western culture, is still frowned upon by some parts of society.
Some individuals have chosen tattooing as a way to change themselves completely. They alter and modify their body to achieve a look, a persona that they wish to express. In these cases a tattoo is more than a designed inked into the skin, it is more than a simple butterfly on the shoulder or rose on the hip. More people are opting for whole body tattooing, using a theme which runs over the whole body.
Tattooing is about personalizing the body, making it a true home and fit temple for the spirit that dwells inside it.... Tattooing therefore, is a way of keeping the spiritual and material needs of my body in balance. ~Michelle Delio
One of the first people to do this was Horace Ridler. Born a wealthy upper-class man in Surrey, England in 1892. He joined the army during World War 1 and reached the rank of major. During his travels of the world he got a few small tattoos. After the war he came into some inheritance and quickly squandered it. His course of action was then to become a self-made circus act. He found a tattoo artist who would provide the'look' he wanted, the artist was called George Burchett.
Horace went through 150 hours of tattooing and some plastic surgery to achieve the striped look he wanted. The process took over 500 hundred sittings and cost around $3000 (in the 1920's). Horace's' wild scheme paid off as he received some of the highest fees ever paid to a tattooed man, and was even included in a Broadway show in 1938. Eventually he added piercings and other decorations to further enhance his alternative look. His stage name was The Great Omi - The Zebra Man, and he claimed to audiences that he had been captured by New Guinea "savages' and forcibly tattooed.
During World War 2, he tried to re-enlist, but was turned down due to his appearance. His way of helping the war was to make a movie and donate the profits to the war effort.
Obviously the actual process of being tattooed all over the body has been around for centuries. The Japanese are famous for their body suits, designed exclusively for each person and tattooed on over the course of their life. Tribal communities have also practiced all over body tattooing. But in each of these cases the reason for the extensive tattooing is different. It is a cultural tradition, rather than extreme self-expression or moneymaking scheme.
Following in the footsteps of The Great Omi, there are many examples of people expressing themselves and exploiting their body for status, fame and monetary gain. It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation... Do the tattoos come first, then the freak status, then the money? Or do they make a conscious decision to use their bodies as a career choice and then go for the tattooing?
Examples of this trend are "The Cat Man' and 'The Lizard Man'. Both have had extensive tattooing and body modification to become more like a particular animal.
The Cat Man has undergone $150,000 of body modification, culminating in approx 2000 hours and 25 years of tattooing, piercing, plastic surgery and implants, to achieve his dream of becoming a tiger. With pointed ears, cat eye lenses, tattooed stripes, orange hair and fibreglass whiskers permanently implanted into his face, he is now looking at getting actual tiger pelts grafted onto every inch of his body. His reasons for doing this are due to a dream he had, in which a Native American came to him and told him to' follow the ways of the tiger...'
The Lizard Man has come into being as a result of an ongoing body modification project started over a decade ago. The initial concept was designed and planned, using traditional modification methods and relatively new procedures, such as 3d sub-dermal implants and innovative procedures like tongue bifurcation. He has had 650 hours of tattooing and many piercings. The Lizard Man has a forked tongue, filed teeth and implants in his eyebrows to give a ridged effect. He goes on tour with metal bands, and performs at alternative shows. As The Lizard Man he has mastered the art of fire eating and sword swallowing amongst other things, and his body is now his career. Reminiscent of the early circus freak acts, The Lizard Man, seems like an individual using his body for, art, status and material gain.
The main difference I can see between these two examples, bearing in mind that information about these characters is very limited, is that The Cat Man has followed what he thinks is a spiritual path, a vision, a quest. I'm sure he attends shows and events, but just by looking at his website, he invites people to contact him if they would like him to appear. He just seems to be a man with a dream that many people want to ridicule. The Lizard Man on the other hand uses his body modifications for personal gain. He is on tour with Slipnot (an American metal band) and has extensive listings of shows and places he has performed.
It begs the question, is this a personal art form, leading to self-expression and in turn peace within the self? Or is it a way of purposely becoming a self confessed Freak' and making money off those who wish to ogle at you?
When opting for body art and modification you automatically become part of a minority not accepted by the mainstream. It is harder to get jobs, harder to be accepted, so if you can earn a living by using your body as a saleable commodity, it would be hard to refuse.
The age-old topic of Art V Commercialism. Although, to go through the lengthy, expensive and very painful processes of body modification to gain these looks just to make money, makes me think that in all cases, there has to be a deeper personal reason for undergoing such things.
People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that's bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they're afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It's all in how you carry it. That's what matters. Pain is a feeling. Your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality. If you feel ashamed of them, and hide them, you're letting society destroy your reality. You should stand up for your right to feel your pain Jim Morrison
Pain is the biggest personal sacrifice in much of this type of art form. Pain of the physical body, and possibly emotional pain, that is either experienced before or after the modifications are done. Many cultures use physical pain as a way of achieving a higher awareness. It becomes a spiritual and deeply healing process. Like fire walking and ritual suspension, you are pushing your physical body to its limits, gaining control over the mind and possibly finding an overwhelming sense of power and control. Most people with tattoos will tell you it's addictive.
Speaking from my own experience, I find that being tattooed is a deeply empowering experience, and extremely healing. Not only do I get to express myself with the artwork that is being pushed into my skin, I also gain a sense of control, power, and release from the process itself. After a total of 4 tattoos, my biggest one taking 7.5 hours and 3 sittings and 14 piercings over 10 years, I can vouch for their addictiveness and the amazing rush that is felt after a sitting.
The Fine artists I am about to look at are involved in using 'The Body' for their art. 'The Body', being their body. This extreme type of art is sometimes known as performance or carnal art, and is usually quite visually disturbing.
People such as The Lizard Man perform at shows as a form of entertainment; the following artists use their bodies (and others in some cases) as their form of art. The artists I am about to cover are, Yves Klein (painting), Hideki Fujii (photography), Topolino (make-up artist), Fakir Musufar, Franko B and Orlan (performance).