"Only Skin Deep? Tattooing in World Cultures"
January 5 – August 28, 2010
Why do tattoos grace the skin of ancient mummies, warriors in societies that resisted imperialism, women in cultures anthropologists study, and gang members? How do tattoos on Wake Forest students relate to the ancient and worldwide phenomenon of permanently marking the skin?
Tattooing is the act or practice of making punctures and inserting pigments into the skin to mark it with indelible patterns, pictures, and legends. “Tattoo” is a word taken from Polynesian languages, most likely Tahitian and Samoan. Captain James Cook and the crew of the ship Endeavour explored Polynesia between 1768 and 1779 and introduced the word into English.
People all over the world have used pigments to mark the skin for thousands of years, but the exact origin of tattooing is unknown. Archaeologists have discovered possible tattooing implements in deposits from the Upper Paleolithic period, 12,000-40,000 years ago. The oldest undeniable evidence of tattoos comes from "Ötzi," a Bronze Age man who died around 3300 B.C. and whose frozen body was found in 1991 in the Austrian Alps.
The presence of tattoos on the body, the particular motifs used, and the techniques used to mark the skin have culture-specific meanings. Tattoos beautify, signal rebellion, commemorate rites of passage, show faith, and indicate genealogy, among other functions. They demonstrate a person’s group membership or special social role. An individual’s marks may be unique or may be standardized designs from stencils or “flash,” sheets of images displayed in tattoo studios. Tattooists may employ a variety of implements to deliver the pigment into the skin, from plant spines to sharp multipurpose tools to 
specialized electrical machines.
Attitudes toward tattooing and customs surrounding it evolve. Tattooing was once highly regarded in some cultures, but outside influence made those with marked skin outcasts. People in the United States once considered marked skin a sign of marginality, but tribal influence on designs and growing perception of tattoos as art has made the practice more acceptable for people in most occupations and social groups.
Eight undergraduate Wake Forest students in Individual Study (ANT 398) researched tattooing traditions during the Spring 2009 semester. The class met weekly to discuss individual cultures, explore tattooing at Wake Forest, and visit tattoo studios and the National Tattoo Convention. Class goals were to understand the cultural significance of tattoos and develop preliminary plans for this exhibit. Three students took another semester of Independent Study during the fall to learn how to curate an exhibit. The cultures studied by students in the spring strongly influenced the content of Only Skin Deep? Because of this structure, the exhibit does not reflect all of the world’s tattoo customs.
Only Skin Deep? Tattooing in World Cultures is on exhibit from January 5 until August 28, 2010. It features photographs, prints, implements, and tattoo ephemera on loan from photographers, artists, collectors, and museums to explore the various ways humans introduce pigments into the skin to mark identity. A related lecture, video presentation, panel discussion, and evening open house for Wake Forest students will take place during the spring.
Warning: Some might find images in Only Skin Deep? startling or consider them inappropriate for young children. Visitor discretion is advised.
MOA appreciates the assistance of the following organizations in the creation of this exhibit.
