{"id":23,"date":"2023-05-08T03:09:03","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T03:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2023\/agmata\/?page_id=23"},"modified":"2023-05-08T04:05:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T04:05:57","slug":"brain-gunk-and-bodily-autonomy-a-look-into-the-mark-of-tattoos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2023\/agmata\/index.php\/brain-gunk-and-bodily-autonomy-a-look-into-the-mark-of-tattoos\/","title":{"rendered":"Brain gunk and bodily autonomy: A look into the mark of tattoos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gen-Z grasps at their fleeting agency by embracing permanence.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

by: ana mata<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

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Awo Jama has drawn on all of their clothes for as long as they can remember. They wrote their name on everything, added stickers to adorn simple pieces and did experimental makeup to spice up a dull look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From using colorful eyeliner to adding gems to their cheekbones, Jama always wanted to push the limit on how they expressed themselves. Sometimes, it didn\u2019t feel like enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just kept having this image when I picture my ideal self and the person I wanted to grow into: me having something, whether it was a drawing or some words, tattooed on my face,\u201d Jama said. \u201cI kept seeing that visual when I would daydream about the person I think I\u2019m going to grow into.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Awo Jama got their first tattoo with the hopes of coming into the person they imagine themselves to be. (Photo courtesy of Jama)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After watching a documentary on the English designer Vivienne Westwood and \u201cseeing how Vivienne Westwood just embodied exactly who she wanted to be in the way she dressed and the way she moves with the world, something clicked.\u201d Jama booked a tattoo appointment for a couple days later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adorning Jama\u2019s right cheek are now the words \u201chappy happenstance\u201d in curly red ink. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line from \u201cCajebey\u201d from the Somali poet Hadraawi \u2014 \u201cCawo iyo ayaaneey\u201d \u2014 loosely translates to \u201chappy happenstance and fair fortune\u201d in English. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jama and their close cousin\u2019s name are found in the original line of the poem. They said it was a big influence in their decision to get the tattoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur names loosely translate to \u2018a gift\u2019 or \u2018good fortune that can only be explained by something God given\u2019 and that\u2019s kind of why our moms chose our names to go together, so it was just really meaningful to me,\u201d Jama said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the story behind Jama\u2019s first tattoo reflects the deep contemplation and personalization behind choosing something that will be on your skin forever, for much of Gen-Z this isn\u2019t always the case. But similar to Jama, these decisions are often made spontaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From makeshift studios in the corner of a bedroom to the middle of a living room as a house party dies down at 2 a.m., young people are immortalizing moments with the help of tattoo guns and stick and pokes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amanda Sanchez, a junior at USC majoring in music industry, integrates her love of tattoos into the work she does putting on concerts \u2014 often in the backyard of student residences. She will hire local independent tattoo artists as vendors at these shows and the artist will typically create a \u201cflash sheet\u201d that clients can choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think a lot of people that come to those shows are living in the moment and embracing their artistic side,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cSo it just kind of works out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Sanchez\u2019s favorites of her own tattoos is the small bat she got at an event she threw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, I try to justify it like \u2018Oh, because my first show was a Halloween show,\u2019 but that came after. I was really just like \u2018Oh that bat is really cute\u2019,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cI like having something that kind of represents who I am at the time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s just my brain gunk on paper and then on someone\u2019s body later on. I get to hear their feedback and it\u2019s like what kind of aesthetics they lean towards. Some people are more curvy and flowy, some people are more spiky.<\/strong><\/p>Selin Aydin, independent tattoo artist<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The desire to commemorate moments and versions of oneself is becoming more and more popular among young people, according to Naomi Nembhard, who proudly reps their twenty-something tattoos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think definitely when I speak to younger people, queer people, people who are tattoo artists or get a lot of tattoos, [people] that are kind of in similar spaces that I find myself in, a lot of people identify with that same sentiment that it doesn\u2019t have to have some huge monumental, poetic meaning,\u201d Nembhard said. \u201cIt\u2019s just something to you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many young people, it\u2019s a way to display their value of art in a personal way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s such a beautiful thing that we use tattooing as an appreciation of certain art forms. The art of tattooing being one, but also just of fine art, even like typography or drawing, painting,\u201d Jama said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the tattoo artists themselves, this appreciation for art is a two way street. Selin Aydin, a senior at USC pursuing a fine arts degree, recently took up tattooing to explore another medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amanda Sanchez said one of her favorite tattoos is of her record player that her grandmother gifted to her when she was 15 years old. (Courtesy of Sanchez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aydin said that when she makes art for a gallery setting, she\u2019s ultimately making art for herself. With tattooing, she can share her work in a way that\u2019s much more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only are the designs themselves a vehicle for her to employ her oil painting origins, \u2014 she said that \u201ceverything I do, I view it as a painting\u201d \u2014 but the exchange and collaboration a tattoo requires is what makes it so special to her as an art form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just my brain gunk on paper and then on someone\u2019s body later on. I get to hear their feedback and it\u2019s like what kind of aesthetics they lean towards,\u201d Aydin said. \u201cSome people are more curvy and flowy, some people are more spiky and it\u2019s also just like me kind of personalizing it to whatever I think their vibe is and that\u2019s how I\u2019ll initially draw it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The connections that tattoos form can go beyond that between artist and client, Sanchez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInstead of buying a picture that you hang on your wall forever, it\u2019s on you forever. Which I think is beautiful because it kind of connects us. One of my tattoos is flash, so there\u2019s someone else that has it,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cMy artist was like \u2018Oh this last person just did this in the same spot on their other arm. Like I don\u2019t know this person but I feel connected to them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Zoe Alameda, also a senior majoring in fine art at USC, she said that picking up tattooing as a medium has allowed her to grow beyond her other forms of creative expression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zoe Alameda began tattooing in August of 2022 as a “fun way to bring drawing back into [their] artistic practice”. (Courtesy of Alameda)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also sort of like a therapy because I can do a lot of overthinking with my big, main practice pieces, but when it comes to tattooing, everything\u2019s more immediate and I would say even more forgiving,\u201d Alameda said. \u201cI know you\u2019re making permanent decisions on people\u2019s bodies, but I feel more confident in doing that because it\u2019s such a quicker process.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar to the happenstance scribed on Jama\u2019s cheek and that of the decisions for Gen-Z to get tatted, the way many artists enter the world of tattooing is on a whim. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tattooing found Aydin when she was drunk with friends at five in the morning. Her friend had a machine bought off of Amazon \u2014 \u201cit was really janky, like a cardboard box\u201d \u2014 and she simply leaned into the moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI WikiHow-ed it \u2014 or I skimmed it \u2014 and then I did it and it was really shitty. But that was kind of such a rush and I was like \u2018I need to keep doing this,\u2019\u201d Aydin said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alameda described a similar initial experience and said that having friends in the industry influenced their decision to pick it up as a practice. Their work focuses primarily on feelings of anxiety, being overwhelmed and longing to find deeper connections within ourselves. They said tattooing has fit perfectly into their narrative as an artist, despite maintaining their mediums of choice: collage making, printmaking and sculpture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPersonally in my work, I talk a lot about identity and just trying to be comfortable within yourself. So, I think tattoos sort of align in that decision making to have something be on your skin forever; it\u2019s just something I\u2019m always sort of thinking about anyway,\u201d Alameda said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision for artists of various mediums to pick up tattooing is not surprising considering the increase in popularity of the field as a whole over the last ten years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“All of those concerns that people love to bring up as kind of the excuse to tell people not to get tattoos, I don’t think any of them have much real foothold on actual reality,” Nembhard said. “It’s all rooted, I think, it attitudes 10 years ago or 20 years ago.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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According to IBISWorld analysts<\/a>, the market size of the tattoo artist industry in the United States grew from $1115.9 million to $1449.3 million from just 2020 to 2022. The market size of the tattoo artists industry in the United States has grown 8.4%, on average, between 2017 and 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Naomi Nembhard got their first tattoo shortly after they turned 18 with their older sister. Since then, they have accrued around 20 more. (Courtesy of Nembhard) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the increase in nihilistic tendencies of young people following the coronavirus pandemic, this increase in tattooing can be partially attributed to queer people\u2019s desire to create a home within their bodies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt gives, at least me personally, something to look at on my body and be happy about and think is beautiful,\u201d Nembhard said. \u201cBeing queer, being non-binary, I think it\u2019s an amazing thing that exists to be able to do. It sort of seems like a simple thing and then another way it feels very complex. Either way, I think the fact that it lets me be happier with the way that I look is an amazing thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who have tattoos are familiar with the probing questions wondering \u2018What\u2019s the meaning?\u2019, \u2018Why did you pick that as your first one?\u2019 or \u2018Why would you ever get that on your body?\u2019. Alameda thinks that this applies too much pressure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zoe Alameda said they try to embrace imperfections by incorporating disconnecting lines into their tattoos to embrace the “silliness” they feel is pertinent to the experience. (Courtesy of Alameda)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI get it, but I think you shouldn\u2019t be so hard on yourself. Collecting things that you love over time is a very fun, nice way to love yourself,\u201d Alameda said. \u201cI think it\u2019s nice that I could give people that option. Just the silly nature of a quick five minute scribble forever being on you is like a breath of fresh air.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jama, who is Muslim, is also familiar with external influences on their perception of tattoos. In Islam, tattoos are prohibited because it prevents the individual from being entirely clean, which is required in order to pray. Jama also said tattoos are seen as destroying or altering the way God intended your image to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am very religious, very spiritual and respect my religion a lot, respect Islam a lot,\u201d Jama said. \u201cI think where I\u2019m at right now, I just kind of want to do things that bring me euphoria in terms of how I present myself to the world, like bodily euphoria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jama, getting tattooed for the mere sake of loving yourself is almost a radical decision now, considering the increase in laws policing bodily autonomy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhether that\u2019s who we love or our choices to reproduce or not reproduce, these systems are literally just policing our bodies and telling us what we should be doing,\u201d Jama said. \u201cOur bodies are ours at the end of the day. They belong to one person; that\u2019s us and we should be able to decorate our bodies or show our bodies love in different ways that we see fit.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I think where I\u2019m at right now, I just kind of want to do things that bring me euphoria in terms of how I present myself to the world, like bodily euphoria.”<\/strong><\/p>Awo jama, Los Angeles resident<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The desire for bodily autonomy is congruent with the desire for autonomy from tattoo artists themselves. Many artists of various mediums are opting to become independent tattoo artists because of the flexibility and control over both their income and workspace, often choosing to not work in a traditional shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere still are pluses to it because with tattoo shops, they supply everything and you have the space to tattoo, but they also do take 50% commission,\u201d Aydin said. \u201cThe tattoo shop environments are pretty toxic, I\u2019d say, in terms of they\u2019re very male dominated \u2026 It\u2019s pretty hard to get into a shop and it\u2019s very intimidating as well.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to an increase in control over one\u2019s space as an independent artist, Aydin said that since she works out of her bedroom, she\u2019s able to curate the entire tattoo experience for clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard back from my customers or my clients being like \u2018I feel so comfortable here, more comfortable that I would be at a shop.\u2019 That\u2019s especially from the women that I\u2019m tattooing,\u201d Aydin said. \u201cIn a shop, you\u2019re kind of exposed on the table because there\u2019s usually rows of tables, where here it\u2019s like the corner of my room, little fairy lights, we\u2019re playing music, we get to chat, I\u2019ll burn incense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Selin Aydin began tattooing in August of 2022 and said it has made preparing for the transition to post-graduate life “less nerve-racking” by serving as a sustainable source of income. (Courtesy of Awo Jama)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To get licensed as a tattoo artist, there are three steps: a blood pathogens training, an up-to-date Hepatitis B vaccination, and a fee. Licenses are primarily required when an artist wants to work in a traditional shop, but since more and more artists are opting to be independent, many forgo the certification due to the cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as you have the training and all the health precautions which are super important \u2026 it\u2019s just sort of, \u2018What\u2019s the point of paying if I\u2019m not even needing it?\u2019\u201d Aydin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The access of independent tattoo artists is just one attraction for many young women and non-binary people. Primarily, it has to do with feeling safe and comfortable in a space that has historically been tailored to men. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our bodies are ours at the end of the day. They belong to one person; that\u2019s us and we should be able to decorate our bodies or show our bodies love in different ways that we see fit.”<\/strong><\/p>awo jama, los angeles resident<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe experience with tattooing is literally being stabbed, so it\u2019s not like you can avoid any and all pain, but to have somebody aware of those ideas and the fact that it\u2019s not always comfortable and try to do their best to make it as comfortable as possible for you is a huge game changer,\u201d Nembhard said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once Nembhard started going to women and non-binary people for their tattoos, they said they could never imagine going to a traditional tattoo shop again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFinding one artist or a couple of artists who do make you feel like you do know enough and that you do belong in the tattoo world, whatever that means, is really the only important thing,\u201d Nembhard said. \u201cThere\u2019s no points you\u2019re winning in legitimacy for going to those traditional classic places. In fact, you might be missing out on real positive experiences.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending years changing their appearance and trying to fit in, Jama said getting tattooed, specifically by a woman, was a major stepping stone in how they want to show up in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like getting the tattoo on my face in particular was just kind of a \u2018fuck you\u2019 to that feeling almost,\u201d Jama said. \u201cI\u2019m tired of feeling like I don\u2019t belong, in a sense, and I just want to make my own way instead of fitting in somewhere. I would just kind of like to be my own person and fit within the bounds and the home that I create within myself.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Podcast with the tattoo artists:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n