Literary Tattoos : Jennifer Byerly

Tattoos are increasingly gaining respect as an art form. What was once considered a lewd image by immature and rebellious outcasts and a symbol of primitive foreign cultures have become a massive industry with some notably amazing artists. Some of my favorite tattoos are homages to other distinct forms of art, say, literary passages, or reproductions of masterpieces. I think this popular form of art residing within art is an interesting notion, especially in the context of something so personal and permanent. Tattoos are a commitment and when they are done to pay tribute to other forms of art I think they serve as really moving pieces of permanent art that reflect the personality of their wearer.

The website http://www.contrariwise.org is entirely dedicated to literary tattoos that range from children’s books like Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” to quotes from plays like “Wicked” and “Rent” and thousands of poems about heartbreak, beauty, and fear. I think these tattoos are so interesting in that so many people get tattoos to make them more unique and to reflect their individual personalities. So many of my friends have said they would never get a tattoo unless they designed it personally so they knew it would be wholly unique. And yet these people have taken a different route entirely by essentially copying these exact thoughts and passages from someone else.

I think it really shows how the nature of literature is that it is meant to be shared. These words have to resonate with people and involve so much human participation, maybe more so than any other art form as outlined in Van Der Leeuw’s book.

It's also interesting considering the specific provisions within the bible not to mark your body, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28). I find it so interesting then that so many people in the U.S. describe themselves as followers of Abrahamic religions, and yet tattoos become an increasingly popular art here, and some of the most popular motifs are religious in nature.