BEIJING RED

Interview- Kay Cochrane regarding commemorative tattoos

Interview with Kevin Doudie regarding commemorative tattoos

Researcher - Cat Anderson 

Age - 21

Gender - Female

Religion - Don't have a Religion

Where You Grew Up – Edinburgh 

Do you have a tattoo?  Yes.

I have a Deathly Hallows sign from Harry Potter on my left wrist, just off centre. I got my tattoo when i was 18 and have never looked back, I love it and would never want to change it. My tattoo doesn't have a memory as such behind it, just the love for a story that I grew up with BUT it has created a memory of the place, time and who I got it with... and strangely what I did after getting it!!!! 

Before the study what were your preconceptions of tattoo culture?

I grew up loving tattoos, i don't know if this was down to my Dad and Grandpa having a few tattoos and always showing my them OR if i was just captured by the beautiful art. Even as I got older I started to love it more, being surrounded by lots of people with tattoos -from friends to family. Even a few of my friends have their own tattoo gun. I always thought of tattooing to be a way of creating beautiful forever lasting art on the body and that it would sometimes hold a meaningful memory if not a past one, it would create its own memory of the time it was inked.

Researcher – Samantha Dexter

Age - 24

Gender - Female

Religion - Agnostic

Where You Grew Up – Nottingham

Do you have a tattoo?  Yes, 2. one is a swallow bird on my wrist, to represent homecoming, since I turned 18 I have always travelled, so the bird was a way of showing that i'll always return home. I went with my mum to get this tattoo, and she got a feather in the same place.

This tattoo is not so much associated with a memory, but as a reminder, and a statement that home is important to us both. 

Would have probably made more progress if I had a tattoo which related to the topic but atleast 1 guy gave some decent input.

http://www.thetattooforum.com/forum.php 0 replies 160 views

http://www.bigtattooplanet.com/forums/ 0 replies 41 views

http://www.everytattoo.com/tattooforum/ 8 replies 131 views

Summary of the replies

Cooterbrown

Interesting topic. I always explain to people who don't understand some of my random tattoos that they're time mark in my life. The design may have no meaning at all. But where I was who I was with who did it will always be behind the tattoo. You never forget the situation around a tattoo ime. I think this is why I don't have any regrets about tattoos because it's like looking at a history book. Let us know what you find out. I'm interested to see

metalmancpa

I have an eagle tattoo on my arm. I love eagles. No link to my past and no connection to anything that has happened in my life, so in my case I'd 100% fail your study.

Cooterbrown

But like my example I bet you know when you got it and can remember that point in your life? A lot of mine are from conventions to compete and are basically whatever the artist wanted to do. I liked it of course. But it's the memory of the actual tattoo not the tattoo to be a symbol of a memory. At least that what I got from it.

Researcher – Robert Doyle

Age - 21

Gender - Male

Religion - Athiest

Where You Grew Up – Livingston( Polbeth...stabby)

Do you have a tattoo?

I don't but I would be lying if I said I had never considered it. At this moment in time I really don't have much reason to make a rash decision into what is basically a permanent defacement of the body. It would really have to be the right design, for the right reason and at the right time of my life. I do like the idea of tattoos and think they look great more often than not, but for every cool tattoo there is a legion of tramp stamps and guys with pointless tribal tattoos who burden our society with their sheer existence. That was kind of a joke but if I got a tribal tattoo I would clearly fit into said bracket. It's pretty much the same with everything whether it is clothing, technology or general likes. People will always stereotype and categorise based on look and preferences. It only takes one outstanding feature on which people can gain first impressions, unfortunately for those with tattoo's it's often a negative one.

Before the study what were your preconceptions of tattoo culture?

Well as stated above I did categorise people with tattoos before this study and to an extent I still do. The response to the facebook was particularly eye opening. Although not all the tattoos related to a particular memory per se, they did have a significant meaning to the person and whether they realised it or not it was a memory and a means of creating new memories. Growing up the only people I saw with tattoos were die hard football fans, fat hench guys on motorbikes and the occasional professional wrestler. My mind did not acknowledge the finer aspects of the meaning till quite recently. I found it amazing the way everyone was willing to help us with our research. It showed a deeper meaning and tattoos as a means of expression both artistic and a symbol of feeling and accomplishment.

Compilation of responses from a netnography from the car forum - www.astraownersnetwork.com

Forum responses and personal responses from active members regarding the topic of commemorative tattoos

Sam Ali.

Interview with tattoo artist at Tribal Body Art

Researcher - Sam Ali

Age - 19

Gender - Male 

Religion - Muslim

Where You Grew Up - Livingston 

Do you have a tattoo?

I dont and will never have a tattoo, not because I dont like them or disagree with them, but because it is against my religion. It is seen as defacing the body and prevents me from praying if I was to get one. I dont practice my religion religiously(Ha), but wouldnt ever get one as its quite an important aspect of being a muslim. This study has changed my opinion on tattoos somewhat as I have seen the help that getting one has had for some people, it really does have the ability to aid mental pain, however regardless of my opinion of them I maintain that I will never get one.

Before the study what were your preconceptions of tattoo culture?

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Religion: Christian

Where you grew up: Carlisle, England

Do you have a tattoo?: No

My perception on Tattoos; Tattoo Parlours and People with Tattoos, before I carried out research looking at tattoos and memory.

Tattoos:

I think its fine to have them and I have thought about getting one in the past. I do not think they look great on you when you are older as your skin stretches and sags etc. If I was to get a tattoo it would probably be small and somewhere which could cover up if necessary.

Being a Christian people might think I wouldn't get one for religious reasons, as it says in the Bible in Leviticus 19:28, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord." However it’s important to view this verse in context. This passage in Leviticus, including the surrounding text, is specifically dealing with the pagan religious rituals of the people living around the Israelites. Therefore If I was to get a tattoo I would base the decision on whether it would glorify God or not.

Tattoo Parlours:

My perception of tattoo parlours is that they are generally dark dingy places with Gothic style interiors. Other thoughts of them are that they are cramped, small and not very clean.

People with Tattoos:

Researcher: Jed Case

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Religion: Athiest

From: Edinburgh, grew up here for my whole life.

Do you have a tattoo?

No, but both of my brothers have tattoos. My parents don't and they didn't like the idea of my brothers having them. As its my older and younger brother that have them there is possibly a bit of middle child syndrome for the reason I don't.  I like to see myself as very different to them whereas my younger brother looks up to the eldest. I have thought about getting a tattoo but it was a few years ago not when i was 18, like a right of passage but when i felt i had a bit of life experience after going travelling. I decided against it because I didnt feel I had a strong enough reason to permantly mark my skin.

Before this study what were your preconceptions of tattoo culture?

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Religion: Do not have a religion

Where you grew up: Tranent, East Lothian

Do you have any Tattoos?...

I do not have any tattoos; however I would and have considered getting one.  When i was younger my parents would put me of the idea of tattoos as they don’t have any and obviously did not want me to get one or more to the point did not want me to get something I would regret.  I believe now that I am old enough; they would support my choice as they know I would put a lot of thought and effort into any tattoo I wanted.  As a designer I think it is important to create a personal tattoo design, one that is meaningful to you and has been considered.  I don’t believe that all tattoos must be commemorative on purpose however they are always going to be commemorative of the place, or stage in your life when you got it.  I appreciate tattoos which hold a lot of thought, time and effort.

Before this study what were your preconceptions of tattoo culture?..

Before this study I imagined tattoo parlours to be grim, dark and rock and roll like.  An uncomfortable place to be, possibly somewhere you would feel forced to get a tattoo because they surround you on the walls and on the bodies of the tattoo artists.  The opinion of feeling uncomfortable possibly comes from my opinion of tattoo artists as well.  I would expect them to be male, big built and fierce looking.  Guys that’s are not afraid of pain or implementing pain on other people!

An interview with Dan, has a few commemorative tattoos - one to remember the baby he lost with his ex fiance. and another to commemorate his father.

An interview which my friend did for me with the questions i provided her to ask - Darren has a lot of tattoos and they all have meaning, some religious and some to commemorate his past.

Interview with a tattoo artist from a tattoo shop in whitburn, brilliant guy and was very helpful!

Interview with my pal who is covered in tattoos and actually tattood himself, some of his later tattoos dont have meaning and are there just because he likes tattoos but he has one which he done to himself which says 'kate' in commemoration to a loved one who had passed.