Skin Deep: a history of tattooing

Tattoos—indelible marks on the human body—are increasingly popular. Not long ago, these images were liberally adopted by sailors and war veterans as expressions of solidarity, patriotism, and romance. Now, they are a statement of fashion and identity throughout our society. Unregulated, this form of body art is hazardous, particularly in terms of skin and blood borne infectious diseases.

Skin Deep is not an exhibition about health promotion and the danger of tattoos. Instead, it considers the human cost and underlying impact on humanity, through the historical portrayal of this unique art. The exhibition is divided into three eras.

The first era focuses on early European encounters with tattooing in the Pacific. Captain James Cook was among the legendary 18th century voyagers to the South Pacific who introduced tattoos to Western civilisation. He was attracted to the customs of the Polynesian islanders, and, subsequently, his sailors began adopting the tattoos. Originally, this body art was “carved” into the skin (and flesh) using tools made from bones. The various motifs represent Aboriginal groupings and the societal values of the person bearing the tattoos.

Despite their barbarity, the tattoo drawings attracted the attention of many artists and colonisers. From art, tattoos became the symbol of sinful practice when the missionaries arrived in the Pacific. The conflict between custom and religion nearly brought this art to extinction.

In the second era, tattoos became popular among merchant seamen and Royal Navy sailors. Eventually, tattoos became synonymous with elitism—King George V was a fan—and were established as a sailors tradition. The bald eagle and the star spangled banner, for example, were the most commonly engraved patriotic designs adopted by American sailors.

When the war ended, tattoos became commercialised. Subsequently, in the next era, tattoos became a mainstream fashion accessory in modern society. Video interviews with urbanites from all over the world show the significance of being tattooed. They all had an insight into what they had done to their bodies. Needless to say, there is a sense of solidarity among the “tattooees,” as observed among those visiting the exhibition.

So, is all this worth a visit? The fact that the National Maritime Museum is not the sort of public gallery which attracts a long queue—except for the Skin Deep exhibition—probably answers the question.

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London; www.nmm.ac.uk; until 30 September 2002; admission free