We get tattoos to express creativity, to evoke a memory, to pay tribute to the deceased, or to change what we feel nature has imposed on us – to take back control.
As with other aspects of human appearance, tattoos come with a social context and a personal story. For women – who have had a different and shorter relationship with inked skin – tattoos can and are used to challenge the limitations of ideals such as beauty, femininity and gender norms.
Our project seeks to capture the personal and the individual, embracing each woman and her tattoos as one, rather than isolating or magnifying the inked parts of her body. At the same time, by using
natural environments, we intentionally move away from the sexualised glamour model aesthetic that dominates tattoo magazines and popular culture.
The women who shared their stories with us acquired their tattoos through different paths – from setting sea with the merchant navy in the 1950s to overcoming drug abuse, from emerging from the ruins of a long-term relationship to showing the world that there is more depth and edge to a woman than her looks may reveal.
Tattoos are often described as banal and common; some people are even predisposed to the idea that tattoos are giveaways of class or promiscuity (we hear the term ‘tramp stamp’ still used today). In fact, we believe that their endurance through time and across cultures affirms their value as a means of expression and communication.
-
Women with Tattoos is a collaboration between Christina Theisen and Eleni Stefanou. We both live and work in London.
We'd love to hear from you, whether it's a simple 'hello' or a tale about your tattoo you'd like to share:
www.christinatheisen.com
christinatheisen@gmail.com
cargocollective.com/elenistefanou
estefanou@gmail.com
