Tattooing his existence based on the cultural understanding

Tattooing has
become extremely popular in the recent times, and the paramount popularity is
found in different cultures or communities. This popular creative expression
has become a style statement for innumerable people across the globe. However,
there remains a stigma on the part of the society that segregates tattooed
people, and generalizes them. Capitalism tends to commercialize everything, and
it extracts profit out of it. Everything is promoted as a commodity that is
popularized by the machineries of capitalist economy. Tattooing is taken by
consumer culture as a tool to reach out to the masses. The primary ambition of
consumerism is to promote tattoos as a popular culture, so that more people are
inclined toward getting tattoos having the idea that tattooing is the stylish
thing that is in vague in the society.

Tattoo art in
the present era

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In the age of
commercial culture and commodification, tattoo art’s popularity has increased
in leaps and bounds. Tattoo is an expression of culture and identity. The
stigma fails to constrict the popularity of tattooing among people, and in
stark contrast defines their personality and creative zeal. In the era of
commodification, people are inclined even more toward getting tattoos. The
cultural roots of tattoo art make it quite interesting for people to get
tattoos. People are intrigued by the history behind tattoo art that goes back
in time. The acceptance of tattoos by cultural institutions has enhanced the
popularity of tattoos among people across the world society. It is the nature
of human beings to stick to culture, and make his existence based on the
cultural understanding of the world. Thus, having a tattoo makes a person stand
out among all. More than just being a fashion statement in the present era of commodification
that goes on to promote the form of art, tattoo links a person with the
cultural root. Tattoos often become the signifier of the thoughtfulness of a
person, and it perfectly portrays what the person wishes to express in front of

There can be no
denial of the fact that the notion of the self has went on to be destabilized
via the massive commodification of culture. People live under the constant
pressure of refining their contingent identities, while the target of
fulfillment never gets achieved. In the age of consumerism, people are imbibed
with the perception that they have to supplement their identity. Things like
tattoos are portrayed to be a signifier of being cool or trendy. The situation
never lets a person feel perfect about his or her own self. Thus, people get
tattooed to add to their personality and identity. It is the sense of
imperfection that makes people opt for such art forms that they believe would
make them different from others.

Tattoo art and
identity construction

Tattoos might
attribute generalized characteristic traits to the tattooed people, but these
play the major role in shaping the identity of a person. The generalized
characteristics that are attributed to a tattooed individual are robustness and
courage. Research has shown that the people who have tattoos also tend to be
more sexually active than people without tattoos. It is also believed that
tattooed people have more inclination toward taking risks in the course of
life. People going through the process of tattooing face the pain that is afflicted
by the tattooing needle.

However, people
can have their own behavioral traits that cannot be gauged under the
generalized characteristic traits. The sense of individuality that a tattoo
brings to a person is priceless to say the least. Tattoos are taken to reflect
the strength of character of a person as it involves inflicting some amount of
pain on oneself during the time of getting the tattoo. Also, permanent tattoos
take a lot of grit and courage on the part of the individual as the tattoo
would remain for a lifetime. One needs to comprehend the fact that the images
for the tattoo art can be chosen idiosyncratically on the basis of personal
choice or reasons. This adds to the statement of identity that goes on to be directed
toward other people or the own self.

Consumer culture
and tattoo art

The commercial
culture aims to gain the best out of the scenario where tattoos have become so
popular among people across the nations. However, while there remains a chance
of many people being swayed by the consumer culture in the age of
commodification, the significance of tattoo art in its truest form cannot get
lost. In the age of Late Capitalism, where the bourgeois culture has taken its
nearly-perfect form, being successful in influencing so many aspects of
people’s lives by consumerism, tattoo art with all its aesthetic value and skillfulness
is growing with flying colors. It is also perhaps voicing the protest in its
creative form against the ills of commodification. The significance of tattoo
art needs to be taken into account in the context of discussion regarding
tattoo culture. While tattooing has its own cultural heritage, in the age of
Late Capitalism, it is quite tough to remain outside the influence of the
consumer culture. The debate then lies in the question if tattoo art has lost
its cultural relevance in the transcendence of consumerism.

It needs to be
understood that consumer culture aims to profit out of every avenue of human
existence. However, that does not necessarily mean the meaningfulness of tattoo
art has diminished in any way owing to the overpowering presence of capitalist
forces that has commoditized tattoos. In a way, consumer culture has played a
role in popularizing tattoos in a bid to obtain profit. The popularization of
tattoo art among people across cultures and communities has worked in favor of
tattoo art. More and more people have become interested to learn making
tattoos. The yearly tattoo conventions that take place at different venues across
the world testify to the fact. Apart from this, more people have started
getting tattoos either in a bid to look trendy, or due to the meaningfulness
and uniqueness of the art form.


Thus, it can be
comprehended that the popularity of tattoo art is definitely on the rise with
time. The commercial culture of the present era has only added to the mass
acceptance of tattoo art. The flip side of the matter is that many people take
tattoos to be signifier of fashion. The cultural link of the aesthetic meaning
of tattoo art is not taken into consideration when it is gauged by the looking
glass of commercial culture. Whatever be it, the heritage and meaningfulness of
tattoo art can never lose its relevance, in spite of the booming effect of
commercialization of the art form as a commodity that aims to serve the people
in lieu of a hollow sense of fashion and self-proclamation. Tattoos would
flourish among people with time, whatever is the catapulting factor. The
society might leave no stone unturned to stigmatize tattoo art. But, that would
not have any negative effect on the popularity or meaningfulness of tattoos.
The cultural heritage is too strong to lose its tie with tattoo art in the age
of commodification.



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