Bodies and Identity: An exploration of the tattoo in contemporary society.

An Interview. 

Tattoo enthusiast and devotee, Liam Bays, dedicates his body to tattoo modification. Curious to hear another perspective, I sat down and had a chat with him in order to find out why. 

Generally, what are your thoughts on tattoos?

For me tattooing has become a way of life and means a lot to me. Some people, I find, think this is strange as they just see it as getting ink on our skin that doesn’t resemble much but for me it’s an art.

Do you think tattoos have made an impact on your life and in what ways? 

In terms of getting tattoos, I feel as if I have experienced both acceptance and prejudice in a sense. In the music and lifestyle I live, I feel as if I have been more integrated into it. I am a massive fan of hardcore music which is incredibly non-commercial and very underground, and many within the scene like me are tattooed and can be vegetarian/vegan and straight edge (people who believe in clean living by abstaining from drinking, smoking and using drugs). Whilst my tattoos have integrated me more so into this lifestyle, I have also become a social misfit as I’m not like everyone else of the street. As a consequence, I have found a fair bit of hostility thrown towards me due to being tattooed. 

So you think there’s still stigma despite tattooing entering the mainstream? 

While tattooing has certainly become more social acceptable in the modern day, some people have a certain dislike and attitude towards those who are tattooed. You get the usual ‘how are you going to look when you’re 60/70?’ response which is slightly more tolerable, but there’s also a lot of people who paint tattooed people out to be uneducated/stupid attention-seekers as we apparently make unintelligent decisions which are damaging our bodies, career opportunities etc. The irony is, tattooing is not cheap, a lot of consideration and money must be put aside for getting tattooed. Tattoos have situated me into a society of people who all share a love of an art and passion, yet unfortunately, there is a minority view across Western societies which remain ignorant towards you and I doubt that will ever change despite tattooing’s popularity in the 21st Century. I think that sort of stigma will never go away. 

What are the reasons behind your own tattoos? What do they say about you? 

For me I don’t really get tattoos designed for a specific reason, I’m more about styles of tattoos and artists who works I enjoy. I have always been a fan of the old school style and my tattoos are heavily influenced by that. For me my tattoos are significant because they make me different to most people on the street and, in a sense, say that I’m an individual. I don’t conform to most of societies expectations, and I feel as if my tattoos say a similar thing. 

Why tattoos as a form of body modification? 

I’ve always had a fascination with tattoos as far as I can remember. I feel as if I’m an independent person with my tattoos, it empowers me. I make decisions effecting my body which will be with me till the day I die. It really is a liberating feeling after being tattooed to know that your not like everyone else, it’s like a drug and I find the feeling addictive. 

The tattoo, according to Liam, is a way of life, a form of expression and a symbol of empowerment. It has established his belonging in a alternative subculture and simultaneously positioned him on the margins of society despite tattooing’s popularity in the mainstream. A perfect reflection of its individualism, the tattoo, to this day, remains complex in its understanding as it alternates between acceptance and stigma, community and individualism, identity expressionism to cultural and stylistic trends.