Covered heavily tattooed women female tattoo artists A

‘Covered’ heavily tattooed women & female tattoo artists A documentary video Beverly Yuen Thompson, Ph. D. Assistant Professor Women’s Studies Department Texas Woman’s University bevyuen@gmail. com

American Tattooing Once Was a Male Domain… The history of American tattooing has been a male dominated arena and continues to be associated with masculine subcultures such as the military, gangs, and prisons. Women can get gender appropriate tattoos that are acceptable and popular (small, cute, hidden). Because of this masculine identity, women who collect tattoos may be socially sanctioned for transgressing gender norms, this is especially true for heavily tattooed women. 2

Women’s Representation in Tattoo Magazines 3

Feminist-Visual-Ethnographer Method: Ethnography Fieldwork 2006 -2009 videotaped 70 interviews nationwide w/ heavily tattooed women and female tattoo artists at tattoo conventions and studios. Topics include: female tattooists in a male dominated profession, social sanctions, tattoo design selection, attraction to tattooing as personal expression. 4

Tattooed Circus Ladies 1880 s -1950 s 5

“heavily tattooed” women crossing the line… Placement Size Design 6

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Contemporary heavily tattooed women expressing themselves Different Interesting Challenging norms Subcultural humor Beautify Selfexpression Spiritual Life milestones Unusual hobbies relationships Identities artwork 8

Redefining Beauty Outside of the Box Normative femininity is abandoned, along with the straightjacket of conformity to impossible ideals. This opens a space to recreate their own terms of beauty, identity, and empowerment. They can establish their own guidelines, outside of mainstream media pressures and thus retain higher self-esteem than those oriented towards achieving normative “beauty. ” 9

Public Reactions Heavily tattooed women face tremendous social sanctions: Stares Rude comments Touching Employment discrimination Family rejection 10

Tattooed Mothers & Mothers of Heavily Tattooed Women 11

Employment Discrimination: legal and socially acceptable “Covering” for work or school 12

“I Wanna Be Covered…” True to self Conform to society 13

“Covered” (a documentary) Release date: March 2010 n Film festivals n Seeking distributor n Classroom use (women’s studies, sociology, visual art, n film studies, American Studies) 14