Tattoos: art in prison

Tattoos in the time of isolution

On the state of the nationWhatare these times? Insanity and reason are speaking at the top of their voices, or to be more precise: they are screaming. So much so that their throats are sore. It's extreme virus time. A few weeks ago, we would never have believed that the Chinese virus from Wuhan, which we learned about more in passing than specifically from the newspaper at the beginning of December, would sweep across the entire globe with such force. From bat soup from a village in China (the alleged place of origin of the virus) to... to what actually? Countless infected people, deaths, canceled events over an incalculable period of time, closure of most stores and businesses. It's a remarkable experience: the restriction of basic rights for individuals - limited access, bans on gatherings, theft of cell phone data, and, and, and. Of course, these measures have a certain sense and necessity, as long as, as soon as the disaster seems to be under control again, democracy is brought back to its original state. Back to democracy. And back to the rights of the individual. To their right to enjoy themselves outside. To get a tattoo. To express yourself, to meet up, be it at a party or on the Zugspitze. It will all come back, but at the moment everyone is experiencing a feeling of isolation and confinement.

Isolation - the prison tattooThefeeling of no longer being able to move freely has many side effects for those affected: loneliness for singles, excessive demands in the area of pleasure and arguments for couples. Added to this is the fear of what will happen to their job and whether their income will last. This can lead to panic attacks and full-blown depression. And that's the way most people feel; previously, such feelings were mainly experienced in prisons. And it is interesting to see the ways in which inmates preserve their piece of freedom, or the memory of it. How they bring the hope of future freedom into their lives. Their tattoos provide an answer to this. Prison tattoos bear witness to an affiliation outside of prison, e.g. to a gang, sometimes outside, sometimes inside, is alive. But a prison tattoo can also mean self-preservation, self-empowerment, and that you still have control over your own life. A tattoo as an act of personal choice. Prison tattoos are often not cleanly engraved and rudimentarily applied to the skin. As there are no professional tattoo machines in prison and there is a general lack of hygiene, this makes tattooing all the more difficult. A razor fitted with a needle is often used as a tattoo gun. The ink is a mixture of urine and burnt rubber. Undergoing such a procedure shows what value such a tattoo has for a person in prison. Depression and fear on the one hand, the powerful and permanent statement as a tattoo on the other. This experience hits us all at once: how can I get control of my life back!

What would your prison tattoo look like?Now that the reader is affected by the curfew, they can think about how they themselves would design their tattoo as a "prison statement". What is his statement on freedom, what are his last words that deserve to be said. Tip: Prison inmates usually have to be prepared to spend a long time in custody. As a prisoner, you have to put up with a lot of inconvenience for your tattoo. We, on the other hand, can (if things go well) expect to return to normal social conditions in the near future. So before you needle your razor in the hobby room and massacre yourself, it's better to wait and see. Think about possible motifs and visit your trusted tattoo store after the curfew. We, the tattoo artists who are passionate about their profession, will behappy to help you. Here are a few motif suggestions:Clock without hands: The prisoner is locked up for a very long time.

Tear: The wearer has committed a murder. If the tear is not yet filled in, this means that the deed has yet to be carried out.

five points/ three points: Five dots - the tattooed person with this motif has been in prison before. The three dots symbolize the prison stay, they stand for the prisoner's code of honour: faith, love, hope (the three monkeys of the Japanese god Vadjra)

Swallow: This tattoo proclaims freedom. The greatest good in a person's life. Of course, the value of freedom is felt most strongly by those affected: All those imprisoned!

(Text: Julian Bachmann / Illustration: Jonas Bachmann BACCO))