Communication is a principle part of any relationship. Without it paranoia can set in, situations can be incorrectly interpreted and people can become isolated. Language is what binds us together, allowing us to exchange ideas and feelings. It’s where we … Continue reading
Words suddenly seem to acquire greater significance when they are etched, carved, chiseled or inscribed onto a surface. A message read in a new medium, shimmers with added character, standing out as a notable record of emotion or thought. I usually find that words chiseled in stone seem to command respect, compared to the script inscribed on jewellery which is more delicate, and sentimental, its permanence symbolising words that make up an everlasting commitment. Carved into wood, words are crafted softly and smoothly, where often natural words such as ‘botanic’ work well; on the other hand tree barks often exhibit rugged, impromptu declarations, which have become archetypal gestures of love. And illuminated, words are instantly glorified and glamorised, associated with the heights of fortune and fame, drawing crowds and attention. In all their forms, words are continually invited into our world, willing our eyes to pass over their letters and digest diverse messages.
The written word is such an integral part of expression that it penetrates our existence with its varied offerings, just like art appears in towns, cities and parks. Remaining as voices that speak out from tree barks, walls, lockets, statues and glowing lights, the worth of words are showcased in all their contrasting simplicity and complexity, for all to see, enriching our experience of places, rather than just sitting between the pages of books or logged within the digital ether.
Tracing letterforms and words with our finger tips can help us connect to its meaning. It’s a tactile way of interacting and relating to words as a physical presence rather than just as an impression. Even on a page, running your hands across the raised print can help us form an attachment to what we’re reading. Braille is a prime example of how words can be felt and understood without the need to see them.
Prayers can be carved in stone, where they seem to take on a venerable state. A building dedicated to worship, which has inscriptions carved on or within its structure helps to strengthen and promote it as a domain reserved for sacred practices and teachings, as walls become blessed with words.Writing is a timeless way of preserving and passing down great knowledge to future generations, and in the case of religion, beliefs and counsel. If those words are chiseled or engraved on a structure, their life will be lengthened, minimising the chance that they will become lost or erased.
Recently I saw an installation by Tracey Emin. It was a sentence scribbled in neon light, suspended against the night sky; taken from 
a biro scrawled napkin that read ‘Be Faithful to your dreams’, its strong sentiment, which directed to the heart of the reader, essentially asks them to not let dreams fade and be replaced by acceptance. Like a jolt of light, it allows them to look at things a fresh. That’s why this installation works so well as a bright, bold vision. But even if you were to read this in its original state on a napkin, left in a cafe, crumpled on a table, it would still have the power to make you stop and think and maybe re-examine the decisions that had led you to your present circumstances. When I first saw this simple sentence, alone, high and lit up, its impact was dazzling and unforgettable. Maybe that’s why stars long to see their names in lights, there is definitely an impressive charm about glowing words that can’t fail but to go unnoticed.
During a trip to Italy, with my friend two summers ago, we decided to take the train from Venice to Verona to visit a well know tourist attraction, Juliet’s House; it is supposedly the setting where Shakespeare based his famous romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. On approach to the entrance of this famous house, walking down the hot Italian street, lined with modern, designer shops, a brightly coloured, aged doorway comes into view, standing apart from glass fronted window displays, it is decorated with layer upon layer of graffiti style love notes. The top layer is patterned with a huge white love heart that symbolises exactly why visitors were flocking to its entrance, in search of luck in love. Scrawled in paint, tipex, felt-tip, biro and crayon; anything that was to hand when visitors stopped by. It is said that if you leave a message here, the golden statue of Juliet, which stands gracefully in the courtyard will grant you fortune in love.
When you turn into the corridor that leads into the courtyard and to the famous balcony, bustling crowds confront you, all scrambling and eager to leave their message and attach it to the walls with chewing gum. The two walls leading to the courtyard both flutter like frills, as the breeze catches what seems to look like a petticoat of layered material, thick with multi-coloured notes. As the notes lift up, underneath are small areas of wall patterned with some of the first messages. It’s obvious that the wall space ran out quickly, as messages merge into each other and are now illegible.
It seems we cannot help but make our mark with words, to record our thoughts and feelings, as evidence of ourselves, where we passed or stayed, made clear for the world to read. I’m sure most people would like the thought that they were able to make passers-by stop in their tracks, intrigued by their words. Whether it’s carved on a tree, written in the sky, projected on the side of a building or engraved in gold; it seems the urge to leave our mark and define our territory with a literary print proves hard to resist.
The tattoo is an ancient art form that dates right back to Neolithic times, when the body was used as a natural and available canvas to display creative symbols that could be exhibited as a clear statement of identity, at every available opportunity.
Tattoos in all their forms, project the wearer’s personality and style in an instant. They can help to draw attention to the wearer’s femininity or masculinity, enhance sex appeal, promote a spiritual identity, cultural heritage, sense of humour or articulate an idea or pearl of wisdom. As with every artistic undertaking, the creative possibilities seem limitless; the decision and reason behind every tattoo is guided by an individual’s experience and perspective, their interests, preferences, passions and beliefs, emblazoned boldly for all to see or hidden demurely playfully as a mark of character. A tattoo has the ability to reveal the essence of who we are, past and present, our intentions, our mistakes, all appear in ink as a permanent impression of outward identity.
More often than not, people opt for drawn, image based tattoos; however, written designs also have a certain charm all of their own. The beauty of letter forms, can take shape in an array of fonts, that transform the tone behind a statement to form linear or interlocking patterns of ornate, dramatic results that invite curiosity as onlookers decipher its message.Typography and calligraphy are just two examples of how words can be experimented with in order to create letter art. As a tattoo script can wrap, twist and bend, then circle swirls to trace and compliment the body’s natural contours, or cascade down lines such as the spine or shoulder-blade, or be neatly tucked away behind ears or along the hairline as single words, sentences or even lengthy passages. Words can even replicate the shape of jewellery, each letter representing a chain or bead hung like a necklace, bracelet or more solidly as a ring. The tattoo is a permanent accessory that contributes towards any outfit.
Letters can be made into decorative pictures with added cursive swirls that extend as leafy stems that blossom and grow out from letter forms. Pictures can also be incorporated within the spaces of letters, just as they were inside the spaces of medieval capital letters that started a new chapter; this combination marries the best of both worlds. Instead of the body as just a blank canvas it also becomes a blank page, coming full circle to use ink, writing’s most associated medium. Not only do the tattoos contain ideas and musings, poetry or cherished sentiments, they also exist as stamps of beauty that define the human race as proud creators and owners of language and literature.
Tattoos that contain words are sometimes spiritual in nature, acting as a script that protects them, or reminds them of something sacred, acting as something they can carry around with them permanently, as a message to the world, without having to say a word. Choosing to adorn your body with words, borrows from writing and language that instant ability to communicate and provoke thought. Tattoo designs often depict elements that are important to a person at a particular stage in their life, telling a story of their own. Unique history’s are recorded, be it in past loves, lessons learned, music or people they have been inspired by; all are mapped out as psychological and spiritual destinations journals life upon the body.
Some celebrity tattoos include:
A line inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear, ‘We will all laugh at gilded butterflies.’ – Megan Fox (right shoulder-blade)
‘Know your rights’– Angelina Jolie (base of neck)
A quote from Tennessee Williams, ‘A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages’ – Angelina Jolie (right inner forearm)
A phrase in Latin, ‘VII – Perfectio In Spiritu’ translates as ‘Seven- Spiritual Perfection’ – David Beckham (right inner forearm)
‘Death is Certain’ – Johnny Depp (on his ankle)
‘Their beauty captures every eye, a gift from God for all mankind, they lend us wings so we may fly, to ride a horse is to ride the sky’ Leona Lewis – (From the nape of her neck and down her spine)
‘absurdites de l’ existence’ translated as ‘life is absurd’ – Brad Pitt (on his forearm)
‘Move or Bleed’ – Christina Ricci (left ribcage)
Where a message is placed can have a huge significance on how it’s interpreted. For example, the word ‘HOPE’ tattooed on the knuckles of one hand, when read alone has a wholly positive effect, but when joined and read together next to the other hand, with the word ‘LESS’ blazoned across the knuckles, ‘HOPELESS’ is spelled out, which is an altogether more depressing message, yet it communicates a strong, unforgettable sentiment, reminding us that hope can quickly and easily turn into despair if you let it. One word like this can be powerful enough on its own. It shows that we can play with the construct of language, transforming its meaning, when broken up and added to, as well as where it is placed in context. A famous example is the clever positioning of ‘Shhh’,which is tattooed on the singer, Rihanna’s index finger, which when pressed to her lips instructs, using actions to replace speech she can silence audiences.
At the heart of the text-based tattoo is an ability to connect and communicate, to display word craft that can trigger thought, prick our conscience and move us. Just skimming these simple symbols can unlock our minds. As a living, breathing page the wearer flirts with the flexibility of language, becoming advocates for the freedom of speech in the process.
Ink Festoon's Blog 