Tattoos and Psychological Trauma

Art is a medium of communication which people use, among other things, to express who they are and what they have experienced (Graham, 2007: 4-12). Some theorists such as Kristine Stiles (1993: 3-94) have argued that one of the things that people express through art is their psychological distress and discomfort arising from a traumatic event they have experienced in their lives, e.g., war, rape, being in a natural catastrophe, and so forth. What makes Stiles view somewhat unique is that she points out that the art expressing experience of trauma----art images and actions----can go beyond the limitations of traditional visual art and into images associated with every day practices. One of these every day 'cultures of trauma' or visual representations of experienced trauma expressed by people is said to be the practice of getting a tattoo.

Herman (1997) would call the expression of personal trauma via a tattoo an example of the social context which both documents and assists people to understand and deal with traumatic experiences. She would also note that the entire process of getting a tattoo and then wearing it in public is part of that social healing and coping process.

Sarnecki (2008: 35-42) also discusses the process of expressing and dealing with psychological trauma via tattoos. She states that getting a tattoo and displaying it is a conduit to understanding the events of the trauma and also a method of empowerment. She states that tattoos are means by whi

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