As tattoos become more and more commonplace, and are no longer as stigmatized in the corporate workplace, many people are opting to get tattoos that express some part of a literary work that appeals to them. In many cases, this takes the form of a literary tattoo –a word, quote or image pulled from a book that has personal meaning to the individual.
Literary Text Tattoos
Textual tattoos have been gaining in popularity perhaps most rapidly. White ink tattoos make especially good literary tattoos, because they allow for more visible tattoos to be easily concealed; in the case of a longer passage, this can be a good option.
Quotes from books are frequently seen on forearms and between shoulder blades, although text tattoos are very flexible and can be designed to work with any part of the body. In addition to book quotes, some people have chosen to have quotes from love letters, movies or other mediums tattooed.
One ambitious project put a story on the bodies of many; Shelley Jackson’s work Skin was published one word at a time on 2,095 people who offered to have a word from the story tattooed on them. The only requirements were that only participants know the full text and that the tattoo must be done in a traditional book font like Times New Roman or Garamond. Additionally, any word that named a body part could be placed anywhere except the body part that it named.
Tattooed Images from Books
Another common way of expressing literary fondness through the form of a tattoo is through pictures. Images are common as a form of body art, and book illustrations are no exception. Scenes from Winnie the Pooh and Alice in Wonderland are common, as are portraits of specific characters, or their traits. Harry Potter’s famous scar has been tattooed more than once onto a fan.
Using a book illustration or interpretation as opposed to a quote is a visually appealing way for someone to capture a moment from a story that was particularly important to them; most tattoo artists will be willing to design a tattoo based on the description given by a customer.
Literary tattoos are becoming a very common form of expression because they allow individuals to have a permanent reminder of a meaningful quote or image from a favorite story, movie or poem. Using body art as a means of expression or literature has become an extremely viable option for those who make a living in the world of literature, or for anyone who has ever been moved by the power of language.
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