Some of us commemorate important moments with selfies and Facebook albums, while others opt for something a little more permanent. Tattoos have become a way of wearing your heart on your sleeve, with our bodies serving as our canvases. We chat to Cape Town tattoo artist, Tamar Thorn
If you live in Cape Town, you’ve probably seen Tamar Thorn’s art. Not in galleries or on walls, but peaking out of someone’s sleeve in the supermarket queue, or adorning a back on the beach.
Tamar is a tattoo artist. You could say she’s in the business of change. There’s a reason people choose to have important moments forever etched into their skin.
As Tamar explains, ‘Tattoos give you courage.’ And while the client may be the one walking away with a slightly different skin, the transformation works both ways. ‘Every time I do a tribute tattoo it is a huge honour, and I am left feeling humbled and changed by it,’ she says.
What is your background and what made you decide to become a tattoo artist?
I’ve always loved drawing. Some of my first memories – I’m talking three or four years old – are of sitting in my dad’s office doodling in old notebooks. I wanted to study art, but my grades were rubbish, so after matric I started working in fashion. As things became more computerised the magic died for me and I started painting portraits at home and occasionally doing fake tattoos on people for special occasions.
I never really thought of tattooing as an option. I was a pretty insecure girl and saw tattooers as intimidating, but got a couple tattoos to feel cool. When I eventually wanted to update them as an adult, I thought, “Hey, this looks like fun! I can totally do this.” When a friend of mine asked me to tattoo him and bought me my first machines, I was oblivious to how it would transform my life.
Many people get tattoos for sentimental reasons, totally contrary to the ‘hardcore’ stereotype of the past. What are some of the life events you’ve helped people to commemorate?
I’d love to say I do more tattoos for happy events than sad ones. Many people choose to celebrate marriages, births, traveling to a new country but many more people mark a loss with a tattoo.
I’ve become known for doing memorial tattoos for pets and I love doing these. I’m a bit of a crazy dog lady, so I understand the pain of losing a pet and a memorial tattoo really does help deal with the loss.
It’s interesting that it’s usually major changes in life that make people want things permanently etched onto their bodies. Why do you think this is?
Tattoos give you courage. It really is as simple as that. Change is scary! If you are giving up a nine-to-five to open a bakery because you’ve been dreaming of it for years, getting a tattoo to celebrate the decision solidifies it.
It becomes a part of you. You get through the tattoo and it’s almost like you’ve taken your first step towards your goal. Whether it’s getting over a breakup, quitting drinking, moving to a different country or tackling grief, the tattoo is a promise that it’s going to be okay. Besides tattoos are painful as hell, so you can do anything after sitting under a hot needle for four hours, right?
Are clients getting this kind of work usually first-timers or are already-tattooed people more likely to decide to immortalise life events with another tattoo?
It’s an even split. Maybe the first-timers will get something smaller for fear of the pain and the more tattooed folks will get something a bit bigger but the basic intention is the same.
First-timers will usually need a bit of guidance as nine times out of 10 they will bring in a picture of someone else’s tattoo they found online.
If someone wants a tattoo to commemorate let’s say a marriage or the birth of a child, what advice do you have for deciding on a design and placement?
I would advise you have a consultation with your artist, explain why you want the tattoo and see what they come up with that is original and specific to your needs. You will get a better tattoo and a more meaningful experience to remember if you go to your artist first instead of looking for tattoo ideas on Google or Pinterest.
Do you have any tattoos yourself that signify change periods in your life?
I generally get tattooed around my birthday each year, or when I travel. When I opened my own shop I got a tattoo to symbolise it, as I saw that as a big step in my life and it is a pretty big tattoo.
What is the most important thing that change has taught you?
Changes in life happen for a reason. Breakups, loss, even getting fired…all these things have the power to break you down, but there’s always an opportunity to rebuild. I welcome change even though it terrifies me.
Do you think tattoos will always be utilised to illustrate important markers in our lives or do you think this is a fad that will pass?
From early tribal man marking his skin to signify becoming an adult, to the kid getting a tattoo from his parents for his 18th birthday, body modification has been part of human culture for centuries and in our time tattoos have become integral to our way of expressing our individuality. I can’t see a time in the foreseeable future where humans won’t want to mark their skin or change their appearance. It’s just become part of life.
*For more information, visit www.thebodyarchitects.com.
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