Arkansas, tattoos

Jan 6, 2012

Meredith

5 Comments

Do You Have an Arkansas Tattoo? Know Someone Who Does?

One such tattoo.

For years now people from Arkansas have been getting tattoos that represent the state in some way.  Recently my husband got one, and we discovered that many people of older generations were clueless as to why. I got to thinking about how the Arkansas tattoo is a multi-layered symbol for younger generations, and set out to hear more stories about the varied reasons people decide to permanently mark their bodies with the symbol of a place toward which we all have pretty complex emotions.

Some get the state outline, some get 501 (does anyone get 479 or 870?  Haven’t seen it but surely someone has it, right?), others ask for state symbols like the apple blossom.  Others gets the Razorback, but that’s a slightly different genre of tattoo, which I’m not covering in this research but might in the future.

So far no one can trace how far back Arkansas tattoos go (but if you think you know then please, do tell!) And there are drastically different opinions regarding “ownership” and legitimacy.   Whatever the case, people with Arkansas tattoos have decidedly strong feelings for the state and often seem to have a deep awareness of both its beauty and problems.  In that sense Id say it’s a marker for a complex and layered form of regional love.   And I think that’s endlessly fascinating and important.

And this much is also clear: the prevalence of the Arkansas tattoo crosses racial and socio-economic boundaries and represents varying responses to the concepts of home, place, and identity.

So, do you have an Arkansas tattoo?  Know someone who does?  Would you be willing to share your story for possible publication?  Sometimes when I approach people with a request to ask them more about their tattoo they’ll tell me their story is boring.  Trust me, it’s not.   If you’ve got an Arkansas tattoo, I’d love to hear all about why you got it and what it means to you.   If you know of someone else who has one, please pass on this blog post.  I’m working on an article as well as putting together an audio montage of people telling their Arkansas tattoo stories.  And I’d love to see this research project continue on in many forms.  So I’d love to hear from as many people as possible!  Spread the word.

Thanks so much!

 

 

Related Posts

• Arkansas Tattoo Project Update
• The Seed and the Story: The Familiar is Fascinating.
• The Seed and the Story: Channeling the Tradition of Gleaning
• The Seed and the Story: Visiting Decoration Days: A Pilgrimage to Arkansas from California
• Yarnbombing in downtown Little Rock.

5 Comments

• 
  Brad January 6, 2012 at 9:36 am

  I can’t help you with the Arkansas tattoo, sorry. But I was glad to read this since I know lots of folks with Michigan tattoos. Usually just a simple outline of the state, or of the great lakes. Some of them get them before leaving the state, some get them as a mark of pride while they still live here. Michigan is definitely a state with a lot of pride. There are also lots of hipster t-shirts “Michigan: America’s High Five” and of course the classic bumper sticker: “Say Ya to Da U.P. eh?”

  I always assumed other people in other states were doing likewise but it’s nice to hear about it.
• 
  Liz January 11, 2012 at 6:44 pm

  I DO have an Arkansas tattoo!! I got the tattoo in 2008, before leaving to work on a raw goat dairy farm in central Washington. I had wanted one for a while with the upcoming trip approaching I wanted to land in WA with my pride written on my left shoulder. The tattoo is in red ink. The design is an outline of Arkansas with two birds perched on a twig with flowers and a large cloud encircling them. One bird is kissing the other birds’ forehead. The bird that is being kissed has its eyes closed as it enjoys the sweet peck of the other. The idea came from a friend Doug who makes beautiful music and used a image like it on one of his album covers. I don’t have any good photos but perhaps I can take one to share!
• 
  meredith January 11, 2012 at 8:44 pm

  Love this story! Thanks so much for posting! Would also love to see the album cover you mentioned as well. I’ve been talking with another person about the possibility of starting a facebook group and maybe a Tumblr page where people can upload their Arkansas tattoo photos and stories. Are you in Arkansas now? Would love to discuss this with you more! Also really would love to hear about the raw goat dairy farm!
• Arkansas Tattoo Project Expanding: US Tattooed Kids Page « The Boiled Down Juice January 16, 2012 at 8:53 pm

  [...] Arkansas Tattoo Documentation Project is expanding!  In addition to the oral histories I’m compiling and upcoming article I’m working on, for a while now I’ve been thinking about how this project should be more community-driven [...]
• A Few New Tattoo Photos from the Us Tattooed Kids: Arkansas Project « The Boiled Down Juice January 17, 2012 at 1:59 pm

  [...] A Few New Tattoo Photos from the Us Tattooed Kids: Arkansas Project var addthis_product = 'wpp-262'; var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true,"data_track_addressbar":true};if (typeof(addthis_share) == "undefined"){ addthis_share = [];}The whole Arkansas Tattoo Project is growing and you can follow all the new uploads on the Facebook page.   Please upload your own and tell your stories!  To read more about this project check out the previous post  or this post about how the project started. [...]