Ep. 80: Tattoos As Art & Expression | A Discussion with Eva Dadlez скачать в хорошем качестве

Ep. 80: Tattoos As Art & Expression | A Discussion with Eva Dadlez

In this episode, Brandon Polite (Knox College | he/him) talks with Eva Dadlez (University of Central Oklahoma | she/her) about tattoos. We begin by discussing with historical resistance to considering tattoos art, rooted in their past association with crude designs and lower-class status. However, Dadlez notes that the rise of skilled tattoo artists and digital art integration has radically transformed the medium. We then shift to consider Immanuel Kant’s critique of tattoos, particularly his belief that they degrade the human body’s inherent beauty. Dadlez challenges this view, arguing that tattoos can enhance or transform bodily aesthetics, much like clothing does. She also critiques Kant’s ethical concerns, questioning whether tattooing oneself genuinely constitutes using one’s body as a mere means. We next explore where the artwork in a tattoo resides—whether in the design, its placement on the body, or the tattooed body itself. Dadlez—appealing to ideas developed with her co-author Laura Sizer—argues that while the design may be art, it only becomes tattoo art when placed on a living body. She highlights how tattoos derive meaning from their location, using examples like mastectomy tattoos that transform perceptions of bodily absence into visual abundance. The conversation then delves into the case of Wim Delvoye's artwork "Tim," in which a man named Tim agreed to have his back tattooed, have his tattoo purchased by someone else, be put on display in galleries and museums, and have the skin from his back removed after his death so that the tattoo can be preserved and displayed. Dadlez (and Sizer) reject the idea that a tattoo remains the same artwork once removed from the body, likening it to a kinetic sculpture flattened and stripped of its intended movement. From there, we consider how tattoos evolve. Dadlez points out how separate pieces can merge into a single, cohesive design over time, a process unique to tattooing and comparable to how street art interacts with its environment. This fluidity challenges the traditional view of art as static and unchanging. We next discuss tattoo regret. Dadlez advises against removal, which is often more painful and costly than the tattoo itself, and instead recommends cover-ups. She shares her own experience of replacing a poorly done dragon with a striking owl, showing how skilled artists can transform mistakes into meaningful works. We then consider the nature of political and identity-expressive tattoos, particularly their permanence compared to other political symbols. Dadlez discusses the case of the QAnon Shaman’s Norse symbol tattoos, arguing that their placement on his body adds meaning beyond their original cultural significance. She also critiques the presence of white supremacist symbols in tattoo culture and recounts the case of a British TV contestant who falsely claimed his “88” face tattoo referenced a personal date rather than a neo-Nazi symbol. We next discuss the relationship between pain and identity in tattooing. While some endure the pain as a necessary step, others actively embrace it, seeing it as a transformative experience that reinforces personal control over their bodies. She compares this to extreme body modification and bodybuilding—both ways of asserting identity by pushing against biological constraints. We conclude with Dadlez describing the shifting culture of tattooing. Once a hyper-masculine field, competitions like "Ink Master" have become more collaborative, especially after skilled female artists entered the scene. Advances in digital tools and stencil transfers have also helped legitimize tattooing as fine art, attracting young artists who once overlooked it as a career. References: Chapters: 0:00 Introductions 0:28 The Resistance to Tattoos Counting as Art 4:44 Kant's Objections to Tattoos 10:02 Where Is the Work of Art with Tattoos? 17:54 The Essentiality of Living Flesh: The Case of "Tim" 24:07 Spatially Dispersed & Evolving Tattoos 29:40 Tattoo Regret 32:33 The Political Functions of Tattoos 38:40 Pain, Impermanence, & Personal Identity 44:21 Tattoos, Body Modification, & Somatic Mastery 47:42 The Evolution of Tattoo Culture 50:59 Conclusion SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/c/Philosopher... Subtitles & audio edited by Athko Ehrnstein