Touch Response
"The tiny ridges in our fingerprints, whose roughness makes it easier for us to grasp objects, are,
randomly formed, resulting in the unique swirling weather systems we call 'fingerprints'."
While fingerprints are first mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, the above quote is taken from the section Kissing. The particular paragraph where the sentence is quoted mentions how the 'swirls' on our fingers 'run through a few basic patterns of whirls, loops and arches..." and that our fingerprints are the 'ultimate personal signature.' The image used is a picture of my fingerprint. I took some Windsor & Newton black ink from our set and dipped my finger in it, pressing down on the multi-media paper to produce this print. To me, there is nothing more personal and identifying than a fingerprint. Not only do they tell a story but the most powerful thing about them is that every single fingerprint is different. Like the section said, not even identical twins have the same fingerprints.
The idea for the image came from the process of voting in an election. Back home in The Bahamas, on the day of election, before a voter goes into the voting box and marks an X next to the constituency representative of the political party of their choice, they must first dip their thumb into indelible ink; this allows poll workers to identify those have already voted from those who haven't. Fingerprints are incredibly distinctive and characteristic. It's just one of the many physical evidences that proves exactly how individually special we are.
"Ultimately, tattoos make unique the surface of one's self, embody one's secret dreams,
adorn with magic emblems the Altamira of the flesh."
The above line from the section Tattoos talks about how they are a visual representation of oneself and how tattoos make you wonder "about symbolism, decoration and identity." At first, I was going to take pictures of someone's already completed tattoo but then I thought that capturing the process of getting a tattoo presented a different and unique angle. We always see tattoos after they're completed but I think the act of getting (and giving) a tattoo is just as momentous and powerful as a tattoo itself.
I wanted the images to be real and in the moment, so I decided to visit a tattoo shop. The images were taken at Pegasus Tattoo Gallery which is owned by tattoo artist Kimberly Wells. She was generous enough not only to let me take some photos during one of her appointments but to engage with her and ask questions about the gallery, her work and the art of tattoos.
adorn with magic emblems the Altamira of the flesh."
The above line from the section Tattoos talks about how they are a visual representation of oneself and how tattoos make you wonder "about symbolism, decoration and identity." At first, I was going to take pictures of someone's already completed tattoo but then I thought that capturing the process of getting a tattoo presented a different and unique angle. We always see tattoos after they're completed but I think the act of getting (and giving) a tattoo is just as momentous and powerful as a tattoo itself.
I wanted the images to be real and in the moment, so I decided to visit a tattoo shop. The images were taken at Pegasus Tattoo Gallery which is owned by tattoo artist Kimberly Wells. She was generous enough not only to let me take some photos during one of her appointments but to engage with her and ask questions about the gallery, her work and the art of tattoos.
