I met up with Becca at the Emily Carr campus. She was kind enough to have a chat with me. It was extremely informative and I'm excited to share with you! Enjoy!
When did you first become interested in tattoos?
Oh that’s a tough question, um, I don’t know I feel like early teen years. I think when you start exploring art, naturally it kind of turns into that. Especially with the internet now. I think I found myself doodling on my skin in class, always drawing on my hand with a pen and sometimes I would do it with a sharpie and when I came home my parents would just be furious. Little did they know, it’s like a precursor for the real deal. That early body modification or like interest in art on skin.
When did you get your first tattoo?
I got my first when I was 18, my parents made me wait. They are very anti-tattoo but luckily my mom was supportive. I was getting something small so she was supportive. When I started getting bigger tattoos they started being less supportive.
How was your experience getting that first tattoo?
Um .. I guess it was thrilling because I had waited so long for this moment then finally I was allowed to and then I was old enough to and all these barriers fell away. The experience itself wasn’t so great because I chose a small tattoo and something relatively simple the [tattoo artist] wanted to give it to someone that was interning. So the person that was supposed to do my tattoo was like “actually here’s [intern] they are going to be doing your tattoo today”. I was like “what why?” but I didn’t know any better and so they did.
Someone like that is practising so it felt unfair that I didn’t have the choice whether or not I was going to be the guinea pig. I realised afterwards that was not okay. I understand they have to learn but they should have been more mindful. I actually got a white ink puzzle piece tattoo on the back of my neck but because they didn’t know what they were doing they used a stencil which meant the ink from the stencil went under my skin and it wasn’t a white ink tattoo. It was white but there were pieces of grey and blue in it. I have since gotten that covered up. Luckily it was small but still something important to me and I didn’t go into it with the intention that I was going to fix it later on.
What is it about tattoos that you appreciate or enjoy most?
I think it’s the idea of impermanence. Everyone thinks that they are permanent but your body is not permanent. So I like the idea that people can decorate themselves how they want to. You don’t necessarily get to judge people, I mean people do judge people based on their clothing choices but it is like wearing different hats. I like looking at tattoos like a diary, my experiences and things that I value. Sometimes there are things we don’t value which also adds to the journey. It is interesting in that way. They are all so individual. Its deemed appropriate to exorcise people in certain ways versus not in other ways. Like if someone had a horrific burn scar or something like that you wouldn’t treat them the same way. They are not comparable by any means but it goes to point out how women are treated.
Actually did you see downstairs, right now one of the works by the teacher is this piece of paper right by the cafeteria? [Name] was reading it to me last night and it was talking about how women’s bodies are treated and how they have to dress, and how sometimes you don’t get the job because you don’t have enough money to buy the right shoes or if your bra strap is showing. I just went to a job interview, a couple of different job interviews actually and it was like, well, do I wear something that shows that I have tattoos or are they expecting me to not show them.
My teacher brought up how people would touch her stomach while she was pregnant, similar to when someone grabs your arm to look at your tattoos. There seem to be no boundaries when it comes to women’s bodies. People comment and judge freely.
Social norms where it’s like don’t ask me to turn around so you can look at my tattoo like that’s super not okay. And it is true. Like why would you force me to justify my decisions consistently? It is none of your business. I have a really big back piece and people are constantly asking me to turn around and show it off. People have literally been like “give me a spin”, like do you not realize how demeaning that is? That you are saying that to me. You are just treating me like an object. Which is not okay. It is weird that it took me a while to feel justified to feel this way. I should never be put into a position where this behaviour is something I should be okay with.
Yeah, it took me a while to feel okay to be mad about these things. For example, when you get mad about degrading jokes towards women and you call someone out about it they brush it off as a joke and say I have to calm down. When in reality it isn’t really a joke.
Yeah, it’s also that cop-out. I think the problem is also that people don’t know how to be wrong. They can’t just be like “oh I’m sorry I didn’t realise that this was inappropriate”.
Similar question to the one earlier, but what do tattoos mean or do for you? I guess it is kind of a similar answer. Just my way of decorating myself with art that I like. Or something that has meaning to me. They don’t always have to be super sentimental but something that I think looks cool. And if 20 years from now I don’t think it’s cool anymore well at one point in my life I felt this way. I could easily keep a diary and it would be a lot less expensive but I’m somewhat eccentric in that way. Maybe it is also, not a power move, but sometimes it works the opposite way, sometimes you become less approachable. With certain social markers. It becomes easier to weed out the people that are going to treat you differently. Absolutely, it is a great filter. It also makes me think of that double standard where most people that have them don’t care if other people don’t. While it’s always the people that don’t [have tattoos] that strongly oppose or are extremely judgemental. I think it is important to highlight that extra, being a woman in the equation and how you are treated. Tattoos are a way to exercise my right to my body. I definitely feel that way about it. What is the usual response to your tattoos? “Wow I didn’t expect that from you” or “wow you seem like such a nice girl why do you have all those tattoos”. I have gotten that one quite a few times. Just like over-sexualisation of my body which makes me incredibly uncomfortable. People use it as a way to start a conversation with you or its “oh you are going to like that in 20 years” … like yeah, I’m going to look like a badass in 20 years. You are just going to be old and wrinkly, I’m going to be old and wrinkly and tattooed. I really don’t get that “20 years from now” argument. Yeah, I don’t either. But yeah the response is not really great. I think the hardest part is the family. They don’t like tattoos and it is something that I’m actually super passionate about. I really consider [tattoos] a true art form and it is something I am potentially considering as a career choice and it sucks that I also have to factor in what my parents will think. What clothing will I have to wear when I’m around my family? How am I going to have to change, not who I am but still covering up a part of who I am? They aren’t thrilled about me getting tattoos. It is just such an overreaction considering all the horrible things that happen. To spend your energy on that seems so futile. I find tattoos to be somewhat cathartic, like this experience that is ritualistic. I really enjoy the experience. Someone is taking the time to put in thought and effort into something you want and it is a mutual experience. You are showcasing their craft forever. It is kind of a big deal. Is there a specific comment that has really stuck with you [about your tattoos]? I can’t really think of anything super specific, just the ones where people see it and are like “oh, you seem like such a nice girl”. I’m like, you think I’m nice and polite because I’m a decent human being. It is putting up strange labels and what you are saying to me right now is that my tattoos make me less of a good person. It is so weird. I’m really happy you are trying to get the perspective across that you have the right to exist as a person and especially a woman in spaces, and not made to feel like you should apologize for your body and your choices, because they are valid. You are able to have autonomy over your existence. It isn’t rocket science. It is exhausting that we are still having these conversations. It is so important because you need to shift the narrative. If you want to change you need to have these conversations where somebody may not have been okay with the fact that they are wrong and be like “I understand that you didn’t know better”. This is the conversation people have been having but we can do better. So figure it out.