The Maori people. & Tattooing.

Tattooing and transfers

 

Tattooing has been around for centuries in many different cultures. Today it is widely becoming more popular and accepted within different cultures. It is seen by many to still be un-acceptable and not attractive however, many see it as individual, sexy, beautiful and as a work of art on the skin.

 

Including me.

 

 

In class we practiced ways in which to apply 'transfer' tattoos to the skin. I thoroughly enjoyed this process and could not believe I had not known how to do this at home before. Very handy for fancy dress! I am quite excited to find a way to incorporate this technique into my design. I love the way in which if you paint over it, it actually brings the image to life like a painting on the skin. similar to that of a real tattoo.

 

 

 

 

 

Maori tattooing

 The Maori people are native to New Zealand. They are Polynesians who settled in New Zealand after travelling from Poylnesia which is around 1,000 islands scattered over the Pacific ocean. Hawaii is included in this area.

The following information is taken from the website http://history-nz.org/maori3.html I have copied it directly as I felt all the information given was relevant and has a really beautiful story behind it.

The Tattoo (Ta Moko)

The word "tattoo" comes from the Tahitian word "tatau". Captain James Cook used the word "tattow" when he witnessed tattooing for the first time in Tahiti, in 1769. According to Māori mythology, tattooing commenced with a love affair between a young man by the name of Mataora (which means "Face of Vitality") and a young princess of the underworld by the name of Niwareka. One day however, Mataora beat Niwareka, and she left Mataroa, running back to her father's realm which was named "Uetonga". Mataora, filled with guilt and heartbreak followed after his princess Niwareka. After many trials, and after overcoming numerous obstacles, Mataora eventually arrived at the realm of "Uetonga", but with his face paint messed and dirty after his voyage. Niwareka's family taunted and mocked Mataora for his bedraggled appearance. In his very humbled state, Mataora begged Niwareka for forgiveness, which she eventually accepted. Niwareka's father then offered to teach Mataora the art of tattooing, and at the same time Mataora also leant the art of Taniko - the plaiting of cloak borders in many colours. Mataora and Niwareka thus returned together to the human world, bringing with them the arts of ta moko and taniko. According to archaeological evidence, tattooing came to New Zealand from Eastern Polynesian culture. The bone chisels used for tattooing can be found in archaeological sites of various ages in New Zealand, as well as in some early Eastern Polynesian sites. Although the Māori practiced tattooing, there is no evidence that the Moriori people did. In New Zealand, It is in the early sites that the widest chisel blades are found, and this lends evidence to the theory that there was possibly a preference towards rectilinear tattoo patterns in earlier times. The head was considered the most sacred part of the body, and because tattooing caused blood to run the tattoo craftsmen, or "tohunga-ta-oko", were very tapu persons. All high-ranking Māori were tattooed, and those who went without tattoos were seen as persons of no social status. Tattooing commenced at puberty, accompanied by many rites and rituals. In addition to making a warrior attractive to women, the tattoo practice marked both rites of passage and important events in a person's life. There were certain prohibitions during the tattooing process, and for the facial tattoo in particular sexual intimacy and the eating of solid foods were prohibited. In order to overcome this, liquid food and water was drained into a wooden funnel, to ensure that no contaminating product came into contact with the swollen skin. This was also the only way the tattooed person could eat until his or her wounds healed. The full faced tattoo was very time consuming, and a good tattoo craftsman would carefully study a person's bone structure before commencing his art

Here are some old traditional images I have discovered that I find very inspirational and beautiful.

Tukiniko- an old fighting chief from New Zealand, 1880.

A Maori sculpture in New Zealand

 This is quite an amazing perspective on looking at the Maori tattooing which still remain on the skull of a tattooed shruken head of a maori warrior. It is believed to be of a young man. The head was apparently taken from New Zealand by explorers and put in a museum in Paris  in 1985 and has only in recent years been returned to New Zealand after a political battle over the relic. They are trying to discover from which tribe the head originates from so it can be returned and buried in its rightful place.        

       We were set a task to draw and sketch onto an image in a magazine or newspaper in Maori style. Here is my attempt.

I started searching videos for Maori make up and discovered this one. I really like the final outcome of her work.

This video gave me inspiration to attack my boyfriend and have a go at this style. I created my own design. I definitely feel it could be improved but it was fun to freestyle. The process took a long time and I think you need to be in the right frame of mind to get creative for this and have a lot of patience. I would like to add colour next time to give a bit more depth to the design.

Here's an interesting video I found of Kylie O'toole (hair and make up artist) backstage at the Hair Exposure event which is the largest UK hair and beauty event. I like this maori tribal style and the way it is introduced to the body and worked on by two make up artists at a time. There has to be good communication and understanding to work together like this.