On the 4th of May this year when most people were celebrating Star Wars Day, I was contributing my perspective on the Art of Storytelling within tattoo at the Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne. Alongside 6 other fabulous speakers such as Neuroscientist Tanya Duckworth, Nursing scholar Megan-Jane Johnstone AO, and Professor and composer Dan Golding to name a few, I took to the stage at the ‘Imprint’ Symposium and shared with the audience my perspective on storytelling within tattoo.
My presentation explores the personal and cultural significance of tattoos as an evolving narrative, rooted in tradition yet shaped by personal experiences. It covers the historical role of tattoos, how the act of getting tattooed becomes a profound part of the client’s story, and how it transcends the physical to forge deeper connections.
Hung on the walls surrounding us as we spoke were 50 breathtaking alla prima paintings by Jennifer Fyfe, for her solo exhibition ‘Descript’. Created over 5 years, her artworks are a combination of vintage texts, oil paintings and community stories told in oil paint, ink and braille. I strongly suggest you have a look at Jennifers work, it hums with life and beauty.
I feel deeply honoured to have been asked to speak as a representative of the tattoo culture in such an expansive event and am excited about the connections made and future opportunities being a part of the symposium has unveiled.
Excerpt from “Stories on the Skin” by Sammi Edney:
“…I’m so proud to be a practitioner of tattoo. It’s a vulnerable space to facilitate. A slowed down cocoon of trust, patience and resilience that transcends time and space as we experience it day to day. Tattooing brings us to the following paradox: we are nowhere but the present moment, nothing exists outside of the act of being tattooed, whilst simultaneously – time and potential are boundless, non-linear. I know not many other experiences that warp time and space like tattoo does. Birth, Death, Intimacy, some spiritual rituals that involve pushing the body. All can be deeply transformative; all have the physical aspect in common. The focus on the transience of the physical sensation can be a catalyst in mental or emotional blocks finding a way to flow through to clarity. This is one of the reasons the practice has stood the test of time and why it will never disappear, because it’s such a powerful embedding, a permanent binding of intangible thought and ephemeral experiences firmly into to the tangible realms, to remain always in the present on our physicality, for all who can see to witness…”