The tattooed woman has taken this stigma and has used it to facilitate her art. Even though tattooing has gained acceptance or at least a tolerance as of late, when a woman gets tattooed she immediately gets more attention than a man. The general public is compelled to be more opinionated about a woman with body art. A woman's reason for tattoos and body adornment varies from accentuating her body with designs to personal images that give inner strength and pleasure. But all the images and symbols that are worn on the skin of The Illustrated Woman tell a personal story.
Some stories are obvious, like portraits of their children or loved ones.
Others are more personal and the tattoo may mean nothing to the viewer. The most intriguing story told to me is about a woman who had her parents' names tattooed on her using their ashes after an unfortunate accident. To most people, the most fascinating aspect of tattooing is the permanence, which makes the tattoo a symbol of commitment and fortitude. I consider the photographs in this book to be portraits. And although some of these images may differ from your definition of portrait, through this style I have tried to strip away all the cues of time and location to allow the subject to speak aloud of her statement.