This is my first blog entry in quite a while. Haven't been moved to write until now.Yesterday I took my cousin and her boyfriend who are visiting from California to a Tattoo shop. Her boyfriend whom I’ll call Tim wanted to get a “tribal” tattoo done before he left so I tagged along just to make sure the place was kosher and operating within DOH guidelines.The shop was very nice, clean and legal, which was a good thing. As usual the shop featured a number of samples of the various artists work as well as volumes of photo’s of past customers. The artist that would be applying the ink had done some “technically” excellent work, beautiful bold designs featuring Polynesian motifs . I’ll discuss my “technically” comment shortly.Tim had brought a downloaded picture of the design style he would like to achieve and that served as the starting point for their discussion of the final work. At the beginning of the process the artist explained that all of his work is a one-of-a-kind original piece applied freehand after the design is drawn onto the customer. I was very pleased to hear this as most shops will usually draw up or copy a design from an existing album then transfer it to a stencil using a thermal-fax system.Once the design elements were decided on the drawing process began directly onto skin to layout the parameters of the work. This was very similar to the process that Chaz had used on both of my moko. The layout process took about 45-minutes and after completion it was time to push ink.The entire process took a little over 4-hours from start to finish and again I will admit the tattoo was beautiful. Would I have the same work done on me?. The answer is no, not anymore and here’s why.As I mentioned the work was “technically” excellent. Much, much better than most of the “tribal” work I have seen over the past few years. However what was missing was the essence of the traditional Polynesian kakau or moko. There was no discussion of what each of the design elements stood for. There was no discussion of family genealogy, no discussion of the tattoo representing a birthplace or mythology. To me it seemed as though the piece was in essence nothing more than a bumper sticker commemorating a trip to Hawaii. Is this being harsh? Maybe so, but it has also made me appreciate even more the work I have had done.When I look at the first piece of work from Chaz I can remember the two to three hours that we talked before he would even begin drawing. I can look at each and every element and see my family genealogy, I can see the lei ‘o mano, I can see the hammerhead shark, I can hear the mo’olelo. I can remember one of the best days of my life spent with my Maori brother on a lanai at Maunalani Heights. I remember the pain.During our trip to Rapa Nui in 1999 I had the honor of meeting and receiving a kakau from Panda Pakarati. When I approached him about a kakau we began a four-day process of discussion just to create one image. He wanted me to wear something that would tie me to Rapa. Eventually the design we came up with was based on an image I had seen on a petroglyph at Rano Kau. This image came to Panda in a dream the night before we were to leave Rapa. I remember the pain.I will admit that early on I was in the same “chair” so to speak as Tim was yesterday. Prior to my leaving Guam and returning home to Hawai’i in 1996 I had a traditional Micronesian tattoo design of two dolphins applied to my leg. This was my first and last bumper sticker. This was before I joined the halau and have learned much since then.Having a kakau or moko applied by a traditional practioner will ensure that you have acknowledged your past, recognized your ancestors and remembered your birthright. You will have forever made a statement that goes far beyond the ink that is resting below your skin.
Comments