Tattoos in our culture have come from being seen as something scandalous or trashy to a common thing.  In Las Cruces, they have even made it to a museum exhibit. 

The Branigan Cultural Center’s feature exhibit, Ink: Tattoos as Personal Expression takes you on a tour of everything from tools, to tattoo removal.

The exhibit focuses on all aspects of tattooing, from history, to technology and even the local tattoo scene in Las Cruces.  The museum featured three local tattoo artists in a video shown in a mock tattoo parlor.  They talked about their perspective of the tattoo industry.  Another video features a local doctor explaining the process of tattoo removal.  The exhibit also includes a small theatre with a video about the history of tattoos.

Tattoos have become something of an identifier.  They are often a symbol of group affiliation and can help people fit into society.  Tattoos are prevalent in every culture all around the world; the exhibit shows this and takes a look into why people get tattoos.

Photographer for the exhibit, Chris Mortenson spent more than one year taking photos of the local tattoo scene.  Out of hundreds of images, about 20 were selected for the exhibit. 

Going to the exhibit made me want to do some research on my own.  What is the general impression of tattoos in our culture? Surely if the Branigan cultural center is featuring them as an exhibit they have become something of a more socially accepted personal expression.  As I began looking around for some information people all over were confirming that tattoos were becoming something socially more accepted.  They are no longer the mark of sailors or convicts (something you learn at the exhibit).  People get tattoos to mark a significant event in their life such as achievements or memorials (another aspect of the exhibit).  While the general feeling is they are still not as acceptable in the workplace, socially a tattoo is not as taboo. 

The exhibit is an interesting tour of “Tattoos as Personal Expression”.  It takes you on a journey through the ancient years of tribal tattoos to even Barbie with tattoos.  It gives people a sense of what the “tattooed” culture is about. 

If you go:

What: Ink: Tattoos as Personal Expression

Where: Branigan Cultural Center- on the North end of the Downtown Mall, 501 N Main Street  

When: Runs through January 24, 2009, Mon. – Fri. 10 am – 4 pm, Sat. 9 am-1 pm  

Additional attractions in Las Cruces: Las Cruces, New Mexico, White Sands National Monument