2022.12.29
Relay Column: On Navigating through the Silent Body – Tattoos, Fashion, & Text (Shin Aoyama)
PROFILE
Shin Aoyama
Born in 1995. Graduated from Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance (Design). Serving as the editor-in-chief of "anon press." Engaged in writing and expression activities focused on science fiction and future-oriented design. Notable works include "オルガンのこと" (Included in "異常論文" edited by Kyosuke Higuchi, Hayakawa Publishing), and "ココ・イン・ザ・ルーム" (Exhibited at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation's "Microbes actually are all around").
At the time of writing this article, Ye, who appeared on the live stream of the far-right/conspiracy/fake news site "InfoWars" run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, was facing criticism for statements that could be interpreted as praising Nazism.
Looking back to 2013, Ye, known then as Kanye West, made the following statement in a BBC Radio interview regarding the theme "Why care about clothes?":
“It is because being naked is illegal.”
This statement seems oddly whimsical yet strangely unforgettable. Does it evoke Adolf Loos's maxim, "Ornament is a crime"? If being naked is illegal and adornment is a crime, how incredibly sinful we are.
By the way, bodysuits, particularly items referred to as second skin, have been trending for several years now. Marine Serre's crescent has long been imprinted on the skin of influencers. Based on this discussion, these outfits, which evoke nudity while clad, resemble a convergence of illegality and crime, truly embodying a fearsome immorality.
Skin, color, sin... Here, we must summon the primal colored nakedness, namely tattoos（2）. Indeed, even in modern clothing, there is a long history of references to tattoos in their design.
For instance, Issey Miyake released a bodysuit titled "Tattoos" in 1971, in the earliest stages of his career. In the 1989 Spring/Summer collection, Martin Margiela presented sheer tops based on the trompe-l'œil theme, and Jean Paul Gaultier’s 1994 Spring/Summer collection "Les Tatouages" is also well-known.
Subsequently, collaborations with tattoo artists like Ed Hardy, founded by Don Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier, and collaborations with JK5 (Joseph Ali Aloi) in the 2015 Autumn/Winter collection by COMME des GARCONS HOMME PLUS exemplify a cozy relationship between tattoo artists and fashion brands, reflecting a history that we can also see in contemporary Japan with figures like GAKKIN and TAPPEI.
As a focal point of these genealogies, one might consider the second skin illustrated by Dr. Woo in the 2021 Autumn/Winter sacai x Jean Paul Gaultier collection.
Loos, previously mentioned, stated about tattoos, "If a modern person has a tattoo, that individual is either a criminal or a depraved person," citing their decorative aspect as representative of the uncivilized.
The etymology of the word crime derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *krei-, meaning "to separate," connecting it to critique. Meanwhile, the etymology of illegal (negation of legal) comes from *leg-, meaning "to gather," which simultaneously implies "to speak." The needle separates the speechless body (*leg-) and spits out dark marks (*krei-) within it.
Tattoos, fashion, text. Whether the subject is the body, fabric, or language, we cannot help but divide it and say something about its cross-section. If this is the sin, it is truly deserving of being called original sin.
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Tattoos are, by principle, unable to be erased, separating them slightly from the realm of trends in fashion. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that styles have shifted over time.
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