The SERPENTS of BIENVILLE

SEAN HERMAN’S TRANSFORMATIVE TATTOO

Every time I walk into a grocery store, restaurant, or most any public space it is inevitable that I will hear the same thing many of those whom are heavily tattooed hear, that ringing phrase “Why did you get that? It’s scary looking!” For myself, it typically revolves around images that are horror based that I have tattooed on my neck and various other visible parts of my body. I received these tattoos when I was young, due to my fascination with horror, but it does beg the question, why do we get horror imagery tattooed, and why is it so popular? To answer that question, we will have to walk through the streets of a crowded Paris, France

Look up when walking through most old European cities and you will see them looking down at you, perched on cathedrals, gargoyles. A gargoyle is a grotesque that also acts as drain-spout. In art history, a grotesque is any quixotic figure reminiscent of those found painted on the walls of underground chambers in Ancient Rome.

During the Gothic period, however, the term grotesque was used specifically to describe the peculiar sculptures found on churches, cathedrals, and other Catholic institutions. Gargoyles have become one of the most distinctive features of Gothic architecture.

Likely erected as a defence against demons, the stone statues are rooted in religion and steeped in superstition. The idea that a monstrous creature on the outside of a cathedral could ward of evil is an interesting, yet odd idea. As a tattooist, my brain automatically imagines this idea with ink to skin. Years ago I came across an interview with Paul Booth in which he was explaining why some of his clients wore the imagery he created that was viewed as “evil”. His explanation was that some wore it to ward off the energy they viewed as evil. This idea is actually steeped deep in tattooing traditions, as far back as humanity itself.