Abstract
ABSTRACTBased on in-depth interviews with nine tattoo consumers, participant observation at a tattoo studio, a tattoo consumption diary, and photography, we investigate embodied processes of remembering and forgetting temporal experiences. We unpick participants’ experiences of combatting the fragility of memory, negotiating which temporal experiences to remember or forget, and constructing temporal order through their tattooed bodies. These insights are enriched theoretically with reference to Ricoeur’s ideas concerning time, narrative, and memory. By focusing upon the embodied dimensions of memory work, we contribute fresh insights into the underexplored relations between bodies, time, and consumer culture. Furthermore, we indicate the continuing significance of temporal continuity, durability, and the past in accelerating Western cultures. Finally, we elucidate the importance of also attending to “absences” in consumer research. We conclude by considering the wider implications of our findings for better understanding an accelerating, liquid, and unstable consumer culture, beyond the context of tattooing.
Highlights
This paper explores the embodied dimensions of remembering and forgetting temporal experiences through the lens of tattooed bodies
We address the undertheorised relations between bodies, time, and memory
Responding to calls for a more embodied appreciation of temporality (Toyoki et al 2013), we explored the relations between bodies, time, and memory within the context of tattoo consumption
Summary
This paper explores the embodied dimensions of remembering and forgetting temporal experiences through the lens of tattooed bodies. In turn, build upon the literature surrounding material possessions and memories from an embodied perspective, whilst foregrounding the underexplored relations between bodies and time This appreciation of the temporal dimension of consumer culture is important. By exploring which temporal experiences people tattoo into, or remove from, their skin, and those past memories persons choose never to intentionally signify through the body, we elucidate the importance of attending to “absences” in consumer research. Jimbob sought to tell a coherent narrative via his body by ensuring that all of his tattoos relate to Eastern philosophy He has created a sense of temporal stability which was not always experienced in his unsettled life
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