Friday, November 19, 2010

Body Painting, Designs and Tattoos


[warmup]
PICTURE ONE: The hands of a woman in Jaipur are covered with mehndi patterns painted with henna. Trendy in recent years, the lacework decorations are part of a 5,000-year-old tradition of creating designs to ward off evil or declare one’s happiness. These decorations are temporary and wear off after a couple weeks.

PICTURE TWO: British soccer player David Beckham has been collecting tattoos for many years. The total has just gone up to over nine. All the tattoos have a special meaning behind them from supporting his family to Chinese proverbs, "Death and life have determined appointments, Riches and honors depends upon heaven." 

For your warmup today free-write about henna and/or tattoos. The expectation for today is that you will free-write for the entire eight minutes of warmup. You can either post your free-write as a comment or drop it in my dropbox (especially if it gets too long or personal).
-What do you think about henna & tattoos? 
-Would you ever get either?
-What do you know about the symbolism behind henna & tattoos?
-Do you know people that have gotten either? Why did they get them done?

[guiding questions]
What is the oldest know tattoo(s)? 
What kind of images or symbols might the major religions of Asia use to represent themselves?

[links]

20 comments:

  1. I like tattoos but people who get them all over their body's are not cool. I want my name in tattoo on my forearm when i get older.

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  2. I am alright with henna tatoos, but i would never get a real one, i just think it's stupid to have something permanent on you skin, that even when you grow up and stop liking it it's still there.

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  3. I like how tattoos but i wouldn't get one.
    I might get a henna just to see how they look on me.
    I don't know anything about the symbolism behind henna and tattos
    yes i do and most people who get them they get addicted to them.

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  4. I like tattoos i have done henna before and its kinda cool because you can make your own patterns and its not permanent it comes off after like a week or something.

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  5. I've always liked henna very much. When I was little I saw a woman with her arms and hands covered in henna designs. I've always thought that whoever paints henna must have very good sense of design and a steady hand. The designs remind me a lot of paisley ones, although they look nothing alike. many of my own designs are based off of paisley or henna ones. Sometimes I draw papers filled with designs that are similar.

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  6. I think henna seems fun and an interesting way to decorate yourself. I also like tattoos but I think people abuse the point of a tattoo when they get really dumb ones that don't have any meaning. I know many people that have tattoos and most of them get them because they have some significance.

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  7. I would never get a tattoo. I don't know much about henna and I don't really care about tattoos.

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  8. 1. the oldest known tattoo is the henna.
    2.to ward of evil or declare happiness.

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  9. I think that henna is cool I had one once but it didn't last long. I don't care for tattoos, because I think that it destroys your body and what happens when you don't want it anymore it's hard to remove it. My friends have gotten a henna, but just for fun. I think if the right person does it then a henna could be beautiful.

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  10. What do you think about henna & tattoos?
    -I think that hennas and tattoo are nice if there are reasons and you do not go over board on them
    Would you ever get either?
    -no
    What do you know about the symbolism behind henna & tattoos?
    -nothing
    Do you know people that have gotten either? Why did they get them done?
    -Yes

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  11. 1. I think henna is really tight you no umm i really want some tattoos myself

    2.yes i would just a couple though
    3. I dont really no to tell you the truth.
    4. yes and because people had died in there life and want to always remember them by something

    Ariana Warren

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  12. -What do you think about henna & tattoos?

    I think that henna looks cool but it also looks a little gross like in the picture above on the top of the person's fingers, it's all brown and gross looking.
    I like tattoos though.

    -Would you ever get either?

    I would get both probably.

    -What do you know about the symbolism behind henna & tattoos?

    You can get many different types of symbols and they can be from different cultures too.

    -Do you know people that have gotten either? Why did they get them done?

    My mom has like 3 tattoos and she got them because she liked them.

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  13. 1. I think henna and tattoos are nice.
    2. I would get both or either if I could. Henna because the design are nice and a tattoo because there are existences in my that are important to me and a tattoo is forever like the importance of those existences to me.
    3.I don't know much about henna but tattoos are sometimes used to symbolize what is important or made a difference in their lives sometimes it's just kinda a hobby.
    4. My sister got her name tattooed on her back but she likes her name

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  14. I think they are a great way to express your thoughts and feelings to others. As well as represent things that mean a lot to you in places that others can see

    Yes I Would.

    Different tattoos and henna mean different things to different people based on when they get them and what they look like.

    I Know a lot of people that have got them. Some represent relatives that have passed away, others are just things that they think look cool.

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  15. Henna is an ancient practice dating back 5000 years. It is generally a intricate design made of natural paints. Black henna is supposed to be bad for the skin because black dye is not naturally occurring

    tattoos are permanent art work for the skin i think if you are going to get one it should have a special meaning to them it is something you are going to carey for the rest of your lfe

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  16. I love them i cant wait till i start getting tattoo i don't think i will stop once i start getting them.

    Well henna is like a tradition I don't know about tattoos

    The gods or symbols

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  17. I think henna is pretty cool. I would get tattoos but they'd get all saggy and stuff when I get older. I know people who have tattoos, but I don't know why they got them. The oldest tattoo recorded is the soot ones on the ice-man. It looks like it would hurt to have soot etched in you, y'know? Major religions would probably use the symbol that represents them to get tattoos.

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  18. -What do you think about henna and tattoo's
    I think they are both very interesting and have different meanings
    - Would you ever get either
    I've had Henna before but a tattoo would be awesome!
    -Henna is very beautiful and interesting. Henna is usually worn during like a ritual or wedding.
    - Do you know people that have gotten either? Why did they get them done
    Yeah I know many people that have both, they usually get them for the fun of it or because there is a meaning behind it

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  19. -What do you think about henna & tattoos?
    I like them & I mean you can get them in so many ways & they all can mean something different to you.

    -Would you ever get either?
    I wold get both !! :)

    -What do you know about the symbolism behind henna & tattoos?
    Umm, not much. I know henna has something to do with religion.

    -Do you know people that have gotten either? Why did they get them done?

    Yes . & because their different , unique .
    Random but, I cant wait to turn 18 to get tattoos !

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  20. What I think about henna is that it is a unique way to have a design that can come off and than u can get a different one.What i think about tattoos is that it hurt and it stay with you for life.I would get a henna,but not sure about a tattoo.I dont know thing about the symbolism.Yes,I know people that got both.Some people of it for fun and some people got them for family/their children name.

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