Tattoos tell stories.

Memories made permanent in flesh, they remember lives and loves, highlight coming-of-age milestones, or recall wild nights best left forgotten. They signify tastes, affiliations, or places in the world. Even tattoos that have no overt meaning whatsoever — designs that merely struck fancies — contain a narrative about the time, place and mindset of when they were needled into skin.

A fascinating new photography exhibit at Columbia College’s Arcade Gallery explores the facets of tattoos and tattooing, but with a focus on those adorning black men.

Curated by Columbia alum Nicole Harrison, Fear Into Fire: Reclaiming Black Male Identity Through the Art of Tattooing presents the work of four photographers who examine the relationships between black men and their tattoos. Evenly divided between photojournalism and artfully staged portraits, the work portrays the tattoo not only as a cultural signifier banding together a community, but also as a highly personal and subjective work of art.

New York-based Akintola Hanif and Jamel Shabazz took to the streets to find their subjects.

The tattoos in Hanif’s photos of gang members and hip-hop artists standing in front of urban brick alleyways and beat-up fences reveal complexly intertwined lives that embrace criminality, familial bonds and spirituality.

The word “CA$H” is split on fingers thrown in a gang sign. Teardrops are etched below eyes. Statements ranging from “F*ck Da Police,” “Everything 2 Gain, Nothing 2 Lose,” and “Money, Power, Respect,” to “Family Comes First” and “In God We Trust” stretch across bare torsos.

Selections from Shabazz’s Alpha Male series remove identities, instead focusing on tattoos in relation to the male body.

Muscularity and personality are the showcase, and Shabazz’s subjects display both, standing shirtless with eyes locked on the camera. Praying hands, doves, giant wings, initials and sayings enhance the sculpted pectorals, abdominals and biceps of stoic individuals. They’ve worked hard to achieve such fitness, and their body art is the perfect complement.

Columbia alum Shasta Bady’s wonderful black and white studio shots are more relaxed, with her subjects presenting themselves and their tattoos comfortably with natural, open expressions unlike those in Hanif and Shabazz’s documentary work.

In the photo “Music Is Life,” Michael Mosely looks at the camera contemplatively with his head resting on fingers crossed under his chin. The bass clef and words “Music = Life” tattooed on his upper left arm reveal his inspiration.

“Storyboard” presents the back and twisted arms of Chris Terry, whose explanation of his tattoos is found on the gallery walls along with quotes from other photo subjects.

An exciting mish-mash of owls, an antique door key, a crescent moon surrounded by clouds, a spider-webbed tree, an anchor, a skeletal woman and more, Terry’s pieces are vibrant records of moments in his life symbolized in images.

Jabari Zuberi takes the artistry a step further. Influenced by Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel, his photos are all arms and hands reaching for each other across a plain, white expanse.

The outstretched arms in Zuberi’s photos show the African continent affixed with DJ equipment, initials with birth and death dates, and fraternity letters — all obvious but strong encapsulations of one generation passing history and brotherhood to another.

The exhibition includes a video program with audio interviews that curator Harrison conducted with some of the subjects juxtaposed with additional Bady photos. This is an essential component. The personal stories behind the tattoos fill gaps that the photos miss, breathing added life to the collection and increasing its impact tenfold.

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By Hifadhi from The World
Posted: 02/05/2011 11:56 AM

This is exactly what our site is about. People should obtain tattoos that tell a story or have a significant meaning to them in their present, past and future lives. Thank you so much for bringing this to the fore. Much Love and Much Respect.

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By Tattoo Tone from Bellwood
Posted: 02/03/2011 10:21 PM

I'm a up and coming tattoo artist that take much pride in the art work that I put on others and my self. But jus want to say that I'm proud of my cousin Nichoel Harrions for bringing light to what's behind the reason people get tattoos. And yes, theirs a story behind every tattoo.