Description
This article is from the rec.arts.bodyart Welcome & Netiquette FAQ,
by Heidi Anderson with numerous contributions by others.
1j. A Brief History Of Rab
[To conserve space, I have hacked Chris' original post, entitled
"Reflections,"--and by doing so, have taken out much of the
emotional impact it had on me initially. --Lani]
[I edited a bit as well, removing a few parts that weren't
relevant to the history of RAB. --Heidi]
"Reflections," from Chris Wayne (cwayne@unm.edu):
RAB is now over six years old--I never thought it would last this
long. In 1990, I got on a primitives mail-list, which a gay friend
pointed me toward. I wondered why most on the list seemed to be gay
(I am straight and a Christian). I wasn't really sure what "Modern
Primitives" was. While I noticed the ritualistic aspects, my
interests lay more in the actual art of tattooing (not yet piercing).
I do have an open mind and being a tattoo enthusiast, I guess my
friend thought I'd fit in.
I was curious why the GLBs should have all the fun. Why was there no
primitives newsgroup? Karl [MacRae] said there wasn't one because it
would probably open people up to unwanted attacks and stupidity--but
I thought I'd give it a try.
Karl gave me his blessings. In November I called an RFD [Request For
Discussion] (now a CFD [Call For Discussion]) on creating a new group.
What came of the few responses was a name (rec.arts.bodyart). I wanted
it to be apart from the primitives mail list, which included all the
different permutations--with focus on the actual art and not necessar-
ily the ritual, and general enough to have a wide appeal still fit
into the philosophy of Modern Primitivism. I was looking for accept-
ance and education, to teach people that it's OK to accept those that
are different, and that tattooing is not disgusting. The CFV produced
a close vote, but in March 1991, RAB was created.
At first, those on the prims list were cautious for fear of getting
dumped on--but there hasn't been any of this bashing on RAB Here's an
open forum that doesn't care what your color or orientation is, or
even if you're not tattooed and can share in a common passion on
neutral ground and have no fear of being bashed. I wanted someplace
to hear about all aspects of tattooing without having to worry about
someone harassing the people. I think that this group is a beacon to
the rest of the Internet, showing that there's nothing sinister or
evil in tattooing and that criminals, queers and bikers aren't the
only ones that get tattoos. Being tattooed does not make the person;
getting tattooed reflects who the person is--good or bad.
Karl, Jeff, Lance, Ray & Barb and many others no longer here, migrated
over from the prims list and became the local experts. They were
willing and capable of answering any question. Mostly, only those that
had tattoos would post questions, but eventually as word of this group
spread, those that were just curious were reading and posting questions.
Interest grew. "Where can I get tattooed?" "Where can I get pierced?"
"What should I look for?" "How much will it cost?" And of course "Does
it hurt?" The Internet was being introduced to Modern Primitives and
being educated that tattooing is not a fad or trend, but a commitment
(a conscious decision) for life, the courage to be different--to stand
out. Then came Lani and Ardvark and their FAQs, which are posted on
other important, mainstream groups. These FAQs even help some people
along the three steps of acceptance in getting a tattoo :-)
1) I never want one!
2) It looks good on someone else, but I still don't want one.
3) I want one!
There isn't a session that goes by that I don't see someone asking
about getting their first tattoo or where the nearest shop is, what
questions to ask and what to look for. There are also RAB socials,
get togethers at conventions, and even a wedding invitation! There
are discussions on why we get tattooed and how a tattooed person is
perceived by the public.
People are now getting tattooed because they're getting more familiar
with this art form, and the fear of an unknown is removed. Their
inhibitions and preconceptions are being changed. People are
understanding what it means to be tattooed. I guess there are still
those that think that getting a tattoo is a fad or kewl (cool), but
that's their problem. If everybody is getting tattooed--that's not the
reason to get tattooed. Everybody eats and makes love, but that's not
the reason we do it. I don't think anybody would call sex a fad--I
believe that getting tattooed fills a basic need.
Unlike most groups that are for just discussion, RAB is also a
support group with a sense of community. Truly, one can find
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations in this group.
Continue to:
Related Information
- Tattoo
Ideas
You're searching for that perfect tattoo
idea. You may not even know exactly what "it" is just yet. But that
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- Tattoos
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