Ancient Marks: The Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Markings

by Chris Rainier

Seven years, seven continents, and thirty countries, from the African savannah to the barrios of Los Angeles, from New Zealand to Egypt, and Brazil to Burkina Faso, Chris Rainier documented the traditions of tattooing, scarification, piercing, and other forms of body altering art, the origins of which date back to the dawn of humankind. Ancient Marks reveals not only the haunting beauty of these often mystical forms, but also connects them to humanity's enduring efforts to tell stories, forge identity, and create links to the divine. "The human form became, through the brillance of inspired artistry, a sacred geography of the soul, a map of culture and myth expressed by forms painted, carved, or incised upon the canvas of the body" — Wade Davis. A former apprentice to Ansel Adams, award-winning Chris Rainier is considered one of the leading documentary photographers working today. Co-director of the National Geographic Society's Cultural Ethnosphere Program, he has traveled to all seven continents, including extensive expeditions throughout Africa, Antarctica, and New Guinea. Rainier's photography has been featured in Time, Life, Smithsonian, The New York Times, Outside, and is a contributing editor for National Geographic Traveler, a contributing photographer for National Geographic Adventure and a contributing correspondent for NPR's Day to Day.

Genres: Art, Photography

204 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2006

Reviews

[J Pass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Rainier, working on assignment from National Geographic, spent several years traversing the globe, documenting tribal body marking. The photography covers body scarification in Africa, piercings in several cultures, ancient religious symbolism in body modification, up to modern tattooing and the symbolism captured. Fascinating and beautiful work.

This book comes with an accompanying short DVD movie of the photography.

http://www.ancientmarks.com/

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures in this book were lovely, but I didn't feel that they particularly added to my experience of body art. All of the styles were things that I've seen before. Beyond that, there was very little information about the people or their art. If there were some history/sociology in here it would have really helped me get something new and unique from this book.

[Kanani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs of intriguing tattoos and body modifications. This book presented them all in a dignified way that communicated their beauty and sacredness.

[Ally K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Rainer traveled all over the creation. 30 countries and 8 continents he voyaged, photographing the traditions of tattoos, piercings, and other forms of body-altering art and their origins. In the book, ‘Ancient Marks: The Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Marking’, Wade Davis writes, “The skin is the boundary that separates the self from the external world. It is the interface between the inner and the outer, the intimate and the infinite.” Through the photography that Rainer captured, and the bit of text that is provided by Davis, it is expressed that the tattoos were meant to bring the human soul and the divine of the earth together.
The weakest point of this book was definitely the placement of information. Next to each set of pictures it would have been more functional to place information like which pictures came from what area, and the meaning of the tattoos for each culture, on the same page. However, the information is found in the book, it just just in the back of it. Also, some of the pictures were oddly placed on the pages. For example, on page 50, there is a large, awkward, and open white area.
The photography in this book is sensational, and some of the pictures even seem unbelievable. For example, on page 40, there is a crack-filled hill of dirt, penetrated by several large sticks. A man in a dark black cloth stands in front of it, seeming to be studying it. It looks like something that wouldn’t be caught in a real life situation, and, yet, here it is: a surreal piece of undeniable evidence. The picture, though, is an expression of worship at a man-made mosque in the Malinese desert. This book has an aesthetic that would make someone want to keep flipping through all of the pages. Its information, when actually observing it, is very interesting and informal. I found that this book was an eye-opener. The world of tattoos extends far beyond ink and a pen.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book. The writer/photographer captures a wide variety of body art from around the world. from Tattooing to scarification you get to see it al in the beautiful B&W pictures. Recommended

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful images, but I wanted more background.