IN 1991 A BOLD OF A

5,000-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS FOUND AND

SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED HIS BODY

WAS MARKED WITH 60 TATTOOS.

THE FIELD MUSEUM HAS A LOOK AT

TATTOOING THAT IS AS POPULAR NOW

AS IT WAS THOUSANDS OF YEARS

AGO.

>> THE FIELD MUSEUM INSTALLED A

LICENSED TATTOO PARLOR.

IT'S TEMPORARY BUT THE TATTOOS

ARE PERMANENT.

>> WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT

TO INCLUDE THAT TO SHOW YOU KNOW

HOW TOOT TOOING IS DONE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS BUT

HAVE A NEGATIVE ASSOCIATION WITH

TATTOOING CULTURE THAT WE HOPE

TO CHALLENGE WITH THE SHOP.

THE ACT OF INSERTING PIGMENT

INTO THE SKIN IS SOMETHING THAT

PEOPLE HAVE DONE FOR THOUSANDS

OF YEARS.

IT'S PART OF HUMAN HISTORY.

TATTOOING MANIFESTED ITSELF

ACROSS TIME AND CULTURES.

AND THE REASONS VARY.

A LOT OF THEM ARE RELIGIOUS.

A LOT ARE CONNECTED TO RITES OF

PASSAGE OR ENTRANCE INTO

ADULTHOOD.

ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING

THINGS THAT I FOUND IN

RESEARCHING THIS EXHIBIT WAS THE

DIFFERENT TECHNICAL WAYS PEOPLE

FOUND TO DO THIS SIMPLE ACT HOW

THEY MADE INK AND CRAFTED TOOLS

THAT INSERTED THIS PIGMENT INTO

A PERSON'S SKIN.

IT IS A DIVERSE SET OF WAYS

PEOPLE GOT TO THE SAME TECHNICAL

THING.

>> THIS IMPROVISED TATTOO

MACHINE WAS MADE IN PRISON WITH

A BALL POINT PEN AND ELECTRICAL

WIRE.

>> OBJECTS THAT SHOW HOW

TATTOOING HAS BEEN USED.

THOUGH THE PEOPLE OF NUFERS MARK

THEIR FACES AND HANDS AND THE

TATTOOS REPRESENT THEIR GENOLOGY

AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IT IS A

VISUAL RESUME ON THEIR SKIN.

AND WE HAVE OBJECTS FROM ALASKA

THAT SHOW HOW WOMEN MARKED THEIR

CHINS ARE STRIPES TO REPRESENT

THEIR READINESS TO BE A MOTHER

AND ENTRY INTO ADULTHOOD.

IT IS SYMBOLIC USES.

>> IT FEET SURES LIFE SIZED BODY

PARTS.

>> IT WAS CREATED IN PARIS AND

COMES TO US FROM THE ROYAL HUMAN

IN TORONTO.

AND WE IN ADDITION TO ALONG WITH

THE HUNDREDS OF OBJECTS FROM THE

ORIGINAL EXHIBITION SUPPLEMENTED

ITEMS FROM THE COLLECTIONS AND A

FEW NEW PIECES OF ART

COMMISSIONED FOR THE FIELD'S

OPENING.

>> FROM ANCIENT PRACTICES TO THE

LATEST DESIGNS, THE EXHIBITION

AIMS TO CREATE A LASTING

IMPRESSION AND TO MAKE YOU THINK

ABOUT INK.

>> CELEBRITIES AND WELL-KNOWN

PEOPLE WEAR TATTOOS PROUDLY AND

WE HOPE THIS EXHIBITION GIVES

PEOPLE A LOOK INTO THAT HISTORY

AND HOW TATTOOING EXISTED

OUTSIDE OF A WESTERN CONTEXT

ACROSS THE WORLD.

>> WOW.