Michael Sessa
COM306- Blended Activity 1
10/01/2015
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United States and Thai Tattoos in Relation to Artifactual Communication
As I browsed through chapter 4 to find a good topic to conduct my content
analysis on, I found artifactual communication to stand out the most. The form of
artifactual communication I chose to observe is known to most as Tattooing, or in some
eastern cultures, Yantra. I want to observe the differences and the reasons behind why
the majority of individuals decide to get their body inked. I will look at one website from
a tattoo shop in the U.S as well as a Tattoo website from Thailand. Both websites I
examine will follow the same demographic for each culture and are the websites of an
individual tattoo artist.
The first website we will examine is mikeparsonsink.com. This is the site of one
of the more famous tattoo artists in U.S., Mike Parsons. It’s demographic focuses on
people of all ages and offers a wide variety of tattoo designs. This site has little in depth
description of the purposes of the tattoos. It showcases much more the beauty and art of
the tattoo than anything else. The website includes tabs that link solely to the gallery of
the artist and have nothing on the purpose for the tattoo. The home page is filled with
accreditations from various news sources that have the same message; Mike Parsons is
one of the best artists in the industry. Artifactual communication can refer to how we
decorate our physical appearance. The way in which tattoos are showcased as art in this
U.S. webpage tells us that they focus more on the quality of the artwork rather than the
meaning behind the art. This page goes on to explain the high quality ink that is used, and
also the forms of metallic ink, which are meant to make the tattoo look more aesthetically
Michael Sessa
COM306- Blended Activity 1
10/01/2015
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pleasing. Without any literature on this page describing the meaning of the tattoo, that
leads us to infer the meaning behind that tattoo is left up to the person receiving the
masterpiece.
The second page we will focus on is a Thailand tattoo artist page,
Thaisakyant.com. I did struggle somewhat with translating the entire work, however the
first page was translated into English perfectly. This is Ajarn Nengs’ website. He is a
prominent figure in Thailand and a devout Buddhist. His has a much smaller gallery than
Mike Parsons’ studio, yet they both attract numerous amounts of clients from all over the
world. What his website does focus more on is the meaning behind the tattoo. The tabs
are dedicated to Knowledge and Spiritual meaning. The home page is loaded with
information. It speaks of the special powers these tattoos are believed to give the person
who bears the tattoo. The approach to selecting a tattoo is much different as well, Ajarn
Neng website states that “ There are many forms of Yantra (tattoo) available, however
Ajarn Neng will look at the appropriateness of the Yantra that suitable for each individual
and will also place the Yantra on your body on the right composition”. The tattoo is only
slightly up to the person receiving the tattoo. The website goes on to state what this type
of artifactual communication is used for the purpose of asserting power and good fortune
for in the past warriors and today individuals seeking protection. For example the Kong
Grapan Tattoo is for protection from sharp projectile objects. We can also find contrast in
the types of inks used by each tattoo artist. The ink Ajarn Neng uses is for a different
purpose. Ajarn Nengs ink is made from 108 different types of herbs and is blessed by a
Monk. There are also many responsibilities that come with getting inked in Thai culture
that are stated on the front of the webpage. In order for the Tattoo to keep its meaning the
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COM306- Blended Activity 1
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receiver must follow the “Sin Haa” which are the traditional rules of this form of
artifactual communication in this culture. Some include not consuming any reptile meat,
not using any illegal drugs, and not talking or looking down upon another’s father,
mother, or teachers.
This leads us to conclude that this form of artifactual communication is used in
different ways between U.S. and Thai culture. Thai use this form of nonverbal
communication to bring luck and protection, whereas it is more common for U.S. citizens
to use it as a display of artwork and beauty.