The art of marking the body, by piercing the flesh and pushing ink into the wound, the tattoo, has had an uneasy relationship with religion.

It's sometimes seen as a desecration of the body, but equally, the tattoo is venerated as a rite of passage and as a form of worship.

Then there are tattoos in the secular context. They are so common in Australia now,  it’s actually hard to find a body under the age of 40 NOT permanently marked by ink.  

It’s a fascinating form of human expression, both in existence for millennia, and changing before our eyes.

GUESTS:

• LARS KRUTAK is an anthropologist and documentary maker who specialises in tattoos and their cultural significance. . His new book Indigenous Tattoo Traditions  (Princeton University Press) explores the role of tattooing cross-culturally. 
• JULIA MAGEAU GRAY is a researcher, documentary maker, and tattoo artist. Julia is credited with revitalising women's tattoo traditions across Melanesia