For millennia, peoples across the world have tattooed human skin to communicate ontological, psychosocial, and sociocultural concepts encompassing beauty, cultural identity, status and position, medicine, and supernatural protection. This exhibition explores the history of the tattoo–a visual language of the skin whereby culture is inscribed, experienced, and preserved, and identity becomes an external art form of admiration.

Permanent Marks in History was curated and installed by Danielle Poisl, with assistance from Emily Dalske and Elizabeth Jastrab. The books included in the exhibit are drawn from the UWM Libraries’ collections; tattoo artist Cassie Mareno loaned ink supplies and a model hand.