Sigil on Txema’s hand
I thought I would share some insight into my approach to sigil making as this is something I get asked about regularly
Ornamental tattooing has always been of interest to me
I have always liked the idea of (seemingly) abstract forms adorning the body that are unique to tattooing, the power I perceived when looking at tribal traditional tattoos are something that impacted me very early on in life
One of the first tattoo I remember seeing as a kid was what I came to understand as berber/north African facial markings on an elder fem presenting folk in Marseille
I always appreciated the apparent simplicity of lines, patterns, blackout bits that characterise traditional tattoos
I love the balance between sobriety and deep power that comes with it, through generational language
This being said it never felt appropriate for me to straight up replicate some of those designs, as I have no connection to them, aside from an aesthetic appreciation
Tattoos are more than aesthetic, they are the resulting marks of a ritual. No matter how mundane tattooing has become, there is no denying the esoteric aspect of such action
We gather, to make time to and space to break into skin, draw blood, and etch some symbols, images, reflecting our sense of identity, interests, cultural references, projections and aspirations
A transformation happens, physically and visually obvious but also psychologically, under the surface. The impact of the tattoo on the individual is more than the eye can see. It is an internal shift, a self perception and a societal projection that alters the way the wearer exists from that point onwards
This is what prompt me to explore avenues to develop a visual language that would be reminiscent of the tattoos that impacted me so deeply when I first came across this deeply human practice
I started to experiment with forms that were a midpoint between architectural structural sketches and monograms
One of the first iteration of what sigils will come to be on Dominic
Language creates culture. Words are Powerful. Often times, I am being told a story, a concept in writing as a brief for the tattoo a client wants to get. I have many lettering tattoos on myself. Reading and writing have always been a part of my creative endeavours. So many book projects and essays I started, so many books I have surrounded myself with
Having been an avid collector of antique books, etching imagery and engraving prints, I was always drawn towards the odd, the weird and the bizarre in the medieval and renaissance art. I always liked the unusual proportions, the monsters, the deformed, the wrapped perspectives. In this context, they often were synonymous of depictions of hell, nightmares, witchcraft and other occult goodness
A weaving of sigil and figurative element for Liz
Going beyond this initial aesthetic interest, I read about the practices that were portrayed. I learned about Magick and the manifestations techniques and this how I got made aware of chaos magick, Austin Osman Spare and others
I realised that what I started to do intuitively had a name. The meeting point of automatic writing, stream of consciousness drawing, meditation and intention could all fit under the roof of the Sigil temple
This is what I have been doing without knowing. It all made sense, creatively, spiritually, ethically. I now had a word for the practice I was devoting more of my energy to
Sigil crafting opened it all up
It is the perfect embodiment of how I perceive tattooing
It stands alone strong, at all sizes and placements. It exists harmoniously alongside, weaved through or layered with other aesthetics. It is words and image all in one. it is abstract and figurative. It accentuates or transforms the human form. Sigils are at home in skin, on canvas or in a the ashes of a burned ritual paper bearing the intention manifested. It is the perfect balance
An excerpt of a personal ritual meditation sigil crafting practice (oak gall ink on paper)
The way I come about to design them can vary. I tend to ask (client or myself) for a word, letter, number, idea stimuli as the starting point. I then go on drawing it in a very quick and instantaneous way, sometimes, straight onto the medium (skin, paper, canvas…) sometimes digitally, sometimes directly tattooing without any idea of what the actual shapes will be.
They are the resulting marks of a long personal interest research in ritual practices, that transpires through, in the given moment, in its own unique expression.
