Transcript
Tatau - A History of Samoan Tattooing was born of a passion for the culture and history of the distinctive artform.
Anthropologist Sebastien Galliot's archival and ethnographic field work complemented Samoan-New Zealand Sean Mallon's research into the contemporary world of tatau.
Mr Galliot says it's been a long fascination that started before university and led to his first of many trips to Samoa in 2001.
"When I started studying ethnology and anthropology that's my project at the very beginning was to go to Samoa and study how tattooing was done over there so as soon as I had a chance to go there I just took it and started working on Samoan tattooing actually."
The Frenchman has now spent sufficient time in Samoa to speak the language.
Mr Galliot, who's associated with Marseille's Centre for Research and Documentation on Oceania, says there was very imprecise information in academic circles in Europe at the time about the ritual and practice of tatau.
He says his first interest was in the techniques, in how the tools were made and used, and the tatau applied.
"But when I started going there as an ethnographer I just wanted to see how this whole ritual and this whole way of doing tattooing was actually connected with the social organisation over there; reconnecting all the social and cultural contexts, why it is still important for the Samoan community in Samoa and outside Samoa."
The authors argue that Tatau's long history of relevance stretches beyond Samoa.
Sean Mallon says the Upolu based tattoing guild - Le Aiga Sa Su'a - made it a mission to revitalise the artform across other parts of Polynesia where it had been lost to colonisation and its partner Christianity.
He says the master tattooist, or Tufuga Ta Tatau, Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo II was instrumental.
"And some of his predecessors to a certain degree who took tatau to other peoples around the region. So in the 1980's you had Lesa Li'o go to Tahiti and help them with the revival of tattooing there. Paulo II went to Hawai'i. He worked with a number of people including Maori and tried to share the knowledge of the tools and techniques with them."
The book's first chapter deals with the disruption to tattooing culture brought by Christianity.
However Mr Mallon says Samoan culture was adept at making the imported ways work for them.
"About how Samoans went with Christianity and some of the rules that came with it, but also how they resisited it or played both sides of the fence if you like. And Sebastien's unearthed some wonderful stories about the active resistance of Samoans to Christianity but also their embracing of some aspects of ther eligion that worked for them."
Tatau - A History of Samoan Tattooing is a serious read chronicling 3000 years of the artform and culture but it's also a strong visual reference.
Historical imagery punctuates the book but also contemporary photography, as Sean Mallon explains.
"Three wonderful photographers who provide three portfolios through the book. And especially the cover image which belongs to Samoan photographer Greg Semu. But also we have Mark Adams who has a wonderful body of work covering the 1980's and 1990's and some in the late 70's. And John Agcaoili who is US based and captures the current generation of tattooers, that's really brought the book to life."
Sean Mallon and Sebastien Galliot's history of Samoan tattooing is published by Te Papa Press.
