One hour equals one inch of tattooed flesh. Days of excruciating pain are ahead for anyone seeking a full body tattoo. This is a dream come true for some; for others, it is unimaginable!
Fellman was fascinated. And a door had been opened; she would have access to this secretive group of tattooed men—and a few women—called the Irezumi. Reputed to be part of the Japanese underworld, they were not easily approached. Hers was a privileged opportunity. Outcasts from Japanese society, they practice their art in secret. But that is fine with them. Their tattoos are an outer manifestation of their inner, spiritual life and their most sacred beliefs. The physical danger of the tattooing process fails to deter them. What is a little poisonous cadmium ink under the skin of one so beautiful?
The Master, Tokyo, Japan, 1983
During a three year period, Fellman returned to Japan to photograph Irezumi members. Working with the Polaroid 20x24 camera, she completed a series of large 20x24-inch color photographs of their body tattoos. The photographs are larger-than-life, close-up details of elaborate tattoos. Red chrysanthemums dance across flesh, a snarling feline face hovers beneath them. Dragons, kanji characters and stylized human faces colorfully swirl, jump and writhe across body parts. Other creatures mingle with background patterns of waves and rocks, scattered flowers and leaves. The displays simultaneously seduce and repel us. And that, of course, is their remarkable power.
