This action was a preparation for the performance ‘Reel of Litmus Paper’. I tattooed the soles of my feet using homemade iron oxide tattoo ink (powdered ore), the recipe of which interpreted from ancient tattooing process. The use of this organic pigment was to reflect tattooing and scarification ritually used to highlight fertility. Iron has a fertile nature and I found a delicacy in it’s raw form. By using iron in my chosen ink I was able to transfer it’s fertile connotations into my own skin, piercing and depositing fertility.
I tattooed a line of lemon pips down each sole, bringing a connection to earth and to the fertile quality of seeds. My intention was to walk and have the outlines of these seeds print themselves on the reel of paper.
The beauty of this ink is that it fades over time, it’s presence is fleeting. The duration of the performance is when the ink is at it’s darkest and concentrated. There is a sense of heightened fertility at this time. After the performance the ink has faded, after a month the ink has disappeared completely.
Photography by Anwen Howells
