ABSTRACT
With the popularity of tattoos and piercings, body modification offers a wealth of potential for visual communication researchers. Stuart Hall, the preeminent scholar of cultural theory, discussed the encoding and decoding process of visual messages and how that affects perceptions in the overall culture. However, little research has examined the relationship of the encoding and decoding process between a person wearing tattoos and piercings and people seeing the messages. This study analyzed interviews of modified people to understand the intended meanings behind how their tattoos and piercings were encoded, as well as the negotiated and sometimes oppositional meanings they perceived with people who saw their tattoos during the decoding process. Because body modifications can “speak” to viewers, the cultural implications of these visuals are important to explore. This study suggests many misunderstandings take place between the two groups about the meanings of the body modifications, but with communication, those issues can be diminished.
