Life on Goli otok through tattoos

Abstract

Since the beginning of time, man has, as a thinking creature, felt the urge to leave and transmit messages to others, whether in the form of cave drawings, statues, or prints on his skin. At the moment of sending a message, one cannot know how the message will appear to the eyes of the recipient or whether they will want to accept it as such. Man's need to leave traces did not end with cave paintings, and he wished to weave his fears, beliefs, and ideals into something more, something of utmost value, which is man himself. Having discovered the technique of tattooing, his body became the bearer of image and text, and his tattoos evidence of the way he had lived his life. As a cultural practice and one of the forms of body modification, tattooing has been found in all parts of the world and dates from the Bronze Age, continuing until today in various fields of human activity. A tattoo is a conscious modification of the body created under the influence of an individual's surroundings and culture. This paper describes a patient with numerous tattoos, their meaning in the patient's life, and the days of imprisonment spent on Goli otok. We can say that tattoos are a way in which certain people allow others insight into what they think, feel, or how they perceive themselves.