Modern primitive

Modern primitives or urban primitives are people in developed, or modern nations who engage in body modification rituals and practices inspired by the ceremonies, rites of passage, or bodily ornamentation in what they consider traditional cultures.[1] These practices may include body piercing, tattooing, play piercing, flesh hook suspension, corset training, scarification, branding, and cutting. The stated motivation for engaging in these varied practices may be personal growth, personal rites of passage, rejection of society, as a way to connect with antiquity, or spiritual and sexual curiosity.

For other uses, see Modern Primitives (disambiguation).
Scarification is one form of modern western body modification adopted from what adherents consider traditional cultures.
Facial piercings and facial tattoos are popular among those who see themselves as outsiders to mainstream society.

Origins

Roland Loomis, also known by his chosen name, Fakir Musafar, was one of the founders of the modern primitive movement.[2] The 1989 RE/Search book Modern Primitives is largely responsible for the promotion of the concept of modern primitivism. Among the modern primitive motivations, the main purpose of any rite of passage is to transform the adherent's state of being, from one state of existence to another. Modern primitives identify with a connection between what they see as "the primitive" and authenticity; "in opposition to the corruptions of mainstream society".[3]

Modern primitives may have a loose set of beliefs about their way of life, including

  • Modification of the body in order to sculpt their self-image.
  • Activities which reject society at large. Exploring the self is a personal statement, which society rejects.
  • Resisting what they see as colonialism, and identification with anticolonial struggles.[4]

Criticisms

Urban primitivism has been suggested as cultural appropriation and misrepresenting or "bundling" cultures together in a "primitive" setting.[5][6] These have been debated, with adherents believing that these criticisms are based largely on the views of Roland Loomis rather than the culture as a whole.[7]

See also

References
  1. National Geographic - Ancient and Modern Tattoos Celebrated in Photography Book
  2. Gauntlet – decorating the Modern Primitive Archived 2007-05-20 at archive.today
  3. Benson, Susan (2000). "Inscriptions of the self: reflections on tattooing and piercing in contemporary Euro-America". In Jane, Caplan (ed.). Written on the body: the tattoo in European and American history (Jane Caplan ed.). London: United Kingdom: Reaktion Books Ltd. pp. 234–254. ISBN 978-0691057231.
  4. Rosenblatt, David (1997). "The Antisocial Skin: Structure, Resistance, and 'Modern Primitive' Adornment in the United States". Cultural Anthropology. 12 (3): 287–334. doi:10.4135/9781526440211. ISBN 9781526440211. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. "Why Primitivism was Cultural Appropriation". 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  6. Rosenblatt, David (1997). "The Antisocial Skin: Structure, Resistance, and 'Modern Primitive' Adornment in the United States". Cultural Anthropology. 12 (3): 287–334. doi:10.4135/9781526440211. ISBN 9781526440211. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  7. Lodder, Matt (2011). "The myths of modern primitivism". European Journal of American Culture. 30 (2): 99–111. doi:10.1386/ejac.30.2.99_1.

Further reading
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