Vancouver-based photographer Spencer Kovats took portraits of 30 inked men and women before and after they had peeled back layers of clothing and juxtaposed the two images side-by-side.
過去一向被拿來與犯罪、流氓等負面字眼畫上等號的「刺青」，如今已逐漸轉變為一種表達自我認同的方式，進而成為時尚流行符號。刺青背後有許多原因，可能它是對於個人極具意義或紀念價值的文字或圖騰，亦或只是單純想耍帥、跟隨潮流。
溫哥華攝影師 Spencer Kovats 最近請到30位刺青男女，為他們拍攝了一系列生活照與露出刺青照的對比，呈現出驚人的效果。
- Captivating (adj.) 極為迷人的
- Coat (v.) 覆蓋…的表面
The pill is coated with sugar.
這顆藥丸裹了層糖衣。
- Portrait (n.) 肖像；相片
She painted landscapes as well as portraits.
她既畫風景，也畫人物肖像。
- Peel (v.) 除去…的外皮
- Layer (n.) 層
He pulled off layer upon layer of clothing.
他把衣服一件件脫掉。
- Juxtapose (v.) 將…並列
An illuminating new photography series reveals the colorful tattoos coating peoples bodies underneath their clothes - here a woman displays a sand timer design on her stomach and a skull on her chest.
原本看似走休閒運動風的女子，一脫下外衣，誰知五顏六色的刺青圖騰竟隱藏在她的衣服底下。她將沙漏圖騰刺在腹部的位置，以及一顆骷髏頭圖案在胸口上。
- Illuminating (adj.) 使清楚的，容易理解的
I didn't find his reply very illuminating.
我覺得他的答覆意思不太明確。
- Sand timer (n.) 沙漏
This woman's F-hole tattoos suggest she might play a stringed instrument such as the violin.
這位女子的刺青透露出她可能是位小提琴家。
- F-hole (n.) 小提琴上端成 f 形的小孔
- Stringed (adj.) 有弦的
- Violin (n.) 小提琴
The back appears to be a popular spot for tattoos as this man shows.
背後部位看似是極受男性歡迎的刺青位置。(小編：天狗的圖案?!)
With his jacket on you would never guess this man has such colorful designs on his arms.
在他脫下上衣之前，你絕對想像不到他的手臂會佈滿繽紛的刺青。
Skull appear to be one of the most popular designs.
According to tattoou.net, while many skull tattoos represent death and darkness, other less obvious meanings include protection and strength.
骷髏頭是最受歡迎的圖樣，一般人認為它代表「死亡」與「黑暗」，但根據 tattoou.net 顯示它也有著「保護」與「力量」的意涵。
- Skull (n.) 頭蓋骨；骷髏圖
- Appear to 似乎，看來好像
He appeared to be talking to himself.
他似乎在自言自語。
This man simply bends forward to show a skull tattoo on the crown of his head.
低頭秀出頭頂上超殺骷顱刺青的酷酷大叔。
- Bend (v.) 俯身
The nurse bent down and kissed the child.
護士彎下身子親吻了孩子。
- Crown (n.) 頭頂
This woman seems more than happy to show her tattoos which go right up to her neck.
在秀出引以為傲的刺青之後，人們能感到更舒適自在。
This was the only model who had ink on his face, which even a baseball cap couldn't disguise.
連帽子都無法遮蔽的刺青。(小編：一定很痛吧...)
Ten other photographers also produced portrait series aimed at exploring how people express themselves through tattoos.
The 200-plus images were later published in a coffee table book called The Tattoo Project: Body, Art, Image.
Mr Kovats decided to display his collection of 60 before-and-after images as a montage six-high-by-ten-wide.
Bob Baxter, former editor-in-chief of Skin & Ink magazine, was present at the photoshoot and praised Mr Kovats' idea.
He wrote on his blog: 'Spencer Kovats' shots of men and women, one wearing street clothes and, next to it, one with their tattoos exposed [is] a simple idea, but it really, really worked.
'The sheer joy of seeing thirty people literally come alive, when their ink was exposed, was a powerful and perfectly conceived statement of the significance and tonic of joy that tattoos add to an individual’s life.
'The ink was the perfect party make-up.'
另外，還有10名攝影師也同樣著手這項以刺青迷為主角的「刺青拍攝計畫」，探索人們如何透過刺青來表現自己，而這些照片將被放在不久後將出版、內含200張以上圖像的咖啡桌邊書《刺青：身體、藝術、形象》。Kovats也決定將他的60件圖像作品製成6X10形式的蒙太奇拼圖展出。
刺青雜誌《Skin & Ink》前任總編輯Bob Baxter更在拍攝現場對Kovats的點子讚譽有加，並於個人部落格寫道：「Spencer Kovats拍攝刺青系列作品的構想雖簡單，但概念呈現的方式夠明瞭且效果實在非常好！彷彿親眼見證了『刺青』為這30位模特兒增添的生命色彩，這樣純粹的喜悅不禁讓我相信，刺青就是最佳的派對裝扮。」
- Aim at 瞄準；以…為目的
What are you aiming at?
你的用意何在？
- Montage (n.) 蒙太奇(拼集的照片)
- Editor-in-chief (n.) 主編；總編輯
- Present (adj.) 在場的
How many people were present at the meeting ?
與會的有多少人？
- Sheer (adj.) 全然的；純粹的
She fainted from sheer weariness.
她純粹是因為疲累而暈倒的。
- Literally (adv.) 簡直
- Come alive 活躍起來
The playground comes alive at four in the afternoon.
操場在下午四點鐘開始活躍起來。
- Conceive (v.) 表達
- Statement (n.) 陳述，說明
Their statement was correct.
他們的說法是正確的。
- Tonic (n.) 強身劑，補藥
- Make-up (n.) 化妝；裝扮
She seldom puts on make-up.
她很少化妝。
「刺青」的意義不僅止於視覺上的「形象」，更是一種超乎形體之外的「精神」象徵。
它的意義並非暴露在外供人觀賞，而是深深烙印在刺青者的心裡，並幻化為一股力量。
