Getting inked is common, but above-the-neck art remains controversial
Local musician Holly Brewer, who started getting her face and neck tattoos 14 years ago, says reaction to the art has been mixed. Local musician Holly Brewer, who started getting her face and neck tattoos 14 years ago, says reaction to the art has been mixed. (Evan Richman/Globe Staff)
By James Sullivan
New Hampshire resident Dotty Jenkins doesn’t mind the stares. Her hairless scalp is covered with an intricate, colorful web of tattooed images, including flowers, butterflies, and a striking pair of eyes, literally in the back of her head.
Jenkins started her tattoo collection because she has alopecia universalis, a condition that resulted in the loss of all the hair on her body several years ago. She recently won first prize in a tattoo contest sponsored by Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum, in conjunction with “Body Politics,” its exhibition on traditional Maori tattooing, or moko.
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