It seems that he didn't get these tattoos a long time ago because neither in the promotional photos of the new album, nor in the covers of the singles, nor in the videos he had them. So in our curiosity, we did some research ๐ต️ and today we'll tell you what we find about them. ๐
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| Photo credit down below |
Let's start with a very special tattoo. On ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐'s right inner forearm just above his sobriety symbol tattoo, you can see the bits of stars that form the name "๐ฉ๐ถ๐พ๐ฐ๐ฌ" and that appeared on the cover of ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐'s latest album "★" (๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐) released on January 8, 2016. The artwork of the album was designed by ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ and below you can read a bit of the story behind this design told by himself.
๐น๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ? ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ‘๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐’ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ง. ๐๐๐ซ๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ‘๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐’ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ – ๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ?
๐️ ๐ฑ๐ฉ: We are, wherever possible, using the ★ for the title. The original idea came out of discussions with Bowie about ways of representing the album, so this is very much his creativity and his direction. But the discussion was partly prompted by a conversation I had with William Burroughs when I met him, which I have told a thousand times for namedrop effect, but did actually finally give me something usable for this project 25 years later.
I asked him about the future of typography and he said that letterforms would go back to hieroglyphs, similar to the ancient Egyptians. You can actually see it happening with the emoji, they are becoming very common with people creating whole narratives out of them, as well as using them in everyday communication. Will there be a time when we use only these to express thought?
Back to this album though – it was a way of being as minimal with the title as we were with the design and in doing so making it stand out from all of the other stuff you see around you. It was also calculated to work in all different kinds of technologies as it is a recognised Unicode character.
In terms of my own work, there has been a playing out of the absolute forms: square – The Next Day; circle – Clockwork Orange cover; and now the star for this album. It wasn’t planned but I think there is something about basic shapes and the way they resonate in the subconscious. If somebody has any projects that need a triangle on up front, I would be very happy to hear from them.
▪️๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐, ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐ผ๐๐, ๐ธ๐ถ๐ท๐ป.
Perhaps it is not so surprising that ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ got this tattoo because we all know how important ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ has been to ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐ and they have expressed their love, admiration and gratitude to him on multiple occasions, so his death affected them very much. In recent interviews, ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ stated that this sentiment inspired their latest single "๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ป๐๐ ๐บ๐๐" and also said that "๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐", so this tattoo is a beautiful way to honor ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐'s memory and the deep mark he left on ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐. ๐
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐: ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ✨
The phrase tattooed on ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐'s left forearm is not fully visible in the video, but our dear ๐บ๐๐๐๐ suggested that the last word could be "๐๐๐๐๐" and say "๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐"
- which I think makes sense - and that it could also be a reference to the movie of the same title, directed by the famous director ๐ฑ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ released in 2013.
"๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐" is a comedy-drama film about the love that has prevailed through the centuries between ๐จ๐ ๐๐ (๐ป๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐), a vampire and underground musician and his lover - also a vampire - ๐ฌ๐๐ (๐ป๐๐๐ ๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐). ๐จ๐ ๐๐ lives in ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐ and is increasingly depressed by the direction humanity's actions have taken. To prevent ๐จ๐ ๐๐'s world from crumbling around him, ๐ฌ๐๐, who lives in ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐, decides to go to ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐ to be with her beloved.
https://bit.ly/3Ju70zE
✨๐ธ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ๐ธ✨
๐น๐ป๐๐๐ ๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐, the protagonist of the film, was friends with ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ and she even starred in the music video of the song "๐ป๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ (๐จ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐)" from the album "๐ป๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐" (2013).
๐ฌ๐ป๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ (๐จ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐) - ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐
https://bit.ly/3tqqGPx
๐นThe title "๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐" pays tribute to the ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐ science fiction novel of the same name from 1964, although the plots are totally different.
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐: ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฆ ✨
On ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐'s right arm we see that he has tattooed an ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, also known as the ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ or ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ which in ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ is one of the most complex symbols to understand as it has several meanings. It mainly symbolizes the interrelation between the spiritual, time and the eternal, the infinite wisdom, the heart and compassion of ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ for all living beings as well as his omnipresence.
Although its origin is not very clear, there are several theories that say that its first representations are found in the ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ that adorned the chest of the ๐ฏ๐๐๐ ๐ god ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐, the deity of protection and goodness, so this symbol is known with the name ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ in ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ and as ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐'๐ in ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐ culture. The ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ is one of the eight symbols of the ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐ that symbolize the eight offerings that were made to the ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ when he reached enlightenment, is the union of ๐๐๐๐๐̃๐̄ (๐๐๐๐ ๐๐) and ๐๐๐̄๐๐๐๐ (๐๐๐๐๐๐ ) symbolizing the fusion of absolute truth.
On the other hand, it is also believed that the origin of this ancient symbol may have been the icon of two serpents or dragons, a symbol of duality in many ancient cultures. Thus, the symmetry of its design, the crisscrossing lines that close at right angles and, as its name indicates, give the appearance of having no beginning and no end, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, being one of the most characteristic examples of ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Finally, the ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ also represents ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐, which is the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth, the ๐๐๐๐๐๐ cycle, constant change as well as clearly illustrating the interconnectedness of all beings in space and time.
๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ can be found in many other ancient cultures such as ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ and ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐, although the forms of these knots vary somewhat from the ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.
Really fascinating, isn't it? ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ has chosen very beautiful tattoos. Personally, it strikes me that one of the meanings of the ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ tattoo coincides with the meaning of the two tattoos he already had because they also represent ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, so the search for ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ and ๐๐๐๐๐ are very important to ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง'๐ฌ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ฌ, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐: https://bit.ly/3txAcQO
๐ธPhoto credit pic 1: Brian - Mads Perch / Screenshot from Placeboworld IG story / Blackstar album cover / Endless Knot image founded on Google. // Edit by Rita
⭐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.❤️
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