Modern primitive
Alternative subculture based on body modification
Modern primitives or urban primitives are adherents of an alternative subculture in developed, Western countries who engage in body modification rituals and practices inspired by the ceremonies, rites of passage, or bodily ornamentation in what they consider "traditional", non-Western cultures. These practices may include body piercing, tattooing, play piercing, flesh hook suspension, corset training, scarification, branding, penile subincision, and cutting.
01Origins
Roland Loomis, also known by his chosen name Fakir Musafar, was one of the founders of the modern primitive movement. The 1989 RE/Search book Modern Primitives is considered one of the first studies on the concept of modern primitivism.
Modern primitives identify with a connection between what they see as "the primitive" and authenticity; "in opposition to the corruptions of mainstream society".
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 anti-colonial struggles.
02Criticisms
Urban primitivism has been suggested as cultural appropriation and misrepresenting or "bundling" cultures together in a "primitive" setting. 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.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Modern primitive”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Scarification by Lestyn Flye.jpg by Ning Chang, CC BY 2.0
- Arnizsanz.jpg by Juan Carlos Arniz Sanz, CC BY-SA 2.0
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