MARA SALVATRUCHA
The heavy use of signs and symbols within gang culture are employed not only to exclude others, but also to communicate meaning and purpose for their members.
The violent El Salvadorian gang Mara Salvatrucha (or MS13) is an example of a group that has formed its own specific language and displays this notoriously and proudly on their skin as tattoos.
A non-fictional narrative was chosen from the LA Times, and was presented back in the form of a series of sequential tattoos to show an alternative way of reading into the socially conflicted lives of three hard-knock MS members.
The narrative is transformed from being a purely text-based communication piece to being a visually engaging one, of which the viewer is prompted to decipher and interpret.
The heavy use of signs and symbols within gang culture are employed not only to exclude others, but also to communicate meaning and purpose for their members.
The violent El Salvadorian gang Mara Salvatrucha (or MS13) is an example of a group that has formed its own specific language and displays this notoriously and proudly on their skin as tattoos.
A non-fictional narrative was chosen from the LA Times, and was presented back in the form of a series of sequential tattoos to show an alternative way of reading into the socially conflicted lives of three hard-knock MS members.
The narrative is transformed from being a purely text-based communication piece to being a visually engaging one, of which the viewer is prompted to decipher and interpret.
