Awkward Ink
By Mark J. Lucas |
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The tattoo is an ancient institution, first adopted by various indigenous peoples of the world thousands of years ago to symbolize rites of passage into adulthood. Later, tattoos were used to mark soldiers, identify slaves, and denote social status in various fringe groups. Then, in the mid '90s, for some reason, a whole new demographic clambered on board: people who got tattoos just for the hell of it.
"When I started tattooing, it seemed like it was more important to be covered with tattoos than to have good ones," says Giovani, owner of High Street Tattoo. "Anything popular, people jump on board and don't really look that much into it."
And so opened the door for the 'tribal' arm band of no tribe whatsoever, the ubiquitous butterfly-on-the-shoulder move, and the 'tramp stamp,' a young girl's rite of passage into binge drinking. What was once the practice of a marked minority is now all but commonplace amongst 20- and 30-somethings.
"I started tattooing around '96, and that's when it started to become really popular," says Andy Ringo, tattoo artist with Evolved Body Art. "The weird thing is, it hasn't stopped at all. It keeps getting more and more popular every year. I always say to myself: 'Well, it can't get any more popular than it is right now,' and I'm always wrong."
One goes through a rigorous apprenticeship with a shop, as well as first-aid and blood borne pathogens training, in order to become a tattoo artist in Ohio. It can take years before an artist can reproduce the customer's vision. Sometimes, however, the vision is pretty cliche.
"I get at least one a day," says Matt Barnett, another tattoo artist with Evolved. "You get a lot of barbwire and tribal armbands. It's not as prominent as it used to be, but people still get that stuff. Nowadays people get lettering all over them, end up looking like t-shirts. Stars are big too."
The 'customer's always right' rule usually applies, though there are exceptions. Racist tattoos are out, as well as tattoos that might violate health codes. Then there are other reasons.
"I'm not going to do any tattoos that are going to ruin someone's life," explains Barnett. "If someone comes in with no tattoos, but they want something huge on their neck, I'm not going to do that. You gotta put your foot down sometimes. We do have morals."
The neck is definitely an advanced tattooee's canvas; placement is certainly as critical as the image itself. The arm was big through the early 20th century, but eventually, people began to jump around with their spot of choice.
"It used to be that you couldn't go anywhere and see a girl lean over without a tattoo sticking out of her pants," recalls Giovani. "Ribs are really big now, and because there's so much space, people are getting larger pieces done."
Let's suppose that you already have a poorly conceived tattoo. Well, there are options. Laser removal costs around $300 per visit, and can require 5-10 visits to erase a tattoo, which is a grand total of $1500-$3000. Ouch. A cheaper alternative is to simply have it covered up with another tattoo, and that business is booming as well.
"We see cover-ups happen pretty frequently now," says Giovani. "It's definitely a source of income for us."
Ah, the bad tattoo. Whether you are sporting the Tasmanian Devil riding a skateboard or a barbed wire armband, chances are it will eventually look dated - but have no fear. You are not alone. According to NewsPolls.org, 30 percent of Americans aged 25-34 have a tattoo of some kind. That includes the author of this article, who, in spring break of '01, thought it was a good idea to get the Chinese character for 'soul' tattooed on his back. Don't ask me why, just did, but hey; maybe I'll get it covered up with a wolf tattoo or angel wings - or something even cooler.
Top Five Most Over-Done Tattoos
1. The Tribal Armband/Tramp Stamp
2. The Kanji (Japanese or Chinese Character)
3. The Butterfly
4. The Block 'O'
5. The Skull, on fire, bursting through a heart that says 'Mom', with a snake coming out of the eye, surrounded by roses, with your girlfriend's name underneath it, written on an anchor in Old English style letters.
Originally Published: May 1, 2009
