Tatoos

[Serenity]

Tatoos & Piercing don't seem to go in hand with Classical Music. I'm just curious. How many listeners confess to having a tatoo? I personally do not have one. Would a tatoo of Ludwig be cool or geeky? Any other suggestions?

[Marye]

I am thinking, by the look of Nigel Kennedy, I reckon he has multiple piercings and tatoos. Yeh?

<small>[ 07-29-2003, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: Marye ]</small>

[jmfryar]

I have two and am planning on 3 more - one for each year of school I complete and the Bar (lord willing if I pass). Each marks a significant event in my life, and also represents either a powerful emotion or admiration. I don't believe that any form of body art should be done just for the hell of it or for fashion. But this is ENTIRELY my opinion, and what does that matter?


The first is of a comic book character Cerebus the Aardvark. It was the first self-published comic in the industry, the writer/artist striking out on his own to publish what he wanted without fear of editor or censor. It was a 300 issue limited series that began 25 years ago and ends in 6 months. At it's height it was one of the best selling books, at it's lowest point one of the most infamous in the industry (Who the hell, the industry cried, incorporates Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemmingway as comic book characters?)
I wanted it as a tattoo for 10 years, but was looking for the right moment to signify. Completing my first year of law school seemed quite significant. It represents independance of thought and action, determining ones own destiny, and a willingness to defy general thinking to do what you think is correct.

My second was done this past year on my left forearm and is a tribal pattern incorporating my daughters name and her symbol - a butterfly. There is significance to the butterfly that is way too personal for a board, but it is not randomly chosen. It marks my second year of school. It represents my love for my daughter, and through her, humanity...and keeps me grounded. After all, no matter how wealthy, educated, powerful or significant you are, any child can bring you right back down to earth with 2 sentences.

The third will be another comic origin - Judge Dredd's shield on the outside of my right calf, with my last name instead of Dredds in the cross. If you've only seen the dreadful movie with Stallone, you're missing an enormously entertaining and inciteful series of stories that delve into humanity, law and living in a large city. It's meant to symbolize why, exactly, I'm doing this, and that all things should be done with a touch of humor.

The fourth and fifth are to be determined by events, reflection and completion of school and the Bar. The locations are left leg and then back for the final.

No piercings - can't see doing that to my body...

I would highly recommend that, before you do something permanent, that you are very comfortable with what you are going to get and why - it's there for the rest of your life...

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by Serenity:
Would a tatoo of Ludwig be cool or geeky

Too weird for words.

My own thoughts on tattoos, or any other permanent body change or art or whatever: Think about the little old person that you hope to someday become. Don't get anything that the little old lady/gentleman in the wheelchair will find embarassing.

Think it over.

[Nicole Marie]

I have tattoos! My tattooing is pretty large and it's still a work in progress. My upper back is almost covered and I have several pieces on my hips.

The best advice I can give... make sure it's personal. My tattoo's are all personal, they are representative of major events that have taken place in my life. Don't get something because you think it's cute or you admire it. You won't when you're 60. But you will still want a piece of what happend to you during your life.

My husband has serveral pieces as well, all are personal to him, representive of things that took place in his life. We both go to artists that follow the same idea, they will not tattoo some one who has not put serious thought into their tattoo. Look for that in an artist. If you go to someone who is tattooing every Joe that walks in the door, then you are probably going to get someone who is not putting effort into their work. If you go to some one who cares about the art form and takes pride in what they do and in making the design as in depth as they can... you will get what you pay for.

[Serenity]

Wow! You've given this a lot of thought. I appreciate your advice. I was just thinking of an isolated, simple tatoo like "the smiley face icon". I never thought they represent major life events or they could be "works in progress".

Nicole, I can't believe your back is almost covered! Good grief! How do you follow a pattern to link major events? I'd have to get jigsaw puzzle pieces throughout my body.

Shouldn't art convey meaning to others too? A tatoo that only makes sense to me doesn't seem as meaningful as one that conveys a message to others.

[jmfryar]

Originally posted by Serenity:
Don't get anything that the little old lady/gentleman in the wheelchair will find embarassing.

When I'm old and wheel chair bound what the hell will I care about "embarrasing"? I'll be too busy wondering if the stink is from my drawers or the next one over to worry about what's barely recognizable on my pruned up, wrinkly old skin...


With regard to other people enjoying it, it's art - everyone brings their own interpretation to the piece. No matter what you get, it's going to be appreciated, but never in the same way that you do...

I did know a woman who had her sons face tattooed on her back, large...her boyfriend broke up with her because it was too freaky when they were being, uhm, intimate...

[Nicole Marie]

Sure art should try to convey something to someone else but when you are putting it on your body who the hell cares what other people are going to think. It's your body and your desire to do with it what you wish. Screw everyone else, you are not a walking billboard. You will get people who are interested and will approach to ask questions but it's your body and your skin. (One quick side note, watch out for the freaks who want to "touch it". I can't count how many creepy men have approached asking if they can touch my tattoo's, like it's a scratch and sniff. Flipping freaks. I kindly tell them to F**k off.)

Make sure you pick a great artist and make sure the image is personal enough that you will always enjoy it forever. I had a friend who had Max from the Wild Things tattooed on him. Max lost the appeal about 2 years later. It didn't hold that much a meaning to him any more. Don't fall into that trap.

Here's another story: I'm in my tattoo artists shop waiting for my appointment. My artist was busy covering up a cop's old tattoo. I asked him why he was covering up the police logo he had from his unit. He told me a story that all he wanted to be was cop his whole life. He joined the police force and entered a drug force unit, he had the tattoo done when he entered the unit. Several years into it (for reasons he would not go into) he fell out of standing with the unit and no longer wanted to be a cop. So he was having his son's image put over it. Make a long story short, you never know what life will put in your path. Don't get something that may loose meaning down the road. Skin is forever and tattoos last forever as well, make sure that image will be something you want to hang onto.

<small>[ 07-29-2003, 02:42 PM: Message edited by: Nicole Marie ]</small>

[barfle]

Originally posted by Nicole Marie:
Skin is forever and tattoos last forever as well, make sure that image will be something you want to hang onto.

Which is one BIG reason I don't have any tattoos.

[Marye]

I have too many images in my head that I can't get rid of

[jmfryar]

Originally posted by Nicole Marie:
One quick side note, watch out for the freaks who want to "touch it". I can't count how many creepy men have approached asking if they can touch my tattoo's, like it's a scratch and sniff. Flipping freaks.

heh heh...can I touch you?? heh heh...heh heh...(drool leaking down chin)

Is it that 3-D an image that they think it's got texture to it???

see...I knew that there were people who had met looney people too...

my problem is that I date them...

[Serenity]

Marye - "download" those images to the bulletin board!

So, the character in the movie Red Dragon was just following "tattoo protocol"?

[Marye]

Originally posted by Serenity:
Marye - [b] "download" those images to the bulletin board![/b]

They are hideous Serenity.....make you want to poke your eyes out. :p

[Serenity]

How about one of those macho "branding jobs" some sports players are showing off?

[jmfryar]

That's been around forever and seems to have its own significance to those being branded. The most common one I've seen is a greek fraternity.

[treebeau]

Hi all,

Just back from vacation and this is the first thread that intrigued me.

I'll never get a tattoo. I don't like the idea of permanent or semi-permanent body alterations. Some people would call them mutilations. The dumbest ones I have seen lately are the ear piercings where it looks like they are putting a hub cap in their earlobe. Perfect place to hang your car keys, though, if they're on a carabiner keychain.

But I am interested in Nicole's statements about tattooing her back and making it personal. If it's personal and on your back, then it's really for someone else, right?

It makes me think of vanity license plates. Sure some can be funny, but many if not most, are just plain dumb. The purchaser got something that was personal to him or her, but displays it to everyone else. And really, nobody else cares after the initial look. So, what's the point, really?

I'd like to read more from those of you that gotta have them body markings.

Ok, now for a tattoo that I found interesting. A very butch woman I had met was showing off a "tat" (as she called it) on her leg. It was an elephant. Above that I caught a quick glimpse of another tattoo that looked like 2 keys on a circular chain. She hid it quickly, but not before I realized that they were not keys, but those symbols that are a "circle and a plus sign" that represent female. When nobody else was around I asked her if she was a lesbian and she said yes. I guess that was one personal tattoo (dang, I neglected to ask her if she played washboard or kazoo).

Regards,
Tim B.

[OperaTenor]

Tim, I second what you said.

Except about the woman with the elephant. Never met her.

<small>[ 08-05-2003, 11:11 AM: Message edited by: operatenor ]</small>

[barfle]

I think tattoos are an interesting form of expression, but, for me and my changing views, they are way too permanent.

My dad has a tattoo on his arm with my mom's name on it (misspelled by the tattoist), so my most personal experience with tattoos is that you really need to trust the guy with the needle, and maybe that's not a good idea. So I have no intentional body art (a few scars here and there, but those aren't intentional art).

When it comes to vanity, I had a vanity license plate when they first came out. I thought it was kind of clever, but some of the contractions you have to make to get the Gettysburg address in six characters made it hard to decipher. I tend to try to solve them, much like I try to solve crossword puzzles.

I have a vanity web site. I started off using it for links to my friends' vanity sites, then I started chronicling a few projects on it. It's a hobby at this point, and it is also good for putting up pictures that other sites (like this one and ebay) can't handle so you just put up the links.

[priya978]

Against tatoos. Its just too weird to think of old wrinkly skin with ink on it.
But i do have a piercing. On my left ear, nothin special.

[Nicole Marie]

Originally posted by treebeau:

But I am interested in Nicole's statements about tattooing her back and making it personal. If it's personal and on your back, then it's really for someone else, right?

If it's personal and on my back that makes it for me only. I don't walk into work with tattoo's showing, I don't go out to certain public places with them showing. My husband is Portugese and I don't show them when we go to the Portugese sections of town, tattoo's are not approved of in his culture (even though he has them too.) I'm aware that many people can not stand tattoo's on women and my are extensive enough that some turd will approach me to say, "Why did you do that to your body?". These people are usualy over 60. I do expose them when I'm with company that understand my reason for having them. I do expose them when I'm at a show, or a place where I feel I will not have to deal with some jerk. They are mine and they are personal. I put them on my body where I could cover or expose them when I choose. I understand enough about society to respect others opinions. Just like you would not wear combat boots to the MET, I would not expose my tattoos in certain situations. That makes them deeply personal. They are in a place where I can choose not to have them exposed. They are not for the world to see, they are mine and I show them to who I choose.

<small>[ 08-05-2003, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Nicole Marie ]</small>