If you have had at least one eye open in the past decades you have noticed the increasing frequency and intricacy of tattoos. Years ago the only people with tattoos were sailors and criminals. Most of them were crudely done as well as, in many cases, crudely expressive.
Obviously, a lot has changed. In any social setting today you see men and women who display body art that is pretty amazing. With this observation I set about to do a little research.
Not surprisingly, I found that tattoos have been around for 5000 years and are seen in every culture. The word itself derives from the combination of the Polynesian word ta, meaning “to strike something” and the Tahitian word, tatau which means “to mark.” The artistry of ancient tattooing put to rest my uneducated preconception.
To gather facts, I made a visit to Star City Tattoo. The door was held open for me as I entered and was warmly greeted. I introduced myself to Roger, the owner, who invited me to conduct my interview while he worked. A quick look around convinced me I had much to learn. The establishment was impeccably clean and well lit, not the murky, black-lit, smoke-filled den I had envisioned. Roger’s client, Brian, was a startlingly handsome physical fitness trainer who, at age 22, has an impressive array of tattoos. How long had he wanted tattoos, I asked; since he was 4. When did he get his first one; when he was 18. How does he choose his designs; by reading Dante’s Inferno and selecting symbols from other Greek classics. So much for the intelligence testing.
Roger, 38 (who looks 24) has a series of elegant tattoos. He plans to continue until, as he put it, his body has only one tattoo. He worked with the precision of a watchmaker wearing sterile gloves. After four years of apprenticeship before becoming licensed by the state he maintains strict rules about what he will tattoo. No symbols that would offend, no criminal markings, no racial innuendo and no one under 18. He’s been at this for a long time.
I asked about his background. He was a graphics technician for the navy and first learned the art then. All the designs he uses are original and his studio is covered with professionally framed paintings and drawings of his work in oils, acrylic, and watercolor. An additional portfolio shows all the tattoos he has done.
All tattooists are required to take continuing education courses on protecting their clients from pathogens and how to deal with emergencies. Failure to meet these requirements and the state will pull your license. In just a few minutes I was convinced he knew what he was doing.
But why does anyone (now many) want to go through this? Roger maintains that tattooing is no more prevalent than it was in the past, but people are just more open about displaying them. Perhaps so, but in 40 years of practicing medicine, I saw a lot of tattoos but only a single one that showed any sense of the artistry I found at Star City Tattoo.
“It’s a right of passage,” Roger said. “Every culture has a ceremony of some type that marks the transition to adulthood and tattoo is part of that.”
That seemed a superficial answer on the surface, but then I thought about beards and moustaches, about makeup and earrings, about clothes styling and footwear. They all give the same message: “Look at me. I am different from you. This is who I am and although we are different, we are the same. These things give me a sense of self beyond the obvious and that’s an important part of my self-esteem.” Tattoos are a piece of that whole process and today people are more open in expressing themselves.
Am I going to get one? No. Some would say I already have more self-actualization than I need .When my grandchildren are of age, will I be all right with their choice? Yes.
A few words of advice if you go the route of body art: Make sure you choose a qualified artist, someone like Roger. Look at their portfolio. Talk to clients who have used the service. And remember this: Removing a tattoo is a lot more expensive and painful than getting one placed.
One final word: The last private patient I saw before my retirement had no part of his body that was not tattooed. His parting comment to me was, “Doc, you saved my life a bunch of times. When I die, I’m going to have a lamp shade made of my skin for you.” I appreciated the thought, but I am happy that gift has never arrived.
