Tatted Up: Art on the Skin
The art of tattooing has been around for more than 8,000 years. Dating back to the Neolithic period, tattoos can be traced all over the ancient world.
In the twenty first century tattoos had a negative connotation around them. But in 2018, tattoos are being more greatly accepted and appreciated. The permanent skin art is even starting to become more widely accepted in the workplace. These little pieces of art transcend class, social, and economic status . This fact has put tattoo artists often in the category of fine artists.
I asked a few of my fellow classmates to share their tattoos with me. I wanted to know the stories behind their ink. Each one was uniquely moving, the meanings behind these strokes of ink were each meaningful in their own ways.
Sophomore Lizzie Harth was my inspiration. She shared with me her personal tattoo stories. Harth’s first ever tattoo was a snowflake ” There are no two snowflakes that are alike. I got this tattoo to remind me of how uniquely my own I am. No one will ever be able to duplicate me and I guess that gives me piece of mind” says Harth. Located on her left wrist she loves seeing the tattoo as a daily reminder to accept and love herself. The tattoo itself was done at Name-Less Tattoo Parlor in Madison, Wisconsin.
Photography by Sara Silvestri
Junior Kerry Snyder also told me about her first ever tattoo ” It represents my fear of god” says Snyder. “Beautiful, omnipotent, and incomprehensible, I think those were the words going through my head when I got this tattoo.” The circular-looking wave on Synder’s left arm was tattooed on her skin in Brazil, while she studied abroad for a semester. “The tattoo was actually the equivalent of 15 US dollars. I was shocked I could find someone to draw something so beautiful onto my skin for so cheap” says Snyder. This ink is truly an amazing memory for her, Snyder will now always remember her time spent in Brazil.
Photography by Sara Silvestri
Last but not least, I caught up with senior Carlee Princell. Princell has spent the better part of her life battling anxiety and depression. The tattoo on Princell’s back is the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is the chemical responsible for happiness in the human body ” This is a really nerdy way for me to represent the happiness I’ve always been searching for in my life. I wanted to bring light to the dynamic conversation of mental health in 2014, when I got the tattoo” says Princell. The ink on Princell’s back was done five years ago at Speakeasy Custom Tattoo in Logan Square. She jumps at the opportunity to explain her tattoo’s meaning to those around her when they see her bare shoulder.
Photography by Sara Silvestri
