Skin deep: Students turn to tattoos for artistic expression

Skulking out of the shadowy back alleys of times past, tattoos are becoming a popular art form among students, no longer seen as being only reserved for the delinquent.

In the first half of the 20th century, tattoos were synonymous with the seedy underbelly of society. In 1936, Life Magazine found that only six percent of Americans had a tattoo.

In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration found that 45 million people in America have a tattoo. Nine percent of these tattooed Americans are college-aged, 18 to 24-years-old, according to College Crunch.

“It’s changing. It’s absolutely changing,” said Kenny Humphries, a thrice-tattooed art major at Georgia College, said. “(Tattoos) are much more commonplace and people don’t wig out when they see them anymore.”

Lauren Davidson | gcsunade.com

Heather Martin, senior biology major, got her tattoo at Wayne Street Tattoos, which is now closed.

There are a multitude of reasons for getting a tattoo. They can be used as a form of self-expression, to commemorate the birth or death of a loved one, to celebrate a favorite sports team or to show patriotism, among other reasons.

“In cases when tattoos are used to remember a loved one they are linking objects,” said Barbara Jackson, a certified professional counselor at Georgia College said.

“(Tattoos) can serve as a tangible memorial as well as be symbolic of the pain felt by those who are grieving,“ Jackson said.

Joe Owens, a 16-year veteran tattoo artist at Bluz Tattooz, wears a tattoo in honor of his deceased father.

His Salvador Dali-style clock tattoo honors his father who collected clocks. The time on his clock tattoo is set at the exact time that his father died.

“It’s a melting clock, which reminds me that time is melting away,” Owens said.

No matter the meaning behind a tattoo, clients must be careful to choose shops that follow hygienic practices or risk being infected by AIDS and other blood-borne diseases.

According to The Tattoo Collection, quality tattoo shops are hygienic and artists should be willing to show potential customers the shop’s autoclave, a machine used to sterilize tattooing and piercing equipment.

It is also important that the tattoo artist is an experienced tattoo artist.

Choosing a knowledgeable artist is critical to receiving a quality tattoo.

There is no special degree tattoo artists must earn in order to call themselves tattoo artists, according to The Tattoo Collection.

Instead, good artists have portfolios containing pictures of tattoos they have done. Potential customers are able to judge the talent of the artist by looking at their past work.

Despite the size of the city, there are several tattoo parlors scattered throughout Milledgeville.

Humphries recommends Royal Blood Tattoo and Art Gallery.

“I’ve spoken to the owner, Charley Riddle,” Humphries said. “He’s a really cool guy and he churns out some really good work.”

Owens is a steadfast believer in educating his clients.

“We care. We try to educate. We don’t do anything that isn’t proper,” Owens said. “We’ve worked a long time to make ourselves look good.”

Owens refuses to risk Bluz Tattooz’s hard-earned reputation.

He is willing to decline clients if they insist on getting tattoos that will warp in the future due to an incorrect placement on the body.

“We try to do right and treat people right,” Owens said.

Tattoos have come a long way from their association with the undesirables of lower society in the early 20th century. While still a burgeoning phenomenon, tattoos are becoming a mainstream way for college students to artfully express themselves.

Posted by Lindsay Peterson on Aug 4 2011. Filed under Features, Lead stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.