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By Rachael Schmeck
From the rock star on stage in front of screaming fans to the cashier at your local supermarket, tattoos have become an increasingly accepted element of our cultural environment. Whether it’s a tiny flower delicately decorating an ankle or a full-length sleeve (a series of tattoos covering a person’s arm), the sight of tattoos in everyday society has become less of a taboo and more of an everyday occurrence - so much so that for the most part we don’t give body art a second glance these days.
Is this acceptance evolutionary or revolutionary? Does it indicate permanent adjustments in our social standards, or is it part of a cyclical set of values that changes from generation to generation? Although it may seem to some that tattoos have hit the mainstream only recently, the history of body art is almost as old as humanity itself. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian tatu meaning “to mark something”.
Skin markings have been found on the mummified remains of ancient European tribes, and there is evidence that Egyptians tattooed from the time of the Great Pyramids. The meanings behind body art changed from culture to culture. Pacific island and African tribal communities used tattoos to denote status and rank or as exotic decoration. But, ancient Greeks and later Romans used tattoos to publicly mark spies or criminals. Throughout Europe, the Danes, Saxons and Norse were often tattooed with their family crests.
As Christianity swept through Europe, the marking of one’s body became forbidden and was seen as mutilation rather than beautification. However, tattooing continued throughout other parts of the world - and many of those customs remain unchanged today. The West rediscovered the art of tattooing through British eighteenth-century explorations of foreign lands where body art was common. Sailors in the British Navy, intrigued by the markings on Tahitians and other Pacific islanders, copied the designs on themselves and brought back the stories and tattoos to the awed European upper classes.
Before the advent of electricity, tattooing was a long and painful process done by hand. In 1891, Samuel O’Reily patented the first electric tattoo machine, which greatly shortened the time and expense of getting a tattoo. Suddenly, tattoos could be much more readily available, and body markings were no longer confined to the upper classes. As a result, the art form began to be seen as common and eventually sleazy.
By the early twentieth century, heavily tattooed people were confined to circuses and freak shows. Lack of widespread appeal shortened the supply of well-trained artists, and tattooing was forced underground. Two World Wars brought a renewed interest in patriotic and military tattoos, and body art current celebrities and sports figures decorate themselves with everything from flowers to crosses to skulls, society’s fascination with tattoos continues.
Although the acceptance of publicly displayed tattoos has grown throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the question of whether they will continue to become more mainstream or fade back into obscurity for most social groups remains. Jeremy Hunter, a tattoo artist with Vertigo Tattoo in Manns Harbor, thinks body art is here to stay. “I’ve tattooed judges and public officials,” he gives as an example of tattoos becoming more mainstream. While once Jeremy’s clients may have included only bikers and rebels, nowadays, tattooing has become a family affair. “Fathers and sons get tattooed together, and mothers and daughters,” he says. Could tattoo designs become a heritage again, like the family crests of the ancient Norse?
Michelle Miller of Kill Devil Hills has shared the art of tattooing with her entire family. “My brother has tattoos, my mother even got a tattoo, and it’s a pretty big one, a few years after I got my first one,” she says. “My father has talked for years about getting one; and I think he even has an idea of the design he wants.”
One tattooed young lady who definitely did NOT get tattooed with her mother is Cassie Shook from Southern Shores. Cassie admits her early preconceptions of tattoos were not favorable and that idea mostly came from her parents. “I associated tattoos with old sailors or trashy people from trailer parks,” she admits. It wasn’t until after high school that she made friends with tattooed people she admired.
“My friends opened my eyes to what tattoos could be about,” she explains. “I was intrigued by the meanings of their tattoos.” Cassie’s own first tattoo was based on her strong beliefs about using language that enforces stereotypes and how dangerous certain words can be. Her inspiration for body art is hardly what we would consider traditional fodder for tattoos. It’s a far cry from hearts inscribed with a sweetheart’s name or a skull and crossbones.
The idea of choosing a design with deep spiritual or political meaning is more connected to ancient tattoo rituals than more recent practices. Celtic designs and tribal artwork have become extremely popular over the past 10 to 15 years. Jeremy of Vertigo does a lot of armbands on tourists that visit the Outer Banks parlor during the summer. Both Cassie and Michelle agree that tattoos should be something meaningful to an individual. “I feel that it is important that people really think about the tattoos that they choose and where they decide to put them on their body,” says Michelle.
Cassie concurs, “My tattoos are representative of my uniqueness, strength and self-preservation.” Michelle adds, “They could be reminders of mistakes you’ve made and help prevent you from making the same mistakes again. They are also reminders of wonderful times that you’ve had in your life.”
Although the initial idea of getting permanently marked may be daunting, once you decide to do it, getting another becomes much easier. In fact, many people feel tattoos can become addictive. “I do feel that getting tattoos can be addictive,” says Michelle. After getting her first tattoo at the age of 27, Michelle found herself compelled to add to her collection of body art. “I got braver and they got bigger each time.”
As mainstream as tattoos have become, they are not yet the status quo. Getting a tattoo may be considered cool, but getting it in a place where you can hide it easily, may be practical. “When I get a job, I want to be able to be viewed as a professional,” says Cassie, who thinks too many visible tattoos may hurt her chances of becoming gainfully employed in certain industries. “I need to be conscious of what I am getting inked.” She admits she took out past piercings when looking for a job recently, and tattoos have made her more aware of that sense of permanency. Jeremy also notices that despite the rise in popularity of tattoos among more public officials he’s inked, the consensus is to keep art contained to body parts that are easy to cover.
Before you expose your skin to just anyone holding a tattoo gun, make sure you know how to protect yourself and your health. Follow some simple safety measures to avoid the possibility of blood-borne illnesses - a risk factor in any situation where you are piercing the skin. Make sure you visit a reputable tattoo parlor - all the artists should be using disposable needles AND ink. A new needle sealed in plastic should be opened in front of you before your tattoo is started, and ink should be poured into disposable plastic containers. The artist should be wearing latex gloves, and any furniture that touches your bare skin while you are getting inked should be covered in plastic. The artist should also intermittently use a disinfectant to wipe down the area that your skin is touching.
If you are not quite ready to permanently mark your skin, there are temporary ways of investigating the tattoo trend. One would be to explore the art of henna or mehndi. Reddish brown colored dye in powder form is mixed with a paste to create a substance that can be painted on the skin in intricate designs and patterns. The artwork can last from a few days to a month, depending on how long you let it stain your skin. Traditionally a Hindu or Muslim practice, the art of henna has become increasingly popular throughout Western culture, especially among young girls. Henna patterns and books are now widely available. Temporary or transfer tattoos can be found everywhere from gumball machines to corporate promotional materials. They are the easiest way to ‘try on’ a tattoo for size.
Whether permanent tattoos become even more a part of the mainstream or whether their current popularity proves to be a generational fad remains to be seen. For many, it can be a rite of passage; for others, it is a desecration. One thing is certain - how you feel about tattoos, in particular your own, is as individual and personal as you are.
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