Tattoos and Women...

I am a fan of tattoos. I always have been, and I cannot see any reason why I won't always be a fan.

Tattoos, like other great art, can be appreciated for not only their beauty but the stories they tell. When I started getting tattoos, tattoos were yet to be the mainstream that they are today. I am not suggesting for one minute I am a trend-setter or that I preceded the trend. Rather, I am merely pointing out how things change. I am pretty certain that trends come and go much more easily than some people appreciate. You really have to love what you get. This is particularly so when your family is not so keen on the skin art that you may get done.

I am also a pretty keen watcher of tattoo programs like Miami Ink, LA Ink and Tattoo Wars, particularly while I was in Indonesia (I always seemed to have more time for TV).

Here is a collection of artwork that I have discovered on the internet. I just did a simple search for tattoos and women. I came up with these.

Art-wise, I really like this one!

Kat Von D of LA Ink fame. One of my favourite portrait artists. I hope one day to get some work done by her, a portrait of course!

I saw this one and just had to post it! After all, who gives a magazine a title like "Prick"?

Tattoo Taboos

The humble tattoo is no longer the world of just bikers, criminals, or other so-called undesirable elements of the community. I would not describe bikers as being undesirable elements of the community, if you were wondering. Tattoos have been going mainstream for some time and it seems that they have hit the mainstream vein as employers of all kinds are becoming more accepting of the idea of employees permanently inking their skin.

Just tracking the Sydney and New South Wales tattoo scene sees that from a mere three licensed artists in 1984, there has been a bit of an explosion with more than 50 licensed artists throughout the State. Tattoos were once identified as a moment of drunken stupidity in one's youth, this is clearly no longer the case! The quality of the artwork and the designs are testament to tattooing taking itself seriously as an art form.

I do not hesitate to add here that none of the tattoos that adorn my skin are the product of a drunken night on the town. Instead each has a meaning and each is significant to me as it tells my story and experiences.

Interestingly, in June 2006, Australia's biggest and most conservative employer, the Defence Force, lifted the rule that barred anyone with a tattoo from joining up. About bloody time if you ask me. It was a stupid rule because the armed forces did not kick you out once you joined up and then went and had some art done. If the defence force was serious then the ban should have been uniform and across the board. Perhaps better late than never.

Funnily enough the new defence rules would allow facial tattoos if there was a religious or cultural reason for such artwork. The idea that tattoos still carry social stigmas seems to be fading fast as tattoos become increasingly mainstream. Tattoos are also no longer immediately associated with youthful risk taking. If you do not believe this then watch shows like Miami Ink, LA Ink, and Tattoo Wars. Not everyone with a tattoo is a Charles Manson!

I have no regrets about the tattoos that I have and already have artwork ready for the next series of ink installments to be made on my skin.