Tattoos In Today's Society

In the society today, body art becomes popular where many surveys found more and more Americans now have tattoos and piercings. For instance, the result shows that one in four Americans between 18-50 years old have tattoos, which is 24% of the population. The number has raised 9% compared to 2003 (Tattoos now part of mainstream culture, 2006). Tattoos in modern history have been associated with criminals and gangs. Today, many people still believe in that relation, but in contrast tattoos are viewed as a type of art. Tattoos are not only a legitimate art form, they are positive expression of identity for many people.
Even though tattoos have become popular with the increasing of number of people getting it, health concerns is one of the reasons

The meaning of tattoo cannot be defined as good or bad, but it depends on how different cultures view for them as an identity. According to Enid Schildkrout, the reasons people get tattoos are “To be human. For beauty, as a sign of change or rebellion or conformity, to show status, to mark a moment, to be able to wear a certain ornament, to identify with spirits or ancestors or deities, to show group membership, to show gender distinctions” (as cited in Janice, 2000). For instance, in New Zealand history, tattoos show the connection between a person’s body and the spirit. Ariori people in Tahiti use tattoos as a standard from god to conserve the holiness and prohibition deep in their bodies. Also, tattoos are used as protective spirits for Dayak people of Borneo (Karacaoglan, 2012). Another example is Jon Bui, a 28 year old Vietnamese man, who has a dragon tattoo on his half sleeve. He explains, “Folklore explains that Vietnamese are descendants of the Dragon (Lac Long Quan)” so he gets a tattoo to remind himself about his origin and where he comes from when living in a foreign country (as cited in Bui, 2013). With various meanings, people cannot set their own definition for tattoos and applied it in the society by judging others. Everyone should have the right to express their culture even though it is not others’ will. Tattoos, as well as binding feet in China or

Beautiful tattoo requires artistic skills and enjoyable viewers. Tattoo conventions have been held all over the world due to the increasing number of people who are interested and inspired by tattoos. They see it as an art form rather than a mark of a criminal or tradition. They come together to share the commonality of tattoos and meet with other people who have the same passions for the art. Tattoo artists also have a chance to advertise their works and share the inspiration. Also, many photography contests are held to emphasize how other art forms can be integrated with tattoos. Moreover, many exhibitions and museums are opened to show tattoo artists’ works to viewers. For instance, Baltimore Tattoo Museum located in Fells Point is a display space and a tattoo shop. It contains 700 items including tattoo instruments, tattoo-inspired toys and clothing, and every kind design imaginable by variety of artists. Inside of the museum, there are traditional tattoo art of 19th century displayed as well as a gift shop (Parker, 2012). Another exhibition was held at The Drawing Center of SoHo, in Manhattan to devote tattooing and a tattoo museum opened recently in Amsterdam. Isabela Basombrio, the Detroit museum’s assistant curator of experimental programs, said, “We are seeing more and more of this art form accepted in the mainstream” (Meredith, 1997). Also