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Throughout their history, tattoos have not always had a positive connotation. In today’s society, tattoos are not just worn by rebels without a cause, but by people expressing themselves through a positive form of art.

Sometimes a tattoo is not the most aesthetically pleasing, but it still takes the person back to the time when they got it.

All people displayed in the surrounding portraits said that tattoos should have a lot of thought put into them before the commitment to mark their body permanently is made.

Tattoos have been shunned from many professional occupations, but there also are exceptions to the rule. For example, Samantha Earley, dean of Arts and Letters, has a tattoo of irises located on her forearm that represents her love for her children.

Tattoos are an art form deserving of its own pedestal and respect in society. Like any work of art, tattoos are the product of an artist’s craftsmanship permanently marking the human canvas.

Tattoos are not only a way of expressing one’s identity —such as Tyler Torralba,  who chose to tattoo a compass representing his decisions while growing up— but tattoos are also a way to express one’s love for someone, such as Nikki Vejar’s blue tiger lily in memory of her mother.

Even if a tattoo does not have a significant meaning or does not turn out as one had hoped, there is still a moment in history to reminisce about a certain perspective a person had at the time they decided to get the tattoo.

For an artist, a blank canvas proposes  endless realm of artistic expression. The body can be seen the same way. The body can be the ultimate canvas, allowing a person to decorate however they please.

“My body is a temple, and I like to decorate,” Josh Bisinger, graphic design senior, said.

By MYCHAL HARRIS

Staff

myharris@ius.edu