Hitting Send

I have had a love and appreciation for body art since I was young. I remember being fascinated by the henna and permanent tattoos I saw on foreigners passing through my mom’s place of business in Amsterdam when I was a young child. It all seemed so exotic to have these multicolored pieces of artwork displayed across various body parts.

When I got my first tattoo I was 19 years old. I attended University and resided on campus. Despite wanting a tattoo really badly, I wasn’t sure I was ready to be the first female in our large circle of friends to get one. That changed one night at a party when I, perhaps a touch toasted, declared my intent to brand my backside. My hottie gay neighbor was the one who turned my declaration into a dare, which was all the incentive I needed to fulfill my desire.

The next day, worse for the wear, I was still going through with this “dare”. My three roommates drove me to the closest big town and my first tattoo artist, a Hell’s Angel named Bubba. I may have drunk a fifth of vodka on the way. You know? For the pain. This is a very bad idea, by the way, because alcohol intensifies the pain and increases bleeding. It’s illegal, too. Additionally, the alcohol only added to my need for reassurance. It was Bubba’s “Old Lady”, who tried to comfort me with these words, “First time? Don’t worry! You’re gonna love ‘em and you’ll end up keep gettin’ ‘em ‘til you look like me!” I stared down at all of the tattoos on her arms and tits. I was not comforted.

When it was time to get my tattoo, Bubba stared through me, and said in a deep voice, “Drop your pants and bend over.” My roommates tightly held my legs to keep me from moving. And that was how I ended up with a small, slightly crooked heart on my ass. (Didn’t know this was a cautionary tale, did ya? Pick your artist carefully, boys and girls!)

My second tattoo was done on a bunk bed in an unofficial youth hostel in Amsterdam. (And yes, I know how bad that sounds! It gets worse.) I can’t remember the name of the artist, but he was traveling from….ummmm…well, it was a Spanish-speaking country. I remember because he spoke no English. Yes. Inconceivably, we actually planned the tattoo out using my high school Spanish. I was having him fix my heart and add a dove and two stars to it. Okay, I may have been a little stoned…I’m not saying…but it was Amsterdam. What am I saying? It was Amsterdam and I was stoned off my ass. And I wouldn’t recommend it at all, because it amplifies pain like a… The only place we could find an electrical outlet to use was next to the bunk beds upstairs. A fellow traveler from South Africa held my hips for me. I was told that my screams carried down the five flights of stairs into the hostel activity room below. Then, ignoring my warnings that it was permanent, the South African proceeded to get a pot leaf tattooed on his ankle. (Dude! Would love to know how that worked out for ya!)

It wasn’t until five years later that I was ready for my third tattoo. I am hesitant to admit that up until the night before, my intention was to get a pink flamingo on my ankle. (Don’t hold it against me. I didn’t. Thank God I got something much cooler.) I was stopped from this poor choice by very vivid dreams. One was that a female tattoo artist screwed up my tattoo. The second was that I was supposed to get my power animal tattooed on my hip.

The next day, my fantastic girlfriend drove me across the Golden Gate Bridge to a tattoo shop in San Francisco. The only available artist was a female. Of course I freaked out (because of the dream the previous night, duh) and left the shop, and called another tattoo parlor. I asked the guy who answered the phone if he could take me now if I came in. “Yeah. Where do you want me to take you?” he answered in a ridiculously sexy voice. I had found my third tattoo artist, the incomparable and incredibly sexy Paco.

Upon arriving at the shop, I scanned the walls for the perfect version of what I was looking for, but it wasn’t there. When I told Paco what I was seeking, he said he had just seen a picture in a children’s magazine that would be perfect. (A children’s magazine? I couldn’t picture Paco with a kid’s rag in hand, but I suppose inspiration can come from anywhere.) Sure enough, the picture in the magazine was perfect, and he freehanded my piece from the photograph.

We went into the back room so I could take off my pants (I know! Again?) and lie down. For three and a half hours Paco tattooed a gorgeous tiger across my hip. I think it took so long because of all of the colors and detail. I’m sure the fact that some innocent flirting was occurring helped slow the process down a touch. And this I do recommend. To have the person placing permanent artwork on your body while mutual lusting is occurring is definitely something to experience.

Will I add to this limited collection? Absolutely! There is plenty more ink in my future. A friend of mine led me to an incredibly talented artist he found on myspace whom I would consider using. If that sounds sketchy, it’s not. There are many legitimate, wonderful tattoo artists on myspace. But when I do get my next tat, I promise to write about it!

I love tattoos. I love looking at the artwork, but I especially enjoy learning about the symbolism behind why someone was compelled to place a particular piece permanently on his or her body. Tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets and talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves, convicts and political prisoners. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures. The art of tattooing goes back in time as far as the oldest European mummy found. The iceman, discovered around the border between Italy and Austria, dates back to between 3350-3100 B.C.E. and had 57 carbon tattoos on his low back, behind his left knee and on his right ankle. Isn’t that fascinating?

It’s also been reported that when Columbus arrived here, most of the natives were inked. They most commonly used burned ash, placing it under the skin. It was a process so painful that tats were considered a badge of honor and thus the more one had, the braver one was considered. A decline occurred when Christians attempted to convert aboriginal and indigenous people to Western religious and cultural practices that considered tattooing to be a “pagan” or “heathen” activity.

While I appreciate the artistic expression of something like sleeves (full arms), I find a few strategically placed tattoos far more appealing. But like everything in life, I think moderation is key. Besides, it isn’t just the artwork itself that I love, but the ink standing out against the flesh. If I notice that you have them, I’m going to want to know what they’re of, what they symbolize, translate to (if they’re characters), and any other info you’re willing to share with me about them.

I love that people are getting wings! Dusty of Angel City Tattoo Parlor did this:

I’m a sucker for the hint of a tattoo peeking from beneath a shirt sleeve. I am so compelled to know what lies beneath the fabric. And really, what’s wrong with that? But how to find out without looking like a total weirdo stalker chick? Let’s face it; unless you have a legitimate reason for talking to the person, it’s not gonna happen. Perhaps that’s why I’m getting pretty clever at beginning conversations with strangers, which just happen to lead into, “I hope this doesn’t sound too invasive, but I’m really curious about that tattoo!”

At the video store recently I managed to both get really great rental advice and find out about another patron’s tattoo. In fact, when the clerk couldn’t recommend any videos, said patron valiantly stepped in to offer his advice. I didn’t even know about the tattoo yet. But once I zeroed in on it, I took leave of all reason and propriety. Before I could stop myself I had reached up and pushed back his shirt sleeve to reveal his inked bicep. Even the ultra liberal, California girl that I am wasn’t prepared for what I saw. It was a naked woman! Hmmmm. I’m all for the human form in its natural state, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about it displayed in this style. I needed to know why he had gotten it to decide. His uncreative answer left much to be desired. He actually told me that he had seen it on the wall at the tattoo shop and didn’t know what else to get. Dude! They’re permanent! Shame. He was really nice and the movies he recommended were quite good.

The next time I pulled off this little caper, (and yes, there was actually a “next time” and I’m actually copping to it) was at a store where I occasionally shop. I had been crushing on this super cutie guy for awhile and there was definitely a mutual flirtation between us. Of course I noticed that he had characters tattooed onto his wrist and wondered what they stood for and how they might unlock the mystery to this hunky guy with the smoldering gaze. One day I brazenly approached Mr. Cutie and ran my red-laquered nail across his branding and asked him what they meant. After a few “ummmm’s” which left me wondering if he in fact knew the answer to this question, he told me that it was Sanskrit for “Demon”. I seriously questioned my hearing and incredulously asked, “Demon?” Surely he was joking! But he embarrassedly admitted that, yes, I had in fact heard him correctly. I considered myself fairly warned and subsequently lost my crush.

Here’s another tattoo by Dusty that I love:

I could easily go on and on about tattoos and the cool designs I’ve seen, but I’ll wrap it up for you by giving you a few statistics I find interesting. Tattoos are currently most popular in America, Europe and Japan. An online poll taken in 2003 estimated that 16% of people in the U.S. have at least one tattoo. They are also more frequently seen in the gay community, in the age bracket of 25-29, with thirty-something’s coming in a close second. Not surprisingly, they are more common on the West Coast (US) and on Democrats. They’re more frequently seen on men by the narrow margin of 16% to 15%. The most popular designs that I see are tribal, characters, stars and skulls, but Dusty of Angel City Tattoo Parlor in Studio City, CA tells me that flowers are the current most popular design. Thank you for the pictures Dusty! I actually have a couple of stars myself, but I’ll tell you the highly entertaining stories about my ink in my next post.