Acceptance

The purpose of this blog is largely educational. We are learning about a historical mo vement, an art form, a whole culture. We are discussing various styles and methods of tattooing, simply for the sake of understanding another part of the world around us. Today, however, I want to bump a post up a few weeks and talk about tattoo acceptance, something I've had reason to think about recently and would like to share with my reader(s).
"A tattoo is forever!"
"Aren't you a little too young to be making a decision like this?"
"What happens when you're 40 and you regret all your tattoos?"
I feel like tearing out your jugular when you ask me these questions. Is that harsh? Is that any harder for you to hear than it is for me when you are blatantly disrespectful about decisions I've made for my life? It's my life, by the way. It's my body to "defile". When you, a perfect stranger to the goings on of my own mind, treat me like I don't know what I'm doing, I wonder if you should be questioning yourself, not me.
What happens when you're 40 and you're tired of the husband you picked out at 19? What if, halfway through college, your area of study no longer interests you? What if somebody treated your passion like a passing fancy, something you will later regret?
Talk to me about my tattoos the way you would any other aspect of my life. They are, for as much as I love and talk about them, such a small part of who I am. I also work hard at my job, I'm a completely faithful partner in my relationship, I have about 500 other hobbies and interests that are just as important to me as tattoos, but get overlooked because there's no controversy about sewing kit collections.

"Uh I think you have a little something on your back there.."

I started on a back piece this week. A real life dream come true- I am officially tattooed on more parts of my body than not. I don't think that has changed anything else about me. I am still trusted as a nanny to take good care of small children. I still pay my bills on time. I'm still human. Treat me as such.

American Traditional Tattoos pt. 1 featuring Bert Grimm

Traditional tattoos refer to a certain style of tattooing once popular among sailors and sideshow performers in the early 1900s. These simple designs typically consisted of bold black outlines and a limited color scheme - red, green, the occasional blue or yellow. Designs were kept basic so artists could cover more space in less time.
I mentioned in last week's post that the invention of the electric tattoo machine made quick work of tattooing, leading to an increased number of people getting tattooed. Today we'll discuss one of the legendary traditional artists, Bert Grimm, and his role in American tattoo history.

(source)

Bert began tattooing professionally in 1912, and during the next several decades earned himself a reputation as one of the best. Often referred to as one of the fathers of modern tattooing, Bert's traditional designs are in use today. He is known not only for his own work but for the work of his protege, Bob Shaw, who later became perhaps more renowned than Bert himself. Bert's shop on the Pike, an amusement park in Long Beach, California, became a regular attractions for other future tattoo pioneers- Ed Hardy, who gained notoriety even outside the tattoo community for his traditional designs. 

Bob Shaw (via tumblr)

The initial point of traditional tattoo designs was to get as many done in as little time as possible. This allowed the artist to work on more clients, and the clients to finish the painful process quickly. And it is a painful process. 

I joined the throngs of young people getting tattooed in April 2010. Because my father's family hails from Germany, and because it was the first thing I could think of, I decided to tattoo "liebe," German for "love" on the back of my arm. I found a cheap shop and an artist who could fit me in right away. One half hour and approximately 300 curse words later, I was tattooed! 

The designs and methods practiced by Bert Grimm and his contemporaries a century ago have recently increased in popularity among young people today. Next week we will look at the contrast between tattoo acceptance then and now, and discuss the evolution of traditional designs. 

Until next week.