The first time I saw a tattoo was on my dad. His Air Force buddies had gotten them as a rite of passage. In the fifties James Dean, leather jackets and tattoos were icons and symbols of the rebel. He died young and the symbols lived on. The strange part is no one can verify if Dean had a real tattoo. My father was uncomfortable and almost ashamed of his body art just below the shoulder. Whenever you tried to talk about it, he would stop you and say, “Don’t be stupid like me. I did it then and I regret it now.”

The shadow of the tattoo.

The tattoo never faded away from society. There is evidence that the practice of tattooing has been part of all cultures in one form or another throughout history. Tattoos, though called by other names have been used to denote a persons level of status in that day’s reigning civilization. Evidence of it’s historical usages has been uncovered all over the globe In the US, it has gone from being a rite of passage to a common and maybe over used method of self-statement among young and old alike.

The art of tattoos

Tattoos are an accepted form of artistry in this day and age. In fact it as a full blown industry. Now, it is more of a fashion statement than counter culture statement. The body art has become elaborate and top designers such as the late Sailor Jerry Collins, Brandon Bond, Paul Massaro and others have emerged as icons of the industry. The television reality show Inked is about the tattoo culture. There are books and art expositions based on tattoo creations. It is important to note tattoos are no longer considered a sub culture, but an staple of modern culture

The maturing from the ying and yang opinions of tattoos.

At one time, either you loved them or you hated them. . It’s path to popularity was much like that of the ear stud on man. Tattoos were the mark of the badass macho man or the tramp trash woman. Slowly, it spread through the gay community and became a fashion statement for the celebrity and star athletes. Even the wimpish of straight man begun to take on the once macho only artwork. Women who once used tattoos as their sexy little secret began to embrace the idea of showy body art for public viewing.

My own research

By conducting open online forums, I have found out how accepted tattoos have become worldwide. There are still are force of either you love them or hate time people at there, but with a large difference. People who love them complain about those who cannot draw the line in the difference of good taste and distasteful. People who hate them on the body can tell you what they like about the artwork itself. In some ways those that dislike bodyartwork are more openminded about the artwork concepts than those that support the art.

The future of tattoos

There is a growing feeling that this aspect of culture has or is peaking from overuse. It is predicted that it will die down and become like the mini-skirt or flaired pants in fashion. Tattoos for the aficionado have become too main stream and need to weed out the excess to receive it’s full appreciation. No one expects to recede back to counter culture status. Again like the male ear stud some will have it and some won’t. This may even breed an passage into the Armani and other elite fashion levels as temporary or removable tattoos become mood and event statements..