The Art of Inking

By Lauren Tsugawa

Let's face it: there's something sexy about tattoos. For our generation, tattoos are a tangible form of self-expression; a silent means of showcasing one's personality through art. Whether it's the anathema itself that gives tats their rebellious allure, or the mystery that lies behind the meaning, the art of tattooing has slowly evolved from taboo to fad.

"It's definitely a trend with our generation," said sophomore Abby Tyo, who has two tattoos, one of which is a quarter rest symbol tattooed on her wrist as a dedication to her life spent playing piano.  

For those on the outside looking in, tattoos are an individual's desire to make a visual declaration, for the sole purpose of showcasing them to other people; like getting a Bieber haircut, or wearing and trading silly bands.

"I guess it's kind of just like choosing what piercings you have, or how you do your makeup; it's just another part of your attire. But I'm very conscious of what I wear," Tyo said, referring to her second tattoo of a dandelion on her side.

"People can't see it, but I know it's there."

In fact, many tattoos are very private forms of expression. Every tattoo has a story.

For sophomore competitive cross country and track runner Hayley Ney, who has an infinity sign tattooed on her wrist, her ink reminds her of her love for running, and even serves as a good luck charm.

"In high school my senior year, all the girls on our track team would draw infinity (signs) on our wrists before we would race as like a good luck thing," she laughed. "It really could have been anything, but it was sort of like, we could do this forever."

And, according to Ney, who sheepishly divulged her incredibly fast personal records of 440.8 seconds for a 1500-meter race (about a 4:57 mile) and 11 minutes and 33 seconds for a 3k, "Every time I drew it on, I didn't lose a race."

Junior Zach Shikada and freshman Selena Pistoresi, both chose to get inked to remind them of the importance of their families.

Shikada, who has his family crest and family name in Japanese down his back has no regrets about his tattoo, which he had done this past winter break. "As far as the whole, why people are against it, a lot of people say it's gonna look bad when you're eighty," remarked Shikada. "But honestly, because it means so much to me, I don't care. It's part of me. It's like a visible reminder to me that my family has put me where I am now."

Similarly, Pistoresi has a small tattoo of an apple on her ankle, which she had done a month ago after hearing the news of her grandfather's passing.  

"He used to eat an apple every day and he called me the apple of his eye," she recalled. "As soon as my dad called me and told me, I just bought an apple and went and ate it. I didn't even think about it. And I realized that's what I had to get."

When asked if she regrets her quick decision, Pistoresi replied, "I used to say, ‘I don't think that I like anything enough to have it permanently on my body, there's just no point,' but there's just something about it. It really does mean a lot to me and it makes me think differently about people who do have it.

"I'm glad I did it. I don't regret it at all. I just want it for me."

For Doug Wang, tattoos serve as a reminder of who he is. Wang sports a tattoo of his family crest on the left side of his chest, a joker's face decorated with lotus blossoms, seaways, stones, a sun and six Tibetan words of power on the right side of his chest, as well as an ornate sleeve on his arm.  

"I find my tattoos sort of anchor my sense of self," he said. "I think my tattoos are just extremes that I've been through, and they represent my transition from childhood to adulthood. Everything at once. They remind me that I'm more than the contents of my wallet."

Similarly, juniors Brandi Blassingille and Anthony Booker's tattoos serve to remind them of the kind of people they want to be.  

"I have two tattoos," Blassingille began. "The first one I got freshman year, and it's the Obama logo and underneath, I have a Hebrew phrase for ‘play your part.'"

As a political science major, Blassingille "lived and breathed" the Obama campaign. "[This tattoo] was to remind me everyday to play my own part in the community."

Booker has the second half of the last stanza of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," tattooed on his side. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference," he recited.  

"I read that poem in freshman year of high school. We spent a lot of time on that poem and it just made me realize why people do what they do," Booker explained.

"I just realized that, I don't know, I don't really like following trends, I like to think for myself, and that's why I got the tattoo. I like to create my own path, if you will," he laughed.

A study done in 2006 by the American Academy of Dermatology showed that while only 24% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 have at least one tattoo, 36% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 36 flaunt ink.

Yet, despite the prevalence of tattoos in our society, stereotypes surrounding those who have tattoos still exist.

"I have really traditional Asian parents," remarked Doug Wang. "They used to think people who have tattoos are convicts, criminals, or whatever, but now they get it."

After a pause, he said decisively, "It's the 21st century."  

Contact Lauren Tsugawa at ltsugawa@scu.edu or (408) 554-1918.