Colin Mulholland's Online Journal

A Way of Expression

A Way of Expression

The painful art of tattooing has become more common as the years have gone by. The thought that an individual needs to express him or herself so badly that he or she is willing to endure pain on their own body is intriguing to me. When the expression of word or actions is not enough, one may turn to tattooing to convey their message permanently. Permanently inking one’s self may seem extreme, but to an individual it may be the best possible measure of expression. The time and planning that are involved in this art convey the significance the image or text may have on the individual.

Significance is a very interesting topic in tattooing. One may think that a permanently inked pictured of an object is uncreative and pointless, but to the individual who is tattooed it may symbolize a value or treasure in his or her life. The thought that you might never know what a person is trying to express through their art, without talking to them, is interesting to me. Two individuals may have the same artwork on their bodies but the images may symbolize to distinct and unique ideas.

A friend of mine has invested his resources into a permanent ink drawing. He suggests that the artwork symbolizes his mom’s strength in being a two time defeat of breast cancer. He adds that his tattoo is encouraging anyone who has come across cancer to “keep fighting the good fight.” My friend has gone beyond the thought of self and has incorporated the feelings of others, such as his mother and all other cancer fighters, into a small picture on his body. A tattoo in this case carries much more magnitude because it goes beyond the individual. A person who is contemplating body art should invest his or her time, money, and body into something presentable that will always have significant meaning to them and possibly others.

When does a tattooing transform from crafty to excessive and stereotypical “show offs”? Stereotypical tattooing involves countless pieces of art in one area. This results in an inability to clearly distinguish a person’s view. An individual may have a variety of creative and meaningful tattoos that are ruined due to an inability to space and organize feelings. People are trying to express themselves through art, but due to unnecessary clustering, all of their ideas are misunderstood. If the objective is to express yourself, why would you make the art so difficult to understand? Just keep it simple!

Even prisoners have learned to keep their jail tattoos clear-cut. A very common tattoo in prison is a tear drop under the eye. It is said to represent, “a wearer who: has committed a murder, had family or friends die while they were incarcerated, and is a convicted child molester” (Break the Code- Tear Drop). This simple tattoo has a variety of meanings, but all of them relate to pain felt by the prisoner or someone the prisoner has affected.

When it comes to tattoos “, the decision is between looking nice versus showing off” (Soyland 225). The decision may seem easy, but to some there seems to be no difference.