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Body art as fashion statement

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:29:41 GMT

Stripping off in the summer heat means many women get a chance to show their body art as a fashion statement. For others, it is a reminder of a permanently inked regret. Annemarie Quill talks to two local tattoo experts - one who inks it on, and one who takes it off - about skin art trends

When Mount mum Kate Whitaker's son Max was born she immediately got his name tattooed on her wrist, with a burning candle flame to symbolise her love. "I couldn't wait. I had it done straight away. I would have his name tattooed all over me if I could."

But when she wanted a large tattoo the length of her right arm, she had trouble talking her husband into it. Not because he is anti-tattoos - her husband Nasa is one of the top tattooists in New Zealand and owner of popular Hammerhead Tattoos in the Mount. "I wanted it to be her choice, not do it for me," explains Nasa.

No discreet flower for Kate - her arm is covered in a colourful, complex design in shades of turquoise, yellow and vibrant blue. "I have always loved Japanese art for the beautiful detail in the design. I wanted it to be significant. I chose to have it on my arm because it showcases it there. I am going to extend it, and am thinking of doing the other arm, too," she explains.

The trend for women to show off tattoos is a departure from the past, when they kept them hidden. "Only a few decades ago, women who had tattoos would have been on the fringes of society. When women did start getting tattoos they hid them away in the lower back, breast or bottom," says Nasa.

In the last few years, the rise of celebrities like Gin Wigmore, Angelina Jolie and Rihanna getting statement tattoos for show mean that body art on women has come out of the underground and become more mainstream fashion.

"It's more unusual to meet a woman who hasn't got a tattoo than meet one with. I would say around a third of Bay women have some form of body art."They are no longer discreet but are colourful, intricate and bold statements - a far cry from a rose with a lover's name.

"The trend now for girls is to have tattoos in view. They want them on the forearm, and even on the neck. Me, I would not do a tattoo on a girl's neck, whatever money offered, unless they are already heavily tattooed."

Nasa says a good tattoo artist will have a big moral investment in the tattoo someone chooses. "A tattoo artist must have ethics. You are doing something which can affect someone's life, and I must have peace of mind with what I am doing so I always spend time talking to the person."

At Hammerhead Tattoos, Nasa has two female tattoo artists, which is unusual in the industry - Skye Carson Wilson who is exhibiting at the annual tattoo convention in Hamilton at the end of the month, and artist Lisa Christiansen, who is in training. "A lot of women feel comfortable and more relaxed with a female."

Nasa also refuses to do names of lovers. "There is a kind of negative magic - like a jinx - about putting a partner's name on. I don't do it even if they have been married for years."

Names of children, on the other hand, are the most popular tattoo among women. "It's become almost a norm for girls, as soon as you have the baby to come and have the name. I am happy to do that because it is a name women will be always happy to have forever."

Women are also keen to get their own individual designs rather than the "cute butterflies" of the past. "Everyone wants to have meaning behind the tattoo, to have something that is significant and unique about their lives."

Nasa says girls do like the colourful tattoos. "The Japanese ones are popular with girls. Not so much Chinese or abstract symbols anymore. But the biggest trend at the moment is words, whether it's names, saints' names or whole sayings or stories. Often, they will be in a different language or script."

Not just young girls are having tattoos. While we were talking to Nasa an elderly couple came into his shop with the lady requesting a rose on her arm for their anniversary. "Last week, I tattooed an 80-year-old nana who wanted a Kiwi design - a little memory of New Zealand to show her grandchildren in Australia. About two years ago, a woman in her 60s asked for a tattoo with a little bit of her husband's ashes mixed into the ink. I thought it was unique, that a little bit of him could be with her forever."

But, for some women, forever is too long. When mum-of-one Fiona Barakat had the words "Mark, blazing forever" tattooed into a large design the width of her shoulders and down her back, it was when she was happily married. When the couple split, Fiona also wanted to part company with the tattoo. She is now having it removed by Michelle Wyper, who owns the Ink Off tattoo laser-removal business in Salon One, The Cove. It will take up to six sessions to remove it.

Michelle set up the business because there was no one in the Bay removing tattoos. "I wanted people to have the chance to change their past mistakes. I also had a name I wanted to get taken off."

Her business logo is pink and white to reflect her target market - women. "My typical customer might be a woman in her mid-30s who has an ugly heart with an arrow or something on her chest since her teens, and has now joined the PTA."

She adds: "I remove a lot of the horrible 80s-type tattoos - the hearts, roses, little cupids. Or poorly done tattoos done at home. Or impulse tattoos done after booze. I also get parents paying for their teenagers' tattoos to be removed."

One potential client could be Papamoa mum Kerryn Alley, who had a tattoo done . Kerryn Alley, who had a tattoo done when she was a teenager - and a little drunk - now regrets it. She says it actually ruined her wedding photos.when she was just 16 which she now regrets. "I was a little drunk and decided to get a rose on my arm.

"It looks horrible and I hide it with clothing, but I wanted a sleeveless wedding dress. I feel it ruined my wedding photos. I seriously regret getting it."Former lovers' names are the ones that Michelle most commonly treats with the laser.

"For that reason I would advise women never to get someone's name tattooed on them - apart from their child," she says. Michelle is keen to stress she is not anti-tattoos. "I love beautiful, tasteful tattoos on women. I adore children's names in a beautiful script like Arabic. And the Japanese art is attractive."

Even Fiona Barakat is not put off having another tattoo. This time she would follow the trend of having it on display. "Now it's more socially acceptable and people want to show them off. They are so beautiful and complex now. Why would you spend that money and hide them?"

Tattoo artist Nasa says his advice to women thinking of a tattoo is to find an artist who will take the time to understand what you want, and who will help create designs customed for you, including where you will have it.

"A good artist will look at the shape of the body and how it moves - it is not as simple as just putting it on an arm. You have to look at how the muscles flow and where you will paint. "You should think for a long time about the place and design of your tattoo and talk to the artist a lot so that you get to trust them and they get to uniquely know you. That way you will get a tattoo that you will never regret." "The quality of tattoo tells your story - if it is thoughtful, unique and beautiful, it will be a good expression of who you are."

2012 London Olympics: Some Amazing Tattoo Designs

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:16:42 GMT

Tattoos have long been used by many cultures around the world to ensure good luck and fortune and a propitious outcome and so are athletes in certain sports.. The most common is the Olympic flag with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red. This design is symbolic and it represents the five inhabited continents of the world, united by Olympism.

A tattoo in the shape of Brazil is seen on the back of Hugo Parisi of Brazil during his 10m diving platform practice session for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 4, 2008.

Van Wyk’s tattoos set to inspire Banyana

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:17:16 GMT

Banyana Banyana’s 2012 Olympics preparations have been going well so far with the team holding a training camp in Brazil and they have lined up a friendly against Brazil’s Selecao do Marinha.

Coach Joseph Mkhonza’s charges will be looking to avenge for the narrow 3-2 by the 2010 World Military Games champions in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday ).

Taking time off after an energy sapping training sessions during their camp in South Africa, defensive stalwart Janine van Wyk revealed how her new tattoos have inspired her play.

“It has always been my dream to compete at the Olympics and I am proud to have the Olympic rings on my right arm. There are also words around my arm - Passion, Vision, Believe, Patience and Pride, these are cornerstones around which my play is built,” said van Wyk,.

The no nonsense defender who boast of remarkable record of 7 goals in her 70 matches for Banyana added that the team will not just representing South Africa in London but Africa as a whole.

“Also, I have added the African continent, because I won’t only be representing South Africa at the Olympics but indeed carrying the hopes of Africa. There are two swallows tattooed on my arm as well and these symbolise family, peace and love.”

Van Wyk described Wednesday’s re-match as a superb opportunity for Banyana Banyana to set the record straight. “We played with pride and matched the opposition particularly in the second half. It’s a good thing that we have the South American tour prior to our team’s participation at the Cyprus Women’s Cup later this month as I believe we will be in a better shape physically and our play will have improved which should help us,” she added.

South Africa’s head coach Joseph Mkhonza is expected to field most of the players who played in the second half during Banyana Banyana’s loss to Selecao do Marinha on Saturday.

Aussie hotels ban patrons with tattoos

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:14:43 GMT

Restaurants and hotels in Sydney are banning patrons with visible ink, with signs being erected warning customers they will not be allowed entry unless they cover up their tattoos. The policies follow a move by the New South Wales Police Force to ban officers from getting tattoos.

While some hotels and restaurants have formal bans on tattoos, many others have informal policies. Andrew Stanway, owner of dining spot and watering hole Mrs Sippy in Sydney's east, made no apologies for the sign on his door that reads, 'All body art is to be covered and not visible to the naked eye.'

Stanway said the policy was to keep out 'riffraff,' adding that, 'with some tattoos, people can be of a lesser persuasion, if you like.' 'I've watched too many places get ruined because of that. I've worked too hard for that.'Stanway said he had no problem with small, discreet tattoos and did not mind if his policy discouraged young people from dining there.

'If you want to come in, you've got to be respectful to my business by being respectfully dressed,' he said. Another hotel, The Australian Hotel and Brewery in Rouse Hill in Sydney's northwest, enforces its 'no visible tattoos' policy on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and also bans 'gangs or gang clothing.'

Australian Hotels Association chief executive Paul Nicolaou said licensees were within their rights to deny entry to anyone as long as they do not breach anti-discrimination laws.

Tattoo tribute makes them brothers in arms

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:19:43 GMT

A Christchurch man will carry a permanent memorial on his arm for his tattoo artist friend who died in the February 22 quake. Matt Parkin, the co-owner of Southern Ink, yesterday started work on a tattoo for Sebastian Williams, in memory their friend, Matthew (Matti) Mceachen, who once worked at the Colombo St studio.

Parkin had tattooed a lotus on Mceachen's left arm. Williams wanted a duplicate, including the dates of Mceachen's birth and death. "To me it [the lotus] represented him so well. The way lotuses grow from the bottom of the pond all the way to the surface to bloom into these wonderful wonderful flowers. It [Mceachen's death] was quite devastating. For such a small dude, he was really big."

On February 22, Southern Ink was destroyed and Mceachen was crushed by falling masonry when he tried to flee the building. The studio has reopened on Main South Rd in Hornby. Parkin was also in the building that day. He recognised Mceachen, his apprentice at the time, by his clothes, which they had discussed earlier that day.

"Only five minutes earlier I'd commented on his shoes and his jeans. I knew what he had on and that's when I saw him underneath the veranda."After the quake, Parkin went to Australia to get away from the city. After a month, the studio's other co-owner and Matt's brother, Kerry Parkin, started working again at his home in Hornby.

"I was unsure if I even wanted to continue tattooing. Everything was so perfect before that earthquake. And in an instant it was sheer chaos," Kerry said. Their supplies had been destroyed, but Lucky Supply in Wellington gave them thousands of dollars in equipment to get back on their feet. Customers stayed loyal and soon Kerry was inundated with work.

Matt said it got so busy it was like playing "human Tetris" trying to squeeze people into Kerry's house. A new premises on Main South Rd opened in October.

In the new studio, a portrait of Mceachen hangs alongside one of the last pictures he drew. It is of a regular, who returned it to Southern Ink after hearing Matti had died. Throughout the year, clients have asked for quake-related tattoos, most often of the Christ Church Cathedral's famed Rose Window.

Russian man gets his cat tattooed

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:11:19 GMT

The naturally hairless sphynx cat was put under anaesthetic to receive the tattoo, which reads "Carpe Diem", Latin for "Seize the day". The tattoo is the same as one inked across the chest of owner Timur Rimut from Tatarstan, west of Moscow.

Mr Rimut also has a tattoo of his cat on his forearm. The inking was done in the presence of a veterinarian and an anaesthesiologist but has still drawn the ire of animal rights activists in Russia. It's not the first time a sphynx cat has been tattooed in Russia.

Moscow woman Oksana Popova had her cat sedated for three hours so a tattoo of the Egyptian pharoah Tutankhamun could be inked of its chest. In 2005 Belgian artist Wim Delvoye launched a farm in China where tattooed pigs were displayed. The pigs had individual carers who moisturised their skin to ensure the tattoos stay in good condition.

Chicago’s “ink”redible tattoo art is growing

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:06:49 GMT

Chloe Kolfield got her first tattoo when she was 15. Ten years later she has 18 tattoos all over her body. The Chicago hair stylist said she would never say never to tattoos. The Chicago Photography Center, 3301 N. Lincoln Ave., is showcasing photography of tattoos in its “I ‘heart’ Ink” exhibit through Feb. 24. The work of 14 photographers explores tattoos as an art form.

“We decided to do the exhibit because we thought that the art of tattoo is under-represented in the world of fine art,” said Susan Aurinko, curator with the center. Warren Perlstein, whose work is included in the exhibit, said the photographers of the exhibit focused more on the art of tattoos, rather than showing beautiful women and scruffy guys. Perlstein said tattoos, once favored mostly by sailors and motorcyclists, have become mainstream, a view confirmed by data.

In Chicago, nearly 80 tattoo parlors were issued licenses or license renewals from 2005 to 2012, according to data from the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection website. The number of tattoo parlors increased nearly 400 percent during that period.

While the numbers of tattoo parlors have grown in Chicago, the Midwest still lags other parts of the country in body art. A 2008 Harris Poll showed that 14 percent of Americans had at least one tattoo, but only 10 percent of Midwesterners did. Marina, a body piercer with Chitown Tattoo who asked that her last name not be used, said tattoos are definitely becoming more popular in Chicago and the tattoo business is growing.

Marina said people are more open-minded about tattoos and many tattoos have special meanings for their wearers. “It becomes a way of expression,” she said. “Some get tattoos to commemorate someone, and some get matching tattoos with their boyfriends and girlfriends.”

Kolfield said each tattoo carries a story. “It is a memory,” she said. “You can always look back on your memory when you see your tattoo.”Bill Johnson, vice president with the National Tattoo Association, said the popularity of tattoos started more than 10 years ago.

“People are more comfortable showing their tattoos, especially the sports stars and celebrities,” Johnson said. Aurinko said the development of tattoos as an art form and technique gives people a chance to show their creativity and personality. “Unlike years ago, people are coming in with [whatever designs they like], rather than everyone having a heart with a knife through it,” she said.

Kolfield said one has to be mentally ready to get a tattoo. “If you want to get a tattoo, you gotta be strong,” she said. “You have to be free-spirited and be a strong person to understand the art.”

Tattoo enthusiast stresses safety, education

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:07:05 GMT

Kris Richter said she barely knew the tattoo artist who created her first tattoo, an orange sun design between her shoulder blades. And though she is now friends with the artist, she said, people should seriously consider who they allow to mark on their body before getting inked.

The founder of Beyond the INK said she realized there wasn't a centralized place for those interested in getting a tattoo to find accurate information. Though she has never been an artist herself, she said, her work around the industry has inspired her to educate others. Richter said even television shows such as "LA Ink" and "Miami Ink" provide false information and unrealistic expectations to those who are considering getting a tattoo.

"I'm friends with a lot of people on those shows, and they will be the first to tell you it is very fake," Richter said. The 25-year-old stopped at Indigo Body Art Gallery, 2419 Second St., Coralville, on Monday evening to give her first lecture on tattoo education. Richter, a Nebraska native, said knowing the person who is going to permanently mark your body is an must.

"I would watch clients flipping through portfolios and not be sure about what to look for," she said. "They would be critical about what the image was of instead of looking for the things that count, such as the style of the tattoo artist and if they are creating clean lines."

Stingray, from Stringray's Nix Rue Tattoos, 2 Hawkeye Drive, North Liberty, said there are clues in an artists' work that shows they are talented. "They should make sure the lines touch each other, that there aren't lines that are undone or that cross," he said, noting that a tattoo shouldn't be one color but have an array of shades.

Richter said access to the Internet has led to a spread of untrained tattoo artists practicing unsafe techniques in their home. "Nowadays, a tattoo machine can be bought on the Internet," she said. "If people are tattooing out of their homes, they are considered 'scratchers,' and they may not have the ability to sterilize. Anyone who calls it a 'tattoo gun' is not a true tattoo artist."People interested in getting a tattoo should make sure the artist is certified and can show proof, she said.

An Iowa tattoo artist must apply for an artist permit from the Iowa Department of Health and undergo a one- to two-year apprenticeship before being certified. There are 18 certified tattoo artists in the Iowa City and Coralville area.

Richter said during their apprenticeships, tattoo artists learn how to draw tattooable pictures. She said artists practice on animal skin, such as pig ears or pig skin, before actually attempting a tattoo on a person.

"It takes years to master this art form," she said. Stingray said he has overseen over a dozen apprenticed tattoo artists. Talisa Miller, the director of Iowa's Tattoo Program, said the state Public Health Department requires each tattoo parlor be inspected once a year, and must check monthly that the autoclave — a machine that sterilizes tubes and needles by using pressurized steam to kill bacteria — is working correctly. All equipment must be sterilized to avoid such diseases as hepatitis C on shared tattoo needles.

"Spore tests should be done every month. These should tell you if the autoclave is working," Richter said. "You should be able to ask to see the spore test at any tattoo parlor, and if the tattoo artist hesitates, be hesitant."

Bill McCabe, a dermatology administrator at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, said that they rarely see people with tattoo infections come in. However, there has been a huge request for tattoo removal. The UIHC offers laser removal for $435 a session. Richter said her main goal is to make tattoos more accepted in society.

"It's been in every culture and civilization at some point or another," she said. "Females in ancient Egypt wore lavish tattoos. Polynesian cultures used marks on their face to show their social standing. We refer to ourselves as a tattoo family."

Tattoos done by amateurs may carry hepatitis C virus

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:13:20 GMT

If you're planning on getting a tattoo, make sure it's from a professional and not a friend because ink work by amateurs may carry a risk of Hepatitis C, according to a new report. In an analysis of several dozen past studies, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that tattoos from non-professionals appear to increase the risk of a possible blood-borne liver infection. By contrast, there is no evidence that tattoos done by professionals carried such a risk.

Hepatitis C remains a major public health problem in the United States with between 75 and 85 percent of people infected with the disease developing chronic infection that can lead to serious diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The illness is passed to people through contact with infected blood. In the United States, there are roughly 18,000 new Hepatitis C infections every year, mostly when people who inject drugs share tainted needles or syringes.

But there are other ways of contracting the disease. "Tattoos and piercings can transmit hepatitis C and other infections if performed under non-sterile conditions," Rania Tohme, an epidemiologist at the CDC who led the study, told Reuters Health in an email.

"People should not have tattoos or piercings done by friends or by people who are not trained professionals."The findings, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, are based on a collection of studies that have been made public since 1994.

In general, people who had tattoos by non-professionals faced a hepatitis C risk that was two to four times higher than average. Prison tattoos are a particular problem, Tohme's team wrote, because tattooing is so common and inmates may have other risk factors for Hepatitis C.

"To this date, there has been no evidence that tattoos and piercings performed in professional parlors in the United States have been implicated in transmission of hepatitis C virus," Tohme said. If going to a non-professional, though, there are some precautions that can be taken, Tohme said.

"Disposable piercing needles, tattoo needles and razors are used on one person and then thrown away. Reusing needles or razors is not safe," Tohme added. SOURCE: bit.ly/w6rw3u (Reporting from New York by Amy Norton at Reuters Health; Editing by Elaine Lies and Bob Tourtellotte)

Amateur tattoos carry hepatitis C risk: CDC

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:39:33 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you're planning on getting a tattoo, make sure it's from a professional and not your friend, says a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In an analysis of several dozen past studies, CDC researchers found that tattoos from non-professionals appear to carry a risk of the blood-borne liver infection hepatitis C. That included tattoos done by friends or family, or ones done in prison.

On the other hand, there was no evidence that tattoos done by professionals carried a hepatitis C risk.
Hepatitis C is passed through contact with infected blood. In the U.S., there are roughly 18,000 new infections each year, most of which occur when people who inject heroin and similar drugs share tainted needles or syringes.

But in almost 20 percent of acute hepatitis C infections, the person has no known risk factor, said Dr. Rania A. Tohme, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC who led the new study. Given that -- and the popularity of tattoos -- there have been concerns that the body art could be a risk factor for hepatitis C. Based on these findings, it's the tattoos from non-pros that consumers should beware, according to Tohme.

"Tattoos and piercings can transmit hepatitis C and other infections if performed under non-sterile conditions," Tohme told Reuters Health in an email. "People should not have tattoos or piercings done by friends or by people who are not trained professionals."The findings, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, are based on a collection of studies published since 1994. In general, people who had tattoos done by non-professionals faced a hepatitis C risk that was two to four times higher than average. Prison tattoos are a particular concern, Tohme's team writes, because tattooing is so common, and many prisoners may have other risk factors for hepatitis C. And outbreaks of the infection have been linked to tattooing among prisoners.

But no U.S. outbreaks have been tied to professional tattoo parlors. "To this date, there has been no evidence that tattoos and piercings performed in professional parlors in the United States have been implicated in transmission of hepatitis C virus," Tohme said. Still, you can take some precautions if you're thinking of inking up. Tohme said to make sure the tattoo artist is using sterile equipment, including single-use needles and ink that has not been used on anyone else. "Disposable piercing needles, tattoo needles and razors are used on one person and then thrown away. Reusing needles or razors is not safe," Tohme said.

In the U.S., new cases of hepatitis C infection have fallen sharply since the 1980s, according to the CDC.
But chronic hepatitis C infection remains a major public health problem, the agency says. Between 75 percent and 85 percent of people infected with hepatitis C develop chronic infection, which can eventually cause serious liver diseases like cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. An estimated 3.2 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C, about half of whom are unaware of it. (The initial infection most often causes no symptoms.) There are medications for treating chronic hepatitis C, though they are not effective for everyone and have side effects like fatigue, nausea, headache and sleep problems.