I’ve had a tattoo for over 18 years now – a fact which makes me feel positively ancient. In all that time I have never once regretted having it. Until this week.
Before I had it done I had only seen the fuzzy, badly drawn, sailor style tats. Then I saw the beautiful tattoos a friend of mine had covering both arms. I was fascinated by the intricate and brightly covered carp swimming around John-boy’s forearms. It was actual art. On his body. I had to have one.
Once the decision was made, it took me ages to choose the right place to get mine done – I researched not only the cleanliness of various tattoo parlours but also the artistic style of the artists. I bottled out several times before I finally did it.
I was thrilled by the art but I also liked the people’s reactions to the large dragon on my shoulder – there was still a shock factor. When I spent the following summer in Italy I recall being asked many times if I’d been to prison (the answer eventually became “yes – for assault and battery on an Italian chap who wouldn’t take no for an answer….”).
Since then tattoos have become so much more mainstream – you can get them done everywhere. Even Selfridges offers them now (although it eacapes me why you’d have one done there – I mean it isn’t very rock and roll getting tattooed in Selfridges). As a result of the increased demand (and I think the lack of limits on who can set themselves up as a tattoist, the quality of artwork is going downhill. There are some amazing artists out there whose medium is tattoo ink but the vast majority can barely manage colour by numbers. I’ve seen some shocking examples.
The part that has bothered me this week is that it feels like EVERYONE has them. I was at a class in town (OK so it was a trapeze class so possibly not an accurate cross section of the population) and every single girl had one. Some were the tramp stamp sort, some just some words on the inside of the forearm but it feels like everyone other than trainee nuns has some sort of drawing on their skin.
I blame Victoria Beckham. She’s done for tattoos what chavs did for Burberry. No longer exclusive but common. Urgh.