The Ninth Annual Northern Ink Tattoo Convention is taking place this weekend one hundred meters (literally) from our front door. It ‘s at the downtown Holiday Inn at King and Widmer Streets The latest generation has taken to “body art” in a manner not seen since perhaps the Second World War.
This resurgence (or recrudescence, depending on your point of view) of the popularity of tattooing has a lot of similarity to the thousands upon thousands – maybe millions – of young servicemen who returned from overseas with tattoos ranging from their Service Unit Badges to “Mom”or “Sue” permanently emblazoned on arms and chests.
The only thing that I can personally remember of the ex-soldiers and sailors that virtually ALL regretted being tattooed! “I was young and stupid.” was the most common response given to the question “Why did you do it?”
In fairness, the art of tattooing has come a long way since the war. hygiene standards are much higher and artistic skill has improved immeasurably.
More and more women are choosing to get tattooed and the truth is that some tattoos look pretty nice on a young and toned female body. But how will these tattoos look on an old, flabby and sagging septagenarian. Only time (and gravity) will tell.
“Twist” (yes, that’s his name) has come to the convention from the UK for the second year in a row. He’s a “piercer” which in many ways so much more radical than tattooing; yet, less permanent if one chooses. He sports tattoos and piercings of his own (at least, a dozen in his face alone).
Twist came with two other tattoo artists and they will be doing tattoos all weekend.
