Tattoos... thrashy or trendy?

As Summer approaches and people start to peel of the layers its hard not to notice the increasing popularity of tattoos. Something which until recently was associated with a particular class is now a fashion item crossing class, culture and generations. It never ceases to fascinate me how a few rock star endorsements can transform what was considered to be deviant and antisocial, into an art form with celebrity status

Of course this is probably bad news for all those who got tattoos in the 60’s because now their radical statement has become so prolific it has lost all its’ original meaning. Ironically what was in the 70’s symbolic of independent free thinking now equates more with conformity and convention. Just as soap opera stars and footballers wives popularized exposing one’s pregnant tummy in public, now it’s chic to have a couple of tattoos strategically positioned for the paparazzi.

In the era of materialism and money, we are a society defined by the labels we buy. Brands of course have been around for a long time. They were originally used on bread to identify particular bakeries, and in the American West to protect cattle from being stolen. Now they are used to add value to rather ordinary products in order to differentiate them in the minds of consumers.

But what has all this got to do with tattoos you may ask?

If you think about it, tattoos are perhaps the ultimate personal brand.  Brands become extensions of our person but tattoos become a part of who we are! Whether you call them ‘body art’ or ‘tramp stamps’ (as does a friend of mine), they are somewhat like a personal advert. They can even transform you into public art.  Designs are as varied as the number of exclusive brands available to us in the shops. More often these days, tattoo parlors are run by creative professionals with a qualification in fine art or graphics.

What tattoos are intended to say about us I am not quite sure anymore. That which was for so long symbolic of a misspent youth, is now well recognized as a fashion accessory. And in a strange twist of fate, anti social rebels asserting their identity, have inadvertently become today’s dedicated followers of fashion.