Are tattoos art? People look at me and ask me if i am a tattoo artist because i say i design my tattoos. Even more ludacris to me is the infamous "did you tattoo yourself?". No, i can not see behind me or twist my arms in anyway to legibly put a proper tattoo in any of the places i am inked. i am an artist. that is the only tangible explanation i can provide that seems to encompass why i put my art on my body. i choose to tattoo myself for the same reasons i create art on canvas. i want to visually express something. my art is usually a commentary on a situation. you will see this more as you delve into the different stories behind my artwork. the same goes for my tattoos. each piece represents a distinct moment in my life which had a strong impact on the person i am today. i am very big on symbols. i try not to incorporate an image unless the meaning behind the symbol has some significant relevance to the topic at hand.
the tattoo you see below was done at two different points in my life...a year apart from one another. the dragon, the original image is a symbol of strength.
The butterflies which are seen blank here, have since been colored in shades of pink, so they blend more and don't stand out. Butterflies, a symbol of the soul being carried from earth to heaven....and then the cherry blossoms, a symbol of change....
the other symbols - the sunflower, the lotus, the sun, the flames - all important but not the main focus.
so are tattoos art? of course. how could they not be.