Some people see tattoo as a sign of delinquency. Some see it as a manifestation of endurance. Most people don’t like it but a few think of it as art.
What really is tattoo?
Background Check
Want to know tattoo facts? Books and online sources said tattooing is the oldest type of art.
According to www.wikipedia.com, tattooing is prominent in the tribal people from Japan called Ainu, Philippines called Aeta, and Chamorro people of the Pacific Islands.
Tribal people long ago, are the very first group of people who practice the art of body painting.
The site defines the process as a marking made by inserting ink into the layers of the skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. For the tribal people, it is a sign of status and strength and only warriors and chieftains could have tattoos.
Today, modern people have different interpretations of tattooing.
For example, in the Philippines, most delinquent youth have tattoos, body modifications and piercings. Thus, the art is associated to gangs and drugs. Prisoners also do tattooing inside the jail.
The art is also associated with rock culture as members of famous rock bands like Rage Against The Machine, Parokya ni Edgar and Kamikazee are seen wearing tattoos.
The tattooist
Here is what one of the famous tattooists on island would say about this art.
El Draco or Dragon Edong, an award winning tattooist has his own interpretation about the art.
He talked about how tattoo could be a profession and a way of expressing your self.
According to him, being a tattooist is not just a profession for him but it is a dedication wherein the skill of being a perfectionist is practiced.
“When you do tattoos, you have to be focused, consistent and should be responsible enough not to make a mistake,” he said.
He added that in life, this things- responsibility, dedication and focus, is needed to succeed.
Edong noticed that most teens on island go to his shop for tattoo
“But not all this teens got what they want,” he said.
When you want to get a tattoo, you have to be prepared and be old enough to want it, he added.
Only teens ages 18 and above are allowed to have a tattoo, otherwise a parental consent is needed.
Tattooing he said, is not just an art you would want to have because you want to belong in a certain group.
He stressed that it is not a temporary thing that a fickle minded person would want to have.
According to him, wanting to have a tattoo, means wanting to have it for as long as you live and submitting yourself in the pain that it takes to have it marked on your skin.
Edong attributed the tattoo to the decisions one makes in life. He said teenagers are fickle minded, aggressive and easy to fall in love which he noted is not the case when a person matures.
Life he said is full of choices wherein a person should make responsible decisions.
According to him, the teens should be responsible in making choices and learn to stand up for what they have decided.
Same thing goes with tattoo he said, it cannot easily be removed once it is printed in your skin.
Some teens, he said want tattoo in order to belong to a group and later in life regret having one.
He noted that tattooing should not be used to symbolize rebellion and hatred.
Having a tattoo is not just art but also a passion, a sacrifice––physically painful and life long.
Edong said it is a way of expressing one’s self and one’s love for another person.
Some people have the picture of their love ones as tattoos while some have the names of the person they love.
So before having a tattoo…. Think hard…. Do you really want one?
