Summer heat is on, and skin is in – which means tattoo sightings are on the rise.
Today, tattoos are more popular than ever, certain stigmas attached to donning them have faded, the range of people getting them has spread to include all backgrounds and walks of life, and the practice has become one of the most mainstream forms of body art in the world.
Area artists have seen the market for tattoos grow, yet, as much as the appeal has grown, the industry has basically remained the same.
People come in and pick out a piece of flash art, the traditional imagery displayed on the walls and sheets hanging in the front of the tattoo parlor, or patrons come with a definite idea of what they want, sometimes even drawing their own designs or giving the tattoo artist specific details to custom create a design.
The most important advice most tattoo artists will give is to know what you want – there are a lot of things to consider when getting one, including the placement, size, and even the artist’s style.
Perhaps, one of the most underestimated considerations when getting a tattoo is its longevity – since they’re permanent, tattoos are a commitment, and getting one in the heat of the moment could capture a memory or it could be an impulsive mistake.
Heat of the moment
While traditional flash art never goes out of style, there are certainly trends that the casual tattoo parlor patron may be going for – the latest is quite simply stars, according to local tattoo artists.
Tattoo artist Adam Paterson of Jersey City Tattoo Co. is a downtown resident who opened the Newark Avenue shop about six months ago and he’s already seen his share of this latest craze.
Also, more women are getting their feet and ankles done.
So what trends have passed?
“I would say that tribal isn’t what it was in the ’90s, but there are still people that really love the style,” says Paterson. “Nothing disappears. Nothing goes away to the point where it’s a nonexistent style … Tattooing doesn’t always just equal fashion … It’s not [like] clothing, where it’s unheard of to wear parachute pants now. People will get something even though it may have come about decades ago.”
Some of the most traditional pieces that never go out of style in the tattoo industry are lettering (script), flowers, and hearts.
John Blanco of Hoboken Body Art saw a lot of dragons and lower back tattoos when he first got started more than 12 years ago. But he’s not seeing the “mechanical man” or Terminator-style metal skeleton designs anymore.
What would Blanco advise against?
“Don’t get names,” Blanco emphasizes – he had his wife’s name, and when they separated, he had it covered.
Generally, names of children, relatives, and deceased loved ones do not change – anything else most tattoo artists will discourage.
Matthew Rielly, a Hoboken resident, even thinks that getting the name of a significant other may spell doom for the relationship, saying, “It’s kind of like bad luck.”
Rielly has a tribal tattoo on his left arm, but he wasn’t trying to be part of any trend.
“I just liked the way it was cut,” says Rielly. The tribal design is the only tat on that arm while the other is in the process of being sleeved. “I didn’t really want to do much with my left arm, because I wanted to remember what my arm looks like naturally.”
Rielly likes to capture the moment and the things close to him. He has a pit bull on his arm and a cross on his chest, explaining, “I believe in God, and that’s where I feel God, in the middle of my chest.”
But Rielly’s more spontaneous tattoos come from a need to seize the day more than anything else, as he explains, “At one point in your life, you’re going through something, so you get a tattoo to reflect that moment, so each tattoo is a different session in your life.”
Meanwhile, Tony Canuel came all the way from Brooklyn to have Adam Paterson put an African bird of myth, the Sankofa, on his arm – a tattoo he’s been planning for five years.
“It’s always pictured with its head backwards, flying backwards with an egg in his mouth,” explains Canuel. “The egg is supposed to represent the future and it flying backwards is supposed to represent looking toward the past.”
Canuel already has a few tattoos – some religious iconography, including archangels and a sacred heart, which has his grandfather’s initials on it – and he always puts a great amount of time and thought into the experience.
“I think a lot of people get tattoos as a spur-of-the-moment type thing, and I think it’s something they regret later,” Canuel says. “I like to think long and hard about it because it’s going to be with me for life.”
A labor of art
Paterson, who likens tattoo needles to paintbrushes, and Blanco, both coming from graphic design and artistic backgrounds, emphasize the importance of understanding that tattoos are artistry and the work of tattoo artists varies like any other art form.
“You’re not buying the same product at a different store,” explains Paterson, who encourages people interested in getting tattoos to visit the shops and look at the work the artists there are doing – for example, Jersey City Tattoo Co. does a lot of Japanese-style work. “Tattoo prices are based on a person’s ability and the complexity of the design. That’s why it’s so frustrating when a person calls and asks for a price over the phone. If you’re going to call five other tattoo shops, that’s not doing you any good. You need to see the person’s work, see the shop, and see the level of professionalism.”
Blanco adds, “There are a lot of great artists out there, so you have to really know what you’re looking for.”
Anthony Cruz, of Little Falls, another artist at the Hoboken shop, offers this advice: “Take the time to ask to see the artist’s book rather than get something done that you’re going to be upset with.”
Paterson stresses the point that while removal procedures exist, 100 percent tattoo removal is not a perfect science. He adds that if someone would like to get a tattoo covered, going to the trouble of lightening it with a few laser treatments does expand cover-up options significantly.
Overall, it’s best for clients to be confident about what they’re getting.
“That’s beautiful to an artist; when we know that that’s exactly what they want,” says Blanco.
Tattoos are popular even among corporate employees, who often get large pieces on their backs and thighs.
“Some of them just don’t want it to get past their shirt line,” says Blanco’s apprentice, Dillon Dunning. Blanco suggests treating one’s tattoo like any work of art.
“Take care of it!” says Blanco.
Though one recommendation is to put sunblock on your tattoos to protect them, Rielly mentions that he doesn’t do that, allowing the tattoos to age naturally like a pair of well-worn jeans. “I just think it gives it more character.”
Comments can be sent to Mpaul@hudsonreporter.com.