There are a lot of people who are afraid of getting a tattoo that doesn’t carry any personal meaning. Nobody wants to be seen as superficial or frivolous. This explains the popularity of astrology and zodiac tattoos. Both are an easy way to put your identity on your body. At the same time, going this route limits the scope of what you can tattoo on yourself. In a world full of beauty why constrain yourself?
Does every piece of art need to be allegorical or symbolic?
What would you rather be told? “Your tattoo is beautiful” or “what’s the meaning behind your tattoo?” We don’t have to use meaning as pretext for getting a tattoo, appreciating aesthetic beauty is reason enough. When you select your wardrobe are you thinking about what each article of clothing symbolizes or are you more fixated on how the color, fit, shape and texture fit you body? Based on my experience as a collector and artist, I recommend focusing on the latter.
Your tattoo might be just for you, but eventually somebody else is going to see it. And when they do, wouldn’t it be better if it made you look better.
Give Subject matter the space it deserves
Another issue I come across is crowding too many themes into a single tattoo piece. Sure all the elements carry a personal meaning, but when combined, they look busy and cluttered. Your entire life story is far too complex to put into a single tattoo. Each important subject can be it’s own tattoo.
When arranging tattoos on the body I like to use the analogy of a house. When you hang art in your home, do you put it all on one wall and leave everything else bare? No, you find places where the art fits and makes each space more beautiful. Tattoos work in the very same way to fill in space and compliment the body.
Do not forget: Tattoos carry an inherent meaning
Regardless of the design, a tattoo communicates something about the collector’s character. When a collector gets a tattoo, they are committing to a new look for life. This commitment to a tattoo actually begins even before the needle enters the skin. It begins when a collector begins to visualize having a permanent piece of art on their skin. In reality, until the tattoo is healed, a collector doesn’t know how it will look. The decision to get a tattoo is akin to life decisions where the outcome is unknown, like choosing a career, a relationship, or having a child. These are all big decisions
Many cultures around the world associate a painful ritual with a rite of passage, some even use tattooing as way to symbolize a persons ascension into a role or adulthood. It shows character to willingly undergo pain to yield a result, and a tattoo in another way to commemorate this process.
Let aesthetics drive the design process
Tattoos are a visual art form, therefore it makes sense to prioritize aesthetics over meaning. When a meaningful element in a tattoo conflicts with the overall harmony of a piece, it becomes a worthy of omission. There is nothing wrong with trying to imbue meaning into your tattoos, it just shouldn’t be the guiding force in the design process.
Having trouble figuring how to make your next tattoo piece look good? Feel free to reach out to schedule a consult here.
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