Each day, Perry Stratton sits down in his chair, needle in hand, and begins to create his next work of art. Stratton, a tattoo artist at Splash of Color Tattoo and Piercing Studio, 515 E. Grand River Ave., started working as a professional tattoo artist in 1993.
“I love what I do,” he said. “It’s something different everyday.”
Like Stratton, Kitty Dowding, the owner of Living Art Tattoo & Piercing Studio, 2176 N. Cedar St., in Holt, Mich., has many years of experience in the tattoo industry.
Throughout her two decades as a tattoo artist, Dowding said she has noticed a major shift in society’s attitude toward tattoos.
“It’s getting more and more mainstream to where more and more people are getting interested in tattoos,” she said.
When she first started her career, Dowding said she saw mostly motorcycle riders getting tattoos. Now, 20 years later, her shop has a diverse clientele with customers ranging in age from 16 years old to 70 or 80 years old.
“(Getting a tattoo) is more appealing to all walks of life,” she said.
A student’s perspective
Studio art senior Natalia Tortora recently went to Splash of Color Tattoo and Piercing Studio to have her second tattoo done by Stratton.
Tortora, who is from Rochester, N.Y., said she developed the idea for her tattoo after a study abroad trip she took to Florence, Italy. She said the extensive amount of traveling she did for the trip and also for her move from New York to Michigan inspired the idea for her tattoo — a compass rose she designed herself.
“I thought it’d be appropriate to get a compass rose … to help guide me on my path through life,” she said.
Morgan Chávez, an environmental economics and policy sophomore, got her first tattoo — the Spartan mascot — to celebrate being accepted to MSU.
“The reason I got (my tattoo) is because MSU has a lot of significance for me,” she said.
Because Chávez grew up in Okemos — minutes away from MSU’s campus — she quickly became familiar with the university while visiting places such as the Dairy Store and Abrams Planetarium on trips to campus.
“I’ve always had MSU in my life,” she said.
Art aspect
Susan McCombs, an associate professor in the department of art, art history and design, also recognizes the increase in popularity of tattoos, as well as their significance in the art industry and incorporates them into her class curriculum.
“Because (tattoo artists) are using the body as a canvas or a design field, you have to consider that (as art) too,” McCombs said. “You can’t just say because it’s a tattoo it’s not art.”
McCombs uses tattoos in her classes to help students better understand the art forms they study.
“I think it’s important (to study tattoos) because, as an art form, it tells you about the culture,” she said. “It tells you about the aesthetics of the culture.”
For one assignment, McCombs requires her students to design either a CD cover or a tattoo — the latter of which typically is the more popular choice. Students choose a particular culture to focus on, study its art forms and then translate those forms into a CD cover or tattoo design.
“I think if we didn’t look at (tattoos), (students) wouldn’t be getting the whole picture of what art is in society,” McCombs said.
As an art student, Tortora said she easily can make the connection between tattoos and other more traditional art forms.
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“I’m an artist, and I appreciate art,” she said. “Body art, to me, is a form of connection with what I enjoy (and) my interests.”
A deeper meaning
After working for about a year on her tattoo’s concept and design, Tortora said she developed a strong connection with the piece.
“It’s a part of me in some way,” she said. “(The tattoo is) almost like an angel-on-your-shoulder kind of thing.”
Traveling also is a major part of Tortora’s life and something she loves to do, which is another reason she wanted to get a compass rose tattooed on her back.
“It’s kind of like a summary of your personality and interests,” she said. “I think that’s why a lot of people get tattoos — to explain visually what they care about.”
McCombs — who is unable to get a tattoo because of an immune system deficiency — said if she were to get a tattoo, it also would have a deeper meaning behind it.
“I would probably have a tattoo that would commemorate some important moment in my life,” she said. “A lot of people do that today.”
Getting a tattoo with sentimental value — like Tortora and Chávez have done — is another recent trend Dowding said she has noticed while working in the industry.
She said the majority of her clients come in for a consultation with an artist before they get tattooed. Typically they have spent a great deal of time planning and sketching their tattoo before they actually get it done.
“(Your tattoo is) on you for the rest of your life, and it’s really important to put a lot of thought into it,” Dowding said. “You’re going to carry it to your grave with you.”
