It's ironic that some people see tattooing as the scourge of modern society given that it's an ancient art, writes Michael Kelly
WHERE DO you stand on tattoos? Love them or hate them? Body art or body mutilation?
Whatever your views on tattoos, nobody can deny their current popularity and mainstream appeal. The stereotypical view of tattoos – that they are the preserve of drunkards, sailors and jailbirds – are outdated to the point of irrelevance.
Tattoos are now being embraced by men and women of all ages, classes and occupations.
Although I can sort of understand the appeal for blokes, I wouldn’t get one myself for a number of reasons – basically I have the pain threshold of a gnat and don’t like the idea of a single injection, never mind literally hundreds of injections in one sitting.
It’s ironic that some people look down their noses at tattooing and consider it a scourge of modern society, given that it is actually an ancient art. In 1991 the frozen remains of a man dating back to 3300 BC were discovered on a mountain between Italy and Austria – his body was adorned with 57 tattoos.
Throughout history tattoos have signified membership of a clan or society, and played important roles in ritual and tradition.
“Tattoos have been around for as long as man has walked the earth,” says Tony Maxwell, the owner of the Dublin Tattoo Company in Arklow, Co Wicklow.
“In its current form, tattooing has been around for about 100 years. An Irish-American tattoo artist named Samuel O’Reilly invented the first electronic tattoo machine in about 1890.”
Wall paintings from ancient Egypt indicate the widespread use of tattoos in that society and it was also used by the Greeks and Romans. Though prominent among the Danes, Norse and Saxons, tattooing fell out of favour in Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries.
Explorer William Dampher is credited with re-introducing tattooing to the west. In 1691 he caused a sensation in London when he brought a heavily tattooed Polynesian known as the “Painted Prince” back from one of his trips – ironically, discreet tattoos then became fashionable for a time among the upper classes.
Samuel O’Reilly’s tattoo machine ushered in an era of cheap tattoos and, perhaps unwittingly, gave the whole thing a bad rap – tattoos became associated with the less-than-savoury elements of society and they were not to recover from that association until the latter part of the last century.
An array of research has in the past associated tattoos with deviant behaviour, anti-social personalities, criminality and mental health issues but the mainstream acceptance of tattoos has made a nonsense of these studies.
“I have been tattooing since 1989 and my whole career I have been fighting the negative stereotype,” says Maxwell.
“I was in Dublin today trying to find sites for my next store, and you wouldn’t believe the negativity that I came across, like people worried that a tattoo studio in their area would bring down property values.
“These are prejudices based on totally outdated stereotypes.”
About 60 per cent of Maxwell’s clients are men. So what’s their motivation?
“It’s quite simply the ultimate form of self-expression,” he says. “It is a way for them to express core values, or to express a desire for a goal in life or, indeed, to express achievement of that goal.
“It can be to express love or admiration for a special person in their life. We also see huge demand for commemorative tattoos when a loved one is deceased. It can also, of course, be just for decorative or fashion purposes. It is unique and individual to each person,” says Maxwell.
The most popular current designs for men, according to Maxwell, are those based on Japanese and Polynesian styles. The ultimate tattoo taboo, he says, is for a man to put his current girlfriend’s name in a tattoo.
“It’s still high on the wish-list unfortunately,” he says. “As a tattoo artist you have to mention to people that relationships are fleeting.
“My advice to men when it comes to putting a loved one’s name on a tattoo is not to do it. Even if it’s your wife of 10 years and you have 10 kids together.”
There are potential health risks and adverse reactions associated with tattoos, including the risk of blood-borne infections such as hepatitis and HIV, or skin infections such as impetigo or cellulitis. Excessive scarring and allergies to the inks can occur and unsightly scar tissue can form around a tattoo.
The key for men to avoid these problems is to pick a reputable, professional tattoo artist to do the job, according to Seán Boon of The Vibe studio in Mullingar. “The basic precautions are that the needles are single-use and thrown away after each tattoo,” he says.
“Any other equipment that is in contact with the skin is double sterilised. I would also change my gloves up to 10 times during a two-hour job. There is no legislation in this area, but there are guidelines from the health board which every tattoo artist should follow rigorously.
“There shouldn’t be swelling or any form of infection if it’s done right.
“It shouldn’t scab and should have healed completely in five to 14 days.”
Boon’s advice to men who are considering a tattoo is to take it slowly and do their homework. “They are permanent, so you need to think really carefully about them before you go ahead,” he says. “Ask for advice about the design. A professional studio will advise on what’s going to work and what’s not.
“Most good tattooists would rather not do a tattoo then put a bad one on. Check the tattoo artist’s portfolio and check their sterilisation procedures. Do not be afraid to ask them questions about their hygiene methods.”