Did you know I own a tattoo shop? I do. Deluxe Tattoo Parlor. Truth is I have very little to do with it, my husband, Mav, is the one who runs it. When I was in high school I wanted to become a tattooer. The problem is I don't like touching people, or having a job. So instead I married one.
Our girls do not think of tattoos as anything odd or different. They spend a fair amount of time at the shop and they always pick out a tattoo. They choose from the flash, find the tracing, make a stencil and put it on. Often times they go over it with a tattoo machine-sans needle. Sometimes one of the guys at the shop "tattoo" them in this way. Cartoon characters are the top choice followed closely by mermaids.
A lot of people ask if we are going to let our children get tattooed. No, I will not let my children be tattooed, not as "children." Once they are grown of course they can make their own decisions. I have the hope they will rebel against us-the establishment, and not get tattooed.
This has given the girls a unique perspective in imagery. Lots of dragons, swallows, skulls, pinups, daggers, koi fish etc... and I often wonder how it will play out in their lives. I have a hint of what it might look like with my niece. She also had a lot of exposure to tattoo arts beginning at a very young age.. Here she is photographed by my daughter Ruth. See a correlation?
Are pinups my children's version of Barbie dolls? I think maybe. We do try to counter this and create healthy body image. Raising young girls I can tell you it isn't easy. I also know if we looked at Mav's art since having his first little girl we would notice a more modest approach to pinups.
"The problem is I don't like touching people" That comment made me laugh. I don't like touching people either!
ReplyDeleteSo lucky to be married to an artist! Your little girls are so pretty :) I was glad my kids were exposed to the tattoo community early on. The people I personally have met are generally more open and artistic and usually less judgmental. I personally love the art of tattoo. I have two of my own so far and there's about a thousand more I want (you know how it is once you get one lol)
ReplyDeleteKarlene
I think it's a great atmosphere to bring up children amongst artists and to know that people aren't outcasts or whatever for being different! I hope they rebel too, only in that I think children should ;o)
ReplyDeleteIs the correlation with your niece the fact that she was raised around tattooing but chose not to have tattoos?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous-it is that she is striking a classic pin up pose.
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