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The Arts in New York City » Blog Archive » Art vs. the Flesh-Eating Disease

Art vs. the Flesh-Eating Disease

From my point of view, any tattoo designed by the wearer that holds meaning for them is embellishment as opposed to disfigurement. People who put a great deal of time and thought into designing their tattoos can rightfully be called artists; those who just happen into a tattoo parlor, be they drunk or sober, and choose a piece of “flash” off the wall, however, are more than likely disfiguring themselves. I hold that a tattoo is worthless if not designed by the wearer, tattoo artist, or in conjunction between the two, as flash is drawn up with commercialism in mind. I feel that tattoos, flash and custom, are art, but being art does not make flash look any better. When I see people with pawprints/hearts with names and banners/Chinese/Japanese characters, I see people who’ve wasted a decent amount of money, time, and pain. Oh, your Japanese symbol there means courage? And you couldn’t come up with something else to represent courage? What a shame, paying so much for a bauble. Custom work can say any number of things, and I have greater respect for those who take the time and thought to come up with something truly original.

On disfigurement, however, one point to make. If a tattoo isn’t properly cared for in the weeks following the inking, it can and will get infected, and that’s about the nastiest thing I can thing of. A recent news report linked four unlicensed tattoo artists in Georgia to an outbreak of staph, which led to more than a few cases of necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease). Turns out they weren’t giving very good instructions on upkeep as the work healed.

Mike C.

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