In high school, I wanted a NIN tattoo. Also a barcode at the back of my neck. Later I wanted a "cut here" neck tattoo. Then I decided that the centipede would be my "totem animal" and wanted a HUGE centipede over my entire body. Then I wanted a biomechanical sleeve. Then a pentagram. Later I wanted the words "All we have to lose is our chains" on my chest, and my favorite quote "I am the cat who walks by himself and all places are alike to me." Then, before I left Chicago, I wanted the Chicago flag on my arm.
This is what I'd look like if I had every tattoo I wanted (AND if I was a lingerie model!):
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| I'm sure I'm missing something. Also, the upper part of my forearm has both stripes and the chicago flag... wanted both at one point. I still kinda like the centipede. |
When listed like that, all those tattoos seem pretty stupid, but they all had some Deep Profound meaning to me. NIN/"cut here" for teenage angst, barcode/biomechanical, "chains" quote for marxist cog-in-the-corporate-wheel reasons, the totem animal thing, etc. All these momentos for important times in my life....look kind of stupid, as Meaningful as they are. Seems the symbols for my life events don't work visually. Also, I also had the misfortune of liking trendy tattoos at the time that are out of style now. See: biomech tattoo and tribal, both popular in the 00s and 90s, respectively.
Everything that was meaningful to me then isn't meaningful to me now. Obviously it wasn't that meaningful to me then, since I didn't get any of these. In fact, I've always been a nihilist in thought and a formalist at work. So I don't really care about the things I care about, but I like functional things. Tattoos are neither (well except for the marxist ones I wanted to get...spreadin the word and all...and I guess the chicago one too... so people could see I'm from there...whatevs)
But they look cool. I like stuff that looks cool. I have plenty of meaningless, useless things that just looks cool. And I started meeting people with tattoos that just looked cool and had no meaning. One girl brought some window drape fabric to the tattoo artist and said "I want this on my arm as a sleeve" and, honestly, it's one of my favorite tattoos. no meaning.
Then I made a decision. I want a finger tattoo. of cool-looking, vaguely occult-looking designs. No meaning... just looks cool. Also, I wanted it on my fingers, cause, since i work at a computer all day, I'll always see them.
lol but no tattoo artist would do them. especially on someone with no tattoos. apparently, finger tattoos turn into smudgy prison tattoos soon after you get them. who knew?
stay tuned for tattoo talk, part 2: what kinds of tattoos I currently like and want to get (for real this time)
what is your tattoo aesthetic philosophy? meaning or no meaning? were there any tattoos you wanted but never got?
Everything that was meaningful to me then isn't meaningful to me now. Obviously it wasn't that meaningful to me then, since I didn't get any of these. In fact, I've always been a nihilist in thought and a formalist at work. So I don't really care about the things I care about, but I like functional things. Tattoos are neither (well except for the marxist ones I wanted to get...spreadin the word and all...and I guess the chicago one too... so people could see I'm from there...whatevs)
But they look cool. I like stuff that looks cool. I have plenty of meaningless, useless things that just looks cool. And I started meeting people with tattoos that just looked cool and had no meaning. One girl brought some window drape fabric to the tattoo artist and said "I want this on my arm as a sleeve" and, honestly, it's one of my favorite tattoos. no meaning.
Then I made a decision. I want a finger tattoo. of cool-looking, vaguely occult-looking designs. No meaning... just looks cool. Also, I wanted it on my fingers, cause, since i work at a computer all day, I'll always see them.
stay tuned for tattoo talk, part 2: what kinds of tattoos I currently like and want to get (for real this time)
what is your tattoo aesthetic philosophy? meaning or no meaning? were there any tattoos you wanted but never got?
