THE EXISTENTIAL ANGUISH OF THE TATTOO WHY DO PEOPLE GET TATTOOS? INKING PHILLY: FREQUENCY TATTOO COMPANY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 004 / INKING PHILADELPHIA 014 / IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SEPTUM 015 / IN THE SPOTLIGHT: NIPPLES
FEATURES 006 — 009 / THE EXISTENTIAL ANGUISH OF THE TATTOO 010 — 013 / WHY DO PEOPLE GET TATTOOS?
ON THE COVER Carter Agvent, an industrial design major at Philadelphia University shows off his collection of tatto os.
PHOTO BY / LAUREEN WONG
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INKING PHILADELPHIA
FREQUENCY TATTOO COMPANY
Frequency Tattoo Company is a custom tattoo studio specializing in making your next tattoo look amazing. This means that there are no books or any type of catalog to choose a tattoo from. There are three experienced full-time artists who will take the time to design a tattoo just for you. In addition, they invite feature artists from near and far to come to the shop. The quality of work, customer ser vice, and maintaing a clinical environment for our clients is to their utmost importance. Providing great customer ser vice and a good experience is our second specialty. Their brand new facility is located in the Riverfront Business District of East Falls, Philadelphia.
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E H T L A I T N E T S I X E H S I U G AN E H T F O O O T T TA RU FF WOR DS BY DAN
TH EF REE WE D F R E WA N T O M T P R E D O M L AT E O D O ESE AN RB TO ECO YTH NT TH WA DES ING ME I R E RT O S T H S. E UR
n the re lea se of So me wher e be tw ee d the clo sing of “R ea lit y Bi te s” an au, my ge ne ra tio n MT V’s sp or ts bure re no t the fir st go t ta tto os . We we , bu t we we re the so do Am er ica ns to ss e. No w, tw o fir st to do it en ma ar e be co ming the de ca de s lat er, we int o middle age. It em fir st to ca rry th e perm anent, even turns out ta tto os ar when lit tle els e is. e nt signif ier s of th Lik e ma ny impo rta e ur st ge a n as 19 90 s, ta tto os be ga ca me so ubiquitous be d an n llio be re of a at all. Ther e as to ca rry no st igm a vis ibl e ta tto o wa s a tim e when m mo st jobs, ma ny dis quali fie d you fro ra l re lig ions. To be fa mi lie s and se ve cla re that you would ta tto oe d wa s to de ll, st ra nger s’ go od wi no longe r re ly on er ur nt u we re an adve eit he r be ca us e yo ian sic mu al he av y-m et — sa ilo r, ya ku za, ha d such po or u yo e us ca — or be we re lik ely to u judgm en t that yo ay. yw an le ali enat e pe op typ e ha s ex pa nded No w the ta tto oe d ss er s and gr aphic to inc lude ha irdre ta nt s and yo ga de signe rs , ac coun rhaps mo st te ac he rs and — pe da ds . I know a ol co dis turbing ly — full sle eves , and do ze n pe ople wi th ha ve childre n. Their all bu t one of them of as an indict me nt sle eves no w re ad an ther than no nc on fo rm ism ra ich is we ird, wh — it of on as se rti them se lve s os be ca us e the ta tto d. ge ha ve n’t chan
. It is a ple as ing when she re turned e se le op pe e ss ing one cr uc ial on e mi is Th . st or y, though it I ha ve tw o ta tto os , ow all Bl ac king ou t and : a ba rn sw ele me nt : agency. is on my lef t bic ep I en wh e us ho u im me dia te ly nd the ge tting a ta tto o yo which we ha d ar ou 22 s wa I en as gr ow ing to wh it t go et is no t the sa me gr re wa s gr ow ing up. I er, e ap tto o as you ge t old the me tri c sh loa the your ow n ta and obse ss ed wi th me sa uld e co th I at t ca rry lie ve d th be ca us e it do es no of se nt ence s. I be ns ab ou t fre e wi ll. a sw all ow in a tio of ca p oo pli im sw e ing th fy e rri te de sc rib e th nt ax pa ra lle led se nt ence whos e sy re fle ct ed in the elf its t, GG TAT T O O AT ET pa th of fligh G ET T IN e bir d’s I NFO th n ee tw be ve r R TAT Bé zie r cu Y GA A W of s A ek A E we B r te Y A Af W TOO M . M ad he d A an r lde Y shou F O e T O th F AY B E of s EL R ite S wr T re S y Y A az P O U- R P YO U RT O D O inc re as ing ly cr e cis or ex to o AS T S P R ES e ta tto MUIR NA AT E YO se nt ence, I go t th ELF TTEINYGO D O M IN S af t. cr E my L m fro n F U mo G ET a de R PRE TT UU S EL F, ,BB TY EN G SENT EOO TING S OFUYR my TAT T T UR OT ry gir ls to loo k at O K A IC I S T C I als o wa nt ed po et T K OF YWOAU ba rn sw all ow at RO I S A R YO UO FO YR uppe r ar m. I go t my A ey W P Th IS it. e R A lik I d E an Y d, SOE N FOR B ENe w Yo rk Ador ne B EN T SEL S EL F T TA TR e, and my ta tto o P R ESE F Y T do go od wo rk ther Y O O U. gh tly dif fe re nt re minds me of a sli AY YO U R PAS T R PAS T. R T wn do lk wa uld co I e Ea st Vi llage, wher th pla st ic wr ap on s the ubiquity Se co nd Avenue wi That ’s what ma ke e sh ink, and fre e th g rin Am er ica ns my ag ve g co my ar m, er of ta tto os am on nd rte ba e em th Th t r. go Ba rs we all ha ve a be er in Ma n so unse ttl ing : Whe n y sy nt ax ex pla na tio me a sy mb ol of ca be ey th er, lis te ne d to my cr az th to ge t ques tio ns , even bs ta nt ial ly les s and as ke d re lev an ut h, which is a su y yo all tu ac uld co on rs ar ound when you though no sa ne pe fun sy mb ol to ha ve a as y od os Pr . at th be int er es te d in ar e old. t me an much to me vis ibl e line do es n’ o do es . That once ke ep our fa ding, no w, bu t the ta tto ry The re st of us wi ll mo nd me e th d an , ys , and let them re mi wa s, the ta tto o sa spre ading ta tto os ar e st ra nge. s s lve me se co t be en it es pr as d re ma ins , even e us that our pa st an st pe ople do n’t se rd. You ar e no t the The ta tto o that mo no t alw ay s in ac co ht rig my on k we re. is a six -inch as te ris sa me pe rs on you
AS INCREASINGLY DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE GET TATTOOS,POPULAR PERCEPTIONS ARE OFTEN OUT OF SYNCH WITH THE INDIVIDUAL MEANINGS BEHIND THEM. Who gets tattoos, and why? A selfdescribed “24-year-old, insecure female who isn’t a perfect, thin, beautiful supermodel” writes in the Body Modification e-zine that her Pegasus tattoo has helped her overcome hatred of her body. “It is rearing up on its hind legs with its wings spread like it’s about to take off, much like the way I want to break free of my self-doubt and start loving me for me.” The same e-zine carries an account of an operations manager at a Borders Books and Cafe who says about hiring tattooed employees, “We look for it. It makes things more interesting and more fun.” While these individuals give varied and multi-layered meanings to their own and other’s tattoos, their personal assertions are sometimes at odds wth the per vasive popular interpreations of tattoos as signs of rebellion or faddishness. Most tattooed people see their tattoos as unique aspects of themselves, but sociologists who study tattooing focus on group patterns and overall trends. They examine the influence of media and consumer culture and the influence of gender, sexuality, race, and class on “body politics.” While no single explanation accounts for the increasing popularity of tattoos, researchers find that people use tattoos to express who they are, what they have lived through, and how they see themselves in relation to others and to their social worlds. Studies also find that people cannot fully control the meaning of their own tattooed bodies; the social contexts in which they live shape the responses to and interpretations of their tattoos by others. The popular image of the tattooee as young, male and working-class is now increasingly outdated, as more and more men and women, of various age-groups and socio-economic backgrounds, choose to enter the tattoo studio.” In trying to understand these new tattooees, we focus on three groups — youth, women, and members of tattoo subcultures.
TATTOOS MAY PROVIDE A WAY TO GROUND A SENSE OF SELF IN A SEEMINGLY CHANGING AND INSECURE WORLD. At a stage when young people are seeking to assert their independence, tattoos may provide a way to ground a sense of self in a seemingly changing and insecure world. Despite this aura of mass consumption, Atkinson finds that tattoos and the tattooing experience give young people feelings of greater control and authority over their own lives. Christine, for example, explains her tattoos as an effort to reclaim her body from the pressures of school, peers, and parents. “I want everyone to know that i’m sick of being told what to do and how to look.” Tattoos can
become a symbolic battleground between adolescents asserting autonomy over their own bodies and authority figures trying to enforce standard codes of appearance. Adolescents may also use tattoos as a way to signify and solidify group memberships as they move between schools and communities.While these individuals believe that tattoos can provide some semblance of belonging and security in a chinging world, these promises of permanence often fall short in the face of real personal transitions and shifting social norms.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
SEPTUM
NIPPLES Septum piercings, as you can imagine, has been around longer than we can document. It is the prototypical “native” piercing that ethnocentric European explorers and ethnographers have been shocked by since the 17th Century. And many folks are still shocked today. Beyond the usual prejudices against piercing, casual onlookers are disturbed by the idea that the piercing goes through the “bone” of the septum, and that it must be excruciatingly painful. Neither is the case. In actual fact, a properly done septum piercing will not touch the cartilage, and is often very easy to get and to heal.
The pain of getting a septum piercing varies with everyone, but it will no doubt cause you to tear up. That doesn’t mean you’re crying - it’s a natural response of your ner vous system to involuntarily secrete tears when your nose is pinched or pierced, even if it’s not particularly painful. One advantage of the septum piercing is that with the right jewelry (usually a circular barbell) it can easily be hidden by simply turning the jewelry and allowing the ends to rest inside the nose. The size of the jewelry and the balls on the ends, however, could affect your ability to breathe through your nose when you do that, so it’s something to keep in mind. A septum retainer bypasses that particular problem, but it’s not quite as attractive when visible.
PHOTO BY / LAUREEN WONG
They are named after the part of the nose where they’re located. Your septum is a thin wall of cartilage that runs down the center of your nose, separating your right and left nostrils. The septum piercing passes through the nasal septum (the middle of the nose) and is often referred to as a “bull-ring piercing.” The nasal septum is the cartilaginous tissue dividing wall between the nostrils. A septum piercing, however, does not penetrate the cartilage but the softer space of tissue just below the septum. Piercers often refer to this as the “sweet spot.” Nipple piercings are essentially the same for both men and women - genetically, we have the same origins in the womb and only the addition of the male or female chromosomes (and resultant hormones) determine whether the nipple will become functional or not. Men still have breast tissue, milk ducts, blood vessels and ner ves just like women, but they stay undeveloped as long as high levels of estrogen aren’t introduced. However, there are a few slight differences. SIZE - Obviously, in most cases,a woman’s nipple size is more generous than a man’s, allowing more space to insert a piece of jewelry. If a man’s nipple is extremely small and tight to the chest surface, it’s possible that it can’t safely be pierced at all. It’s important that nipple piercings do not puncture breast tissue. That could lead to a nasty infection known as mastitis, which can actually be life threatening.
FUNCTIONALITY - A woman who has or may have a child and wishes to breastfeed, a safely done nipple piercing does not hinder the ability to nurse. The jewelry, however, should be removed and it’s very important to make sure that the fistula is clean before doing so. Any bacteria, infection, or even the jewelry itself can pose a danger to your nursing baby.
AROUSAL - One of the primary reasons for getting nipple piercings is to increase arousal. Not everyone enjoys nipple stimulation, but if you do then piercing may increase that enjoyment. But it’s also possible that it could actually decrease stimulation and there’s no test that can be done to know beforehand which outcome you will get. Only you can decide if it’s worth the risk.
Starter jewelry is usually a 16-14 gauge straight barbell, CBR, or circular barbell. Nipple shields are designed to work with straight barbells and are for healed piercings only. Healing takes a minimum of 6 months.
PHOTO BY / LAUREEN WONG
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