Body Art By Kathryn Cook

By Kathryn Cook 

Recently, I got a tattoo. Nothing traditional or very meaningful- a unicorn tattoo. I started thinking about the rise in popularity of tattoos. I remember my dad telling me that back in the day, tattoos were frowned upon. This is strange to think about— Most of my friends have tattoos, I see them everywhere. A tattoo is a piece of art and expression, yet it wasn’t always so accepted. 

The tattoo shop my friends and I go to is full of extremely talented creatives. They are tattooing styles that are entirely unique and personal. My artist likes dotwork and Catholic

imagery, another artist does hyperrealistic shading and combines art styles. They create personalized art for individuals to wear on their bodies forever. I thought to myself, this is the definition of art. With just a few clicks on Instagram, I saw how tightly woven this community really was: alternative hair stylists, nail techs, and tattoo artists all supporting each other's art and talents. They promote each other on social media, they support each other's businesses, and they even trade and barter. I saw that a nail tech I follow did a beautiful, intricate, and personalized set in trade for the first edition of her clients fashion magazine. 

I started considering nails in the same regard. Years ago, a full set of acrylic nails might cost $30, now it can cost anywhere from $55-$300. There are many reasons why— Just because cheap labor was considered acceptable at some point doesn't mean it should be. But what about the way nail art has changed? Long acrylic nails used to be pretty cheap, and often done with just a solid color and no special designs. They have become far more intricate. I have seen calico critters themed nails, bug themed nails, tooth themed nails—if you can dream it, an artist can make a full set of it. 

What about hair? One of my friends is getting micro bangs soon. I joked that it was a good way to express her alternative style since she prefers to wear athleisure, but she completely agreed. Hair has been and still is one of the most important parts of physical expression. There are different hair cuts and colors associated with many different subcultures, and it is something that can be completely personalized to a client. 

Helping people to express themselves has become a new and popular career outlook for artists. As I watched my artist tattoo his own design onto me I thought “His art is so incredibly beautiful, and the skill it must take to use the human body as a canvas…”

Artists are using the human body as their canvases, and by doing so they are allowing us an outlet of expression that we have never had before. The ways we express ourselves physically— our hair, clothing, tattoos, nails— all of it comes from someone’s hard work and dedication to their craft. It is time that we started giving these careers the respect that they deserve, because they are empowering us to be ourselves everyday.