One of the goals of many tattoos artists is to have mainstream media view tattooing as a serious art form and convince people to view the business with more respect.
People still have misconceptions of the culture and history of tattooing. They're also unaware of the drastic changes that have touched the industry in the past couple of decades. People that have not been exposed to the work of today's top tattoo artists would be shocked to see the skill level that is seen in today's body art. With more efficient and versatile machines, advanced techniques, and with the talent of today's tattoos artists, there is no doubt that it is truly an art form that deserves great respect.
Misconception: Until very recently tattooed patrons were likely sailors, bikers, or ex-convicts.
You will probably be surprised to learn that tattoo art was very popular with bankers, lawyers and other professionals until the time of the Great Depression in the 1920's. In Europe, tattoo studios were popular with wealthy aristocrats.
Untruth: Tattoos will kill any chance you have for a real job.
Although it's true that certain career paths will not be open-minded to tattoo work, there are still many reputable occupations that will not be closed to you just because you have body art. Many professional careers require a suit and tie. This type of attire just gives you an opportunity to cover up your body art in most cases.
Untruth: You'll have regrets when you get older and your tattoos will look awful when you are in your 70's.
I can't say this is entirely untrue. Let's be honest. Our tattoo work will be not be looking so hot in a few decades. The truth is we won't be alone. When surveyed, most people didn't regret their body art just because they had aged. Any misgivings were usually caused because they regretted the design they choose or the body art was done by a poorly skilled artist.
Misconception: Doing tattoos does not require any exceptional artistic talent. They just take a stencil of the picture and place it on the skin then trace the outline and fill in the color.
This is a fallacy about today's tattoo artists. It's true that some mediocre artists may only be able to adequately reproduce an image on skin using a stencil. The artwork is passable but not exceptional. But the majority of artists that you will find working today put their own individual artistic spin on their tattoo work. Many artists specialize in custom tattoo work. They are able to freehand designs directly on the skin or develop a unique piece of artwork to be made into a stencil.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I believe that if people were shown some of the outstanding and exceptional body art created by today's artists that they would be easily convinced that tattoo work deserves respect as an art form.
