Under the skin An evolution of tattoos
by Ben Davis staff reporter Although the modern tattoo machine has made incredibly intricate designs possible, tattoos have been around in a rudimentary form for thousands of years. The process of getting a tattoo is far more than just depositing ink into skin; it is an art. The oldest known person to get a tattoo is known only as the “iceman,” dated some 5,200 years old. He was discovered around the Italy-Austria border in 1991, with tiny crosses and dots tattooed across his lower back, right knee and ankle. According to some researchers, these served to ease joint pain. Artists created tattoos manually until the Second Industrial Revolution, when Thomas Edison invented the electric pen. Later, Samuel O’Reilly, a tattoo artist from New York, would add an ink reservoir to Edison’s pen, developing it into the predecessor of the modern tattoo machine. Today’s tattoo machines are a faster, cleaner version of O’Reilly’s machine, able to puncture through the skin at a rate of 50-3000 times per minute. The needle of the machine goes through the top layer of skin and deposits the ink in the dermis, the second, deeper layer. This is what makes it permanent, since the skin cells on the outermost layer fall off, while the ones on the second layer don’t. With this technology in hand, tattoo artists can create a wide variety of designs. According to Billy Mizejewski, co-owner of Anchor’s End Tattoo in Hudson, WI, artists keep a running portfolio of all their tattoos. Customers can look through these portfolios to choose the design they want and get a better feel for the artist’s style. “When you look at someone’s portfolio, look for what style they’re good at, not how many skulls they have done. If you want a realistic hummingbird, don’t look for hummingbirds, look for realism,” Mizejewski said. Price is also another important factor to consider. Almost all artists charge by the hour, generally between $100 and $150. However, be warned that price and quality don’t always correlate, since one artist may be able to do a better job in less time than another. Luckily, if one gets stuck with a less skilled artist, tattoo removal is now easier than ever. The modern procedure is done by a shining a laser through the outer layer of skin to break up the ink. From there on, the immune system eliminates the particles that remain. Most artists, however, take their profession very seriously, striving to make every tattoo as perfect as possible. “Tattoos are kind of sacred,” said Mizejewski. “It’s something you’re putting on your body forever. It should be whatever you need it to be, fun or serious or playful or whatever.”
heir tattoo stories
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photo by Eva Hoffman
Teachers’ tattoos tell stories by Kallie Slotvig staff reporter While tattoos are frequently seen as a sign of youth and rebellion, Nasreen Fynewever and Steve Morrissette are two English teachers that break this stereotype. Both have tattoos that represent life-changing chapters of their lives. Fynewever has the Bengali word “Asa,” or “hope,” tattooed on her left ankle and right wrist. She also has the words “still I rise” from Maya Angelou’s poem written above her left ankle. “I placed a tattoo on my wrist to [make] it visible to me while I wrote, played, lived,” Fynewever said. This way hope can follow her, and inspire her to make an impact in everything she does. Fynewever’s tattoos are not only inspirational, but representative of her life as well. “They tell part of my story,” she said. “I get to speak of adoption and birth country travel, of why I teach, and who I am becoming with my tattoos. They serve of reminders of
where I have come from and what values I choose to live out.” Similarly, Morrissette said, “Tattoos are another way of telling a story for me. They remind me of past experiences I’ve had.” One tattoo Morrissette has is of a Fleur De Lis, the symbol of a musical group called the Drum and Bugle Corps he was involved in for ten years. Another important chapter of Morrissette’s life was the birth of his daughter. To commemorate the event, he got her name tattooed on as well. “My daughter’s name is a reminder that I’m always going to be a dad, and she will always be my daughter,” he said. Each person has memories and stories that they carry within their heart. For Morrissette and Fynewever, tattoos are an external representation of the most important things in their lives. “I allowed my ankle to be inked with what my heart has always had etched upon it,” said Fynewever.