I still remember the day I got my first tattoo. The buzz of the needle, the slight sting on my skin, and the rush of adrenaline. It was more than just ink. Over the years, I’ve adorned my body with moments and stories. I find peace in inscribing them onto my skin, a little like you’d keep a journal and hold onto it. The canvas has many forms: From the streets to a dance floor, from woodblocks to blockchain, from paper to skin.
There’s something to be said about the relationship between the tattooed person and their tattoo artist. While some may be in search of “perfection” and turn to new solutions like Blackdot, which uploads a design to a machine that then tattoos it with no human intervention, others may find perfection in the artist’s hand showing, that odd little line that didn’t “print” as well, those few hours spent together. Maybe “perfect” was taking a break after line work and having a croissant before moving onto shadings.
As tattoos become increasingly mainstream, we're faced with interesting questions about the relationship between our bodies and art. Where is the line between self-expression and self-objectification? When does a tattoo cease to be an accessory and become a defining feature of our identity? Ultimately, the beauty of tattoo art lies in its personal nature. Each tattoo tells a story — as long as it's meaningful to the wearer, that's what truly matters.
Rick Genest, photo by Colin Singer
Remember Rick Genest, also known as Zombie Boy? He was tattooed over approximately 90% of his body and held the Guinness World Record for the most tattoos of human bones. He worked in several shows and eventually became a model and first male spokesperson for L’Oréal. Interestingly, Rick Genest was both most known for being a living skeleton, and for concealing all of his etchings in the “Go Beyond the Cover” campaign. The advert showed him sitting with the phrase “How do you judge a book?” then proceeding to remove the makeup and reveal his tattoos — his true identity.
In 2021, Mike Amoia was awarded the Guinness World Record for "the most insects tattooed on the body" with a total of 864 tattoos. In 2023, Amoia launched Indelible, an NFT company that bridges real tattoos made by some of the most influential tattoo artists — Mike Rubendall, and Matt Skinny Bagwell—, and the world of web3 and PFPs. Users mint a 3D tattoo machine which then serves as a membership pass, which in turn, gives them access to free claims and exclusive drops as well as IRL and digital experiences. The first drop was centered around Amoia’s Guinness World Record and his insect tattoos — with users getting their PFPs tattooed with insects.
While some give their PFP a tattoo, some get their PFPs tattooed. At Inscribing Nashville 2024 hosted by Gamma, Inscribing Atlantis, and Nolcha Shows, the Pizza Ninjas invited an artist from Sunrise Studio to tattoo collectors with their ninjas. During the day, we witnessed people inscribing their PFPs on Bitcoin, onto their skin. As the Pizza Ninja artist Boozy put it, “Tattoos are permanent. Just like our conviction in what we’re building”. And might I add, just like the associated ordinal inscriptions. “Perfect” was getting their Pizza Ninja tattooed surrounded by their community, orange balloons and inflatable furniture.
Boozy, the Pizza Ninja artist, getting his Ninja tattooed at Inscribing Nashville 2024
From the delicate whisper of a minimalist design to the roaring symphony of a full-body masterpiece, tattoo art refuses to be confined to static walls or silent pedestals. Permanent testaments to our passions, triumphs, and dreams, tattoos are art that walk around telling an ever-unfolding story of us.
