By Jacob Mehlhoff
Tattoos for the longest time have been considered taboo, and for the most part the only people you would see with them would be bikers, gang members and generally thought of as outcasts of the general public. That is changing, and changing fast. Tattoos are becoming more mainstream, and accepted. The reasoning for getting a tattoo varies from person to person, and is something that has been going on since the prehistoric times. The meaning behind a tattoo also varies from tattoo to tattoo and with the person. A person can get a tattoo to represent a change in life, or to show love or respect for another person. A tattoo can also represent different qualities of a person as well. There are a lot of different types of tattoos from abstract, natural, dedication, simple and complex. An abstract tattoo is mostly derived from more archaic styles of tattooing. There isn’t a lot of artwork involved and are mostly done in black or a mix of black and grey. Some examples of abstract tattoos would be tribal, Celtic symbols, Old English text and Chinese symbols (bodyart.iloveindia.com/tattoo-types.html). The tribal tattoo gained a lot of popularity in the 90’s with the armband, especially a barbed wire armband. Tribal tattoos have been around for a long time, especially in the Hawaiian and Polynesian islands. The meanings behind them were different with every tattoo, and every tattoo was different. To see two people with the same tattoo is nearly unheard of, as the artist would actually design the tattoo himself based on what he thought of about the person getting the tattoo done. Celtic symbols have gained a lot of popularity with people of Northern European descent. From symbolizing friendship, love, respect or just ancestral pride, Celtic symbols are a growing sight in the tattoo world. Tattoos done in the Old English text can be seen generally done on the bottom of the forearm, upper stomach, and inside bicep.