TV shows, popular culture, feed demand for tattoos
1st Dec 2012
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Getting inked at a tattoo parlour in Chandigarh Photo: T S Bedi
hen Captain Cook sailed back to Europe from Tahiti and New Zealand, he brought back a host of wondrous stories. One of these was how people of these places used to mark their bodies with indelible ink. Thus the occident was introduced to the Samoan 'tatau', later adopted into English as tattoo. Tattooing has been practised for centuries across continents and cultures. Over time, it has developed into a modern art form often associated with alternative and deviant movements. Popular TV shows and other medium has immensely popularised tattooing among Indians of late. We check-out the passion and reason behind this new un-putdownable desire to get inked.
Rishabh Narang a qualified engineer runs his own tattoo studio Immortal Tattoos in Chandigarh. He says, "I had always been a creative person and drawing was my passion since childhood. After completing my engineering I would stay glued to the TV watching 'LA ink'. My dad, sensing my keenness in the art, suggested me to pursue it as a profession and that's how I landed here." The skills and techniques are refined and developed throughout life. Rishabh quips, "We have to deliver 100% every time as any customer who comes to us wants us to draw the best for them, and surprisingly, we are not allowed to use erasers."
Creativity and understanding to materialize ideas in ink are vital for becoming a tattoo artist. Possessing the potential of a bright future loaded with mesmeric and fascinating challenges, a major chunk of the youth is getting inclined towards tattooing as a career option. The craze for this art is spreading rapidly and an artist may earn as much as any qualified engineer.
Tattooing is priced per square inch that may vary from 500 to 2000, depending on the artist. In the dearth of professional institutes, the fee for getting trained depends on the artist may vary from 75, 000 to 1, 50,000 for a course spanning 3-4 months.
Graphic designer and animator turned tattoo artist Dhruv Sharma, owner of Inking Tattoo studio says, "I have always been an artist creating designs for clients. I wanted to do something different by which I could leave a mark on people's heart and soul. This was the best profession by which I could satisfy people by meeting their expectations and giving them what they exactly desired." Today after six years of experience he perfectly executes every new challenge.
Parmeet Singh, a tattoo addict, has 18 tattoos on his body which includes a song by Michael Jackson, skulls and various expressions. He says, "I believe, getting inked is an expression of love, a face to sentiments, display of your affection, love or regards towards something, and above all, an identity of an individual. A mark that rests on your body but touches and reflects your soul..."
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/tv-shows-popular-culture-feed-demand-for-tattoos
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