Watertown— The art of setting ink to skin has been around since 3300 BC, a Eurasian practice since the Neolithic time. Today, artistic expression has taken shape and exploded into the tattoo industry.
“Every tattoo has it’s own story” said Jim Frost, 14 year tattoo artist and owner of Skin Circus. Mr. Frost opened up shop in Watertown, New York 5 years ago and has had a passion for the tattoo industry. According to Frost, “People come in for tattoos for all sorts of reasons” said Mr. Frost, “and every tattoo has a story.”
New technology and laser surgery makes it so that folks today can remove unwanted tattoos. According to research, approximately 10 % of people in the U.S. have a tattoo and roughly 50 % want tattoos removed. According to Mr. Frost, most individuals getting a tattoo understand the life long commitment. Usually, tattoos that are removed are names of past romances, old memories, or bad tattoos that need covering up.
Fans of Skin Circus such as Richard Suspice and Joseph Lawler, both have had tattoos rooted in family history. Where other tattoo lovers such as Heather Connover prefers to get a tattoo based upon her favorite video game, World of War Craft.
Mr. Frost told ABC50 that the reasons for getting a tattoo vary, but regardless, the body is a canvas for ink artists and tattoo lovers.
