If you have looked around campus recently it may seem as if everyone has some degree of ink.
This is not just a misperception or a trend specific for CSU’s student body. The art has become so popular in recent years that GESTALTEN and renowned visual artist Alex Binnie have created a film discussing the reason for the spike in tattooing.
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While the film focuses the international trend of tattoos, the increased popularity can be seen in US as well. In fact, as of 2012, the Pew Research Center found that 36% of adults 18-25 and 40% of adults 26-40 have at least one tattoo.
More and more people are deciding to get tattoos because of the statement it makes about their ability to make their own choices and earn the tattoo, Binnie said.
However, the film focuses mainly on the ways that tattoos differ from more conventional, temporary mediums.
“You’re just giving it to a person, for very little money really, a piece of artwork that they will have for the rest of their life,” said Duncan X, a featured tattoo artist in the film. “But the beauty of it is that they can’t sell it and it will die with them.”
