While tattoos have often been associated with uncivilized or irresponsible people or groups, that perception has been changing in recent years; there has been a growing acceptance of body art.

Tattoos are a form of art unlike any other. This art is placed upon a live surface that ages and changes every day. Body art, like other forms of art, is something that should be respected and appreciated.

Shannon Edgar, junior graphic design major, enjoys photographing body art. She views tattoos as beautiful forms of art that bring an interesting concept to each photo.

Through her everyday experiences and her work as a photographer, Edgar has noticed a significant change in the perception of tattoos and the people who sport them.

“I think tattooing is still associated with an alternative lifestyle, but the numbers of people with tattoos is higher than it has ever been, and the instances of people with multiple tattoos and sleeves has jumped to a considerable percentage in the current generation,” Edgar said.

While tattoos may still be considered rebellious or alternative to some, the perception of them is quickly changing. Tattoos are becoming more acceptable and more common.

Not only is the artwork changing, the spectrum of people choosing to get tattooed is growing. People with professional jobs are getting tattooed more often. The fear that tattoos will dampen the ability to get careers is being challenged. The idea that tattoos are degenerate is being refuted.

Alycia Harr, a tattoo artist in Sacramento for 13 years, has noticed the growing appreciation and professionalism of tattoo art.

“When we see people like our doctors and our lawyers and people that before had been so divorced from the tattoo scene and the tattoo world having tattoos, I think that it is going to become more acceptable to have tattoos,” Harr said. “Tattoos are no longer isolated to the fringes of society.”

The unfortunate correlation between crime and body ink is being dismissed rapidly. While tattoos used to be deemed as a mark of a rough past, they are now being accepted as living art.

From college students to medical professionals, the canvas for body art has become more socially respected.

With the growing quality of tattoos and the professional clientele receiving them, it is becoming more obvious that this generation’s body ink is not a form of self-mutilation, but rather self-beautification.

Four UC Davis students have come together to host a show beginning today that appreciates and displays the art of tattoos. An Anthology in Flesh: Storytelling in Tattoo Art will begin with an opening reception on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. and will run through March 13 in the UC Davis Art Lounge.

Harr, along with other Sacramento artists Ronnie Grizard from Modern Body and Ryan Tanton from American Graffiti, have participated in filmed interviews that will be shown at the event.

This show hopes to bring light to the beauty of body art and the stories of each tattoo.

“By focusing on the messages behind each tattoo on display, as well as the artistic process that goes into each custom image, the exhibit will challenge preconceived notions about tattoo art,” the students said in the press release.

What once may have been seen as a mark of deviance is now being accepted as a form of art that uses the body as its canvas. Tattoos, just like paintings, can convey several different thoughts and emotions. However, like those paintings, tattoos should be treated with respect and admiration for both the artist and the piece itself.

Leidhra Johnson can be reached at [email protected]