This is my first tattoo, located on my left foot done by Sam Wolf at Signature Tattoo in Ferndale, Michigan. I’m moving away in two weeks and the birds flying away represent my move. Breaking free from everything and starting a new chapter in my life.
Clip Art Tattoos. I can only blame fads that propagate on places like Pinterest, Facebook, and yes, Tumblr. I cannot count how many times I have seen this generic tattoo. It is unfathomable. What bothers me the most is not necessarily how popular it is. Because hey, I love traditional Americana and classic symbolism in tattoos. So if I was just throwing a fit at the unoriginal aspect I’d have to add anchors, eagles, hearts, and pretty much everything else onto my bitch-list. BUT this tattoo bothers me because it is such a terrible tattoo. I can’t comprehend why it is so popular. It’s blobby overly simplified shapes, flat black silhouettes, and boring. There’s no dimension, no dynamic flow, no artistry. It’s like a terrible Xerox machine has gained self-awareness and been attacking the young adult population. These tattoos won’t age well. All of these outlines are already poorly shaped. Take any one of them on it’s own and you’d never know what it was supposed to be.
Seriously. Do any of these look like birds? No.
Now factor in that these tiny little odd shapes will age, blur, and become less distinct. In four years this will be a terrible regrettable mess of faded blobs and smears.
