Tattoos may have meanings deeper than the ink might travel.
Anna Peterkes is inked.
The freshman studying pre-med walks campus just like everyone else, but beneath the sleeve of her left arm lies a story that cannot be understood at first glance.
Peterkes’ tattoo reads, “VI.XXIX.MMIV,” in dedication to her father who died from lung cancer on June 29, signified by “VI” and “XXIX.”
“(The tattoo) gives something physical for me … that I can connect with (my dad),” she said.
Peterkes and her brother both got the tattoo at the same time as a way to become closer, she said. The tattoo commemorates the death of not only their father, but also of their grandmother, who died in June of 2004 — symbolized by “MMIV.”
Jim Kisor, owner of Decorative Injections Tattooing & Body Piercing in Athens, said tattoos are art, and although people sometimes judge those who have tattoos, it depends on how one carries oneself.
“Art is, you know, relative to the eye of the beholder with that,” Kisor said. “Sometimes some scribble is this amazing piece of art, whereas this great portrait of something is just kind of looked over as ‘just whatever.’ ”
Kisor runs the shop with his wife, Melody, and some of his tattoos are drawings by his children.
Forty-five million Americans have at least one tattoo, according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute. Thirty-six percent of these adults are between the ages of 18 and 25.
Ryan Bickford, a freshman studying biological sciences, said tattoos are a way of expressing oneself, but he doesn’t think he will get his own.
Shawn Hawks, owner of Skin Hooked Tattoo & Body Piercing in Athens, said he sketches many tattoos for clients, and a sketch can take days to complete. Before the process begins, he asks clients what their potential tattoos represents, what elements they would like to incorporate into the piece and tells them how realistic the request is.
“There’s a (phrase) in the tattoo world called, ‘She wants a yard sale on her arm’ because she wants everything incorporated into one tattoo,” he said.
If research and lengthy planning is involved, Hawks said the extra work will be incorporated into the cost. Charges tend to run between $100 and $125 per hour, he said.
Decorative Injections has a $50 minimum and usually charges about $100 per hour unless a design is complicated, according to Brittney Thomas, a receptionist at Decorative Injections. She added that price is determined on the location of the tattoo, the complicated nature of the design, how long a customer is willing to sit in a session and the area the design covers.
The cost factor is what Anthony Susco, a sophomore studying environmental and plant biology, said deters him from getting a tattoo.
Appointments are available based on the complexity of the tattoo, Thomas said. Deposits are required because she said people often get “cold feet.”
Thomas said she recommends anyone who wants to get a tattoo to bring in a picture or pictures to communicate an idea to the tattoo artists so they can “Frankenstein” the pictures together.
“We definitely do a large number of script and quote tattoos,” she said. “We get a lot of Bobcat and Ohio tattoos. I would say there are some typical tattoos: anchors, dreamcatchers, infinity signs — 'white girl' tattoos for the lack of a better word.”
Oftentimes, customers are influenced by tattoos made popular by celebrities.
“It’s just ... like clothing, you know, tattoos and fads do come and go,” Hawks said.
Sam Hartless, a senior studying sociology and criminology, said she loves tattoos. She has two: one of song lyrics, which is dedicated to her boyfriend, and the other is of a violin, which she has played since the fifth grade.
Hawks said he avoids inking clients who are intoxicated. Skin Hooked closes at 8 p.m. in order to deter those who are drunk from entering the shop.
Hawks does not have an art degree, but he said he drafted tattoos for his fellow servicemen when he was in the Marines.
Peterkes said the fact that the tattoo is permanent did not scare her, as she said it was meaningful for her and helped her to handle losing her father.
“I’m for tattoos," Peterkes said. "I’ll probably get another one if something else big in my life happens."
— Marisa Fernandez contributed to this report
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