Tattoos exposed for all to see

The ancient royal mummies covered their bodies with symbols to emphasise their
elite status.

For Polynesians and other tribal cultures it was a sacred rite to have ink hand-tapped into their skin with carved animal bones.

Fast forward a couple of centuries and you’ll find people still express their identities through tattoos.

The fourth Sydney Tattoo and Body Art Expo, launched tomorrow (March 9), will attract local and international artists to Sydney’s Olympic Park for four days of tattoo contests, live entertainment, free seminars and more.

The event’s organiser, Ric Sedin, said the expo aims to bring the scene to people who
wouldn’t usually go into a tattoo studio because they may feel intimidated due to past affiliations
with criminal activities.

“There’ll be 320 artists from all over the globe so people can wonder around in a family friendly environment and talk to the artists and see what it’s all about … And then you can make up your own mind about tattoos,” he said.

CEO of Bondi Ink, Wendy Gaddes said tattoos have become socially accepted and
women are out-doing the men.

“A lot of women are getting tattoos of Asian symbols – which symbolise a fresh start, they get their children’s names in script and many women are getting sleeves,” she said.

“Men are getting more emotional and are no longer into the tough stickers, they’re now getting portraits of their children’s faces or portraits in memory of loved ones.”

Mr Sedin suggests the increase in popularity can be accredited to pop culture, where celebrities, athletes and reality television shows like LA Ink have altered society’s perception.

LA Ink guest star and tattoo artist Nikko Hurtado, will also attend the expo.

A study published in January called, Who gets Tattoos? Demographic and Behavioural
Correlates of Ever Being Tattooed in a Representative Sample of Men and Women aimed to
identify the demographic and behavioural differences between those who get tattoos and those
who don’t through samples of Australian men and women aged 16-64 years.

The study reported: “Tattooing has increased in popularity during the past decade.
Yet tattoos still appear to be a marker for risk-taking behaviour in adults.”

Professor of Psychology at Flinders University, Marika Tiggemann suggests tattoos
are not just fashion accessories, they express an identity.

“They [tattoos] commemorate someone or something, it’s an expression of self just like way back when the sailors and the crims had tattoos, they belonged to a group and that was their
identity,” she said.

All proceeds of the event will go to the ‘Cure our Kids’ charity to help raise funds for the Oncology unit at Westmead’s Children’s Hospital.