A company in New York, Freedom-2 Inc., has come up with a new technology that makes the removal of tattoos much easier. Although this may be perceived as good news by people who regret having their bodies inked, those who value the permanent nature of tattoos see the innovation as an insult. One of them is Ana Gonzales, an employee at the featured tattoo shop in TLC's reality series,
Miami Ink.
"If you hate your tattoo cover it up but at least you've given the artist the benefit of the doubt," Gonzales, a secretary and personal assistant to the tattoo artists who regularly appear on Miami Ink, told CTV.ca in a telephone interview from Miami, Florida.
"If you're going to get a tattoo, get a tattoo. If you don't, then get henna," she added.
Removable ink, which is what the company has developed, has been the subject of heated debates at the tattoo shop. Gonzales said that the shop, co-owned by tattoo artists
Ami James and
Chris Nunez, has long been against the use of such technology.
"The reaction has always been 'hell no!'" Gonzales told CTV.ca. "We're trying to find ink that will last longer, not less."
Other purists like Gonzales say that tattoos are supposed to be treated as a legacy and not as a passing fad. Chris Hall, a tattoo artist at Way Cool Tattoos in Toronto, believes tattoos represent an individual's life experiences, which is why, he says, tattoos should be permanent.
"[Removable Ink] is an easy out for people who want to get tattoos as fashion accessories but it takes away from their obligation to take responsibility for their choices," he said. "To put it on just to take it off totally misses the point."
On
Miami Ink, all the customers who have been featured have shared their own personal stories and motivations for choosing their tattoos, further highlighting the idea that tattoos are more than just trendy body art. Even the tattoos the artists' possess have stories behind them, often representing an important phase or milestone in their lives.
TLC's
Miami Ink is scheduled to return in the fall.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: CTV.ca
(Image Courtesy of www.gameamp.com)