Tattoos have always fascinated me, although I had none until August of 2019. Somehow, I managed to get through a 20 year career in the Navy without one.
I've always loved, though, the stories that people have regarding the tattoos they have. Tattoos that mark a significant event or achievement, the passing or birth of a loved one; the stories I hear are as varied as the tattoos those stories describe.
I've wanted to do something like this for years.
For me, the genesis of this project was, originally, just to photograph tattoos. I wanted a purpose to it, though, although I struggled to find one. Sadly, that purpose found me. I didn't have to hunt for it. More on that in a minute.
When I was growing up, there were only a few types of people who had tattoos. For the most part, sailors, bikers and musicians had them, and that was pretty much it. These days, though, the diversity of tattoos, and the stories behind them, are now matched by the diversity of the people who have them.
In February of 2014, I lost my father to cancer. Since that time, I've wanted to commemorate my father with a tattoo. For whatever reason that seemed an appropriate thing to want to do.
Not long after Dad passed away, my cousin Paul lost his long battle with cancer.
I have since had friends who've lost best friends to cancer. I have friends now who bravely, valiantly and defiantly battle cancer every single day. Cancer is an insidious bitch that knows no age or gender, no religion or sexual orientation, no skin color or tax bracket. It's become far too apparent to me that one of the strongest threads connecting my friends; many of whom have never and will never meet, is cancer.
So, damned as it may be, I had the purpose for this project...
I've always loved, though, the stories that people have regarding the tattoos they have. Tattoos that mark a significant event or achievement, the passing or birth of a loved one; the stories I hear are as varied as the tattoos those stories describe.
I've wanted to do something like this for years.
For me, the genesis of this project was, originally, just to photograph tattoos. I wanted a purpose to it, though, although I struggled to find one. Sadly, that purpose found me. I didn't have to hunt for it. More on that in a minute.
When I was growing up, there were only a few types of people who had tattoos. For the most part, sailors, bikers and musicians had them, and that was pretty much it. These days, though, the diversity of tattoos, and the stories behind them, are now matched by the diversity of the people who have them.
In February of 2014, I lost my father to cancer. Since that time, I've wanted to commemorate my father with a tattoo. For whatever reason that seemed an appropriate thing to want to do.
Not long after Dad passed away, my cousin Paul lost his long battle with cancer.
I have since had friends who've lost best friends to cancer. I have friends now who bravely, valiantly and defiantly battle cancer every single day. Cancer is an insidious bitch that knows no age or gender, no religion or sexual orientation, no skin color or tax bracket. It's become far too apparent to me that one of the strongest threads connecting my friends; many of whom have never and will never meet, is cancer.
So, damned as it may be, I had the purpose for this project...
