Why Ignorant Tattoos are All the Rage Now
This trendy style of tattoos is taking the younger generation by storm, where messy lines and celebrated imperfections adorn the bodies of Gen-Zs and millennials.
Almost two years after my last tattoo, I decided to take a chance and attend a tattooing event at a lounge. One of the artists at the event had a Gachapon machine – the toy-dispensing vending machines of the '90s – where you could drop a coin in and get a random flash design of the artist. The idea was to leave things up to fate, to remove the stressors of having a piece permanently tattooed on your skin. And so I thought, why not?
As I lay on the bed for the tattooist, Kathlyn (otherwise known as VinterDoodles), to begin working her magic, I pondered about the subversion of the permanence of tattoos. The Gachapon had so simply wiped away the illusion of choice and the liberation of the lack thereof was comforting.
Something about the care and permanence of tattoos had caused me, and others just like me, to crave some randomness and cut through all the conventional notions associated with acquiring a tattoo. The tattoo doesn’t need to be perfect, or even meaningful. And these thoughts led me to think about all the “bad” tattoos I’d been seeing all over social media.
I’m sure you’ve seen them too – lettering that’s purposely scrawled out and cancelled, or squiggly lines that don’t line up perfectly. At first glance, these tattoos might appear to be poorly executed or just plain bad ideas. But that’s exactly how ignorant tattoos got their name.
The History
Invented by graffiti-artist-turned-tattooist Fuzi Uvtpk in the '90s, the French artist (who gained popularity back in 2012 for tattooing Scarlett Johansson’s iconic "Lucky You" rib tattoo) developed this style as a means of asserting power. He turned an insult hurled at him into a creative outlet – letting his “lack of knowledge” steer his graffiti, and later, his tattoos. He talks about how the style is meant to be without rules, without constraints, and meant for freedom of expression. And this is still apparent in the ignorant tattoos of today. Think tongue-in-cheek text or not-so-perfect letters.
The Popularisation
The age of the internet was when ignorant tattoos really exploded in popularity. Online fuss-free shopping made it easy for tattoo enthusiasts to purchase their own machines without a license. Instagram helped artists all around the world spread their work across borders. Enter: The party thigh – tattoos done by amateur artists at house parties. These are usually small but “poorly done” tattoos borrowed from the absence of rules of Fuzi’s original ignorant style. These DIY tattoos were ignorant, most of them were taken on by partygoers who wanted to live in the moment, done by artists with no formal training.
Even now, social media is leading more people to discover this almost-meta style of tattoos. On Instagram, Ignorant Style Tattoo has close to 300k followers, and #ignoranttattoo on TikTok has amassed 126.8 million views. It’s safe to say this style isn’t slowing down.
While there is still some stigma surrounding tattoos, the younger generations seem to abandon those notions, preferring to take a life with tattoos a little less seriously. In a world where bad things seem to happen every day and we’re all still picking up the pieces in the (almost) wake of a global pandemic, imperfection feels like the perfect rebellion. The view that there’s no greater meaning in life, and that there doesn’t need to be one is known as optimistic nihilism, and that seems to have driven the popularity of ignorant tattoos through the roof. Tattoos don’t need to carry any particular significance, and the markings on our bodies don’t need to be perfect or even great to deserve a spot.
Local Ignorant Tattoo Artists
If you’ve taken a fancy to this wild, laidback style, here are some local tattoo artists killing it with their ignorant tattoos.
