For people who love tattoos, the human body is a walking canvas. Its undulating form is host to artistic designs of dragons, tigers, unicorns, koi, the snake, the butterfly, stars, hearts, flowers, the dots and zigzag lines of tribal pattern, the signs and symbols of a culture. The skin becomes the repository of colorful pigment and dyes. Some of these designs cover the whole body; while some are diminutive enough to keep hidden under pieces of clothing. Depending on the culture and the times, any tattoo is considered to be sexy tattoos. In the male dominated world of tattoo culture, sailors and servicemen got their epidermal skin pierced with tattoos of erotic nature. These consisted of images of girls in various forms of undress. Some were graphic depictions of bodily parts. They were shown in visible locations such as in chests and upper arms. Still others like theirs to be different from all the rest. Aside from covering every inch of skin for that singular unique look, some people choose images of their favorite cartoon characters and other trendy image of the times. Others have themselves inked in the most unlikely places, such as the head area or anywhere in the face.
As this field of body art expanded to include more practitioners from contemporary society, the imagery has become more subdued. Female preferences gravitate towards the more subtle but still sexy images available from the tattoo artist's portfolio. Sexy tattoos of a more private nature were more prevalent. Areas of the body sporting tattoos were hidden from public view. Favorite parts of the body for inking are the breasts and chests, the lower back, the butt cheeks, the inner thighs, the abdomen, the upper left or right back. The purpose of decorating one's body has made a slow turn, from public spectacle to private and personal enjoyment. It is still an act of self expression, but a quieter one.
The meaning and purpose of these designs were not always for art's sake only. Ancient and tribal lore share the sacred stories and rituals involving these kinds of body decoration. In an infamous period in human history, people were branded with identification marks consisting of a series of numbers in the arm. Gangs have also used their form of branding, with their own symbolisms and meanings. Prison inmates likewise had their own culture with a separate set of meanings to the images.
These old symbolisms have been blurred in our time. Popular culture has appropriated these images to claim as their own. Nowadays, sexy tattoos make use of any and all images for the purpose of enticing, attracting, expressing, and decorating.
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