Finally had a chance to take photos of my new tattoo! I’m so in love with it, every time I see it I feel so happy. :]

I had been wanting a circuit tattoo for about a year before I actually decided to get it done. I went through many sketches before I finally came up with the design I wanted. And for those of you who are reminded of Tron, yes, I did watch the movie (the second one) while I was finishing up the design. :p

Originally I thought the tattoo artist would need to alter my drawing to fit my body shape better, but it ended up fitting so well that they just blew the drawing up and traced it right onto me.

I went to the Chicago Tattooing and Piercing Company in Belmont because I had my first tattoo done there, thanks to the recommendation of a friend, and knew they did quality work. Some people say that the prices are a little high, but I think it’s worth it. Recently I saw someone’s $50 color tattoo (that was larger than my $90 Party Cat tattoo) done at an unknown palor in the suburbs, and the black outline had somehow started bleeding away from the tattoo like watercolors. Since tattoos are a lifelong addition to my body, I think it’s better to spend more and get quality work..

The artist who did my tattoo was Nick Colella. He was very friendly and professional, and made sure to ask me if I wanted to take a break when he thought the pain was getting too much for me. I didn’t end up taking a break, I just wanted to get it over with! Each new line was like a brand new type of hurt, and the worst parts were the lower portion of the tattoo. The entire thing took around 30 minutes I think.

Paying for the tattoo is a whole other story; there was no way I could have afforded it on my own. When my dad asked me earlier in the summer what I wanted for my birthday, I laughed because the first thing I thought of was this tattoo (growing up, my dad was always against tattoos, piercings and colored hair). I told him that he wouldn’t like what I had in mind, but he turned out to be okay with it. He said at least it’s something that will be with me forever and remind me of him when I see it. :] So he helped me pay for a large portion of this tattoo. Thank you so much dad, love you! ♥ ♥ ♥

And finally, here are the reasons that I wanted a circuit tattoo:

• The reason that I’ve loved sewing (costumes, clothing, everything) for so much of life is because of the huge challenge it poses. Figuring out how to make something you want to make, and figuring out solutions to the inevitable obstacles that come in the process, is one of the most rewarding things ever. I found the same challenges in electronics and programming and have loved them ever since.
• I’m very interested in the idea that electronics are a very natural thing. Even though most of what we see is very manufactured, linear and synthetic, electronics and electricity wouldn’t be possible without very basic properties of nature (of which I don’t pretend to know anything about yet). Putting a hard circuit on the human body seemed like a good way to embody these ideas.

In the photo above (taken by Christine) I’m standing in front of Dieter Roth’s installation at MOMA in New York. There is really no relationship between the tattoo and the installation, I just really liked the tv screen background~ 

Oh and one last thing; I think Daft Punk’s Technologic goes perfectly with my new tattoo. I’ve been on a Daft Punk kick lately. :]]

Sorry for the super long post! I wanted to get all my thoughts in one place and feel much better now~

** Please do not copy this tattoo design or claim it as your own, I drew it up myself! If you really, sincerely want to get the same tattoo, please contact me about it first (I promise I’m friendly). Thank you for your understanding! **