• About Smithsonian
  • Email Updates
  • Member Services
  • Shop
  • Archive

Smithsonian.com

  • Smithsonian Institution
  • Smithsonian Channel
  • goSmithsonian
  • Air & Space magazine
  • Home
  • History & Archaeology
  • People & Places
  • Science & Nature
  • Arts & Culture
  • Travel
  • Subscribe
  • Africa & the Middle East
  • Asia Pacific
  • Europe
  • The Americas
#1: Flowers.
Conklin: Everything from the daisy on the ankle to floral arrangement, reaching across several bodyparts.

Damon Conklin

  • People & Places

Today's Tattoos

Making your mark

  • By Cate Lineberry
  • Smithsonian.com, January 01, 2007

Article Tools

 
  • Font
  • Email
  •  
  • Print
  • Comments
  •  
  • RSS
  • Photo Gallery

    #1: Flowers.
Conklin: Everything from the daisy on the ankle to floral arrangement, reaching across several bodyparts.

    Today's Tattoos

    Explore more photos from the story



    Most Popular

    • Viewed
    • Emailed
    1. Keepers of the Lost Ark?
    2. Family Ties
    3. Today's Tattoos
    4. In John They Trust
    5. Swamp Ghosts
    6. Inside Cape Town
    7. Tomatoes in the Bullpen
    8. To Be or Not to Be Shakespeare
    9. A Soldier's Story
    10. Building A Better Banana
    1. Inside Cape Town
    2. Keepers of the Lost Ark?
    3. Building A Better Banana
    4. The Sodfather
    5. A Prayer for the Ganges
    6. Next Stop, Squalor
    7. Saving Iraq's Treasures
    8. The Pirate Hunters
    9. Americans in Prague
    10. Talking to Horses

    Damon Conklin, owner of Super Genius Tattoo in Seattle, Washington, and founder of the Seattle Tattoo Convention, weighs in on which tattoo designs are the most popular on the West Coast. Tom Yak of New York Adorned says tattoo fans on the East Coast want the same provocative styles; the more customized, the better.


    1. Flowers

    Conklin: Everything from the daisy on the ankle to floral arrangement, reaching across several bodyparts.

    Yak: Floral tattoos always remain in style. I do a lot of lotus flowers. I draw American imagery, daisies and roses, but I try to add an eastern sort of flair.

    2. Lettering

    Conklin: Usually names and quotes, but sometimes they're elaborate. In one instance, a New York-based writer composed a short story. You could only receive a copy of the story if you had an assigned word from the story tattooed on you, and when completed, the some total of participants comprised the whole story.

    3. Symbols

    Conklin: This could be as simple as an astrological sign or as abstact as an image that somehow represents a time or accomplishment in someone's life.

    Yak: About 80 to 90 percent of what I do are personalized designs. That's what people want.

    4. Religion

    Conklin: Crosses, Jesus or a range of other gods, including depictions of events in sacred text.

    5. Skulls

    1 2 3

    Damon Conklin, owner of Super Genius Tattoo in Seattle, Washington, and founder of the Seattle Tattoo Convention, weighs in on which tattoo designs are the most popular on the West Coast. Tom Yak of New York Adorned says tattoo fans on the East Coast want the same provocative styles; the more customized, the better.


    1. Flowers

    Conklin: Everything from the daisy on the ankle to floral arrangement, reaching across several bodyparts.

    Yak: Floral tattoos always remain in style. I do a lot of lotus flowers. I draw American imagery, daisies and roses, but I try to add an eastern sort of flair.

    2. Lettering

    Conklin: Usually names and quotes, but sometimes they're elaborate. In one instance, a New York-based writer composed a short story. You could only receive a copy of the story if you had an assigned word from the story tattooed on you, and when completed, the some total of participants comprised the whole story.

    3. Symbols

    Conklin: This could be as simple as an astrological sign or as abstact as an image that somehow represents a time or accomplishment in someone's life.

    Yak: About 80 to 90 percent of what I do are personalized designs. That's what people want.

    4. Religion

    Conklin: Crosses, Jesus or a range of other gods, including depictions of events in sacred text.

    5. Skulls

    Conklin: Mostly human and other bone-related stuff.

    6. Japanese designs

    Conklin: The whole world of traditional Japanese art and tattooing is very influential in today's modern tattooing to the point where almost every tattoo reflects a lesson taken from Japanese art.

    Yak: I do a lot of Eastern-inspired art and a lot with the elements. Water, fire, wind. Also, power symbols like the dragon and khoi fish.

    7. Portrait

    Conklin: This is mostly the realistic likeness of loved ones or celebrities, but more recently has been expanded to include all manner of realistic tattooing.

    8. Love

    Conklin: Hearts mostly, but sometimes sarcastic statements about love.

    Yak: The traditional American style stuff provides the customer with a more historic feel. It's stood the test of time.

    9. Birds

    Conklin: Including mythological flyers like phoenixes and griffins. Flying is always a metaphor for rising above, excelling and emergence.

    10. Wildlife

    Conklin: All manners of living creatures, from lions to gold fish.



     
    Comments

    I would like to get a tattoo of a Maile-lei and incorporate it with a Hawiian style flower and also have my daughter's name in with the tattoo. My daughter's name is Maile after the flower.So I would like that lei tattoo with some kind of colorful Hawiian flower. Please email me back with what ever ideas you might have. Thanks hope to hear from you soon.

    Posted by Lily on February 8,2008 | 05:40PM

    Post a Comment


    Name: (required)

    Email: (required)

    Comment:



    Advertisement

    In The Magazine

    May 2008

    • Acadia Country
    • Ancient Citadel
    • The Life Aquatic with Bruce Mozert
    • Back to the Frontier
    • End of the Road
    • Who's Laughing Now?
    • Hidden Depths

    View Table of Contents

    Advertisement

    Marketplace

    Gifts, Gadgets & Great Finds!

    Now you can visit the sites of select advertisers directly!

    Promotions

    Subscribe Today & Win a FREE Trip to Paris!

    Smithsonian magazine presents

    5th Annual Photo Contest

    Review and discuss the 50 finalists now >>

    ECOCENTER

    Greener Living

    Celebrate Earth Day with Smithsonian.com



    View full archiveRecent Issues


    • May 2008


    • Apr 2008


    • Mar 2008

    Newsletter

    Sign up for regular email updates from Smithsonian magazine, including free newsletters, special offers and current news updates.

    Subscribe Now

    About Us

    Smithsonian.com expands on Smithsonian magazine's in-depth coverage of history, science, nature, the arts, travel, world culture and technology. Join us regularly as we take a dynamic and interactive approach to exploring modern and historic perspectives on the arts, sciences, nature, world culture and travel, including videos, blogs and a reader forum.

    Explore our Brands

    • goSmithsonian.com
    • Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
    • Smithsonian Institution
    • Smithsonian Catalogue
    • Smithsonian Journeys
    • Smithsonian Channel
    • Site Map
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • About Smithsonian
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    • Reader Panel
    • Subscribe
    • RSS

    Smithsonian Institution