Of all the mediums, platforms, and genres within the art world, none is more personal than tattoos. The process of permanently injecting ink under the skin dates back several thousand years ago, however, only recently have western stigmas surrounding the practice loosened. For many, the idea of decorating the body with images, text, or symbols that carry personal significance outweighs the pain and financial cost of visiting a tattoo parlor. It's for these reasons I chose Covenant Tattoo Parlor as the focus of my place documentary project, a place where I myself experienced the very personal process of receiving my first tattoo. 

 

During my visit, I focused on three individuals, their artists, and the tattoos they were receiving. The first was Lauren Farrer who went with her friend Crystal Martinez to finish a rose bouquet on her arm from her last visit with tattoo artist Matt Phillips. The second customer was Travis Myers, a recent survivor of stage four cancer and the recipient of a painting done by his childhood art teacher from tattoo artist Robert Riffey. And finally Leah Simmons, a young woman who answered her inner calling to live in Fort Collins Colorado, and work with horses on a local farm. The artwork she chose to get tattooed was an Egyptian-themed piece combining the Eye of Ra and the Eye of Horace with a decorative henna-inspired outline from artist Josalin Livingstone.