ART
Art you can wear Tattoo artist shares why she loves working with ink
By JOE BUTLER Photography by JOEL RINER
N ot all that long ago, tattoos were generally taboo in po- lite society. Sure, some in the military had them, and maybe outlaw motorcy- clists or similar rougher, counter- culture figures. If anyone had one, they likely kept it well-hidden, es- pecially in the workplace. But in the last few decades, ink has moved into the mainstream, and spotting impressive body art on someone can be more of a con- versation starter vs. a signal to stay away. People proudly show off everything from their kids’ names to favorite movie characters to in- spirational messages, even mean- ingful Bible verses. A Pew Research Center survey in 2023 showed 80 percent of Ameri- cans are more accepting of tattoos, a significant bump from 20 years ago. Plus, more people are getting them, especially women of all ages and members of the ‘millennial’ generation, the demographic born between 1981 and 1996.
Courtney Helms, owner of Helmzz Deep Ink, brings fantasy images to life using ink.
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