Tattoos as a form of art are impressive in and of themselves. Not only do they just flat out look cool, there is something significant about it being permanent and serving as a form of self-expression.
But it doesn’t stop there. Tattoo artists Tia Naayem, a.k.a. @delicatesquash on Instagram, takes tattoos to a whole new level by wrapping them in ways that only make sense if you move your body right.
More Info: Instagram
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Meet Tia Naayem, an LA-based tattoo artist with an extremely versatile style. Surreal, abstract, warped or realistic—she seems to have done it all as seen on her Instagram page, which features nearly 1,400 posts of various tattoo designs and is followed by 77,300 people.
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While all of her designs are captivating, folks online have started gravitating towards a particular kind of tattoos—the ones where the image is warped.
You see, these aren’t your run of the mill tattoos—they come to fruition under certain conditions, namely when the person with the tattoo bends their limbs. Only then does the full message start making sense.
Either that, or you have a very visual mind and can piece it together regardless.
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While these differ from what interactive tattoos are all about, you can take a leap in definition and say that there are certainly elements of interactivity there. After all, the only way you can make these make sense is to interact with it, i.e. your own body. And if it’s not a case where you bend a knee or an elbow, then it’s a matter of putting your hands or your feet together (or both). There’s mind-blowing to be had regardless.
Oh, and if you’re wondering—we featured more than just the leggy-army-bendy designs in this listicle because good art ought to be celebrated all the same.
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For those wondering, interactive tattoos in the more traditional sense are designs that beckon human interaction.
These can range from shape puzzles, word searches and connect-the-dots to full blown to-do lists, 3D vision tats, and QR codes. Lots of fun to be had there with Spotify sound wave codes that lead you to Rick Astley’s legendary roll.
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But, continuing with the theme of tattoos isn’t just for the sake of beauty, there’s more than one reason to justify a tattoo outside of just looking good.
In sociology, the concept of an individual is complex. Everything that the individual does, says, and even wears is a statement of identity. And that includes tattoos.
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Tattoos express who you are as a person, what you believe in, what you stand for and the like. If anything, the relative permanency of personality and tattoos only emphasizes the concept of individuality in that scenario.
But if it’s not that, it might also be inked for cultural or religious reasons, they might serve as a commemoration of an occasion or it might be a simple scar cover-up. In any case, they are functional.
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And speaking of functional—because tattoo culture and design are interesting in general—functional tattoos are also a style of tattoo.
By definition, they do overlap with interactive tattoos, but encompass the more practical aspects.
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Besides the aforementioned QR codes and to-do lists, functional tattoos can come in the form of rulers because measuring everything in bananas might be difficult.
Others might prompt for medic alert tattoos—tattoo designs that are specifically used for informing good Samaritans and medical personnel what sort of an unexpected emergency the tattooed person might be experiencing (e.g. epilepsy).
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Then there are makeup tattoos—tattoos that serve as permanent eye shadow or a stylistically and tactically placed mole on a cheek.
Heck, there is a history of getting tattoos as part of promotions and advertising for companies. You know, get a lifetime supply of [insert product] by getting a tattoo of [insert appropriate branding].
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Be sure to check out more from the artist herself on her Instagram page, or if you haven’t had your fill of tattoo art today, check out these 3D-looking tattoos.
But before you do that, the comment section awaits your lovely voices.
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